Editing Quetzaltenango (section)

==History==
[[File:Escudoaltos 2014-06-16 06-59.jpg|left|thumb|Coat of arms of [[Los Altos, Central America|Los Altos]], carved in stone on the grave of heroes in the Cemetery]]
In [[pre-Columbian]] times, Quetzaltenango was a city of the [[Mam people|Mam]] [[Maya people|Mayans]], although by the time of the [[Spanish conquest of Guatemala|Spanish conquest]] in 1524, it had become part of the [[K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj]].{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} The city was said to have already been over 300 years old when the Spanish first arrived. With the help of his [[Indian auxiliaries|allies]], [[Conquistador]] [[Pedro de Alvarado]] defeated and killed the Maya ruler [[Tecún Umán]] here{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}.

From 1838 to 1840 Quetzaltenango was the capital of the state of [[Los Altos, Central America|Los Altos]], one of the states or provinces of the [[Federal Republic of Central America]]. As the union broke up, the army of  [[Rafael Carrera]] conquered Quetzaltenango making it part of Guatemala. In 1850, the city had a population of approximately 20,000.<ref name=Baily1>{{cite book|last=Baily|first=John|title=Central America; Describing Each of the States of Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica|year=1850|publisher=Trelawney Saunders|location=London|pages=84–85|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/7306/view/1/84/}}</ref>

During the 19th century, [[coffee]] was introduced as a major crop in the area. As a result, the economy of Xela prospered{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}. Much fine [[Belle Époque]] architecture can still be found in the city.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

On October 24, 1902, at 5:00 pm, the [[Santa María (volcano)|Santa María Volcano]] erupted. Rocks and ash fell on Quetzaltenango at 6 PM, only one hour after the eruption.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In the 1920s, a young [[Romani people|Romani]] woman named Vanushka Cardena Barajas died and was buried in the Xela city cemetery. An active legend has developed around her tomb that says those who bring flowers or write a request on her tomb will be reunited with their former romantic partners. The Guatemalan songwriter Alvaro Aguilar wrote a song based on this legend.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In 1930 the only electric railway in Guatemala, the ''[[Ferrocarril de Los Altos]]'', was inaugurated. It was built by [[AEG (German company)|AEG]] and [[Krupp]] and had 14 train cars. The track connected Quetzaltenango with [[San Felipe, Retalhuleu|San Felipe]], [[Retalhuleu]]. It was soon destroyed by mudslides and finally demolished in 1933. The people of Quetzaltenango are still very proud of the railway. A [[List of railway museums|railway museum]] has been established in the city center.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Since the late 1990s Quetzaltenango has been having an economic boom, which makes it the city with the second-highest contribution to the Guatemalan economy{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}. With its first high-rise buildings being built, it is expected by 2015{{update inline|date=January 2022}} to have a more prominent skyline, with buildings up to 15 floors tall.
 
In 2008, the Central American Congress [[PARLACEN]] announced that every September 15, Quetzaltenango will be [[Central America]]'s capital of culture.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guatelog.com/log/576/Historia-de-Quetzaltenango.html |title=GuateLog - ''Historia de Quetzaltenango''<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2011-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426082213/http://www.guatelog.com/log/576/Historia-de-Quetzaltenango.html |archive-date=2012-04-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Quetzaltenango was supposed to host  [[2018 Central American and Caribbean Games]] but dropped out due to a lack of funding for the event.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120630140632/http://www.notisistema.com/noticias/?p=464027 notisistema.com]; ''Ciudad guatemalteca, candidata para Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe 2018.''</ref>

In March 2022, indigenous activists began blockading the central waste deposit near Valle de Palajunoj to protest a [[:es:Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial| city development plan]] enacted by the municipal authorities in June 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Escobar |first1=Gilberto |url=https://amerika21.de/blog/2022/04/257520/guatemala-blockaden-im-valle-de-palajuno |title=Guatemala: Ein Tag bei den Blockaden im Valle de Palajunoj |translator-last=Austen |translator-first=Thorben |work=amerika21 |language=German |publisher=Mondial21 e. V. |date=9 April 2022 |access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>
{{Further|Quetzaltenango Municipal Theatre}}