View source for Volcán Atitlán

{{short description|Active volcano in Guatemala}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Volcán Atitlán
| photo = volcano-atitlan.jpg
| photo_caption = Volcán Atitlán from the village of San Antonio Palopo
| photo_size = 250
| elevation_m = 3,535
| elevation_ref = 
| prominence = 
| range = [[Sierra Madre de Chiapas]]
| location = [[Sololá Department]], [[Guatemala]]
| map = Guatemala
| map_caption = 
| label_position = right
| language = [[Nahuatl]]
| coordinates = {{coord|14|35|0|N|91|11|10|W|type:mountain_region:GT-SO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = 
| topo = 
| type = [[Stratovolcano]]
| age = 
| volcanic_arc = [[Central America Volcanic Arc]]
| last_eruption = May 1853
| first_ascent = 
| easiest_route = 
}}

'''Volcán Atitlán''' ({{IPA|es|atiˈtlan}}) is a large, conical, [[active volcano|active]] [[stratovolcano]] adjacent to the [[caldera]] of [[Lake Atitlán]] in the Guatemalan Highlands of the [[Sierra Madre de Chiapas]] range. It is within the [[Sololá Department]], in southwestern [[Guatemala]].

The volcano has been quite active historically, with more than a dozen eruptions recorded between 1469 and 1853, the date of its most recent eruption. Atitlán is part of the [[Central American Volcanic Arc]]. The arc is a chain of volcanoes stretching along Central America formed by subduction of the [[Cocos Plate]] underneath the [[Caribbean Plate]]. These volcanoes are part of the [[Pacific Ring of Fire|Ring of Fire]] around the [[Pacific Ocean]].

Volcán Atitlán is a few miles south of [[Volcán Tolimán]], which rises from the southern shore of Lake Atitlán. [[Volcán San Pedro]] rises above Lake Atitlán northwest of Volcán Atitlán. A long narrow bay separates Volcán Atitlán and Volcán Toliman from Volcán San Pedro.

[[File:Volcanoes of Lake Atitlán.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The volcanoes of Lake Atitlan: Atitlan (left center), Toliman (center), and San Pedro (far right).]]

== Wildlife ==
Atitlán is home to two particularly rare and beautiful [[bird]]s that are [[endemism|endemic]] to the [[cloud forest]]s of this region.  The [[horned guan]] (''Oreophasis derbianus'') is a [[Pleistocene]] relic of the family [[Cracidae]] that persists today only in small fragments of its previous range.  Its habitat is limited to cloud forests above approximately {{convert|1650|m}}.  This bird is the size of a turkey and the adult male has a one-inch scarlet-colored "horn" projecting straight up from the top of its head.  The Cabanis's or [[azure-rumped tanager]] (''Tangara cabanisi'') is probably the most restricted-range species in the region. It occurs only at mid-elevations within the Sierra Madre del Sur of Chiapas, Mexico and western Guatemala.

== References ==
* {{cite gvp | vn=342060 | title=Atitlán}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070821000413/http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/south_america/guat/atitlan.html VolcanoWorld information]

==See also==
* [[List of volcanoes in Guatemala]]
{{Commons category|position=left}}

{{-}}

{{Central American volcanoes|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atitlan}}
[[Category:Volcanoes of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Sololá Department|Volcan Atitlan]]
[[Category:Sierra Madre de Chiapas]]
[[Category:Stratovolcanoes of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Subduction volcanoes]]
[[Category:Mountains of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Pleistocene stratovolcanoes]]
[[Category:Holocene stratovolcanoes]]
[[Category:North American 3000 m summits]]


{{Guatemala-geo-stub}}
{{NorthAm-protected-area-stub}}