Chimaltenango - City of Guatemala

Chimaltenango is a town in Guatemala of some 43,900 people. It serves as both the capital of the department of Chimaltenango and the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. Chimaltenango stands some 35 miles west of Guatemala City, on the Pan-American Highway.

In Pre-Columbian times what is now the city of Chimaltenango was known as B'oko' . Like many other cities in the area, the Spanish Conquistadores used the name given by their Nahuatl speaking allies from central Mexico. The Nahuatl name was Chimaltenanco, or Shield-Town.

The city produces textiles and pottery. It is also the home of the Rose Education Foundation, a non-profit organization working to make educational opportunities available to children living in rural areas in Guatemala.

Chimaltenango has much to offer, despite what you might read in "Lonely Planet". In addition to the city of Chimaltenango, the department contains the towns of Santa Apolonia (known for its ceramics), Comalapa, and Patzún . Chimaltenango is also home to the Maya civilization ruins of Iximché and Mixco Viejo, in addition to many smaller sites.

There are several humanitarian aid groups that provide services in Chimaltenango. Chimaltenango is also the home of the Rose Education Foundation, a group which works to provide high quality education opportunities for native Guatemalan children.