Sololá

Sololá is a city in Guatemala. It is the capital of the department of Sololá and the administrative seat of Sololá municipality. It resides around lake Atitlan.

The name is a hispanicized form of its pre-Columbian name, one spelling variant of which is T'zolojy'a. The urban center has about 14,000 people, but the municipality also includes four village communities—Los Encuentros, El Tablón, San Jorge la Laguna, and Argueta—as well as 59 smaller rural communities.

Sololá is situated at 2.114 m on a mountainside overlooking Lake Atitlán, some 600 meters below. It is a highland market center and is the headquarters for the Catholic Bishopric encompassing the Sololá and Chimaltenango Departments.

Almost all residents of Sololá are Kaqchikel Maya, except in Argueta, where most are K'iche' Maya. A large percentage of both men and women continue to wear traditional Mayan clothing.

Sololá is home to many international organizations including Manna Project International, Friendship Bridge, Mayan Families and Love Futbol.

Sololá Department

Sololá is a department in the west of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Sololá. Lake Atitlan is a key feature surrounded by a number of the municipalities.

Municipalities

Population

As of 2011, the department had a population of 430,573, and the area was populated almost entirely by different Mayan ethnic groups, of which the two largest groups were Kaqchikel people and K'iche'.Kaqchikel people Accounted for 50.1% of the department's population, and K'iche' accounted for 35.3% of the department's population. Indigenous people account for 96.5% of the department's population.

Economy

Fertile soil makes Sololá a producer of maize, wheat, barley, vegetables, and fruit. Fruits include apples, cherries, cherimoya, peaches, and pears. Live stock is also common, and as 1850, the region had a large wool industry.