San Mateo del Mar
Encyclopedia
San Mateo del Mar is a coastal town and municipality
in Oaxaca
in south-western Mexico
. It is part of the Tehuantepec District
in the west of the Istmo Region
. It is the largest of four Huave
towns in the region, the others being San Dionisio del Mar
, San Francisco del Mar
and Santa María del Mar
.
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 12667.
.
and Tepehuaje. Fauna include wild boar, coyote
, badger
, rabbit
, armadillo
, chachalaca
and buzzard
.
. According to a 1990 census, 1,800 of these Huave speakers are monolingual.
, including both Catholic
and evangelical adherents.
The first church building in San Mateo del Mar was constructed under the supervision of Spanish priests between 1591 and 1620. According to local legend, four men were buried alive at each corner of the church's foundation as it was built.
is the most common seafood export, and bass
and bream are also commercially fished. In terms of agriculture, residents grow crops such as corn and vegetables, and breed cattle, pigs and goats.
In addition, some of the townspeople make crafts.
Municipalities of Mexico State
The Mexican state of Mexico is made up of 125 municipios :-External links:* Estado de México / State of Mexico...
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 Tehuantepec District
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:...
in the west of the Istmo Region
Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca
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....
. It is the largest of four Huave
Huave people
The Huave are an indigenous people of Mexico. The autodenomination term used by the Huave themselves is Ikoots/Kunajts , or Mareños . They have inhabited the Isthmus of Tehuantepec for more than 3000 years, preceding the Zapotec people in settling the area...
towns in the region, the others being San Dionisio del Mar
San Dionisio del Mar
San Dionisio del Mar is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Juchitán District in the east of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region.The town is named after its patron saint....
, San Francisco del Mar
San Francisco del Mar
San Francisco del Mar is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Juchitán District in the west of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region....
and Santa María del Mar
Santa María del Mar
Santa María del Mar is a district in southern Lima Province in Peru. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the district of San Bartolo on the north, the Chilca District of the Cañete Province on the east, and the Pucusana district on the south....
.
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 12667.
Geography
The total area of the municipality is 75.2 km². It is located on the shores of the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Wildlife
Flora include Pochote, MesquiteMesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
and Tepehuaje. Fauna include wild boar, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
, armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
, chachalaca
Chachalaca
Chachalacas are mainly brown birds from the genus Ortalis. These cracids are found in wooded habitats in far southern United States , Mexico, and Central and South America. They are social, can be very noisy and often remain fairly common even near humans, as their relatively small size makes them...
and buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
.
Demography
The population of San Mateo del Mar, according to the 2005 Census, is 12,667. There are 2,352 dwellings.Language
Almost all of the town's population speak a dialect of the Huave languageHuave language
Huave is a language isolate spoken by the indigenous Huave people on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The language is spoken in four villages on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in the southeast of the state, by around 18,000 people...
. According to a 1990 census, 1,800 of these Huave speakers are monolingual.
Religion
The predominant religion in San Mateo del Mar is ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, including both Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and evangelical adherents.
The first church building in San Mateo del Mar was constructed under the supervision of Spanish priests between 1591 and 1620. According to local legend, four men were buried alive at each corner of the church's foundation as it was built.
Places of interest
San Mateo del Mar has a museum with exhibitions about Huave culture, located at 'La Casa del Pueblo' (People's House).Economy
The main economic activities of San Mateo are commercial fishing and agriculture. ShrimpShrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
is the most common seafood export, and bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and bream are also commercially fished. In terms of agriculture, residents grow crops such as corn and vegetables, and breed cattle, pigs and goats.
In addition, some of the townspeople make crafts.