Santiago Apoala is a village and municipality in the state of 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...

, 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...

, located north of Oaxaca city

Oaxaca, Oaxaca

The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...

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It is part of the Nochixtlán District

Nochixtlán District, Oaxaca

Nochixtlán District is located in the southeast of the Mixteca Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico.The main city is Asunción Nochixtlán.-Municipalities:The district includes the following municipalities:*Asunción Nochixtlán*Magdalena Jaltepec...

 in the southeast of the Mixteca Region

Mixteca Region, Oaxaca

The Mixteca Region is a region in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, part of the broader La Mixteca area which covers parts of the states of Puebla, Guerrero and Oaxaca....

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The name “apoala” is from Náhuatl

Nahuatl

Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...

 meaning “water that destroys”. It is 1970 metre above sea level. It is part of the Mixtec

Mixtec

The Mixtec are indigenous Mesoamerican peoples inhabiting the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla in a region known as La Mixteca. The Mixtecan languages form an important branch of the Otomanguean language family....

area of Oaxaca state and is also known by its Mixtec name of “Yutatnoho” which means “river where the lords come from”. Its foundation date is unknown but local legends say this was one of the first areas settled by the Mixtecs.

There are two waterfalls nearby called Cascadas de Apoala and Cola de Serpiente (snake’s tail). Each is more than 50 metres (164 ft) high and there are number natural springs in the area.

The municipality

As municipal seat, the village of Santiago Apoala has governing jurisdiction over the following communities:

Arriba de la Peña, Jazmín Morelos, San Antonio Nduayaco, Tierra Colorada, Unión Buena Vista (Yodocanit o Yodocani), and Unión Palo Solo