Mapastepec is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. Its name derives from the place name mapachtepec, "Hill of the Raccoon", a compound of the Nahuatl words mapachi ("raccoon") and tepetl ("mountain").[1]
The primary sector makes up over half of the local economy. Key products include cheese and dairy products and the local Ataulfo mango.
History
Mapastepec was founded in 1486 as an Aztectributary state, under the name of Mapachtépec.[2] In 1611, the first census conducted by the colonial authorities recorded Mapastepec's population as 265.[3] Mapastepec was upgraded to the status of town (villa) by a decree issued by Ephraim A. Osorio, then governor of the State of Chiapas, on July 5, 1955.[3]
Key dates in recent history
1915 - Abolition of territorial administrative structure under political authorities (the Jefaturas políticas),[4] with subsequent reorganization and creation of free municipalities
1955 - On July 5, State Governor Efrain A. Osorio promulgates decree granting the status of "town" to the municipal capital
1962 - Construction of Pacific coastal road, with connecting road to Mapastepec (see also Mexican Federal Highway 200)
1984 - Town Hall built to house the Municipal Presidency
1990 - Creation of El Triunfo natural protected area, which became a Biosphere Reserve in 1993
1995 - Creation of La Encrucijada natural protected area, recognized as a Biosphere Reserve in 2006
1998 - Heavy rains in September cause rivers to overflow, destroying the village of Valdivia
2005 - Hurricane Stan washes away part of the coastal railway line[5]
Demographics
Population
The total population of the municipality was 47,932 at the time of the 2015 Intercensal Survey, conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía - INEGI).[6] This represented an increase from 43,913 in 2010,[3] and 39,055 in 2005.[7]
In 2015, women made up 50.9% of the inhabitants of the municipality and men 49.1%, with an average age of 24. The population represented 0.9% of the state of Chiapas.[6]
The population of the town of Mapastepec was 17,931 in 2010, followed by Sesecapa (2,143) and Nuevo Milenio Valdivia (1,789).[3] In 2015, 52 of the 118 localities in the municipality had more than 100 inhabitants. Isolation and the poor condition of roads, particularly at higher altitudes, makes access to public services difficult for many of the smaller settlements.[8]
Indigenous languages
The 2010 Census of Population and Housing (Censo de Población y Vivienda 2010) recorded 131 speakers of an indigenous language in Mapastepec, representing 0.33 percent of its population.[6] The most widely spoken of these languages were Zapotec (41), Mame) (13), Tzotzil (13) and Tzeltal (12), with another twelve languages represented. An additional 34 respondents did not specify which indigenous language they spoke.[8]
Religion
As at 2005, 65.68% of the population was Catholic, higher than the figure for the region of Soconusco (58.98%) and slightly above the national figure of 63.83%. 14.77% of the population was Protestant, 4.81% non-evangelical biblical, and 13.07% professed no religion.[7]
The municipality covers an area of 1,085 square kilometres (419sqmi), representing 19.81% of the Soconusco region and 1.44% of the state of Chiapas. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountain range, with a maximum altitude of 2,700m (8,900ft)above sea level (a.s.l.). The highest peaks are La Cumbre, La Bandera and El Pujido. Mountainous and hilly terrain makes up approximately 50% of the area of the municipality, with low foothills accounting for another 10%. 40% of its territory lies on the Pacific coastal plain, and some 6% of this area is alluvial floodplain and saltmarsh. Alluvial soils predominate.[8][7]
The town of Mapestepec, the municipal capital, is at 40 metres (130ft) a.s.l.[8]
The main rivers of Mapastepec are the Río Novillero, Río San Nicolás, Río Gobierno and Río Las Flores. Smaller perennial streams include the Arroyo Sesecapa, Arroyo Tablasón and Arroyo Cuilapa. A number of intermittent streams run through the municipality. The principal bodies of water are the Chantuto, Pampa Buenavista and Pampa Castaña lagoons, and the El Coco estuary.[8]
Climate
Hot and humid from January to September and a milder coastal climate from October to December. Its average annual temperature is 26.5°C (79.7°F), with an average annual rainfall of 2,500mm (98in). The heaviest rainfall occurs from June to September.[7]
Protected areas
More than half of the territory of Mapastepec (51.85%) is situated in protected and conservation areas, totalling 63,205.6ha (156,184 acres).[8]
The Huizapa-Sesecapa Reforestation Area (Zona de Reforestación Huizapa-Sesecapa) lies on the Pacific coastal plain. Created by decree of October 8, 1936, it was the first protected natural area in the state of Chiapas. The Pico El Loro-Paxtal ecological conservation zone was created by decree of November 22, 2000 to protect cloud forest in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas foothills.[7]
The El Triunfo reserve, created by decree of March 13, 1990, was inscribed on the list of Mexican Biosphere Reserves in 1993. It contains two of the most endangered ecosystems in Mexico: the Soconusco tropical rainforest, and cloud forest growing to over 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) above sea level.[7]
La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, established as a reserve by decree on June 6, 1995,[7] was inscribed on the list of Biosphere Reserves in 2006. La Encrucijada is also protected under the Ramsar Convention, figuring on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. It was inscribed on the list of Ramsar sites in Mexico on March 20, 1996. Located to the south of the town of Mapastepec, La Encrucijada contains one of the most significant wetland and coastal lagoon networks in Mexico, with mangroves among the tallest of the Pacific coast of the Americas.[10][7]
Both the El Triunfo and La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserves are under the administration of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, CONANP), an agency of the Federal government. CONANP has a water management office for El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in the town of Mapastepec.[11]
Fruits include avocados, mamey, mango, custard apple, soursop, papausa, cuajinicuil, and caspirol.
