# San Ignacio

> capital of the Cayo district

**Wikidata**: [Q724815](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q724815)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ignacio,_Belize)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/san-ignacio

## Summary
San Ignacio is a city located in the Cayo District of Belize, serving as the district's administrative capital. Situated at an elevation of 76 metres above sea level, it covers an area of 6 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 26,151 as of 2018. The city is also known by the aliases Santa Elena and San Elena.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: San Ignacio is a city (defined as a large human settlement).
- **Location**: It is located in the Cayo District, Belize. Its geographic coordinates are 17.1588° latitude and -89.0696° longitude.
- **Capital Status**: It serves as the capital of the Cayo District.
- **Population**: The population was recorded as 421 in the 1904 census, 23,878 in the 2010 census, and estimated at 26,151 in 2018.
- **Area**: The city encompasses an area of 6 square kilometres.
- **Elevation**: The elevation above sea level is 76 metres.
- **Aliases**: The entity is also known as Santa Elena, San Elena, and Сан-Игнасио (Белиз).
- **UN/LOCODE**: BZSQS.
- **Identifiers**: The city holds a GND ID of 7543501-9, a VIAF ID of 236147657, and a Library of Congress Authority ID of n88080947.

## FAQs
**What is the geographical location of San Ignacio?**
San Ignacio is situated in the Cayo District of Belize at coordinates 17.1588, -89.0696, resting at an elevation of 76 metres.

**How has the population of San Ignacio changed over time?**
The city has grown significantly from a population of 421 in 1904 to 23,878 in 2010, with a 2018 estimation placing the population at 26,151.

**What are the different names or aliases for San Ignacio?**
The city is alternatively referred to as Santa Elena or San Elena, and it appears as Сан-Игнасио (Белиз) in Russian contexts.

**What administrative role does San Ignacio play?**
San Ignacio functions as the capital of the Cayo District in Belize.

## Why It Matters
San Ignacio serves as the political and administrative center of the Cayo District, Belize. Its designation as a capital city and its inclusion in international trade and logistics systems (via its UN/LOCODE BZSQS) highlight its regional importance. The city's sustained population growth—escalating from a few hundred residents in the early 20th century to over 26,000 by 2018—demonstrates its ongoing development as a major human settlement within the country. Furthermore, its extensive cataloging in global knowledge bases, including the Library of Congress and Encyclopædia Britannica, underscores its recognized standing in geography and international affairs.

## Notable For
- Serving as the capital of the Cayo District in Belize.
- A substantial population increase from 421 residents in 1904 to over 26,000 in 2018.
- Having a specific UN/LOCODE (BZSQS), identifying it as a recognized location for trade and transport.
- Inclusion in the Encyclopædia Britannica Online (ID: place/San-Ignacio).
- Availability of extensive digital knowledge resources, with Wikipedia articles in over 30 languages including English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

## Body

### Geography and Administration
San Ignacio is classified as a city—a large human settlement—and is the capital of the Cayo District. It is geographically positioned in Belize at a latitude of 17.1588 and a longitude of -89.0696. The city covers a total land area of 6 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 76 metres above sea level.

### Demographics
The city has experienced notable demographic shifts over the last century. According to census data:
- **1904**: The population was recorded as 421.
- **2010**: The population rose to 23,878.
- **2018**: The estimated population was 26,151.

### Digital and Academic Identifiers
San Ignacio is extensively indexed across various international library, geographic, and knowledge systems:
- **Library & Authority IDs**: Library of Congress Authority ID (n88080947), GND ID (7543501-9), VIAF ID (236147657), National Library of Israel J9U ID (987007564791105171).
- **Geographic Codes**: UN/LOCODE (BZSQS), GeoNames ID (3581194), GNS Unique Feature ID (-1150277), Who's on First ID (421173023), OpenStreetMap Node ID (9738788310).
- **Database IDs**: Freebase ID (/m/0178fc), Quora Topic (San-Ignacio-Belize), Wikidata description ("capital of the Cayo district"), FactGrid Item ID (Watchtower), Yale Lux ID (place/c8905676-ceb4-44d3-910a-f3a2882aaa6e).

### Media and Online Presence
The city maintains a presence on digital encyclopedias and travel platforms.
- **Wikipedia**: The title "San Ignacio, Belize" is used, with articles available in 30 languages including German (de), Spanish (es), French (fr), Hebrew (he), and Simple English (simple).
- **Images**: Available media includes a page banner (Wv_San_Ignacio_banner2.jpg) and a primary image (San_Igancio_Belize_2016.jpg) hosted on Wikimedia Commons.
- **Directories**: It is listed in Curlie under Regional/Central_America/Belize/Cayo/Localities/San_Ignacio/.
- **Weather**: The city has an OpenWeatherMap City ID of 3581194.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. [Source](https://raycaye.com/the-history-of-belize/)
3. GeoNames
4. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/bz.htm)
5. Quora