Suchiate River
Encyclopedia
The Suchiate River is a river that marks the southwesternmost part of the border between Mexico
(state of Chiapas
) and Guatemala
(department of San Marcos
). From its sources on the southern slopes of the Tacaná volcano
in the Sierra Madre
range of Guatemala, the river flows in a south-southwesterly direction to the border with Mexico at Unión Juárez
(15.070549 °N 92.059722°W), past the border towns Talismán
and El Carmen
, and then Ciudad Tecún Umán and Ciudad Hidalgo
(Chiapas) further downstream, where the Puente Rodolfo Robles
and a railway bridge cross the river, and on to the Pacific Ocean
. Its name comes from the Nahuatl
name 'Xochiatl' meaning 'flower-water'.
The pre-Columbian archaeological site of Izapa
lies along the river.
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...
(state 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...
) and 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...
(department of San Marcos
San Marcos (department)
San Marcos is a department in Guatemala. The capital is the city of San Marcos.-Departmental history:The department was created by a governmental decree on 8 May 1866, together with Huehuetenango, Izabal and Petén departments...
). From its sources on the southern slopes of the Tacaná volcano
Tacaná
Tacaná is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of San Marcos....
in the Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre de Chiapas
Sierra Madre is a mountain range which runs northwest-southeast from the state of Chiapas in Mexico across Guatemala and into El Salvador and Honduras. Most of the volcanoes of Guatemala are a part of this range.A narrow coastal plain lies south the range, between the Sierra Madre and the Pacific...
range of Guatemala, the river flows in a south-southwesterly direction to the border with Mexico at Unión Juárez
Unión Juárez
Unión Juárez is a town and one of the 119 municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 13,934. It covers an area of 268.3 km²....
(15.070549 °N 92.059722°W), past the border towns Talismán
Talisman
Talisman have several meanings:*TalismanBooks and novels* The Talisman , a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott* The Talisman , a novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub...
and El Carmen
El Carmen
-Colombia:*El Carmen, Santander a municipality in the Santander Department*El Carmen de Atrato, a municipality in the Chocó Department*El Carmen, Norte de Santander, a municipality in the Norte de Santander Department...
, and then Ciudad Tecún Umán and Ciudad Hidalgo
Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas
Ciudad Hidalgo is a city in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Suchiate. In the 2010 INEGI Census, it reported a population of 14,606 inhabitants. It is the southernmost municipal seat in Mexico, and its municipality is also the...
(Chiapas) further downstream, where the Puente Rodolfo Robles
Puente Rodolfo Robles
Puente Rodolfo Robles is a bridge across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo in the Mexican state of Chiapas and Ciudad Tecún Umán in Guatemala. The bridge is named after Rodolfo Robles, the Guatemalan physician who first described "Robles Disease" ....
and a railway bridge cross the river, and on to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Its name comes from the Nahuatl
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...
name 'Xochiatl' meaning 'flower-water'.
The pre-Columbian archaeological site of Izapa
Izapa
Izapa 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...
lies along the river.
See also
- Rail transport in Guatemala
- Rail transport in Mexico
