Totonicapán

Totonicapán, city, west-central Guatemala, at 8,200 feet (2,500 metres) above sea level. The city has a population composed largely of K’iche’ Maya. Before the European conquest, it was the second most important city of the K’iche’ and served as headquarters of the last Mayan ruler, Tecún Umán. In 1820 it was the scene of one of the most famous Indian uprisings in Guatemala, when indigenous leaders and their supporters led a rebellion against Spanish domination. Totonicapán serves as an important commercial and manufacturing centre for the agricultural hinterland, in which indigenous peoples grow corn (maize), wheat, beans, and potatoes and raise sheep. The chief industry is flour milling; cottage industries produce pottery, leather goods, woolen textiles, and furniture. The city is situated on the Inter-American Highway, some 100 miles (160 km) from Guatemala City. Pop. (2002) 44,762.