Xalapa
Encyclopedia
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 413,136. The municipality has an area of 118.45 km². Xalapa lies near the geographic center of the state and is the second-largest city in the state after the city of Veracruz
.
Xalapa comes from the Nahuatl
roots xal-li "sand" and a-pan "water place", which approximately means "spring in the sand." It is classically pronounced ʃaˈlapan in Nahuatl, though the final [n] is often omitted; the [ʃ] sound (like English sh) was written x in the 16th century, but does not occur in modern Spanish, and its counterpart is the [x] or [h] sound, normally written j. The spelling Xalapa (like the word México) reflects the archaic pronunciation. The full name of the city is Xalapa-Enríquez, named in honor of 19th-century Governor
Juan de la Luz Enríquez
. Its name is pronounced xaˈlapa in Spanish
and həˈlɑːpə in English
. The city's nickname "La ciudad de las flores" (The City of Flowers), was bestowed by Alexander von Humboldt
, who visited the town on 10 February 1804. However, the reference is firmly embedded in its earlier colonial history. In folklore, the Spaniards believed that Xalapa was the birthplace and home of the "Florecita", which literally means little flower.
as were the first people to establish themselves around the "Macuiltepetl"—a "five-peaked" hill, which today is a park. During the 14th century, four cultures settled in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each of them built a small village: Xalitic (in the sand) was founded by the Totonacas; Techacapan (river of waste) was founded by the Chichimecas; in the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) was founded by the Toltec
as and Tlalnecapan was founded by the Teochichimecas.
Eventually around 1313, the four villages grew and joined forming one big village which was given the name Xallapan.Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, fifth Aztec
Emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century; therefore all the land became part of the Aztec Empire until the arrival of the Spanish
conquistador
es.
In 1519 Hernán Cortés
passed through Xalapa enroute to Tenochtitlan.
1555 saw the final construction of the Franciscan
convent
which is the second most important event in that time in Nueva España.
When the Spanish arrived, Xalapa was barely populated. It rose after the conquest but the opening of the Mexico-Orizaba-Veracruz route reduced the importance of Xalapa as a transport hub, resulting in the population stagnating during the 17th century. However, from 1720 Xalapa became increasingly important, due to trade with numerous retailers of the New Spain arriving to sell products and to buy products arriving from the peninsula. At this time numerous resident Spanish families in the near towns settled in Xalapa, so that by 1760 the population had increased to over 1,000 inhabitants, mestizo
and Spanish. The growth of Xalapa in population, culture, commerce and importance, increased dramatically in the 18th century, with the result that, in response to a request from local inhabitants Carlos IV of Spain elevated the status of Xalapa to a town on 18 December 1791.
In 1772, the construction of Xalapa Cathedral
began, and on 18 May 1784, José María Alfaro lifted the first air balloon
in the Americas, in Xalapa. Due to the abundance of flowers growing in the region, Alexander von Humboldt
, who visited the town on the 10 February 1804, christened the town as the “City of the Flowers”.
Since the beginning of the 19th century, Xalapa was the scene of some important historical events, a town which relished in the movement of Mexican independence from the Spanish. Ideas greatly flowed in the town, and Xalapa was represented by many who put forward these ideas to those in Mexico City
in government meetings. On 20 May 1821, shortly before completing Mexican Independence on 27 September of the same year, Xalapa was attacked by the forces of Don Antonio López de Santa Anna
, who, along with Don Joaquin Log, they forced Spanish captain Juan Horbregoso to submit the town. Nevertheless independence was completed just months later in more amicable circumstances, although the emperor Agustín de Iturbide
was not warmly received in Xalapa due to past differences.
