Capulalpam de Méndez
Encyclopedia
Capulalpam de Méndez is a town and municipality
in the Sierra Juárez
in Oaxaca
in south-western Mexico
.
It is part of the Ixtlán District
in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca
region.
The name "Capulalpam" in Nahuatl means "Land of the chokecherry tree" - a common type of tree in the area.
The town is at an altitude of 2,040 meters above sea level in a high mountain valley.
The climate is predominantly cool and wet.
Common flowers include Gladiolus, geraniums, roses, bougainvillea, tulips and calla lilies.
Trees include ash, aguilar, ayacahuite, oak, and Madrano ocotal, as well as fruit-bearing walnuts, pears, quince, apple, peach, plum and chokecherry.
Common birds are the eagle, hawk, crow, owl, dove, vulture, bat, swallow, sparrow, lark, quail, pheasant, picocanda and magpie.
Wild animals include fox, coyote, badger, armadillo, wild boar, deer, tlacomixtle, opossum, cougar, skunk, tiger, panther, rabbit and paca.
The area also has lizards, coral snakes, rattlesnakes, tarantula and scorpion.
About 10% of the population is engaged in jewelry manufacture and another 10% work in a stone aggregate plant.
Most others are engaged in agriculture.
The town has a beautiful 16th century church dedicated to St. Matthew.
The church interior is lined by 15 large, ornate, hand-carved religious scenarios that date from the 16th and 17th centuries.
In February 2008 Capulalpam was officially designated a "Pueblo Magico
" (magical town), Oaxaca's first and Mexico's 33rd such town. The government also announced plans to construct a traditional healing center. The new designation and the healing center were expected to boost tourism.
The center, now open, employs traditional healers who provide medicinal plant therapy, massages, temazcal
and herbal baths.
The center has a herbal pharmacy and offers basic training courses about a great variety of medicinal plants.
The 'temazcal' is a type of sweat lodge that gives physical and spiritual purification using the four elements of fire, air, water and earth to give relief from the stresses of daily life.
Participants may reach a level of consciousness similar to that of meditation.
Municipalities of Mexico State
The Mexican state of Mexico is made up of 125 municipios :-External links:* Estado de México / State of Mexico...
in the Sierra Juárez
Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca
The Sierra Juárez is a range of mountains in Oaxaca state, Mexico between latitudes 17°20'-17°50'N and longitudes 96°15'-97°00'W, with an area of about 1,700 km².It is part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca....
in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
in south-western Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
It is part of the Ixtlán District
Ixtlán District, Oaxaca
Ixtlán District is located in the northeast of the Sierra Norte region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico.The district includes 26 municipalities, bringing together a total of 161 settlements which at the 2000 census had between them 40,218 inhabitants, the majority of them indigenous Zapotec...
in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca
Sierra Norte de Oaxaca
La Sierra Norte de Oaxaca is a heavily-wooded region in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.It is 62 km from the city of Oaxaca on Federal highway 175, heading east towards Tuxtepec....
region.
The name "Capulalpam" in Nahuatl means "Land of the chokecherry tree" - a common type of tree in the area.
Environment
The municipality covers an area of 19.14 km² of rugged mountainous terrain.The town is at an altitude of 2,040 meters above sea level in a high mountain valley.
The climate is predominantly cool and wet.
Common flowers include Gladiolus, geraniums, roses, bougainvillea, tulips and calla lilies.
Trees include ash, aguilar, ayacahuite, oak, and Madrano ocotal, as well as fruit-bearing walnuts, pears, quince, apple, peach, plum and chokecherry.
Common birds are the eagle, hawk, crow, owl, dove, vulture, bat, swallow, sparrow, lark, quail, pheasant, picocanda and magpie.
Wild animals include fox, coyote, badger, armadillo, wild boar, deer, tlacomixtle, opossum, cougar, skunk, tiger, panther, rabbit and paca.
The area also has lizards, coral snakes, rattlesnakes, tarantula and scorpion.
Economy
As of 2005, the municipality had 326 households with a total population of 1,313 of whom 89 spoke an indigenous language.About 10% of the population is engaged in jewelry manufacture and another 10% work in a stone aggregate plant.
Most others are engaged in agriculture.
The town has a beautiful 16th century church dedicated to St. Matthew.
The church interior is lined by 15 large, ornate, hand-carved religious scenarios that date from the 16th and 17th centuries.
In February 2008 Capulalpam was officially designated a "Pueblo Magico
Pueblo Mágico
The Programa Pueblos Mágicos is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism , in conjunction with other federal and state agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors a "magical" experience – by reason of their natural beauty, cultural riches, or...
" (magical town), Oaxaca's first and Mexico's 33rd such town. The government also announced plans to construct a traditional healing center. The new designation and the healing center were expected to boost tourism.
The center, now open, employs traditional healers who provide medicinal plant therapy, massages, temazcal
Temazcal
A temazcal is a type of sweat lodge which originated with pre-Hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. The word temazcal comes from the Nahuatl word temazcalli , or possibly from the Aztec teme and calli . Temazcal in English is also written as temezcal, temascal, or temescal...
and herbal baths.
The center has a herbal pharmacy and offers basic training courses about a great variety of medicinal plants.
The 'temazcal' is a type of sweat lodge that gives physical and spiritual purification using the four elements of fire, air, water and earth to give relief from the stresses of daily life.
Participants may reach a level of consciousness similar to that of meditation.