Nueva Esparta, El Salvador
Encyclopedia
Nueva Esparta is a municipality in the northeasternmost zone of El Salvador
, inside La Union Department
. The municipality is politically divided into the central Pueblo Nueva Esparta, six outlying canton communities and 31 caserios (smaller community outgrowths from the pueblo or canton communities).
Altitude (city center): 295 metres (967.8 ft) above sea level (at the center of the town), although some areas around the town reach over 850 metres (2,788.7 ft) above sea level.
Territorial Extension: 86 km² (33.2 sq mi), of which 0.72 km² (0.277993554186625 sq mi) is urban and 85.44 km² (33 sq mi) is rural.
Location: To the north of the municipality lies the border with the Republic of Honduras and the municipality of Poloros
; to the East, municipios Polorós and Concepción del Oriente; to the South, Anamorós and El Sauce; to the West, municipalities of Lislique
and Anamorós
. The city is 200 km (124.3 mi) from San Salvador
, located north of the Ruta Militar highway along a rural road.
Geographic Coordinates: 13 degrees 54’ 00” LN (North), 13 degrees 42’ 35” LN (South), 87 degrees 47’ 48” LN (East), and 87 degrees 53’ 36” LN (West).
Climate: Climate varies widely across the municipality. The town lies in a valley and thus experiences the municipality’s warmest temperatures; more altitudinous canton communities such as Las Marias and Monteca experience more moderate, at times even chilly, temperatures. Like all of El Salvador, Nueva Esparta experiences a dry season during Summer (November through April) and a rainy season during Winter (late April through early October), with official annual precipitation estimated between 1600 and 1800 mm (63 and 70.9 in).
. The original population consisted of Honduran immigrants who had ably fought beside General Francisco Morazán’s troops—they battled so courageously that Francisco Morazán
called the Honduran soldiers ¨my valiant Spartans¨ (an homage to the renowned warriors of Ancient Greek city-state Sparta
, who fought back Persian aggressors with only 300 troops). Thus the city came to be known as Nueva Esparta, or “New Sparta.”
The original Honduran immigrant population eventually returned to their home country, and the city soon became settled by families who had arrived from Spain
.
On December 15, 1841, The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
granted Nueva Esparta the title of “Pueblo,” belonging to the district of San Antonio El Sauce, San Miguel.
June 22, 1865, the pueblo was annexed into the Department of La Unión
.
February 9, 1883, Nueva Esparta came to form part of the district of Santa Rosa de Lima
.
March 10, 1892, under the administration of General Carlos Ezeta, Nueva Esparta was declared a “Village” (Villa).
March 29, 1966, President Coronel Julio Adalberto Rivera granted Nueva Esparta the title of “City.”
(Nactionalist Republican Alliance—ARENA), founded on September 30, 1981, retained strong links to the military during the Civil War and have held power for the later years of the war and most of the post-war period. The Frente Farabundo Marti para La Liberacion Nacional
(Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front—FMLN) the socialist party, is the direct descendent of the communist guerrilla troops that fought against the Salvadoran government, and was legally constituted as a political party on September 1, 1992. Since the Civil War the two have remained the country’s principal political parties, still divided by the left-right binary.
The La Unión department of El Salvador has traditionally leaned heavily conservative; indeed, not a single Municipal Government in La Unión is controlled by an FMLN mayor. Likewise, in Nueva Esparta, the local political competition is generally only between parties generally associated with the right: the aforementioned ARENA, PNC (Party of National Conciliation) and PDC (Party of Democratic Christians).
Nueva Esparta has been governed since 2003 by the ARENA party administration of Jose Manrique Villatoro.
A large proportion of Nueva Esparta’s residents live in, have lived in, or have family living in the United States
. Many residents’ incomes are supplemented by money earned in the United States and sent to family in El Salvador ("remittances," or in Spanish, "remesas"). As a result, many newly built or renovated homes dot the landscape.
Although staple crops such as corn and beans are grown on individuals’ milpas, much of the land and local industry is dedicated to cattle farming, and the lifestyle of the Ganadero is evidenced by the popularity of cowboy hats. The ever-present cows also allows Nueva Esparta to produce some of El Salvador’s best cheeses — crema, cuajada, requeson, y quesos are skillfully produced daily in a number of homes.
first appeared in Nueva Esparta in the 1960s and has been gaining popularity ever since. The pueblo's single colonial Catholic Church is now accompanied by a number of Evangelical churches and temples.