On 9 May 1824, by decree of the President of the Republic Don Guadalupe Victoria
, the First Legislature of the State of Veracruz was established in Xalapa. That same year, Xalapa was declared state capital,
In the 1820s Xalapa and the surrounding area was subject to a revolt when Vicente Guerrero
replaced General Anastasio Bustamante
. Veracruz was attacked by Isidro Barradas
, who was attempting to reconquer parts of Mexico, and over 3,000 were deployed to defend the cities of Veracruz
, Cordova and Orizaba
for military purposes. Anastacio Bustamante, betraying the confidence given to him, revolted against the legitimate government with a new plan of Xalapa, signed on the 4 December 1829. Nevertheless, the revolt was subdued.
On 29 November 1830 by decree, Xalapa was elevated to the class of city. On 1843, Don Antonio María de Rivera founded the Normal School of Xalapa, which is today a preparatory school.
During the American invasion, in 1847 General Don Antonio López de Santa Anna
attempted to defeat the opposing forces at a site near Xalapa in the Battle of Cerro Gordo
with an army of more than 12,000 soldiers. Mexican troops suffered many casualties, killing around 1,000 and seriously injuring 3,000 and on 18 April 1847, a bloody defeat resulted in the invaders occupying the city the following day.
Patriotism against the invaders prevailed, and Xalapeños such as Ambrosio Alcalde and Antonio García fought bravely in the defense of the city of Veracruz, but were taken prisoner by the enemy. Released, after promising not to again take arms against the North American invaders, they rejoined the fight against them only to be recaptured this time near Teocelo
. They were subsequently taken to Xalapa to be sentenced to death and executed on the 24 November 1847. Today these two men are remembered as martyrs for preferring to die than see the enemy take their country. A monument, taking the form of an obelisk marks the event between San Jose Church and Alcalde Market, named after Ambrosio Alcalde. The North Americans were eventually driven out. Xalapa was once again attacked in November 1862 during the French invasion, when they temporarily took control of the state capital.
On 27 November 1867 the corpse of the emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who had been executed in Querétaro, arrived at Xalapa, being deposited firstly in the neighborhood of San Jose and attended to by the priest José María y Daza, before being transferred to Veracruz the following day and then shipped back to Austria
to be buried. In 1885 General Juan de la Luz Enríquez, increased the power of Xalapa by moving some legislative authority from Orizaba to Xalapa, in accordance with the decree issued in June 1884 by the provisional Governor Jose Manuel Jauregui. General Enríquez, in coordination with the Swiss teacher Enrique C. Rébsamen, then founded the Normal School in Xalapa, the first school of this type in the entire country in 1886.
Enríquez died in 1892, but the construction of the building of the Preparatory School and the later inauguration of other schools during the 1890s gave cultural reputation to Xalapa, and led to it becoming known as the “Athens of Veracruz”.
During the regime of Enríquez, the building of the old convent of San Francisco was demolished and replaced with the Parque Juárez. In June 1890 the first locomotive for the Xalapa-Coatepec-Teocelo railroad arrived in the city. The interoceanic railroad was completed in Veracruz in 1901. The public lighting system was introduced in 1904 and in 1906 a clock was installed in the centre of the city on Enríquez Street on premises which presently houses the agency of the National Lottery.
On 18 May 1911, Francisco I. Madero
visited Xalapa and on June 21 of the same year a minor conflict occurred between federal forces and revolutionaries.
On 3 January 1920, a strong earthquake
affected the city, destroying several buildings. Years later in December 1923, Xalapa fell into the power of the huertístas, commanded by Guadalupe Sánchez.
In 1940 the water building and agricultural house were constructed, which today is occupied by the Agrarian League of Communities and Union Farmers of the State. On 11 September 1944 the Universidad de Veracruzana was established, and Dr. Manuel Suárez became the first director. On 4 September 1978 by means of decree number 325, the Local Legislature approved that the official name of the city Xalapa Enríquez should have to be written with a “X” rather than a "J".
