La Paz Department (El Salvador)

ElSalvadordepartment
name = La Paz


image_coa = COA-LaPaz.pngstate_motto = none


date_creation = 1852
capital = Zacatecoluca
area = 1,224
area_percentage =
area_percentage_rank =9th
population = 318,107
year_estimate = 2006
population_percentage =
population_percentage_rank =10th
ISO_code = SV-PA|

La Paz is a department of El Salvador in the south central area of the country. The capital is Zacatecoluca. It has an area of 1,224 km² and a population of more than 300,000.

The department was created February, 1852.

There are various caves containing rock writing. The department has a church in Zacatecoluca where the Independence Hero Dr Jose Simeon Cañas y Villacorta was born. He was known as "The Liberator of the Slaves in Central America".

In 1833, Anatasio Aquino, an indigenous person, proclaimed himself as "The Emperor of the Nonualcos".

Municipalities

# Cuyultitán
# El Rosario
# Jerusalén
# Mercedes La Ceiba
# Olocuilta
# Paraíso de Osorio
# San Antonio Masahuat
# San Emigdio
# San Francisco Chinameca
# San Juan Nonualco
# San Juan Talpa
# San Juan Tepezontes
# San Luis La Herradura
# San Luis Talpa
# San Miguel Tepezontes
# San Pedro Masahuat
# San Pedro Nonualco
# San Rafael Obrajuelo
# Santa María Ostuma
# Santiago Nonualco
# Tapalhuaca
# Zacatecoluca

Famous Characters

José Simon Cañas Villacorta: He was born in Zacatecoluca, February 18th, 1767. His parents were don Pablo Cañas and Ana Lucia Villacorta de Cañas. He studied in the school San Francisco de Borja and later on in San Carlos University, in Guatemala, of which was rector, philosopher, theologist, and humanist.

On December 31st, 1823, he constituted the first abolitionist of slavery in America, years before Abraham Lincoln in the United States.

Anastasio Martir Aquino: He was born in the town Santiago de Nonualco, on April 15 1792. His parents were Tomás Aquino and María de San Carlos, natives and residents of the place. In 1833, during the presidency of Mariano Prado, reformations were imposed that caused dissatisfaction, including a personal tax that the native population interpreted like a restoration of the tribute, one of the most unjust colonial taxes of the time. It was in this little town that a rebellion began commanded by Anastasio Aquino.

Camilo Minero: He was born in Zacatecoluca, May 11 1917. From a very young age, he began painting. He exposed his works in Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela, United States, and Germany. He was professor of the School of plastic arts of the University of El Salvador (UES). From 1964 up to 1972, he worked as Dean of the Department of Journalism of UES.

Saúl Flores: He was born in Zacatecoluca, August 16 1889 and died in San Salvador in 1980. Some of his works are the “National Readings of El Salvador”, “This is my earth”, “Schools and teachers from El Salvador”, “Mother earth”, and “Seed”.

Dance And Traditions

This department is one of the oldest in the country; hence it adopted many of the customs and ancestors' dances as “The tiger and the deer”, “The ascension bulls”, “The levers of Santa Cruz”, and others.

"The dance of the tiger and the deer” goes back to 1868, when San Juan Nonualco was inhabited by natives that lived off the hunting of deer that were plentiful in the area. However, there was a tiger that devoured the animals. The dance presents the story of a married couple that left to hunt the tiger; however, he was attacked by the animal and he had to request aid to some timber men that were close and to beg to the Señor de la Caridad, protector of the municipality, to save them of the danger. The hunters killed the tiger. The dance is carried out in the party of May 2nd. It consists of four characters: “the old ones” that represent the couple that go with the shotgun and the bow; the tiger and the Lord of the drum that mark the steps of the dance. The spectators watch when the tiger attacks the old ones, but these behead it. The most amusing part is the “repartition” of the portions of the animal, which is called “behead the priest”, “the forehead for Vicente”, “the head for Teresa”... until all the residents are beheaded.

“The ascension bulls” tradition belongs to San Juan Nonualco. It speaks of a character called Isidro Labrador. They tell that on Thursday of ascension, day that celebrates Christ's ascent to the sky, Isidro began to work the field and when he arrived to the oxen, he heard one of them say: “Isidro, today we won't work”. He fell on his knees begging forgiveness to God for not having remembered the date. Based on this event, the celebration is kept on Thursday of Ascension like the day dedicated to the bulls. In the six neighborhoods of San Juan Nonualco, the inhabitants manufacture a bull that they walk through the streets. The hermitages are adorned with altars and the Rosario is prayed. When concluding the prayer, the competition or fights of the bulls begin.

Typical Food

Among the typical food that you can find there is the atol of cashew seed. This atol has been done in the same manner, transmitting from generation to generation, for about 20 years.