Fauna
The endangered horned guan (pavón cornudo; Oreophasis derbianus), considered the state bird, is found in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in the high mountains of Mapastepec and neighboring municipalities.[14] Also present is the emblem of the reserve, the Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). Other key species include Azure-rumped tanager (Poecilostreptus cabanisi), the king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii); the Jaguar (Panthera once), the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) and the otter (Lutrinae).[13]
Also found are hummingbirds, the harpy eagle, hawk, parrot, owl, skylark, chupamiel, mockingbird, rook, buzzard, pigeons, doves, yellow-throated toucans and many other bird species. Mammals and reptiles include the spider monkey, raccoon, porcupine, anteater, skunk, deer, puma, bobcat, agouti, wild boar, opossum, rabbit, rattlesnake, coral snake, false coral snake, nahuyaca, and Chichicua. There is high insect diversity.
Chiapas has a wide variety of natural resources. Heavy exploitation over many years, in particular of timber, has led to significant deforestation in the municipality, causing species loss and environmental degradation. Logging and forest fires are also associated with the leaching of nutrients from the soil and with soil erosion, aggravated by heavy rainfall. Pollution of local waterways is related to agricultural activities including fertilizer use. These environmental issues are the focus of municipal government ecological management, conservation and sustainability planning.[8]
Easter, the Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos), Christmas and the New Year are also celebrated.[7]
In March, a trade and agriculture fair is held in the town of Mapastepec, featuring associated cultural events and musical performances. Since 2016 it has been promoted as the Cheese Fair (Feria del Queso), a showcase for local dairy produce.[15][16]
Crafts
Handcrafted woodcuts are made in the municipality.[7]
Gastronomy
Typical dishes of the municipality are iguana tamales, armadillo stew, baked chicken, marshmallow candies, nuegados chilacayote, coconut water, beer, cocoa, and white pozol.[7]
Sports
The four main football fields in Mapastepec are the November 20 field, Santa Cruz, Olimpia and Anahuac.
In addition to other sports, the traditional sport of Charrería is also popular.[17]
Economy
The economy of the municipality is based on agriculture, beef and dairy cattle and other livestock farming, fishing and aquaculture, forestry and construction, tourism, trade and services.[8][7] The dairy industry, celebrated in the annual Cheese Fair[16] is a significant sector, producing some 20 major cheeses including cream cheese, mediacrema cheese, cheese snacks, cheese, Cotija cheese, and cream.
Agriculture and livestock
The primary sector occupies more than half of the working population of the municipality (52.82% in 2000). The agricultural sector is the largest economic sector.[7]
Mapastepec grows many kinds of mango. Varieties include the Ataulfo mango, a protected designation of origin cultivar originating locally from the Soconusco region of Chiapas.[18] Also grown are the cultivars known in Mexico as Criollo, Jobo, Manila and Manililla, and the Tommy Atkins.
The livestock sector includes beef and dairy cattle and poultry,[7] as well as sheep, pigs and horses.
Tourism
The beaches of the Pacific coast are one of the main draws for tourists in the municipality.[7]
Ecological reserves constitute another point of interest. They include the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, with its cloud forest and tropical rainforest habitats, and the wetlands, coastal lagoons and mangroves of La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, which is also a Ramsar wetland site.[7]
According to information from the Ministry of Tourism, in the year 2000 the town of Mapastepec had five hotels with 53 rooms.[7]
Services
Most of the services available in the municipality are found in the town of Mapestepec. These include public transportation, gas and service stations, hotels and restaurants, garages and repair shops, a hospital, clinics, and medical professionals.[7]
The town Mapastepec has a Rural Hospital with a number of medical units run by the Mexican Social Security Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, IMSS)[19] under its IMSS Prospera program[20] Health services provided include an emergency department, surgical facilities, a labor ward, a pediatrics department, a general hospital and laboratory services.[21]
Railway
There were two unsuccessful attempts to build a railway along the coast of Chiapas in the 19th century before an Anglo-American company, The Mexican Pacific Railroad Limited, built the Pan American Railway (Ferrocarril Panamericano) in the early 20th century.
