| Name: | | Petén. | | First city: | | Flores. | | Population: | | approximately 321,186 | | Cities: | | Flores, San José, San Benito, San Andrés, La Libertad, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Dolores, San Luis, Poptún Sayaxché and Melchor de Mencos. | | Weather: | | Warm and tropical. | | Language: | | Itzá', lacandón, mopán, spanish and some q'eqchi' and ixil. | | Altitude: | | 127 meters above sea level. | | Territorial limits: | | It bounds to the north with México, to the east with con Belice, to the south with Izabal and Alta Verapaz and to the west with México. | | Territorial extension: | | 35,854 square kilometers. | | Main festivity: | | December 11 and 12, Virgen de Guadalupe. From January 2 to january 15 in honor to the Señor de Esquipulas. | | Foundation: | | Evidences show that around year 400 of our era. | | Temperature: | | Maximum: 35 degrees Celsius
Minimum: 15 degrees Celsius |
The plain of splendor
By: Alfonso Arrivillaga Cortés
In the most northern part of the country we find the Department of Petén. The occupation of this area has been practically continuous since the Pre-classic period. The most notable human presence has been the Mayan people, who left in this place the remains of the largest city of their civilization. During the colonization this area remained unconquered until 1697 when Martín Urzúa y Arismendi achieved the first reduction of the itza'es, precisely in "noh petén", the place where the present-day Isla de Flores is situated. Two years after the consolidation of the conquest of the island they conquered the mopanes. Seemingly parallel to this process, another series of groups of ethnic populations became involved in a violent process of extinction. Some groups of the chol population, situated on the margins of the Pasión and Usumacinta Rivers and who had been permanent in the region since the middle of the century, ended up escaping to Mexican territory in lacandonía. They were pursued by the government policies of Jorge Ubico, and various of them were caught and exhibited in the fields of the November Fair. In the colonial period villages such as San Andrés and Dolores were established. The practice of exploiting wood and the extraction of xate and black pepper had detrimental effects on the means of sustenance of the population. Some landowners had important livestock ranches that profited from the traditional uses of the grazing lands in the center of the Department, and the remains of the rural population and the rest of the peasant population were dedicated to agriculture. At the middle of the 20th century, the Government of the Republic initiated an ambitious project of colonization of the margins of the Pasión and Usumacinta Rivers, which brought with it the formation of various co-operatives along the banks of the rivers. Other communities, such as El Chal, began to take shape as did the consolidation of other settlements like the principality of the municipality of Sayaxché. 
Vegetation in Zotz, San José. Within an expansive level forest
By: Luis Villar Anleu
The impressive geologic history of Petén is only part of its natural splendor. Other manifestations were created little by little over the substrate plane that had previously been ocean floor. Some mountains, forming discrete chains, divided the surface gorges into well-defined valleys. Here we find important mountain chains named Sierras del Lacandón and Montañas Mayas, this second chain seemingly unattached to the Sierra de Chamá. Curiously, while the mountains and mountain chains are of more modest dimensions than in the center of the country the rivers are much the opposite. They are great, warm, slow, and somewhat serpentine in their travel. In Petén, there are two Biosphere Reserves, seven National parks, five Wildlife Refuges, four Protected Biotopas, three Cultural Monuments and a Biological reserve. The protected lands of Petén are enormous, occupying 17,000 square kilometers. One must also mention the La Pasión, El Usumacinta and San Pedro Rivers.
It is recommended to visit the Caverns at Naj-tunich, Aktún-kan or Jobitzinaj. They are widely known and are rich in the details of karst caverns such as stalactites, vaults, chambers, passageways, "nests of pearls", the eternal dripping of water and the acrid odor of mold and bats. Artisanry
By: Francisco Rodríguez Rouanet and Aracely Esquivel
Fabrics
Cotton fabrics are made in the municipality of San José and in Flores they create traditional ceramics. Both of these municipalities and Santa Ana produce woven baskets.
Knapsacks, lassos, nets and hammocks are created through the process of rolling maguey leaves into fibers in the municipalities of La Libertad, Flores, San José and Sayaxché.
Wood and palm products
Furniture is constructed in the municipalities of La Libertad, San José, Flores, San Benito, Sayaxché and San Luis. Masks are made in San José, musical instruments in San José and Sayaxché, and toys in San Luis.
Items made from palm such as sleeping mats are produced in San José, sombreros and woven plaits in Flores, and brooms are made in all of the municipalities with the exceptions of San Francisco, Poptún and Melchor de Mencos.
Candle making
Candle making is found in the municipalities of San José, Flores and Sayaxché. Tanned leather is crafted in La Libertad, Sayaxché, Dolores, San Luis, San Benito and Flores.
Gold and silver works come from San José and San Benito and roofing tiles from San José. Sleeping mats made of tulle are created in San José and in San Francisco. Fireworks are found in Sayaxché and in Dolores. Rope and morro gourds are worked in San José, Flores, Santa Ana and San Benito. Also noteworthy are the gold and silver works of San Benito.
Flower arrangements
These"enhilando las flores" are made by arranging flowers on a thin filament.
Traditions
By: Carlos René García Escobar
Cofradías and Hermandades
Though being a Department originally populated by itza'es, lacandones, and mopanes the social organizations were dominated by mestizos/ladinos in the most recent centuries. This implies the presence of the hermandades more than the cofradías, which are more indigen in membership. Dances
The most popular dances originating in this Department are La Chatona and Del Caballito, composed with monstrosities that simulate a giant woman and a horse. Both are accompanied by the marimba and are danced at the communitiy patron festivals. Other dances remain into modern times such as Los Enanos, Los Cabezones and La Cabeza.
Owing to the migratory process of the last years, traditional indigen dances have appeared which previously did not exist in the Department. This is especially true of El Venado which q'eqchi' groups have brought to their new homes in Sayaxché, La Libertad and San Luis. |