View source for Chisec

{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
| name                   = Chisec
| native_name            = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| other_name             = 
| settlement_type        = Municipality
| nickname               = 
| motto                  = 
| image_skyline          = 
| image_caption          = 
| image_flag             = 
| image_seal             = 
| image_shield           = 
| image_map              = 
| map_caption            = 
| pushpin_map            = Guatemala<!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_caption    = Location in Guatemala
| coordinates            = {{coord|15|48|45|N|90|19|18|W|region:GT|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = {{flag|Guatemala}}
| subdivision_type1      = [[Departments of Guatemala|Department]]
| subdivision_name1      = [[File:Bandera de Alta Verapaz.svg|25px]] [[Alta Verapaz Department|Alta Verapaz]]
| subdivision_type2      = [[Municipalities of Guatemala|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name2      = Chisec
| established_title      = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date       = 
| government_type        = [[Municipal]]
<!-- Politics ----------------->
| government_footnotes   = 
| leader_party           = UCN
| leader_title           = Mayor
| leader_name            = Fidencio Lima Pop
<!-- Area    --------------------->
| unit_pref              = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
| area_footnotes         = 
| area_total_km2         = 1244<!--ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
| area_land_km2          = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
| area_water_km2         = 
| area_water_percent     = 
| elevation_footnotes    = 
| elevation_m            = 230
| elevation_max_m        = 
| elevation_min_m        =
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
| population_footnotes   = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Guatemala: Administrative Division (Departments and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/guatemala/admin/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>
| population_total       = 84553
| population_as_of       = Census 2018
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_urban       = 9884
| population_density_urban_km2 = auto
| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
| population_blank1       = [[Q'eqchi' people|Q'eqchi']], [[ladino people|Ladino]]
| population_blank2_title = Religions
| population_blank2       = [[Roman Catholicism]], [[Evangelicalism]], [[Mayan religion|Maya]]
| population_note         =
<!-- General information  --------------->
| timezone                = 
| utc_offset              = 
| timezone_DST            = 
| utc_offset_DST          =
<!-- Area/postal codes & others --------> 
| postal_code_type        = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code             = 
| area_code               =
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec1         = [[Tropical rainforest climate|Af]]
| website                 = {{URL|http://munichisec.gob.gt/}}
| footnotes               = 
}}
'''Chisec''' is a town and [[Municipalities of Guatemala|municipality]] in the north of the [[Guatemala]]n department of [[Alta Verapaz]] that was founded in 1813. It is situated at 230 metres (755&nbsp;ft) above [[sea level]]. The municipality covers a territory of 1,244&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. 

The 2018 census documented the population at 84,553. Approximately 95% of the municipality's inhabitants are [[Maya people|Mayan]], spread over the town of Chisec and approximately 140 communities. There used to be closer to 240 communities, but a number of these have officially split off to the new municipality of [[Raxruha]], created by the Guatemalan Congress in 2008. The [[Q'eqchi' language]] is widely spoken there alongside Spanish.

==History==

=== Franja Transversal del Norte ===
{{Main|Franja Transversal del Norte}}
{{See also|Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio|Fernando Romeo Lucas García}}

{{Location map | Guatemala
|AlternativeMap=Franja transversal guate relief.jpg
| width      = 195
| float      = left
| caption    = Location of Chisec in [[Franja Transversal del Norte]]
| label      = Chisec
| label_size = 80
| position   = bottom
| background = white
| mark       = Orange_pog.svg
| marksize   = 9 <!--size in pixels-->
| lat_deg    = 
| lon_deg    = 
}}

{{quote box|width=60%|align=center|title=It is of public interest and national emergency, the establishment of Agrarian Development Zones in the area included within the municipalities: San Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista, Nentón, Jacaltenango, [[San Mateo Ixtatán]], and [[Santa Cruz Barillas]] in [[Huehuetenango (department)|Huehuetenango]]; [[Chajul]] and San Miguel [[Uspantán]] in Quiché; [[Cobán]], Chisec, [[San Pedro Carchá]], [[Lanquín]], [[Senahú]], [[Cahabón]] and [[Chahal, Guatemala|Chahal]], in Alta Verapaz and the entire department of [[Izabal Department|Izabal]].|Decree 60-70, first article.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=15}}}}

