Morelos, Zacatecas

Morelos
Municipality
Parish church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Morelos
Morelos Location in Mexico Show map of Zacatecas Morelos Morelos (Mexico) Show map of Mexico
Coordinates: 22°51′46″N102°36′30″W / 22.86278°N 102.60833°W / 22.86278; -102.60833 [1]
Country	Mexico
State	Zacatecas
Established	8 February 1869
Seat	Morelos
Government
• President	Margarita Robles de Santiago
Area [2]
• Total	180.9 km2 (69.8 sq mi)
Elevation [1] (of seat)	2,321 m (7,615 ft)
Highest elevation [3] (Cerro San Gil)	2,603 m (8,540 ft)
Population  (2020 Census) [2]
• Total	13,207
• Density	73/km2 (190/sq mi)
• Seat	7,515
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (Central)
Postal codes	98100–98113 [4]
Area code	492
Website	Official website

Morelos is a semi-urban municipality in the metropolitan area of Zacatecas City in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. ^[5]

Geography

The municipality of Morelos is located at an elevation between 2,100 and 2,600 metres (6,900–8,500 ft) in central Zacatecas. It borders the municipalities of Calera to the northwest, Pánuco to the northeast, Vetagrande to the east, and Zacatecas City to the south. ^[6] The municipality covers an area of 180.9 square kilometres (69.8 sq mi) ^[2] and comprises 0.2% of the state's area. ^[7]

As of 2009, 71% of the land in Morelos is used for agriculture. The remainder is covered by matorral (13.7%), grassland (12.6%) and urban areas (2.4%). ^[6] The municipality lies in the endorheic basin of El Salado. The highest point of the municipality is Cerro San Gil in the Sierra de Zacatecas southeast of the town of Hacienda Nueva, with an elevation of 2,603 metres (8,540 ft) above sea level. ^{[3] [6] [8]}

Morelos has a temperate semi-arid climate with dry winters. ^[6] Average temperatures in the municipality range between 14 and 18 °C (57–64 °F), and average annual precipitation ranges between 400 and 500 millimetres (16–20 in). ^[6]

History

In pre-Hispanic times, the Morelos area was inhabited by the Cagihua tribe of the Zacateco people. Francisco de Ibarra passed through the area on 1 September 1554, giving it the name of Arroyo de los Chupaderos. Between 1610 and 1620, Antonio de Figueroa built and operated the first ranch in the area. ^[8]

After Mexican independence, Chupaderos was administered by the municipality of Vetagrande. It was declared a separate municipality on 8 February 1869 and its first municipal assembly convened in 1871. On 5 May 1894, the municipality changed its name from Chupaderos to Morelos in honour of José María Morelos. ^[9] The municipal seat inaugurated its first power plant in 1955 and its first potable water supply in 1966. ^[8]

Administration

The municipal government of Morelos comprises a president, a councillor (Spanish: síndico), and ten trustees (regidores), six elected by relative majority and four by proportional representation. ^[8] The current president of the municipality is Margarita Robles de Santiago. ^[10]

Demographics

In the 2020 Mexican Census, the municipality of Morelos recorded a population of 13,207 inhabitants living in 3614 households. ^[7] The 2010 Census recorded a population of 11,493 inhabitants in Morelos. ^[1]

INEGI lists 28 inhabited localities in the municipality, ^[7] of which two are classified as urban: ^[11]

• the municipal seat, also called Morelos, which recorded a population of 7538 inhabitants in the 2020 Census; and
• Hacienda Nueva, located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the municipal seat, which recorded a population of 4029 inhabitants in the 2020 Census. ^[7]

Economy and infrastructure

General Leobardo C. Ruiz International Airport, also known as Zacatecas International Airport, is located in the municipality of Morelos.

Economic activities in Morelos include agriculture and small businesses. Crops grown include corn, bean, barley, oats and chiles. ^[8] CRUCEN (Centro Regional Universitario Centro Norte), a regional centre of the agriculturally focused Chapingo Autonomous University, is located in Morelos. ^[12]

Federal Highways 45, 45D (the Zacatecas City bypass), and 54 all intersect in the municipality. Zacatecas International Airport is located in the northern part of the municipality.

Peñoles operated the Francisco I. Madero zinc mine in the southwestern part of the municipality from 2001 to 2020. ^{[8] [13]}

References

1. "Sistema Nacional de Información Municipal" (in Spanish). SEGOB. 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
2. "México en Cifras" (in Spanish). INEGI . Retrieved 11 June 2021.
3. "Programa Regional de Ordenamiento Territorial de Zacatecas (Centro) que abarca los municipios de Calera, Fresnillo, Genaro Codina, General Enrique Estrada, Guadalupe, Morelos, Pánuco, Trancoso, Vetagrande y Zacatecas del Estado de Zacatecas" (PDF) (in Spanish). Government of Zacatecas. 2014. p. 83. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
4. "Consulta de Códigos Postales". Catálogo Nacional de Códigos Postales. Mexican Postal Service. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
5. "Delimitación de las zonas metropolitanas de México 2015" [Delimitation of Mexico's Metropolitan Areas 2015] (in Spanish). CONAPO. pp. 256–257. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
6. "Morelos, Zacatecas" (PDF). Prontuario de información geográfica municipal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (in Spanish). INEGI. 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
7. Panorama sociodemográfico de Zacatecas. Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020 (PDF) (in Spanish). INEGI. 2016. pp. 78–79. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
8. "Morelos". Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México (in Spanish). INAFED . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
9. "Morelos: Aniversario" (PDF) (in Spanish). Municipality of Morelos. 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
10. Alvarado, Silvia (8 June 2021). "Va por Zacatecas gana más municipios". Pórtico (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
11. "Resumen municipal: Municipio de Morelos". Catálogo de Localidades (in Spanish). SEDESOL . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
12. "¿Qué es el CRUCEN?" (in Spanish). Chapingo Autonomous University . Retrieved 20 June 2021.
13. Serrano, Miriam (17 May 2020). "Cierra en Morelos la mina Madero". NTR Zacatecas (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.

Further reading

• Trejo Reyes, José R. (2004). Mitos, leyendas y testimonios del municipio de Morelos, Zacatecas (in Spanish). Municipality of Morelos. LCCN   2005394030.