Quiché is a department of Guatemala. It is in the heartland of the K'iche' (Quiché) people, to the north-west of Guatemala City. The capital is Santa Cruz del Quiché. The word K'iche comes from the language of the same name, which means "many trees".
Quiché has historically been one of the most populous departments of Guatemala. At the 2018 census it had a population of 949,261. Mayans account for 88.6% of the department's population. K'iche' people are the largest Mayan ethnic group in the department, and account for 65.1% of the total population. The department is named after them.
While most of its indigenous population speaks the K'iche' (Quiché) language, other Mayan languages spoken in the department are Ixil (Nebaj - Chajul - Cotzal area), Uspantek (Uspantán area), Sakapultek (Sacapulas area), as well as Poqomchi' and Q'eqchi' in the northeast, bordering the Alta Verapaz department.
