Santa María Temaxcaltepec
Encyclopedia
Santa María Temaxcaltepec is a town and municipality
in Oaxaca
in south-western Mexico
.
It is part of the Juquila District
in the center of the Costa Region
.
The name "Temaxcaltepec" means "hill of baths", a reference to the use of steam baths or sweat lodges to cure the sick.
The municipality covers an area of 86.8 km² at an elevation of 1,320 above sea level.
The terrain is rugged, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur
.
Rainfall of 2,057 mm occurs mostly between June and October.
Flora include amate, fig, locust, avocado, mahogany, oak, cedar, palm, hormiguillo and pastures.
Wildlife includes squirrels, armadillos, opossum, fox and badger.
As of 2005, the municipality had 505 households with a total population of 2,628 of whom 2,081 spoke an indigenous language.
Agriculture is the main economic activity.
Temaxcaltepec is one of the centers of the Chatino
people, related to the Zapotec but with a distinct language.
Municipal representatives are selected according to the traditional indigenous system (usos y costumbres).
In December 2007 there were disturbances when the state electoral authority failed to recognize the leaders who had been selected in this way.
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 Juquila District
Juquila District, Oaxaca
Juquila District is located in the center of the Costa Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, on the Pacific coast.It has an area of 5,055 km2.As of 2005 it had a total population of 134,365 of whom 33,106 spoke an indigenous language....
in the center of the Costa Region
Costa Region, Oaxaca
The Costa Region or Costa Chica lies on the Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, below the more mountainous Sierra Sur inland from the coast...
.
The name "Temaxcaltepec" means "hill of baths", a reference to the use of steam baths or sweat lodges to cure the sick.
The municipality covers an area of 86.8 km² at an elevation of 1,320 above sea level.
The terrain is rugged, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur
Sierra Madre del Sur
The Sierra Madre del Sur is a mountain range in southern Mexico, extending from southern Michoacán east through Guerrero, to the Istmo de Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca.-Geography:...
.
Rainfall of 2,057 mm occurs mostly between June and October.
Flora include amate, fig, locust, avocado, mahogany, oak, cedar, palm, hormiguillo and pastures.
Wildlife includes squirrels, armadillos, opossum, fox and badger.
As of 2005, the municipality had 505 households with a total population of 2,628 of whom 2,081 spoke an indigenous language.
Agriculture is the main economic activity.
Temaxcaltepec is one of the centers of the Chatino
Chatino
Chatino is the Spanish name of an indigenous people of southern central Mexico, and also of their language, the Chatino language. Chatino communities are located in the southeastern region of the state of Oaxaca. Speakers of Chatino are numbered around 23,000 , but ethnic Chatinos may number many...
people, related to the Zapotec but with a distinct language.
Municipal representatives are selected according to the traditional indigenous system (usos y costumbres).
In December 2007 there were disturbances when the state electoral authority failed to recognize the leaders who had been selected in this way.