Xalapa is a thriving center for commerce and many multinational companies have branches in the city. These include Wal-Mart
, Superama, Sam's Club
, The Home Depot
, Liverpool
, Sears, Costco
, Sanborns, Comercial Mexicana
, C&A
, Fabricas de Francia, Coppel
, Garcia
, Milano, Burger King
, McDonald's
, Domino's pizza
, Pizza Hut
, Subway
, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Office Depot
, Office Max, Oxxo
, Block Buster, Hugo Boss
, Pull and Bear
, and Carl's Jr.
, etc.
Xalapa also has a number of cinema
s, some of them of substantial size like the Cinepolis Museum (10 screens), Cinepolis the Americas (16 screens), and other cinemas such as Cinepolis Crystal.
There are several malls in Xalapa: Plaza Crystal, Plaza Museo, Plaza Animas (L.A. Fashion), Plaza Américas, Plaza los Arcos (to open in 2010).
Many people in Xalapa are employed by the government, since it is the state capital. Xalapa is also the head one of the five regional sections of the Tribunal Electoral (a level below the Supreme Court). This area encompasses 7 states: Campeche
, Chiapas
, Oaxaca
, Quintana Roo
, Tabasco
, Veracruz
and Yucatán
. The other regional seats are Mexico City
, Toluca
, Monterrey
and Guadalajara
.
Xalapa is known as the "Athens of Veracruz" because of the strong cultural influence of its major university, Universidad Veracruzana
(the main public university in the State of Veracruz), which is largely a reason why General Enriquez, whose policies did much to enchance the educational system in Xalapa, is so honored in the city.
Culturally, a wide variety of events and venues are present in Xalapa like its theatres, museums, and street art. Many musicians and dancers frequently perform in the center in the nights, especially on special occasions and events of celebration or commemoration, notably the fandango
.
Art has a keen following in Xalapa, and notably the gallery of Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
. located near the City Hall and Parque Juárez in the downtown area of the city, has the widest collection of Diego Rivera
's paintings in all of Mexico.
peppers,. as well as products made with maize
: gorditas, tostadas, pasties
, enfrijoladas, and chicken
are common foods. The desserts that are consumed in the region are typically sweet such as cake and coconut
candies.
orchestra
s and bands. The Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa is the most prominent, formed on August 21, 1929. Other orchestras include the Orquesta municipal de Xalapa, Banda Sinfónica del Estado, Orquesta de Música Popular de la UV, Orquesta de salsa de la UV, Orquesta de Guitarras de Xalapa, Tlen Huicani and Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil del Estado, which is the youth symphony orchestra for Veracruz state.
In Xalapa, the basic education is distributed by 195 establishments of pre-school, 196 primary schools and 97 secondary school
s. In addition it has 86 institutions which offer baccalaureate
, as well as a technical and professional training center (CONALEP). In addition it has several institutions of further education. Of the most important is the Universidad Veracruzana
which is also the most important in the state of Veracruz and attracts students not only from across Mexico but worldwide. Established in 1944, the current director of the university is Dr. Patricia Arceo Briseño, a graduate of the University of Delaware
. Furthermore, it is associated with the North American Mobility Project, a transnational academic program that links it to Georgia Southern University
in the United States and Wilfrid Laurier University
in Canada
.
High Schools
ESTI 128
ESTI 97
Xalapa is home to the Halcones UV Xalapa
, a very successful professional basketball team. They play in the LNBP
Xalapa also has many sporting facilities. As of 2005, the city has 25 soccer fields, 95 volleyball
fields, 95 basketball
courts, 36 baseball
fields, and 29 multiple-use fields.
Also, the city has 12 gymnasiums, 7 parks, and the notable Heriberto Jara Corona Stadium, inaugurated 1921-1925.
Sportspeople of note hailing from Xalapa include Armando Fernández
(an Olympic wrestler), Eulalio Ríos Alemán
(an Olympic swimmer and at some time butterfly-stroke record holder in the USA, indicted into the Ft. Lauderdale's International Swimming Hall of Fame), and the athlete Luis Hernández
(CAXA) which is a nodal point for many bus companies operating in the area, including AU, ADO, ADO-GL, OCC, Auto-Tour and Buses Sierra-Texcoco. Various autobus companies are based in Xalapa including Servicio Urbano de Xalapa
(SUX); Auto-Transportes Banderilla
(ATB); the yellow and green sets of Interbus
, Auto-Transportes Miradores Del Mar; and Transportes Rápidos de Veracruz (TRV) amongst many others.
