Temascaltepec is a city and seat of the municipality of Temascaltepec located in south of the State of Mexico in 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 66 km (41 mi) southeast of Toluca

Toluca

Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...

 and 140 km (87 mi), from Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

. Temascaltepec comes from the 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...

 "temazcalli," which means "steam bath," and "tepetl," which means "hill." The Matlazincas

Matlatzinca language

The Matlatzinca language, also called Tlahuica or Ocuiltec, is an indigenous language of Mexico spoken by the Matlatzinca people in the southern part of the State of Mexico. It is an Oto-Manguean language of the Oto-Pamean subgroup...

 named the area "Cocalostoc," which means 'cave of crows'..

The town

The first people known to live in Temascaltepec area were the prehispanic group Matlazincas and probably founded the village were the modern town stands. During the Spanish conquest, it was delegated to Andrés de Tapia in 1556, with its first church built in 1559. The town grew after the discovery of silver

Silver

Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

 deposits, and the area was a rich provider of minerals, including silver during the colonial era until after the Mexican War of Independence

Mexican War of Independence

The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...

. In 1858, by decree of the state government, Temascaltepec was elevated to the category of town, and in 1861 was named Temascaltepec de González in honor of Plutarco González, a leader in the time of La Reforma

La Reforma

La Reforma was a period halfway through the 19th century in the history of Mexico that was characterized by liberal reforms and the transformation of Mexico into a nation state...

. However, it is still known simply as Temascaltepec. The population of the town as of 2005 was 2,253.

Notable residents

• José Mariano Muciño Juárez. Naturalist (1757– ).
• Fernando de Portugal. Miner
• Lic. Hernando Caballero. Miner
• Gonzalo Castañeda. Doctor, teacher, and writer (1867–1947).
• Reynaldo Escobar Castañeda. Teacher, doctor and writer (1897–1960).
• Alfredo Borboa Reyes. Lawyer, municipal chronicler (1930– ).

The municipality

As municipal seat, the town of Temascaltepec has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: La Albarrada (San Francisco la Albarrada), San Sebastián Carboneras (Carboneras), Carnicería, El Cerro Pelón, Cieneguillas de González(Cieneguillas), Cieneguillas de Labra, La Comunidad, La Estancia de Tequesquipan, La Finca, La Guacamaya, Jesús del Monte, Labor las Cabras, Lampazos, Mesón Viejo, Milpas Viejas, Pedregales de Tequesquipan, El Peñón, Plan de Vigas, Potrero de San José (La Rinconada), Potrero de Tenayac, Real de Arriba, Rincón de Atarasquillo, Rincón de San Andrés, Rincón de Tequesquipan, El Salitre, San Andrés de los Gama, San Antonio Albarranes, San Francisco Oxtotilpan, San Lucas del Pulque, San Mateo Almomoloa, San Miguel Oxtotilpan, San Pedro Tenayac, Telpintla, San Martín Tequesquipan (Tequesquipan), Los Timbres, Las Trancas, El Tule, Manzana de Tequesquipan (Las Manzanas), San Juan, Hoyos de Vázquez, Cajones, La Cumbre, El Chilar del Ejido de las Trancas, Barrio la Magdalena (La Magdalena), Los Ocotes, Paredones, El Varal, Barrio de Cantarranas, Barrio la Cascada (Barrio del Varal), La Laguna, La Loba, Las Mesas de Real de Arriba, Pueblo Nuevo, Fraccionamiento Campestre Rancho Viejo, San José, El Salitre, Santanas, Ejido Real de Arriba, Manzana del Jabalí, Granjas de Cieneguillas, La Orejeta, Mina del Rincón, and Fraccionamiento Campestre.

Temascaltepec has 547.5 km² of surface area. It borders the municipalities of Valle de Bravo

Valle de Bravo

Valle de Bravo is a town and municipality located in Mexico State, Mexico. It is located on the shore of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km southwest of Mexico City and west of Toluca on highways 15, 134 or 1...

, Amanalco de Becerra, TTejupilco, San Simón de Guerrero

San Simón de Guerrero

San Simón de Guerrero is a small town and municipality, in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 127.42 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 5,408....

, Texcaltitlán

Texcaltitlán

Texcaltitlán is a town and a municipality of the State of Mexico in Mexico. It is located 65 km from Toluca on the high plains south of the Nevado de Toluca volcano...

, Zinacantepec, Coatepec Harinas

Coatepec Harinas

Coatepec Harinas is a town and municipality in Mexico State, Mexico. The original name is "Coauhtepetl" which means 'serpent hill' in Náhuatl. Around 1825 because of a boom in flour production, the name "Harinas" was added.-The town:...

, and Zacazonapan

Zacazonapan

Zacazonapan is a village and municipality near Mexico City. The name comes from Náhuatl and roughly translates to "in water of the meadows"-The village:...

. Temascaltepec's population was 26,968 in 1990, but rose to 30,336 by 2005, according to INEGI.

