Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chiapas
Encyclopedia
Ciudad Cuauhtémoc is a city in the extreme southern Mexican state of Chiapas
. It is part of the municipality of Frontera Comalapa
and is situated on the Guatemala-Mexico border opposite the city of La Mesilla
, Huehuetenango, Guatemala
.
The city's name was changed from El Ocotal to Ciudad Cuauhtémoc on November 18, 1943, and serves as Mexico's southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway
.
The city is noted for being the final destination of Mexico's
first Carrera Panamericana
border-to-border road race in 1950. Starting in Ciudad Juarez
(situated across the border from El Paso
, Texas
) in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, the race lasted six days, spanned 2,096 miles (3,373 kilometers), and finished its course in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc on the southern Mexican border with Guatemala. The Carrera Panamericana ran for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954 and was a celebration of Mexico's completion of its portion of the Pan-American Highway
.
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 part of the municipality of Frontera Comalapa
Frontera Comalapa
Frontera Comalapa is a town and one of the 119 municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 52,168.It covers an area of 717.90 km²....
and is situated on the Guatemala-Mexico border opposite the city of La Mesilla
La Mesilla
La Mesilla is a village in La Libertad municipality, Huehuetenango Department, Guatemala. It is the home of Peñarol La Mesilla football club.La Mesilla lies close to the border with Mexico, between Huehuetenango city and Comitán, Mexico.-External links:*...
, Huehuetenango, 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...
.
The city's name was changed from El Ocotal to Ciudad Cuauhtémoc on November 18, 1943, and serves as Mexico's southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads measuring about in total length. Except for an rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's...
.
The city is noted for being the final destination of Mexico's
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...
first Carrera Panamericana
Carrera Panamericana
The Carrera Panamericana was a border-to-border sports car racing event on open roads in Mexico similar to the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Italy. Running for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954, it was widely held by contemporaries to be the most dangerous race of any type in the world...
border-to-border road race in 1950. Starting in Ciudad Juarez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
(situated across the border from El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, the race lasted six days, spanned 2,096 miles (3,373 kilometers), and finished its course in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc on the southern Mexican border with Guatemala. The Carrera Panamericana ran for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954 and was a celebration of Mexico's completion of its portion of the Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads measuring about in total length. Except for an rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's...
.