# Santa Cruz del Quiché

> Quiché Department municipality of Guatemala

**Wikidata**: [Q693140](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q693140)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_del_Quiché)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/santa-cruz-del-quiche

## Summary
Santa Cruz del Quiché is a municipality and city located in the Quiché Department of Guatemala, serving as the departmental capital. Founded in 1539, it sits at an elevation of 2,021 meters above sea level and had a projected population of 99,479 as of 2021. The settlement is geographically defined by its coordinates at 15.05°N, 91.25°W and operates within the UTC−06:00 timezone.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Municipality of Guatemala and city (large human settlement).
*   **Location:** Capital of the Quiché Department, Guatemala.
*   **Founding Date:** Inception established in 1539.
*   **Population:** 99,479 (2021 population projection).
*   **Area:** 128 square kilometres.
*   **Elevation:** 2,021 metres above sea level.
*   **Coordinates:** Latitude 15.05, Longitude -91.25.
*   **Timezone:** UTC−06:00.
*   **Patron Saint:** Helena Augusta.
*   **Bordering Municipalities:** San Andrés Sajcabajá, Chinique, Chiché, San Bartolomé Jocotenango, Chichicastenango, Patzité, San Pedro Jocopilas, and San Antonio Ilotenango.
*   **Official Website:** http://www.inforpressca.com/quiche.
*   **Image Source:** Palacio de Gobernacion de Santa Cruz del Quiche (Wikimedia Commons).
*   **Wikipedia Languages:** Available in Arabic, Aragonese, Cebuano, German, English, Spanish, Basque, Persian, French, Italian, Korean, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Scots, Northern Sami, Serbo-Croatian, Simple English, Swedish, Urdu, Chinese, and Chinese Min Nan.
*   **Commons Category:** Santa Cruz del Quiché.
*   **Wikidata Description:** Quiché Department municipality of Guatemala.

## FAQs
**What is the administrative status and location of Santa Cruz del Quiché?**
It functions as the capital city of the Quiché Department within the nation of Guatemala. As a municipality, it holds the primary administrative role for the region it governs.

**When was the settlement established and what is its current population size?**
The municipality was founded in the year 1539. Recent projections from 2021 estimate its population to be 99,479 residents.

**What are the physical characteristics and geographic boundaries of the area?**
The municipality covers an area of 128 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 2,021 metres. It shares borders with eight other municipalities, including Chichicastenango, Chinique, and San Andrés Sajcabajá.

**Which cultural and digital identifiers are associated with this entity?**
The city is identified by various authority IDs, including the GND (16056690-3), VIAF (123894199), and Library of Congress (n82151332). It also maintains a presence on platforms like OpenStreetMap, iNaturalist, and has a dedicated category on Wikimedia Commons.

## Why It Matters
Santa Cruz del Quiché serves as the critical administrative and demographic hub for the Quiché Department, anchoring the region's governance and cultural identity. Its status as a capital city since 1539 makes it a historically significant node in the development of the Guatemalan highlands. The entity acts as a central reference point for geographic data, linking diverse international databases from the Library of Congress to OpenStreetMap, thereby facilitating global research and navigation within the region. Its high elevation and specific bordering relationships define the local ecosystem and human settlement patterns of the area.

## Notable For
*   **Historical Longevity:** Established in 1539, it represents a continuous settlement spanning nearly five centuries.
*   **Regional Leadership:** Serves as the official capital of the Quiché Department.
*   **High-Altitude Settlement:** Located at 2,021 metres, distinguishing it from lower-lying Guatemalan municipalities.
*   **Extensive Digital Footprint:** Maintains active entries in over 20 language versions of Wikipedia and multiple international authority databases.
*   **Geographic Connectivity:** Acts as a central node sharing borders with eight distinct neighboring municipalities.
*   **Religious Heritage:** Recognized with Helena Augusta as its patron saint.

## Body

### Geographic and Physical Characteristics
Santa Cruz del Quiché is situated at precise coordinates of 15.05° North latitude and 91.25° West longitude. The municipality spans a total area of 128 square kilometres. It is positioned at a significant elevation of 2,021 metres above sea level, influencing its local climate and topography. The region operates under the UTC−06:00 timezone. A relief map of Guatemala is available to visualize its topographical context within the broader national landscape.

### Administrative and Political Structure
As the capital of the Quiché Department, the municipality holds a central role in the departmental administration of Guatemala. It is classified simultaneously as a municipality and a city, reflecting its urban density and administrative function. The entity is linked to the Quiché Department through its role as the capital, a relationship formally recognized in geographic databases. The official website for the municipality is hosted at http://www.inforpressca.com/quiche, providing a digital portal for local governance and information.

### Demographics and Borders
The population of Santa Cruz del Quiché was recorded as 99,479 based on a 2021 population projection. This demographic data utilizes a determination method of population projection to estimate current figures. The municipality shares its borders with a specific set of neighboring entities: San Andrés Sajcabajá, Chinique, Chiché, San Bartolomé Jocotenango, Chichicastenango, Patzité, San Pedro Jocopilas, and San Antonio Ilotenango. These bordering relationships define the immediate territorial limits of the settlement.

### Historical and Cultural Identity
The inception of the settlement dates back to 1539, marking its long-standing presence in the region. The patron saint of the municipality is Helena Augusta, a figure of religious significance for the local community. The entity is associated with the topic "Santa-Cruz-Del-Quiché" on Quora, indicating public interest and discussion regarding its history and culture. The Wikipedia title for the entity is "Santa Cruz del Quiché," serving as the primary English-language reference point.

### Digital Presence and Authority Identifiers
Santa Cruz del Quiché is extensively cataloged across global knowledge bases. It holds a GND ID of 16056690-3 and a VIAF ID of 123894199, the latter verified as of August 5, 2015. The Library of Congress Authority ID is n82151333, and the National Library of Israel J9U ID is 987007566956505171. In the digital mapping sphere, it is identified by OpenStreetMap node ID 1039835176 and relation ID 377427. The Geonames ID is 3589403, and the Freebase ID is /m/035n1b. Additional identifiers include the SNARC ID (Neumühle/Elster), Yale Lux ID (concept/4a0a744d-e715-42b4-ab20-23b9538bb374), Who's on First ID (890434957), and Museum Digital Place ID (22714). For biodiversity tracking, it has an iNaturalist Place ID of 31076.

### Media and Documentation
A representative image of the entity is the "Palacio de Gobernacion de Santa Cruz del Quiche," available via Wikimedia Commons. The entity has a sitelink count of 24, indicating its presence across numerous language editions of Wikipedia. The topic's main category is "Category:Santa Cruz del Quiché." The entity is also listed in the Encyclopædia Britannica Online under the ID "place/Santa-Cruz-del-Quiche." The Wikipedia description explicitly defines it as a "Quiché Department municipality of Guatemala."

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Integrated Authority File
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. GeoNames
5. Quora
6. [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/inaturalist-places.csv.zip)
7. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File