Municipality of Utila
The municipality of Utila belongs to the Department of Islas de la Bahía.
In the report of Alonso de Contreras Guevara from 1582, Utila appears as an indigenous town of the city of San Pedro, with twenty tribute payers entrusted to Bernardo de Armenta. The most recent settlement dates back to 1836, by people from the Grand Cayman Islands. Its municipality status was granted in 1880, as confirmed by the statistical yearbook of 1889 by Vallejo.
General Information about Utila
Origin of its name: In Mesoamerican language, Utila means «abundance of black smoke from ocote (pine) wood».
- Territorial area: 44.60 km2
- Population: 2,819 inhabitants (2012)
- Date of creation: December 1, 1880
- Patronal festival: August 15, day of the Virgin of the Transit
- Villages and hamlets: 1 village and 2 hamlets
- Elevation: 11 meters above sea level
- Climate: Very rainy with regular distribution of rainfall
Main Economic Activity
Cultivation of basic grains, coconut, pineapple, sugarcane, banana, and citrus fruits.
Infrastructure
- Health: 1 CESAMO (Specialized Medical Care Center) and 1 CESAR (Rural Health Care Center)
- Education: 5 basic education centers, 5 pre-basic education centers, and 4 secondary education centers
- Transportation: Light aircraft, airplanes, transatlantic boats, schooners
- Communication network: Airstrip, seaport, docks, telephone service (Hondutel), mobile phone coverage
Location
Island with a bay-like formation, situated on the coral reef.
Limits
Surrounded by the waters of the Caribbean Sea.