Despite non-unanimous adherence to traditional Catholicism, Catholic patron-saint and other religious festivals remain culturally important. Nueva Esparta celebrates it’s Fiestas Patronales June 26 through 29 in honor of the city’s patron Saint Peter (Santo Patrón de Pedro), and it's more popular Fiestas Titulares December 11 through 15 in honor of the Virgin of the Conception ("la Virgen de Concepción). The celebrations are marked by dances, parties, fairs, soccer tournaments, and other events.
Nueva Espartans are often called “Mahonchos,” referring to the short, square bananas prominently grown across the municipio.
Schools:
The pueblo has a Kindergarten (Escuela de Educación Parvularia) with approximately 100 students, Primary School (Centro Escolar José Simeon Cañas) attended by 500 students, and High School (El Instituto Nacional de Nueva Esparta, or INNE) with approximately 200 students.
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, inside La Union Department
La Unión Department
La Unión is a department of El Salvador. It is located in the eastern part of the country and its capital is La Unión. It covers a total of 2,074 km² and has a population of 300,000. The department was created on June 22, 1865 and the city of La Unión was made its capital...
. The municipality is politically divided into the central Pueblo Nueva Esparta, six outlying canton communities and 31 caserios (smaller community outgrowths from the pueblo or canton communities).
Municipality
Cantons: El Portillo, Honduritas, Las Mariás, Monteca, Ocotillo, TalpetateAltitude (city center): 295 metres (967.8 ft) above sea level (at the center of the town), although some areas around the town reach over 850 metres (2,788.7 ft) above sea level.
Territorial Extension: 86 km² (33.2 sq mi), of which 0.72 km² (0.277993554186625 sq mi) is urban and 85.44 km² (33 sq mi) is rural.
Location: To the north of the municipality lies the border with the Republic of Honduras and the municipality of Poloros
Polorós
Polorós is a municipality in the La Unión department of El Salvador....
; to the East, municipios Polorós and Concepción del Oriente; to the South, Anamorós and El Sauce; to the West, municipalities of Lislique
Lislique
Lislique is a municipality in the La Unión department of El Salvador. As of 2000, the population was 2,835....
and Anamorós
Anamorós
Anamorós is a municipality in the La Unión department of El Salvador. The associated Catholic parish was the first post of future archbishop and martyr Óscar Romero.-External links:*...
. The city is 200 km (124.3 mi) from San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, located north of the Ruta Militar highway along a rural road.
Geographic Coordinates: 13 degrees 54’ 00” LN (North), 13 degrees 42’ 35” LN (South), 87 degrees 47’ 48” LN (East), and 87 degrees 53’ 36” LN (West).
Climate: Climate varies widely across the municipality. The town lies in a valley and thus experiences the municipality’s warmest temperatures; more altitudinous canton communities such as Las Marias and Monteca experience more moderate, at times even chilly, temperatures. Like all of El Salvador, Nueva Esparta experiences a dry season during Summer (November through April) and a rainy season during Winter (late April through early October), with official annual precipitation estimated between 1600 and 1800 mm (63 and 70.9 in).
History
Nueva Esparta was founded on the 15th of December, 1838, by Colombian Colonel Narciso Benítez, a leader in the Republican Army of Liberator Simón BolívarSimón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
. The original population consisted of Honduran immigrants who had ably fought beside General Francisco Morazán’s troops—they battled so courageously that Francisco Morazán
Francisco Morazán
General Francisco Morazán was a Honduran general and a politician who ruled several Central American states at different times during the turbulent period from 1827 to 1842. He rose to prominence at the legendary Battle of La Trinidad on November 11, 1827...
called the Honduran soldiers ¨my valiant Spartans¨ (an homage to the renowned warriors of Ancient Greek city-state Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
, who fought back Persian aggressors with only 300 troops). Thus the city came to be known as Nueva Esparta, or “New Sparta.”
The original Honduran immigrant population eventually returned to their home country, and the city soon became settled by families who had arrived from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
On December 15, 1841, The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
The Legislative Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of El Salvador.The Salvadoran legislature is a unicameral body....
granted Nueva Esparta the title of “Pueblo,” belonging to the district of San Antonio El Sauce, San Miguel.