There is also a bus service which exclusively takes passengers back and forth from Xalapa to Coatepec. These buses operate all over the city, with a cost per person ranging from 6.00 to 8.00 Mexican pesos; discount is offered to the elderly and to students who normally pay 4.00 Mexican pesos within the urban area. There are over 100 bus routes in the city.
The taxis that operate in Xalapa are easily recognisable by their white and red paintwork. The most abundant taxis are of the Nissan Tsuru model. Typically, taxi drivers do not charge based on taximeter
.
The city of Xalapa is served by a small airport, El Lencero Airport
, located 15 minutes by road from the city. The only commercial airline that serves the city is Aeromar
with non-stop flights to and from Mexico City.
s, obstetrical, gynaecological
and paediatric equipment.
The public institutions of the health sector that provide services are:
In the private sector the municipality counts on important medical establishments such as :
s including:
FM:
AM:
Cable services include:
Xalapa is situated in eastern-central Mexico, approximately 55 miles (88.5 km) northwest of Veracruz city. and roughly 350 kilometres from Mexico City
.
The municipality of Xalapa has an area of 118.45 square kilometres which comprises 0.16% of Veracruz state. It borders to the north with Banderilla
, Jilotepec and Naolinco
, to the east with Actopan and Zapata, to the south with Coatepec and the west with Tlalnelhuacoyan.
The city of Xalapa is located beneath the volcanic peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental
, at an elevation that oscillates from 1400 metres to 1700 metres above sea level, and is surrounded in lush tropical vegetation. This mountainous area of Mexico is volcanic, and in the area surrounding the city are places such as the Naolinco volcanic field. Located north of the city, it consists of a broad area of scattered quaternary
pyroclastic cones and associated basaltic lava flows.
Situated east, about 50 km (31.1 mi) away along Mexican Federal Highway 140
is the Cofre de Perote National Park. The park covers an area of 117 km² (28,899 acres), and consists of mainly forested mountains and hills. Its highest point of Cerro de Macuiltépetl
rises 1522 metres above sea level. Other hills of prominence include the Cerro de Acalotépetl and the Cerro Colorado.
From Xalapa you can also see the Pico de Orizaba
, the highest peak in Mexico (5,366m or 18,490 feet). It is also the third highest peak in North America.
Hydrographically, there are numerous streams and springs which are in the area around the city. These include the rivers: Sedeño River
, Carneros River
, Sordo River
, Santiago River, Zapotillo River
, Castillo River
and the Coapexpan River
, 3 artificial lakes and the springs Chiltoyac, Ánimas, Xalitic, Techacapanand Tlalmecapan. Jalcomulco
is located 39 km (24.2 mi) southeast of Xalapa which has numerous natural features, such as the mouth of the Pescados River. Cascada de Texolo
(Texolo Waterfall) is located 19 km (11.8 mi) southwest of Xalapa, in the town of Xico
. It is an 80 meter (264 ft) waterfall that drops into a lush canyon, home to numerous animal species.
that borders on a subtropical highland climate under the Koppen climate classification
. The climate in Xalapa is semi-humid, but the city is relatively cool being located in the mountains over 1400 metres above sea level. The climate can be variable, having a maximum temperature of 37.3°C and a minimum ranging from 0°C to 10 °C, but on average the temperature does not fluctuate greatly all year round with an average annual temperature of 18°C. The warmer season in Xalapa tends to fall between March and reaching a peak in May when the average high reaches 28 °C and low of 17°C. The cooler season is late December, January and February with an average low of 11°C and an average high of 22°C.
