Agua

Agua (äˈwä, äˈgwä) [key] or Volcán de Agua bōlcänˈ ħē äˈwä, äˈgwä [Span., = volcano of water], volcano, 12,310 ft (3,752 m) high, S Guatemala. In 1541, climaxing several days of unceasing rain and earthquakes, a lahar (a fast-moving mud and debris flow) swept down from its slopes, completely destroying Ciudad Vieja. Over 1,000 inhabitants were killed, including the governor, Doña Beatriz de la Cueva. The disaster resulted in the founding of the town of Antigua Guatemala.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.