Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca
Encyclopedia
Istmo de Tehuantepec is the largest region in the state of Oaxaca
, Mexico
. It covers the southern part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
, the shortest route between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean before the Panama Canal
was opened.
The region has two districts, Juchitán
and Tehuantepec
, with a total of 41 municipalities.
The region has cement and lime plants, but the main industry is the Pemex
refinery in the port of Salina Cruz
on the Pacific coast. The isthmus has extensive livestock production. Crops include sesame, coffee, rice, sorghum, pineapple, banana, coconut, melon and sugarcane. Fishing cooperatives harvest shrimp and other seafood from the Pacific.
The government has plans to develop the trans-isthmus corridor, including improving transportation routes, developing an industrial zone along the highway and expanding the petroleum and petrochemical industries in Salina Cruz
. Other plans include creating coffee plantations and cattle corridors, expanding production of beans, maize and chili and exploiting the bio-genetic resources of native medicinal plants.
The region contains the largest part of the Selva Zoque
, or Zoque
Forest, an area of great ecological importance including the largest intact tropical rain forest in Mexico.
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...
, 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 covers the southern part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
, the shortest route between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean before the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
was opened.
The region has two districts, Juchitán
Juchitán District, Oaxaca
Juchitán District is located in the east of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, covering the southern part of a low lying corridor through the mountains that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Pacific ocean....
and Tehuantepec
Tehuantepec District, Oaxaca
Tehuantepec District is located in the west of the Istmo Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico.It includes the cities of Salina Cruz and Tehuantepec.-Municipalities:The district includes the following municipalities:...
, with a total of 41 municipalities.
The region has cement and lime plants, but the main industry is the Pemex
Pemex
Petróleos Mexicanos or Pemex is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. As of 2010, with a total asset worth of $415.75 billion, it is the second non-publicly listed largest company in the world by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009...
refinery in the port of Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region....
on the Pacific coast. The isthmus has extensive livestock production. Crops include sesame, coffee, rice, sorghum, pineapple, banana, coconut, melon and sugarcane. Fishing cooperatives harvest shrimp and other seafood from the Pacific.
The government has plans to develop the trans-isthmus corridor, including improving transportation routes, developing an industrial zone along the highway and expanding the petroleum and petrochemical industries in Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz
Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's third-largest city and is municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region....
. Other plans include creating coffee plantations and cattle corridors, expanding production of beans, maize and chili and exploiting the bio-genetic resources of native medicinal plants.
The region contains the largest part of the Selva Zoque
Selva Zoque
The Selva Zoque , which includes the Chimalapas rain forest, is an area of great ecological importance in Mexico. Most of the forest lies in the state of Oaxaca but parts are in Chiapas and Veracruz....
, or Zoque
Zoque
The Zoque are an indigenous people of Mexico; they speak variants of the Zoque languages.This group consists of 41,609 people, according to the 2000 census...
Forest, an area of great ecological importance including the largest intact tropical rain forest in Mexico.