The first settler project in the Franja Transversal del Norte (FTN) was in Sebol-Chinajá in [[Alta Verapaz]]. Sebol, then regarded as a strategic point and route through Cancuén river, which communicated with Petén through the Usumacinta River on the border with Mexico and the only road that existed was a dirt one built by President [[Lázaro Chacón]] in 1928.  In 1958, during the government of General [[Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes]] the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) financed infrastructure projects in Sebol.<ref group=lower-alpha>Sebol finally adopted the name "Fray Bartolomé de las Casas', municipality created in 1983 in Alta Verapaz.</ref>   In 1960, then Army captain [[Fernando Romeo Lucas García]] inherited Saquixquib and Punta de Boloncó farms in northeastern Sebol.  In 1963 he bought the farm "San Fernando" El Palmar de Sejux and finally bought the "Sepur" farm near San Fernando.  During those years, Lucas was in the Guatemalan legislature and lobbied in Congress to boost investment in that area of the country.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=10}}

In 1962, the DGAA became the National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INTA), by Decree 1551 which created the law of Agrarian Transformation.  In 1964, INTA defined the geography of the FTN as the northern part of the departments of Huehuetenango, Quiché, Alta Verapaz and Izabal and that same year priests of the [[Maryknoll]] order and the Order of the Sacred Heart began the first process of colonization, along with INTA, carrying settlers from Huehuetenango to the Ixcán sector in Quiché.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=13}}

The Northern Transversal Strip was officially created during the government of General Carlos Arana Osorio in 1970, by Decree 60–70 in the Congress, for agricultural development.<ref name=wikiguate>{{cite journal|url=http://wikiguate.com.gt/wiki/Franja_Transversal_del_Norte|journal=Wikiguate|title=Franja Transversal del Norte|access-date=30 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704175847/http://wikiguate.com.gt/wiki/Franja_Transversal_del_Norte|archive-date=4 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Economy ==

=== Oil potential ===

In 1971 the indigenous Q'eqchi's from 24 villages in the Cancuén area, in southern Petén and north of Chisec were evicted by the Army, because it was considered that the region was rich in oil.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=11}}

Since 1974, oil had been commercially extracted in the FTN vicinity following discoveries made by Shenandoah Oil and Basic Resources, which were operating together in the [[Rubelsanto]] oil field in Alta Verapaz. In 1976, when ten president [[Kjell Laugerud Garcia]] came to visit the Mayalán cooperative in [[Ixcán]], Quiché -which was formed just 10 years before- said: "Mayalán is seated on top of the gold", hinting that the North Transversal Strip would no longer be used for agriculture and the cooperative movement, but rather by strategic exploitation of natural resources.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=18}}   After that presidential visit, the two oil companies conducted exploration in Xacbal, near Mayalán in Ixcán, where they drilled the "San Lucas" well with unsuccessful results.  These initial exploration, however, paved the way for future Ixcán and FTN oil experimentation, were also the main reason for building the dirt road that runs along the Strip.  Shenandoah Oil, the National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INTA) and the Army Engineer Battalion coordinated the construction of that corridor between 1975 and 1979, which eventually allowed political, military and powerful businessmen of the time become owners of many lands where potential timber and oil wealth lay.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=19}}

High Guatemalan government officers became large landowners and investors taking advantage of the peasant transfer policies, privileged insider information, expansion of public credit and major development projects; the Army entered the business world with the Bank of the Army, pension funds and others.{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=24}}

=== African oil palm ===
{{See also|Elaeis guineensis}}

[[File:Guatemalapalma2014.JPG|200px|thumb|African oil palm plantation areas in Guatemala as of 2014.{{sfn|Solano|2015|p=6}}]]

There is a large demand within Guatemala and some of its neighbors for edible oils and fats, which would explain how the African oil palm became so prevalent in the country in detriment of other oils, and which has allowed new companies associated to large capitals in a new investment phase that can be found particularly in some territories that form the [[Franja Transversal del Norte|Northern Transversal Strip]] of Guatemala.<ref name=enfoque/> The investors are trying to turn Guatemala into one of the main palm oil exporters, in spite of the decline on its international price.  The most active region is found in Chisec and [[Cobán]], in [[Alta Verapaz Department]]; [[Ixcán]] in [[Quiché Department]], and [[Sayaxché]], [[Petén Department]], where Palmas del Ixcán, S.A. (PALIX) is located, both with its own plantation and those of subcontractors. Another active region is that of [[Fray Bartolomé de las Casas]] and Chahal in Alta Verapaz Department; [[El Estor]] and [[Livingston, Izabal|Livingston]], [[Izabal Department]]; and [[San Luis, Petén|San Luis]], [[Petén Department|Petén]], where Naturaceites operates.<ref name=enfoque>{{harvnb|Solano|2015|p=1}}</ref>

