Tapachula
Encyclopedia
Tapachula is a town and with a hot, humid climate in the Mexican state
of Chiapas
. It is located in southern part of the state on the Soconusco
coastal plain, near the border with Guatemala
, at 14.91° N 92.27° W. In the 2005 census the population of the municipality was 282,420 people, whereas the city of Tapachula had a population of 189,991 (more than two-thirds of the municipality's total). The city and the municipality both rank second in the state in population, behind Tuxtla Gutiérrez
.
, German
, Chinese
, Japanese
, French
and several others. The International Fair of Tapachula is celebrated during March with cattle agricultural and commercial exhibition.
(See image at this link for German presence in Tapachula.)
Important newspapers are the Tapachultecan "El Orbe" and the Soconuscan "El Diario del Sur"; radio can be received from both Mexico and Guatemala.
Important politicians, scientists, and artists were born in Tapachula, like Fray Matías de Córdova and Amparo Montes. During the history of the city several foreign cultures had influence in the rich history of the city. The Germans
came during the coffee boom and created German villages and haciendas where their descendants live today, and haciendas like: Hamburgo, Bremen, Germania, etc. still remind us of the first Germans
of the area. The Japanese and the Chinese also left a strong influence in Tapachula, in the cuisine and architecture. They came to construct railroads and were some of the first Asian immigrants in Latin America
(the first recordings of Asians in Latin America were those coming on the Spanish Manila Galleons during the 16th century that connected what is now Acapulco
, Mexico to Manila
in the Philippines). Italian
, French and other expats descendants still live along the Spanish, Mestizo
and Indians
of the region.
devastated the Soconusco region, a train system carried large numbers of these migrants weekly to the north.
, Viva Mexico a downtown Tapachula and even a Cruise Harbor named Puerto Chiapas (refurbished in 2005). The postal code for Tapachula is 30755.
changing trends of literacy around this city. Although there are not that many universities, most majors are offered from law and accounting (UNACH, CEST), to medicine and civil engineering (IESCH, Tecnologico de Tapachula), architecture and computer engineering (UVG).
Puerto Madero is a former name of the current Puerto Chiapas.
(a part of the Carretera Pacifico
) and 225
pass through Tapachula. For air travel the city is served by the Tapachula International Airport
.
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
. It is located in southern part of the state on the Soconusco
Soconusco
Soconusco is a region of the Mexican state of Chiapas, located in the extreme south of the state and separated from Guatemala by the Suchiate River. It is a region of rich lowlands and foothills. The economic center is Tapachula. Soconusco consists of 16 municipalities.The name comes from the...
coastal plain, near the border with Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, at 14.91° N 92.27° W. In the 2005 census the population of the municipality was 282,420 people, whereas the city of Tapachula had a population of 189,991 (more than two-thirds of the municipality's total). The city and the municipality both rank second in the state in population, behind Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in...
.
Culture
The population mix is culturally diverse. From Indigenous Mexicans and Mestizos, SpanishSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and several others. The International Fair of Tapachula is celebrated during March with cattle agricultural and commercial exhibition.
(See image at this link for German presence in Tapachula.)
Important newspapers are the Tapachultecan "El Orbe" and the Soconuscan "El Diario del Sur"; radio can be received from both Mexico and Guatemala.
Important politicians, scientists, and artists were born in Tapachula, like Fray Matías de Córdova and Amparo Montes. During the history of the city several foreign cultures had influence in the rich history of the city. The Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
came during the coffee boom and created German villages and haciendas where their descendants live today, and haciendas like: Hamburgo, Bremen, Germania, etc. still remind us of the first Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
of the area. The Japanese and the Chinese also left a strong influence in Tapachula, in the cuisine and architecture. They came to construct railroads and were some of the first Asian immigrants in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(the first recordings of Asians in Latin America were those coming on the Spanish Manila Galleons during the 16th century that connected what is now Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Mexico to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in the Philippines). Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, French and other expats descendants still live along the Spanish, Mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
and Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
of the region.
Migration
Tapachula is also known as a major point for the smuggling of illegal aliens from Central America. Here, they begin their trek northward. Before Hurricane StanHurricane Stan
Hurricane Stan was the eighteenth named tropical storm and eleventh hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the sixth of seven tropical cyclones to make landfall in Mexico. Stan was a relatively weak storm that only briefly reached hurricane status...
devastated the Soconusco region, a train system carried large numbers of these migrants weekly to the north.
Metropolitan area
Tapachula has an extensive metropolitan zone that includes several suburbs including beaches like Playa Linda, Puerto MaderoPuerto Madero
Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a barrio of the Argentine capital at Buenos Aires CBD, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank and representing the latest architectural trends in the city of Buenos...
, Viva Mexico a downtown Tapachula and even a Cruise Harbor named Puerto Chiapas (refurbished in 2005). The postal code for Tapachula is 30755.
changing trends of literacy around this city. Although there are not that many universities, most majors are offered from law and accounting (UNACH, CEST), to medicine and civil engineering (IESCH, Tecnologico de Tapachula), architecture and computer engineering (UVG).
Puerto Madero is a former name of the current Puerto Chiapas.
Notable features
Tapachula's main attractions are:- The colonial-era Temple of San Agustín
- The Archaeological Museum
- The German houses and Haciendas
- The variety of Asian cuisine
- The pyramids of IzapaIzapaIzapa is a very large pre-Columbian archaeological site located in the Mexican state of Chiapas; it was occupied during the Late Formative period. The site is situated on the Izapa River, a tributary of the Suchiate River, near the base of the Tacaná volcano), the fourth largest mountain in...
- The beach of Playa Linda
- The beach of San Benito
- The central park
Transportation
Mexican Federal Highway 200Mexican Federal Highway 200
Mexican Federal Highway 200 is also known as Carretera Pacifico and is a Federal Highway of Mexico. Carretera Pacifico is the main leg of the Pacific Coastal Highway within Mexico and runs along the Pacific Coast from Mexican Federal Highway 15 in the north to the Guatemalan border in the south...
(a part of the Carretera Pacifico
Carretera Pacifico
Carretera Pacifico is a road running through three nations in the Americas. It runs through Mexico as Mexican Federal Highway 200 and continues through Guatemala and El Salvador as Highway CA2. The highway runs along the Pacific Coast and is part of the Pacific Coastal Highway....
) and 225
Mexican Federal Highway 225
Mexican Federal Highway 225 is a Federal Highway of Mexico. It runs from the Port of Chiapas on the Pacific Ocean to the city of Tapachula in the state of Chiapas....
pass through Tapachula. For air travel the city is served by the Tapachula International Airport
Tapachula International Airport
Tapachula International Airport is an international airport located at Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, is Mexico's southernmost airport. It handles national and international air traffic for the city of Tapachula and the Port of Chiapas.-External links:*...
.
External links
- Ayuntamiento de Tapachula Official website
- Tourism of Tapachula No Official website Tourism