Sierra Norte de Oaxaca
Encyclopedia
La Sierra Norte de Oaxaca is a heavily-wooded region in the state of Oaxaca
, Mexico
.
It is 62 km from the city of Oaxaca
on Federal highway 175, heading east towards Tuxtepec.
The region is divided into three districts: Ixtlán
, which has 26 municipalities
, Villa Alta, which has 25 municipalities and Mixe
, which has 17 municipalities.
which includes the Sierra Juárez
and Sierra de Villa Alta.
To the east, the region slopes down to the Veracruz
coastal plain.
The area has one of the best-preserved biospheres in Mexico
, as well as a number of interesting towns and villages. The region promotes ecotourism to help preserve the biosphere with various enterprises offering cabins, camping, access and guides for hiking and mountain-biking trails, horseback riding, bird-watching, and cave exploration. It is also one of richest zones of biodiversity in Mexico, with 400 species of birds and 350 species of butterflies. It contains seven of the nine types of vegetation indigenous to the country.
is the political and economic center of the region. Ixtlan is noted for its Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle (Iglesia de Santo Tomás Apostal), which is a baroque
style church known for its portals, façades and sculptures. Capulálpam de Méndez
is 9 km east of Ixtlán, and also has a church, Church of Saint Matthew (Iglesia de San Mateo) with altars representative of Mexican Baroque style. It also has the Centro de Medicina Indígena Tradicional (Center for Indigenous Traditional Medicine) which is sponsored by the Mexican Secretary of Health. It is open to the public, including tourists and offers native herbal medicines, massages, temascals and ritual cleansings.
s, Chinantec
s, Tlaxcaltec
s and the Nahuas.
The Zapotecs of the Sierra Norte, who call themselves the bene xon, are one of 3 major Zapotec regions in southern Mexico. The other three reside in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
, el Valle and the Sierra Madre Oriental
. Most Zapotecs are found in the Villa Alta district with some in Ixtlán and a few in Choapan. The bene xon divide into four sub-cultures: Cajonos, El Rincón, Ixtlán and Choapan.
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...
.
It is 62 km from the city of Oaxaca
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...
on Federal highway 175, heading east towards Tuxtepec.
The region is divided into three districts: Ixtlán
Ixtlán de Juárez
Ixtlán de Juárez is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Oaxaca about 65 km north of the city of Oaxaca on Federal Highway 175 towards Veracruz.It is part of the Ixtlán District in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca region.-Municipality of Ixtlán:...
, which has 26 municipalities
Municipio
Municipio and Município are terms used for country subdivisions. They are often translated as municipality.-Overview:...
, Villa Alta, which has 25 municipalities and Mixe
Sierra Mixe
The Sierra Mixe or Mixes District is a district in the east of the Sierra Norte Region of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It comprises 17 municipalities and covers 4,930 km2 at an average elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level....
, which has 17 municipalities.
Environment
The western part of the region is mountainous, containing part of the Sierra Madre de OaxacaSierra Madre de Oaxaca
The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca is a mountain range in southern Mexico. It begins at Pico de Orizaba and extends in a southeasterly direction for 300 km until reaching the Isthmus of Tehuantepec...
which includes the Sierra Juárez
Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca
The Sierra Juárez is a range of mountains in Oaxaca state, Mexico between latitudes 17°20'-17°50'N and longitudes 96°15'-97°00'W, with an area of about 1,700 km².It is part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca....
and Sierra de Villa Alta.
To the east, the region slopes down to the Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
coastal plain.
The area has one of the best-preserved biospheres 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...
, as well as a number of interesting towns and villages. The region promotes ecotourism to help preserve the biosphere with various enterprises offering cabins, camping, access and guides for hiking and mountain-biking trails, horseback riding, bird-watching, and cave exploration. It is also one of richest zones of biodiversity in Mexico, with 400 species of birds and 350 species of butterflies. It contains seven of the nine types of vegetation indigenous to the country.
Communities
There are a number of towns located within this area. IxtlánIxtlán de Juárez
Ixtlán de Juárez is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Oaxaca about 65 km north of the city of Oaxaca on Federal Highway 175 towards Veracruz.It is part of the Ixtlán District in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca region.-Municipality of Ixtlán:...
is the political and economic center of the region. Ixtlan is noted for its Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle (Iglesia de Santo Tomás Apostal), which is a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style church known for its portals, façades and sculptures. Capulálpam de Méndez
Capulalpam de Méndez
Capulalpam de Méndez is a town and municipality in the Sierra Juárez in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico.It is part of the Ixtlán District in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca region....
is 9 km east of Ixtlán, and also has a church, Church of Saint Matthew (Iglesia de San Mateo) with altars representative of Mexican Baroque style. It also has the Centro de Medicina Indígena Tradicional (Center for Indigenous Traditional Medicine) which is sponsored by the Mexican Secretary of Health. It is open to the public, including tourists and offers native herbal medicines, massages, temascals and ritual cleansings.
Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Norte
Various peoples of the region include the Zapotecs, MixeMixe
The Mixe or Mije is an indigenous group inhabiting the eastern highlands of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. They speak the Mixe languages which are classified in the Mixe–Zoque family, and are more culturally conservative than other indigenous groups of the region, maintaining their language to this...
s, Chinantec
Chinantec
The Chinantecs are an indigenous people that live in Oaxaca and Veracruz, Mexico, especially in the districts of Cuicatlán, Ixtlán de Juárez, Tuxtepec and Choapan.The Chinantec languages belong to the Chinantecan branch of the Oto-Manguean family...
s, Tlaxcaltec
Tlaxcaltec
The Tlaxcalteca were an indigenous group of Nahua ethnicity that inhabited the Kingdom of Tlaxcala located in what is now the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.-Pre-hispanic history:...
s and the Nahuas.
The Zapotecs of the Sierra Norte, who call themselves the bene xon, are one of 3 major Zapotec regions in southern Mexico. The other three reside in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
, el Valle and the Sierra Madre Oriental
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
. Most Zapotecs are found in the Villa Alta district with some in Ixtlán and a few in Choapan. The bene xon divide into four sub-cultures: Cajonos, El Rincón, Ixtlán and Choapan.