Ilobasco | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
) Parroquial Church San Miguel Arcángel | |
) Seal | |
)  Ilobasco Location in El Salvador | |
| Coordinates: 13°51′N 88°51′W / 13.850°N 88.850°W | |
| Country |  El Salvador |
| Department | Cabañas Department |
| Government | |
| • Alcalde | José María Dimas Castellanos Hernández |
| Area | |
| • Total | 96.41 sq mi (249.69 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,460 ft (750 m) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 61,510 |
| • Density | 640/sq mi (246/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 |
Ilobasco is a municipality in the Cabañas department of El Salvador. It is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of the capital, San Salvador.
This town is known country wide (and internationally) for its clay (other materials also used) craftsmanship or pottery.[1]
The clay is extracted and prepared locally. The clay work includes the "miniatures", which are small representations of daily scenes as lived by Salvadorans, no bigger than 2 inches tall. The Town is also home for second division soccer team El Roble.
One version of the miniatures are the "surprises", which are basically a scene covered with another piece of clay shaped and painted in the form of a fruit, an egg, a house or other things. The cover can be removed and then the scene can be seen.
Toponymy
The actual origin and meaning of its name is unknown, most of the proposed names are nahuatl, such as: Xilohuako (Place of Dry Young-Corn), Xilotlaxko (Place of Young-Corn Tortilla), Xilotazoko (Place of Young-Corn Clay). A document found on December 1859 affirms that the name is native and it means "Golden Thread" but origin of this word is unknown.
Sports
The local football club is El Roble, formerly known as A.F.I. They currently play in the Salvadoran Second Division.
External links
- Pictures from the city of Ilobasco
- Google Satellite View of Ilobasco
- Ilobasco Ceramic Capital of the World by: Miranda
- Ilobasco Tourism
- El Salvador News
Notes
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica http://www.britannica.com/bps/topic/283164/Ilobasco