Izabal Department

department of Guatemala

Izabal is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. Its coastal areas are part of the homeland of the Garifuna people.

Izabal
Department
Flag of Izabal
Coat of arms of Izabal
Izabal
Izabal
Coordinates: 15°44′0″N 88°36′0″W / 15.73333°N 88.60000°W / 15.73333; -88.60000
Country Guatemala
DepartmentIzabal
CapitalPuerto Barrios
Municipalities5
Government
 • TypeDepartmental
Area
 • Department9,038 km2 (3,490 sq mi)
 • Water590 km2 (230 sq mi)
Population
 (Census 2002)[1]
 • Department314,306
 • Urban
90,508
 • Ethnicities
Ladino Q'eqchi' Garífuna Afro-Caribbean
 • Religions
Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya
Time zone-6

Geography

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Izabal is bordered to the north by Belize, to the north east by the Gulf of Honduras, and to the east by Honduras. It is bordered by the Guatemalan departments of Petén to the north west, Alta Verapaz to the west, and Zacapa to the south.

The department of Izabal surrounds Lago Izabal. It is Guatemala's largest lake at about 48 km long and 24 km wide, with an area of about 590 km². The Spanish Colonial fort of San Felipe overlooks the point where the lake flows into the Río Dulce.

The small town of Izabal is on the south shore of the lake. Before the ports of Livingston and Puerto Barrios were built in the 19th century this was Guatemala's main Caribbean Sea port. It was the original seat of Izabal department. Now Izabal town is a remote village that gets little traffic.

From the area around Lake Izabal, the Department of Izabal stretches along the Río Dulce to the coast of the Caribbean Sea.

The department of Izabal includes the ports of Puerto Barrios (the departmental seat), Santo Tomás de Castilla, Livingston and Guatemala's free trade zone Zolic. Izabal also includes the Pre-Columbian Maya ruins of Quirigua.

Municipalities

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References

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  1. "XI Censo Nacional de Poblacion y VI de Habitación (Censo 2002)". INE. 2002.