Work began in 1902 with initial repairs to a short existing rail segment from the port town of Puerto Arista on the northern coast of Chiapas in 1902. In 1903, construction began in San Jerónimo Doctor (now Ixtepec) in the state of Oaxaca, building south towards the Guatemalan border. Work was completed as far as Tonalá in Chiapas by December of that year. The railway reached the municipalities of Pijijiapan and Mapastepec in 1906, arriving at Suchiate on the border with Guatemala on July 1, 1908. The national rail operator Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México took over the line in 1914. It was privatized in 1999 under a 30-year concession to Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab.[5]
Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab gave up its concession in 2007 after Hurricane Stan badly damaged the line in October 2005, rendering it inoperable. State-owned company Ferrocarril Transístmico took over the concession in 2008, and the line has since been known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Railway (Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec). Work was done to repair a number of bridges but the line remained out of commission. In 2015, a feasibility study was conducted into repairing and rehabilitating the line.[22] In 2018 it remains out of service.[23]
Related Research Articles
Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 124 municipalities as of September 2017 and its capital and largest city is Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Other important population centers in Chiapas include Ocosingo, Tapachula, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Comitán, and Arriaga. Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico, and it borders the states of Oaxaca to the west, Veracruz to the northwest, and Tabasco to the north, and the Petén, Quiché, Huehuetenango, and San Marcos departments of Guatemala to the east and southeast. Chiapas has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean to the southwest.
Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the Federative Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 570 municipalities, of which 418 are governed by the system of usos y costumbres with recognized local forms of self-governance. Its capital city is Oaxaca de Juárez.
Tapachula de Córdova y Ordóñez, simply known as Tapachula, is a city and municipality located in the far southeast of the state of Chiapas in Mexico, near the Guatemalan border and the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most important cities of Chiapas economically as the capital of the agriculturally rich Soconusco region as well as port for trade between Mexico and Central America. The area was originally inhabited by the Mam as a region under the control of the Mam state of Xelaju but was first established as a city by the Aztecs in the 13th century. Most of its economic importance has come since the late 19th century with the establishment of coffee plantations. This agricultural production began a history of migration into the area which continues to this day and has left the city with a significant Asian and German cultural presence as well as large Mayan and Nahua indigenous populations.
Sumidero Canyon is a deep natural canyon located just north of the city of Chiapa de Corzo in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico. The canyon's creation began around the same time as the Grand Canyon in the U.S. state of Arizona, by a crack in the area's crust and subsequent erosion by the Grijalva River, which still runs through it. Sumidero Canyon has vertical walls which reach as high as 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), with the river turning up to 90 degrees during the 13-kilometre (8 mi) length of the narrow passage.
Ocosingo is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
The Mam are an indigenous people in the western highlands of Guatemala and in south-western Mexico who speak the Mam language.
La Independencia is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.
XHGK-TDT is a television station in Tapachula, Chiapas. XHGK broadcasts on virtual channel 13 and is part of the Canal 13 regional network.
The Eleventh Federal Electoral District of Chiapas(XI Distrito Electoral Federal de Chiapas) is one of the 300 Electoral Districts into which Mexico is divided for the purpose of elections to the federal Chamber of Deputies and one of 12 such districts in the state of Chiapas.
The 'Ataúlfo' mango is a mango cultivar from Mexico. Ataulfo mangos are golden yellow and generally weigh between 6 and 10 ounces, with a somewhat sigmoid (oblong) shape and a gold-yellow skin. The flesh is not fibrous, and the pit is thin. They were named for grower Ataulfo Morales Gordillo. Since August 27, 2003, the Ataulfo mango is one of the 18 Mexican Designations of Origin.
The cuisine of Chiapas is a style of cooking centered on the Mexican state of the same name. Like the cuisine of rest of the country, it is based on corn with a mix of indigenous and European influences. It distinguishes itself by retaining most of its indigenous heritage, including the use of the chipilín herb in tamales and soups, used nowhere else in Mexico. However, while it does use some chili peppers, including the very hot simojovel, it does not use it as much as other Mexican regional cuisines, preferring slightly sweet seasoning to its main dishes. Large regions of the state are suitable for grazing and the cuisine reflects this with meat, especially beef and the production of cheese. The most important dish is the tamal, with many varieties created through the state as well as dishes such as chanfaina, similar to menudo and sopa de pan. Although it has been promoted by the state of Chiapas for tourism purposes as well as some chefs, it is not as well known as other Mexican cuisine, such as that of neighboring Oaxaca.