==Climate==

Chisec has a [[tropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Af'').
{{Weather box
|location = Chisec
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan mean C = 23.1
|Feb mean C = 24.0
|Mar mean C = 25.6
|Apr mean C = 26.8
|May mean C = 27.2
|Jun mean C = 27.3
|Jul mean C = 26.5
|Aug mean C = 26.5
|Sep mean C = 26.3
|Oct mean C = 25.8
|Nov mean C = 24.7
|Dec mean C = 23.1
|year mean C = 
|Jan high C = 27.8
|Feb high C = 29.6
|Mar high C = 31.0
|Apr high C = 32.4
|May high C = 32.4
|Jun high C = 32.1
|Jul high C = 30.8
|Aug high C = 31.1
|Sep high C = 30.8
|Oct high C = 30.1
|Nov high C = 29.1
|Dec high C = 27.9
|year high C = 
|Jan low C = 18.4
|Feb low C = 18.4
|Mar low C = 20.2
|Apr low C = 21.2
|May low C = 22.1
|Jun low C = 22.5
|Jul low C = 22.2
|Aug low C = 22.0
|Sep low C = 21.9
|Oct low C = 21.5
|Nov low C = 20.3
|Dec low C = 18.3
|year low C = 
|Jan precipitation mm = 152
|Feb precipitation mm = 96
|Mar precipitation mm = 98
|Apr precipitation mm = 99
|May precipitation mm = 214
|Jun precipitation mm = 385
|Jul precipitation mm = 387
|Aug precipitation mm = 343
|Sep precipitation mm = 427
|Oct precipitation mm = 386
|Nov precipitation mm = 252
|Dec precipitation mm = 184
|year precipitation mm =
|source 1 = Climate-Data.org<ref name="Climate-Data.org">
{{cite web|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/54066/
|title = Climate: Chisec
|access-date = 19 August 2015
|publisher = Climate-Data.org}}</ref>
}}

==Geographic location==

{{Geographic location
|Center=Chisec
|North=[[Sayaxché]], [[Petén Department|El Petén]] municipality
|South=[[Cobán]] and [[San Pedro Carchá]], [[Alta Verapaz Department|Alta Verapaz]] municipalities.<ref name=segeplan/>
|East=[[Raxruha]], Alta Verapaz municipality<ref name=segeplan>{{cite web|author=SEGEPLAN|title=Municipios de Alta Verapaz, Guatemala|url=http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=2:alta-verapaz&Itemid=333|location=Guatemala|website=Secretaría General de Planificación y Programación de la Presidencia de la República|access-date=30 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630153430/http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=2%3Aalta-verapaz&Itemid=333|archive-date=30 June 2015|language=es|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|West=[[Cobán]], Alta Verapaz municipality and [[Ixcán]], [[Quiché Department|El Quiché]] municipality
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Guatemala|Geography}}
*[[Acala Ch'ol]]
* [[Fernando Romeo Lucas García]]
* [[Franja Transversal del Norte]]

== Notes and references ==

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|url=http://www.albedrio.org/htm/documentos/EstudioFranjaTransversalNorteCEDFOG.pdf|last=Solano|first=Luis|title=Contextualización histórica de la Franja Transversal del Norte (FTN)|publisher=Centro de Estudios y Documentación de la Frontera Occidental de Guatemala, CEDFOG|year=2012|access-date=31 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113172058/http://www.albedrio.org/htm/documentos/EstudioFranjaTransversalNorteCEDFOG.pdf|language=Spanish|archive-date=13 November 2014}}
* {{cite journal|last=Solano|first=Luis|url=http://www.albedrio.org/htm/otrosdocs/comunicados/EnfoqueNo.36-PalmaafricanaFTN-2015.pdf |title=Palma Africana|journal=Revista Enfoque|issue=36|date=15 July 2015|access-date=19 July 2015|location=Guatemala|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720045208/http://www.albedrio.org/htm/otrosdocs/comunicados/EnfoqueNo.36-PalmaafricanaFTN-2015.pdf|archive-date=20 July 2015|language=Spanish}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://munichisec.gob.gt/ Muni in Spanish]
*[http://www.ine.gob.gt/index.php?view=article&catid=42%3Ademografiaypoblacion&id=75%3Acenso2002&option=com_content&Itemid=69 INE - XI Censo Nacional de Poblacion y VI de Habitación (Censo 2002)] 
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050820163846/http://visitchisec.com/ Visit Chisec]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120817000222/http://www.puertamundomaya.com.gt/ Community based ecotourism in Chisec]

{{Alta Verapaz Department}}{{Franja Transversal del Norte (Guatemala)}}

[[Category:Municipalities of the Alta Verapaz Department]]