The average annual precipitation
is 1509.1 mm. During the cooler winter months rainfall is at a minimum, with Xalapa receiving only 42 millimetes in January and 38 millimetres in February on average. Snow however is common in winter outside the city at Perote and Ver, the former located around 35 minutes from Xalapa. Very early morning in Xalapa often has a mist, giving it a characteristic mountain atmosphere. The greatest rainfall occurs during the summer months particularly in June when on average rainfall reaches 328 millimetres and remaining relatively high until mid September.
production
in Mexico due to its ideal climate, and coffee beans are grown on both smallholdings and large estates in the surrounding mountains. The tobacco
industry also forms a part of the local economy with the process of producing cigarettes, and the growing of tropical fruits. Processed foods and beverages are also produced in Xalapa.
The municipality has a total surface of 5,261,400 hectares, of which 3,457,363 hectares are seeded for agricultural production. The main agricultural products in the municipality of Xalapa are maize
, sugar cane, orange
green chili and coffee. Approximately an area of 4,500 hectares is dedicated to cattle ranching, including the rearing of pig
s, horse
s and goat
. Bird-raising and avicultural farms have certain importance in Xalapa. Warehouses and factories for making of footwear, clothes, books are also present in Xalapa. In the municipality as of 2005 it had 75 hotels, 223 restaurants and 25 travel agencies.
The supermarket chain Chedraui
is based in Xalapa.
Employment structure in Xalapa in 2005:
, United States La Antigua
, Guatemala
Matamoros
, Mexico
Omaha
, United States Palma de Mallorca, Spain Puebla
, Mexico
Toluca
, Mexico
Torreón, Mexico
Veracruz
, 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...
state
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
of 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...
and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of 413,136. The municipality has an area of 118.45 km². Xalapa lies near the geographic center of the state and is the second-largest city in the state after the city of Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
.
Xalapa 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...
roots xal-li "sand" and a-pan "water place", which approximately means "spring in the sand." It is classically pronounced ʃaˈlapan in Nahuatl, though the final [n] is often omitted; the [ʃ] sound (like English sh) was written x in the 16th century, but does not occur in modern Spanish, and its counterpart is the [x] or [h] sound, normally written j. The spelling Xalapa (like the word México) reflects the archaic pronunciation. The full name of the city is Xalapa-Enríquez, named in honor of 19th-century Governor
Governor of Veracruz
According to the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, the Executive Power is invested in one individual, called "Constitutional Governor of the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave". The current governor is Fidel Herrera...
Juan de la Luz Enríquez
Juan de la Luz Enríquez
General Juan de la Luz Enríquez Lara was a Mexican politician. He served as Governor of Veracruz from 1884 to 1892....
. Its name is pronounced xaˈlapa in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and həˈlɑːpə in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The city's nickname "La ciudad de las flores" (The City of Flowers), was bestowed by Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
, who visited the town on 10 February 1804. However, the reference is firmly embedded in its earlier colonial history. In folklore, the Spaniards believed that Xalapa was the birthplace and home of the "Florecita", which literally means little flower.
History
The TotonacTotonac
The Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained...
as were the first people to establish themselves around the "Macuiltepetl"—a "five-peaked" hill, which today is a park. During the 14th century, four cultures settled in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each of them built a small village: Xalitic (in the sand) was founded by the Totonacas; Techacapan (river of waste) was founded by the Chichimecas; in the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) was founded by the Toltec
Toltec
The Toltec culture is an archaeological Mesoamerican culture that dominated a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology...
as and Tlalnecapan was founded by the Teochichimecas.
Eventually around 1313, the four villages grew and joined forming one big village which was given the name Xallapan.Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, fifth Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
Emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century; therefore all the land became part of the Aztec Empire until the arrival of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
es.
In 1519 Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
passed through Xalapa enroute to Tenochtitlan.
1555 saw the final construction of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
which is the second most important event in that time in Nueva España.