The Spanish conquest of Chiapas was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish conquistadores against the Late Postclassic Mesoamerican polities in the territory that is now incorporated into the modern Mexican state of Chiapas. The region is physically diverse, featuring a number of highland areas, including the Sierra Madre de Chiapas and the Montañas Centrales, a southern littoral plain known as Soconusco and a central depression formed by the drainage of the Grijalva River.
La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve situated in the Pacific Coastal Lowlands physiographic region of Mexico. It covers 144,848 hectares (559.26 sq mi) stretching over six municipalities in the Costa de Chiapas. It is composed of two large coastal lagoon systems that correspond to two core areas, and a wide variety of natural ecosystems including mangroves, zapotonales, tule swamps and marshes, as well as patches of tropical seasonal forest, coastal dunes and palm trees.
The Volcán Tacaná Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at the Tacaná Volcano in Chiapas, Mexico, on the border with Guatemala. The volcano is part of the Central America Volcanic Arc. The 6,378 hectares (24.63 sq mi) reserve contains fragile ecosystems very rich in wild flora and fauna species of cultural, scientific, economic and biological relevance. Its rich biodiversity and high endemism are found particularly in the high mountain ecosystem and landscapes and in the volcanic edifice which presents geophysical features of great scientific and aesthetic value. Average annual rainfall can amount to 2,000–5,000 millimetres (79–197 in), as in the case of Soconusco.
Exequiel Ezcurra is an Argentine-Mexican plant ecologist and conservationist. His highly interdisciplinary work spans desert plant ecology, mangroves, island biogeography, sea birds, fisheries, oceanography, and deep-sea ecosystems.
Capitán Luis Ángel Vidal is a municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas, located approximately 138 kilometres (86 mi) southeast of the state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Its inhabitants are of Guatemalan origin and speak the Mam language.
The Tehuantepec-El Manchon mangroves ecoregion covers a series of mangrove woodlands along the Pacific Ocean coast of the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The ecoregion is relatively large and continuous, with trees up to 25 meters in height. The region supports stands of a type of yellow mangrove that normally only grown further south. The coast of Mexico here is wet - over 2,500 mm/year of rain. Four RAMSAR wetlands of international important are found in the zone, and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Of particular importance are the wide variety of permanent and migratory birds in the area.
The biosphere reserves of Mexico are protected natural areas. Some are designated by the national government, while others are internationally designated by UNESCO.
El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in southern Mexico. It is in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in southern Chiapas.
↑ Villalobos Velázquez, Amílcar (September 2004). Métodos para la Medición de la Pobreza: Caso, la Región del Soconusco, Chiapas[Methods for the Measurement of Poverty: Case Study, the Region of Soconusco, Chiapas](PDF) (MSc) (in Spanish). Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Administrativas y Sociales. p.141. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
1 2 Mireles Gavito, Sofia. "Construccion del Ferrocarril Panamericano"[Construction of the Pan American Railway]. La voz del norte (in Spanish). Sinaloa, Mexico. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Gobierno Municipal de Mapastepec, Chiapas, Administración 2015-2018 (2015). "Plan Municipal de Desarrollo Mapastepec 2015-2018"[Municipal Development Plan for Mapastepec, Chiapas, 2015-2018 Administration](PDF). ayuntamientomapastepec.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved September 23, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ "Mapastepec, Chiapas (07051)"[Handbook of Municipal Geographic Information of the United Mexican States - Mapastepec, Chiapas](PDF). Prontuario de información geográfica municipal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos - Mapastepec, Chiapas (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI). Retrieved September 24, 2018.
1 2 3 Sistema de Información, Monitoreo y Evaluación para la Conservación (SIMEC), Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP) (September 14, 2018). "El Encrucijada". www.simec.conanp.gob.mx. Retrieved September 23, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ González-García, D. Fernando (July 15, 2017). "Introducción Sección 1.1". Ecología e Historia Natural del Pavón Oreophasis derbianus: Un Crácido de Montaña (PhD). Universidad de Alicante. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
↑ Ballinas, Miguel (November 23, 2015). "Iniciará reactivación del Tren Chiapas-Mayab"[Reactivation of Chiapas-Mayab Railway to Begin]. Cuarto Poder (in Spanish). Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Mexico 
