The Department of Sonsonate, El Salvador was founded in June 12, 1824, his Department’s capital also has the same name, Sonsonate. According to the 2007 Census its population was 460,894 inhabitants. Sonsonate in Nahuatl language means “River of many waters” or “four hundred eyes of water”.
The territorial extension of the Department of Sonsonate is 1,226 km2. The municipalities of the Department of Sonsonate are 17: Sonsonate, Acajutla, Armenia, Caluco, Cuisnahuat, Izalco, Juayúa, Nahuizalco, Nahuilingo, Salcoatitán, San Antonio de el Monte, San Julian, Santa Catarina Masahuat, Santa Isabel Ishuatán, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Sonzacate.
The most cultivated agricultural products are the basic grains, coffee, cotton, sugarcane, coconut, fruits, balm, Palm, tule and hortenses plants.
Among the most remarkable manufacturing industries are dairy products, panela, sugar pilon, tiles and bricks of mud, rospa, shoes, candles, soaps and leather goods.
It is located 65 km from San Salvador and at a height of 225 meters above the sea level. On the banks of the Centzunat, Sensunapán or rio Grande Sonsonate. It is attached to the capital and port of Acajutla through modern roads, as well as to Santa Ana and Ahuachapán. Coconut trees abound in its surroundings and hence the epithet of “The city of the Palms”, with which it is known poetically. Its average annual temperature is 25 ° c.
Sonsonate was founded in 1552, with the title and name of Villa of the Holy Spirit, by Antonio Rodríguez. In 1553, Pedro Ramírez de Quiñonez and Bishop francisco Marroquin gave it the name of Villa de la Santísima Trinidad. From April 1, 1824 obtained the title of city and on June 12 of the same year of the Department’s capital. In 1834 was the capital of the Central American Federation under the leadership of Senator President José Gregorio Salazar.
His parish, although inspired by colonial style church, is dated much later to independence, because it was blessed on April 1, 1887. On the other hand the Church of Santo Domingo, of calicanto, brick and tile was built in 1726 under the patronage of the Holy Guardian Angel, in 1834 he served seat to the Feds in Central America and from 1841 to 1846 to a College of 2nd teaching that the Friar Jerónimo Zelaya directed.
In the Park “Rafael Campos” was erected in 1913, a column with the bust of marble of the ex-President Rafael Campos (1813-1890) called the “Salvadoran Aristides”, during his administration rose the first map of El Salvador (1858). National army commanded by Gral. Ramón Belloso fought in Nicaragua to the filibusters of the Gral. And Dr. William Walker, whom he defeated in the battles of Masaya and Granada.
Sonsonate is a corruption of Centzunat, toponimio pipil that means: Rio Grande and literally “Cuatrocientas waters”.
