Soteapan
Encyclopedia
Soteapan is a municipality and city located in the south-east zone in the State of Veracruz, about 260 km from state capital Xalapa
. It has a surface of 528.07 km2. It is located at 18°14′N 94°52′W.
, to the east by Mecayapan
, to the south by Chinameca
and Acayucan, to the west by Hueyapan de Ocampo
and Catemaco
.
, beans, orange fruit, green chile, coffee
and mango
.
Historically the city of Soteapan was mentioned as a province of Coatzacoalcos by colonial Spanish references, yet was only recognized as a Mexican municipio in 1831.
The area in pre-Spanish days was an area of contention between the Aztec empire and its southern neighbors. Further sentiments of Soteapan inhabitants led to numerous conflicts during the civil wars surrounding the defeat of the Mexican Porfiriato dictatorship in the early 1900s.
The area only recently obtained paved road access and is considered one of the most impoverished communities in Mexico. Its population is composed of mainly Popoluca speakers, with a smitten of Nahuatl. Nevertheless, Spanish is the predominant language.
Economically, Soteapan depends on small scale agriculture and cattle ranching. Touristically the area invites visitors to several waterfalls and views of pristine mountains.
As of 2000 the municipio counted 27,487 inhabitants within 528 km², including about 10,000 in the main city of Soteapan and its surroundings, incorporating several of the volcanoes of the Sierra Santa Marta and a large part of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve.
Xalapa
Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of...
. It has a surface of 528.07 km2. It is located at 18°14′N 94°52′W.
Geographic Limits
The municipality of Soteapan is delimited to the north by Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, to the east by Mecayapan
Mecayapan
Mecayapan is a municipality and city in Veracruz, Mexico. It is located in south-east zone of the State of Veracruz, about 428 km from state capital Xalapa. It has a surface of 523.96 km2...
, to the south by Chinameca
Chinameca
Chinameca is a municipality in the San Miguel department of El Salvador. The Chinameca Volcano rises over the town....
and Acayucan, to the west by Hueyapan de Ocampo
Hueyapan de Ocampo
Hueyapan de Ocampo in Veracruz, Mexico. It is located in south zone of the State of Veracruz, about 245 km from state capital Xalapa. It has a surface of 824.18 km2...
and Catemaco
Catemaco
Catemaco is a municipality and city in the southeast of Mexican state of Veracruz, in the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas volcanic mountain range, along the Gulf of Mexico...
.
Agriculture
It produces principally maizeMaize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, beans, orange fruit, green chile, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and 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...
.
Celebrations
In Soteapan , in march takes place the celebration in honor to San José, Patron of the town, and in december takes place the celebration in honor to Virgen de Guadalupe.Historically the city of Soteapan was mentioned as a province of Coatzacoalcos by colonial Spanish references, yet was only recognized as a Mexican municipio in 1831.
The area in pre-Spanish days was an area of contention between the Aztec empire and its southern neighbors. Further sentiments of Soteapan inhabitants led to numerous conflicts during the civil wars surrounding the defeat of the Mexican Porfiriato dictatorship in the early 1900s.
The area only recently obtained paved road access and is considered one of the most impoverished communities in Mexico. Its population is composed of mainly Popoluca speakers, with a smitten of Nahuatl. Nevertheless, Spanish is the predominant language.
Economically, Soteapan depends on small scale agriculture and cattle ranching. Touristically the area invites visitors to several waterfalls and views of pristine mountains.
As of 2000 the municipio counted 27,487 inhabitants within 528 km², including about 10,000 in the main city of Soteapan and its surroundings, incorporating several of the volcanoes of the Sierra Santa Marta and a large part of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve.