Los Altos (state)

Los Altos ("The Highlands" in the Spanish language) was an area of Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the Federal Republic of Central America in the 1830s. Its capital was Quetzaltenango and it occupied the west of present-day Guatemala and parts of Chiapas.

The state originated from the political differences and tensions between Guatemala City on one side and Quetzaltango and other parts of western Central America on the other. Debate about separation from Guatemala dated from shortly after Central American independence from Spain in 1821. Such a separate state was provided for by the Federal constitutional assembly of November of 1824, but there was sizable opposition to the separation in Guatemala City.

The independence of Los Altos from Guatemala was officially proclaimed on 2 February, 1838. The Federal government recognized Los Altos as the sixth state of the union and seated the representatives of Los Altos in the Federal Congress on 5 June of that year. The flag of Los Altos was a modification of that of the Central American Union, with a central seal showing a volcano in the background with a quetzal (a local bird symbolizing liberty) in front. This was the first Central American flag to use the quetzal as a symbol; since 1871 it has been on the flag of Guatemala.

As the Federation crumbled into civil war, Los Altos declared itself an independent republic. Quetzaltenango and much of Los Altos were brought back into Guatemala by force by the army of Rafael Carrera in 1840. On 2 April 1840 the captured majority of the government officers of Los Altos were shot on Carrera's orders. Taking advantage of the unsettled situation, parts of what had been Central America in modern eastern Chiapas were annexed by Mexico.

In 1844, 1848, and 1849, unsuccessful revolts against the dictatorship of Carrera briefly reproclaimed the independence of Los Altos.

The region that is still distinctive today, and "Los Altos" is still a nickname for the region of Guatemala around Quetzaltenango. Similarly, the Mexican portion of the former state is known as "Los Altos de Chiapas".