Quiché

El Quiché is a department of Guatemala. El Quiché department is in the heartland of the Quiché people, to the north-west of Guatemala City. The capital is Santa Cruz del Quiché. El Quiché has historically been one of the most populous departments of Guatemala. Its population of 655,100 is predominantly of Mayan descent. While most of its indigenous population speaks the K'iche' language, other Mayan languages spoken in the department are Ixil , Uspantek , Sakapultek , as well as Poqomchi' and Q'ekchi in the North-Eastern part bordering with the Alta Verapaz... department. The topographical composition of El Quiché is dominated by the central highlands and the mountain ranges of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Sierra de Chuacús, and the foothills of the volcanic mountain range on the department's South-Western border with Chimaltenango, which together make up for 79% of the department's territory. The northern part of the department is formed by tropical lowlands which cover 21% of the department's territory.
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