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
and Spanish. The growth of Xalapa in population, culture, commerce and importance, increased dramatically in the 18th century, with the result that, in response to a request from local inhabitants Carlos IV of Spain elevated the status of Xalapa to a town on 18 December 1791.
In 1772, the construction of Xalapa Cathedral
Xalapa Cathedral
Xalapa Cathedral or in full, Catedral Metropolitana de la Immaculada Concepción de Xalapa is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, in eastern Mexico...
began, and on 18 May 1784, José María Alfaro lifted the first air balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
in the Americas, in Xalapa. Due to the abundance of flowers growing in the region, Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
, who visited the town on the 10 February 1804, christened the town as the “City of the Flowers”.
Since the beginning of the 19th century, Xalapa was the scene of some important historical events, a town which relished in the movement of Mexican independence from the Spanish. Ideas greatly flowed in the town, and Xalapa was represented by many who put forward these ideas to those in 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...
in government meetings. On 20 May 1821, shortly before completing Mexican Independence on 27 September of the same year, Xalapa was attacked by the forces of Don Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
, who, along with Don Joaquin Log, they forced Spanish captain Juan Horbregoso to submit the town. Nevertheless independence was completed just months later in more amicable circumstances, although the emperor Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
was not warmly received in Xalapa due to past differences.
On 9 May 1824, by decree of the President of the Republic Don Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican politician and military man who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence. He was a deputy for Durango and a member of the Supreme Executive Power...
, the First Legislature of the State of Veracruz was established in Xalapa. That same year, Xalapa was declared state capital,
In the 1820s Xalapa and the surrounding area was subject to a revolt when Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and served briefly as President of Mexico...
replaced General Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante y Oseguera was president of Mexico three times, from 1830 to 1832, from 1837 to 1839 and from 1839 to 1841. He was a Conservative. He first came to power by leading a coup against president Vicente Guerrero...
. Veracruz was attacked by Isidro Barradas
Isidro Barradas
Isidro Barradas was a Spanish general sent to Mexico in 1829, eight years after Mexican independence, to try to reconquer the country for the Spanish Crown.-The background:...
, who was attempting to reconquer parts of Mexico, and over 3,000 were deployed to defend the cities of Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, Cordova and Orizaba
Orizaba
Orizaba is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It is located 20 km west of its sister city Córdoba, and is adjacent to Río Blanco and Ixtaczoquitlán, on Federal Highways 180 and 190. The city had a 2005 census population of 117,273 and is almost coextensive with its small...
for military purposes. Anastacio Bustamante, betraying the confidence given to him, revolted against the legitimate government with a new plan of Xalapa, signed on the 4 December 1829. Nevertheless, the revolt was subdued.
On 29 November 1830 by decree, Xalapa was elevated to the class of city. On 1843, Don Antonio María de Rivera founded the Normal School of Xalapa, which is today a preparatory school.
During the American invasion, in 1847 General Don Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
attempted to defeat the opposing forces at a site near Xalapa in the Battle of Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
with an army of more than 12,000 soldiers. Mexican troops suffered many casualties, killing around 1,000 and seriously injuring 3,000 and on 18 April 1847, a bloody defeat resulted in the invaders occupying the city the following day.
Teocelo
Teocelo is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, located to 20 km from Jalapa-Enríquez on Federal Highway 180. It is bordered by: Ixhuacán, Xico, and Coatepec. The coffee of Teocelo is one of the better coffees produced in Mexico...
. They were subsequently taken to Xalapa to be sentenced to death and executed on the 24 November 1847. Today these two men are remembered as martyrs for preferring to die than see the enemy take their country. A monument, taking the form of an obelisk marks the event between San Jose Church and Alcalde Market, named after Ambrosio Alcalde. The North Americans were eventually driven out. Xalapa was once again attacked in November 1862 during the French invasion, when they temporarily took control of the state capital.