Natural features

The Mountain of Temascaltepec is a prolongation of Nevado de Toluca and crosses the municipality. The most important elevations are the hills of Temeroso, Soledad, Fortin, Peñas del Diablo, Peñon, Tres Reyes and Juan Luis. The main rivers are three: Verde or De la Presa, Vado, and Temascaltepec, all with water flow year-round. In addition there are 41 freshwater springs

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

. The municipality is warm and subtropical

Subtropics

The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...

 to the north and east and semi-arid to the south and west. Average temperatures vary between 18 to 22 °C (64.4 to 71.6 F) and annual precipitation is from 800 to 1600 mm (31.5 to 63 in).

The areas flora and fauna are varied. Plant life includes: ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

 (Pinus spp.), Oyamel (Abies religiosa), Holm Oak (Quercus ilex), cedar, sabino, Guaje (Leucaena

Leucaena

Leucaena is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family Fabaceae. It contains about 24 species of trees and shrubs, which are commonly known as Leadtrees. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Texas in the United States south to Peru...

 esculenta),
Tepegauje (Lysiloma

Lysiloma

Lysiloma is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae.-Selected species:* Lysiloma acapulcense Benth.* Lysiloma candidum Brandegee* Lysiloma divaricatum J.F.Macbr....

 acapulcense), Madroño (Arbutus xalapensis), mahogany (Swietenia

Swietenia

Swietenia is a genus of trees in the chinaberry family, Meliaceae. It occurs natively in the Neotropics, from southern Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America south to Bolivia...

spp.), Jacaranda

Jacaranda

Jacaranda is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America , Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is also found in Asia, especially in Nepal...

spp., Capulín (Prunus salicifolia

Capulin

Prunus salicifolia , known as Capulin, is a species of cherry. It is similar to the Jamaica cherry. The capulin is often called the capuli, capoli, capulin, or capolin in both Mexico and Colombia...

), guava

Guava

Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...

s (Psidium spp.), such as Arrayán (P. sartorianum), mango

Mango

The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...

s (Mangifera spp.), copal (Copaifera

Copaifera

Copaifera is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae.The scientific name means "copal-bearer" , since economically important resins and essential oils can be acquired from them. They are also important for production of biodiesel and wood, especially Copaifera langsdorffii...

spp.) and peanut

Peanut

The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...

 (Arachis hypogaea).

Animal life includes cats

Felidae

Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...

 deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

, Collared Peccary

Collared Peccary

The collared peccary is a species of mammal in the family Tayassuidae that is found in North, Central, and South America. They are commonly referred to as javelina, saíno or báquiro, although these terms are also used to describe other species in the family...

 (Pecari tajacu), squirrel

Squirrel

Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...

s, cuinique (Spermophilus

Spermophilus

Spermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the family Sciuridae. The majority of ground squirrel species, over 40 in total, are usually placed in this genus...

spp.), Long-tailed Weasel

Long-tailed Weasel

The long-tailed weasel , also known as the bridled weasel or big stoat is a species of mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all of Central America and into northern South America.-Evolution:The long-tailed weasel is the product of...

 (Mustela frenata), rabbit

Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

s, hare

Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...

s, Nine-banded Armadillo

Nine-banded Armadillo

The nine-banded armadillo , or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos...

, Tejón (Nasua narica), tigrillo, bat

Bat

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...

s, rat

Rat

Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...

s, pocket gopher

Pocket gopher

The pocket gophers are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. These are the "true" gophers, though several ground squirrels of the family Sciuridae are often called gophers as well...

s, skunk

Skunk

Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...

s, Cacomiztle (Bassariscus astutus

Ring-tailed Cat

The ringtail is a mammal of the raccoon family , native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat or miner's cat, and is also sometimes mistakenly called a "civet cat"...

), Gray fox

Gray Fox

The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...

 (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), sparrowhawks (Accipiter

Accipiter

The genus Accipiter is a group of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, many of which are named as goshawks and sparrowhawks. They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large...

spp.), eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

s, vulture, Common Raven

Common Raven

The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...

 (Corvus corax), Quebrantahueso (Caracara cheriway), owl

Owl

Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...

s, Magpie-jays (Calocitta

Calocitta

The magpie-jays are a genus, Calocitta, of the family Corvidae native to the southern part of North America. The two known species are known to form hybrids.- Species :* Black-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta colliei...

spp.), 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...

, quail

New World quail

The New World quails or Odontophorids are small birds only distantly related to the Old World Quails, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American species are in their own family Odontophoridae, whereas Old World Quail are in the pheasant family Phasianidae...

, Huilota (Zenaida macroura

Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds...

), corn birds, turtledove, bobo, multo birds, Chichicuilote (possibly Charadrius wilsonia), tortoises, cincuantes, scorpion

Scorpion

Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...

s, alicante, toad

Toad

A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...

s, lizard

Lizard

Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...

s, frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

s and Axolotl

Axolotl

The axolotl , Ambystoma mexicanum, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the Tiger Salamander. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. It is also called ajolote...

s (Ambystoma mexicanum).

The principal natural resource, aside from minerals, are the forests, being present on 68% of the territory. The rest is distributed for agricultural use, urban zones, breeding grounds, ways and water-bearing areas.