June 22, 1865, the pueblo was annexed into the Department of La Unión
La Unión
La Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...
.
February 9, 1883, Nueva Esparta came to form part of the district of Santa Rosa de Lima
Santa Rosa de Lima
-Description:The city is named after St. Rose of Lima, born on 1586 in Lima . Its "fiestas patronales" are during the month of August, when the city gets full of vendors from around the country selling a wide range of articles and food. The city is also known as the "capital of commerce" in La...
.
March 10, 1892, under the administration of General Carlos Ezeta, Nueva Esparta was declared a “Village” (Villa).
March 29, 1966, President Coronel Julio Adalberto Rivera granted Nueva Esparta the title of “City.”
Politics
Nationally, there are two main political parties in El Salvador with roots in the Civil War. The main right-wing party is La Alianza Republicana NacionalistaNationalist Republican Alliance
The Nationalist Republican Alliance is a conservative political party in El Salvador. It was founded on September 30, 1981, by Roberto D'Aubuisson, in order to oppose the reformist military junta that was ruling El Salvador at the time...
(Nactionalist Republican Alliance—ARENA), founded on September 30, 1981, retained strong links to the military during the Civil War and have held power for the later years of the war and most of the post-war period. The Frente Farabundo Marti para La Liberacion Nacional
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is, since 1992, a left-wing political party in El Salvador and formerly a coalition of five revolutionary guerrilla organizations...
(Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front—FMLN) the socialist party, is the direct descendent of the communist guerrilla troops that fought against the Salvadoran government, and was legally constituted as a political party on September 1, 1992. Since the Civil War the two have remained the country’s principal political parties, still divided by the left-right binary.
The La Unión department of El Salvador has traditionally leaned heavily conservative; indeed, not a single Municipal Government in La Unión is controlled by an FMLN mayor. Likewise, in Nueva Esparta, the local political competition is generally only between parties generally associated with the right: the aforementioned ARENA, PNC (Party of National Conciliation) and PDC (Party of Democratic Christians).
Nueva Esparta has been governed since 2003 by the ARENA party administration of Jose Manrique Villatoro.
Population and Industry
The lineage of European Colonizers in El Salvador’s Northeastern region is physically apparent among Nueva Espartanos. The municipality has its share of “cheles”-- fair skinned, often blue or green eyed, occasionally blond or red haired Salvadorans who could easily be mistaken for White Americans.A large proportion of Nueva Esparta’s residents live in, have lived in, or have family living in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Many residents’ incomes are supplemented by money earned in the United States and sent to family in El Salvador ("remittances," or in Spanish, "remesas"). As a result, many newly built or renovated homes dot the landscape.
Although staple crops such as corn and beans are grown on individuals’ milpas, much of the land and local industry is dedicated to cattle farming, and the lifestyle of the Ganadero is evidenced by the popularity of cowboy hats. The ever-present cows also allows Nueva Esparta to produce some of El Salvador’s best cheeses — crema, cuajada, requeson, y quesos are skillfully produced daily in a number of homes.
Culture
Like most of El Salvador, Nueva Esparta has been traditionally Catholic. However, EvangelicalismEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
first appeared in Nueva Esparta in the 1960s and has been gaining popularity ever since. The pueblo's single colonial Catholic Church is now accompanied by a number of Evangelical churches and temples.
Despite non-unanimous adherence to traditional Catholicism, Catholic patron-saint and other religious festivals remain culturally important. Nueva Esparta celebrates it’s Fiestas Patronales June 26 through 29 in honor of the city’s patron Saint Peter (Santo Patrón de Pedro), and it's more popular Fiestas Titulares December 11 through 15 in honor of the Virgin of the Conception ("la Virgen de Concepción). The celebrations are marked by dances, parties, fairs, soccer tournaments, and other events.
Nueva Espartans are often called “Mahonchos,” referring to the short, square bananas prominently grown across the municipio.
Schools:
The pueblo has a Kindergarten (Escuela de Educación Parvularia) with approximately 100 students, Primary School (Centro Escolar José Simeon Cañas) attended by 500 students, and High School (El Instituto Nacional de Nueva Esparta, or INNE) with approximately 200 students.