Municipality of Jesus de Otoro
The municipality of Jesús de Otoro belongs to the Intibucá Department.
It is known that its original name was Jurla; it belonged to the district of Comayagua with thirty encomenderos under the command of Tomás Gutiérrez, according to the report of Governor Alonso de Contreras Guevara in 1582. Later, it was named San Juan de Quelala.
In 1817, it was granted municipal status. Its current name is due to the presence of the priest Fray Jesús Zepeda in the area. On October 1, 1993, President Rafael Leonardo Callejas granted it the status of a city.
General Information about Jesús de Otoro
Origin of its name: In Mesoamerican language, it means «place of atoles» (a type of corn-based drink).
- Territorial area: 414.35 km2
- Population: 30,569 inhabitants (2012)
- Date of creation: 1817
- Patronal festival: From January 13 to 23, the day of the Lord of Quelala.
- Villages and hamlets: 5 villages and 96 hamlets
- Elevation: 620 meters above sea level
- Climate: High-altitude with rain
Main Economic Activity
Cultivation of basic grains, coffee, potatoes, sugarcane, and vegetables; raising of cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep; poultry farming.
Location
Located in the Otoro Valley and surrounded by mountains.
Limits
- North: Municipalities of San José de Comayagua (Comayagua) and San Pedro Zacapa (Santa Bárbara)
- South: Municipality of Masaguara
- East: Municipality of Siguatepeque (Comayagua)
- West: Municipalities of San Isidro and Intibucá
National Parks: Montecilios mountain range and Mixcuri reserve.
