HUNAPU (Volcan de Agua)

HUNAPU (Volcan de Agua), originally uploaded by PAL1970.

volcano located in Guatemala that has been inactive since the mid 16th century. At 3,760 metres, Agua volcano towers more than 3,500 metres above the Pacific coastal plain to the south and 2,000 metres above the Guatemalan highlands to the north. It dominates the local landscape except when hidden by cloud cover. The volcano is within 5 to 10 kilometres of Antigua Guatemala and several other large towns situated on its northern apron. These towns have a combined population of nearly 100,000. It is within about 20 km of Escuintla (population, ca .100,000) to the south. Coffee is grown on the volcano's lower slopes.

The local Cakchikel people have always called the volcano Hunapú "place of flowers". The Spanish conquistadors also called it Hunapú until a mudflow from the volcano in 1541 destroyed the original capital of Guatemala (now known as Ciudad Vieja) and the city was moved to the current Antigua Guatemala following this disaster. As the lahar produced a destructive flood of water, this prompted the modern name "Volcán de Agua" meaning "Volcano of Water", in contrast to the nearby "Volcán de Fuego" or "Volcano of Fire". The Cakchikels call Volcan de Fuego Chi Gag, which translates to "where the fire is".

Though the volcano has not been active since the mid 16th century, it has the potential to produce debris flows (watery flows of mud, rock, and debris — also known as lahars when they occur on a volcano) that could inundate these nearby populated areas.