Population
In 2004 the department was recorded as having 988,855 inhabitants, by 2008 this had grown to 1,056,566, making the department the second most populated in Guatemala, after the capital. Over 70% of the population are calculated to be living in poverty, with 22% living in extreme poverty and being unable to meet basic necessities. The majority of the population (variously estimated at 64–75%) belong to indigenous Maya groups with the remainder being Spanish-speaking Ladinos. The Ladinos tend to be concentrated in towns and villages including Huehuetenango, Cuilco, Chiantla, Malacatancito, La Libertad, San Antonio Huista and La Democracia, which have a relatively low indigenous population. In the rest of the department, the Maya groups make up the majority of the population as much in the towns as the countryside. Huehuetenango has the greatest number of Mam Maya in Guatemala, although there are also Mam speakers in the departments of Quetzaltenango and San Marcos, and in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
In 2008, 58% of the population of the department was aged 19 years or under.
Read more about this topic: Huehuetenango Department
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