Momostenango is a
municipality in the
Totonicapán department of
Guatemala. The municipality is situated in the North-West of Totonicapán, in the Western highlands of Guatemala.
Population
Momostenango's population is predominantly of Maya K'iche' descent. 70% of the population live in rural areas and most are small farmers growing maize and beans for their own consumption, as well as wheat.
The municipality is subdivided in the town of Momostenango, 14 villages and 169 smaller communities called
caseríos or
parajes.
[ ]Momostenango is the birthplace of the Maya K'iche' poet
Humberto Ak'ab'al (1952- ), who writes in
K'iche' (Quiché) and in
Spanish.
Geography
Momostenango borders to the North with the municipalities of
Malacatancito (
Huehuetenango,
San Bartolo and
Santa Lucía La Reforma, to its South with
San Francisco El Alto and the municipality of
Totonicapán, to the East with
Santa María Chiquimula, and to the West with
San Carlos Sija (
Quezaltenango).
The municipality's territory of 305 km
2 has a mountainous topography with elevations ranging from 1800 m in the North-East, to 3300 m (Cerro Tená) to the West. The mountains on its western border are a watershed for the Salinas and
Samalá river basins. Most of the 49 waterflows are afluents of the
Chixoy River in the
Salinas river basin.
Like most of the central highlands, the climate is relatively cold, and is marked by a rainy season starting half may, and a dry season starting in October. Yearly precipitation is around 1200 mm, except for the much dryer northern part of the municipality which receives 400-800 mm of rainfall.