On 27 November 1867 the corpse of the emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who had been executed in Querétaro, arrived at Xalapa, being deposited firstly in the neighborhood of San Jose and attended to by the priest José María y Daza, before being transferred to Veracruz the following day and then shipped back to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to be buried. In 1885 General Juan de la Luz Enríquez, increased the power of Xalapa by moving some legislative authority from Orizaba to Xalapa, in accordance with the decree issued in June 1884 by the provisional Governor Jose Manuel Jauregui. General Enríquez, in coordination with the Swiss teacher Enrique C. Rébsamen, then founded the Normal School in Xalapa, the first school of this type in the entire country in 1886.
During the regime of Enríquez, the building of the old convent of San Francisco was demolished and replaced with the Parque Juárez. In June 1890 the first locomotive for the Xalapa-Coatepec-Teocelo railroad arrived in the city. The interoceanic railroad was completed in Veracruz in 1901. The public lighting system was introduced in 1904 and in 1906 a clock was installed in the centre of the city on Enríquez Street on premises which presently houses the agency of the National Lottery.
On 18 May 1911, Francisco I. Madero
Francisco I. Madero
Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a politician, writer and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. As a respectable upper-class politician, he supplied a center around which opposition to the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz could coalesce...
visited Xalapa and on June 21 of the same year a minor conflict occurred between federal forces and revolutionaries.
On 3 January 1920, a strong earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
affected the city, destroying several buildings. Years later in December 1923, Xalapa fell into the power of the huertístas, commanded by Guadalupe Sánchez.
In 1940 the water building and agricultural house were constructed, which today is occupied by the Agrarian League of Communities and Union Farmers of the State. On 11 September 1944 the Universidad de Veracruzana was established, and Dr. Manuel Suárez became the first director. On 4 September 1978 by means of decree number 325, the Local Legislature approved that the official name of the city Xalapa Enríquez should have to be written with a “X” rather than a "J".
Xalapa is a thriving center for commerce and many multinational companies have branches in the city. These include Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Superama, Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
, The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Sears, Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
, Sanborns, Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana is a Mexican hypermarket group, which features stores similar to those owned by Carrefour in France or Wal-Mart in the United States...
, C&A
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
, Fabricas de Francia, Coppel
Coppel
Coppel or Coppell may refer to:* Alfred Coppel , American author* Jérôme Coppel , French road racing cyclist...
, Garcia
García
García or Garcia is a Spanish surname referring to:People with García as the full name:*Kings of Pamplona/Navarre**Garc%C3%ADa %C3%8D%C3%B1iguez of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 851/2-882...
, Milano, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Domino's pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
, Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Office Depot
Office Depot
Office Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
, Office Max, Oxxo
OXXO
OXXO is a primarily-franchised chain of convenience stores from Mexico, with over 7,000 stores across Latin America. It is the largest chain of this kind of store in Mexico. It is wholly owned by the beverage company FEMSA...
, Block Buster, Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
, Pull and Bear
Pull and Bear
Pull and Bear is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Narón, Galicia and founded in 1991. In September 2011, the company will sell through an online store. -Concept & Style:...
, and Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain located mostly in the Western and Southwestern United States. The first store has opened in Canada in Kelowna, BC. They are in the process of expanding to Mexico, Malaysia, Denmark, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Russia, Vietnam,...
, etc.
Xalapa also has a number of cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s, some of them of substantial size like the Cinepolis Museum (10 screens), Cinepolis the Americas (16 screens), and other cinemas such as Cinepolis Crystal.
There are several malls in Xalapa: Plaza Crystal, Plaza Museo, Plaza Animas (L.A. Fashion), Plaza Américas, Plaza los Arcos (to open in 2010).
Many people in Xalapa are employed by the government, since it is the state capital. Xalapa is also the head one of the five regional sections of the Tribunal Electoral (a level below the Supreme Court). This area encompasses 7 states: Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
, 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...
, Oaxaca
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...
, Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
, Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
, 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...
and Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
. The other regional seats are 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...
, 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...
, Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
.
Culture
Universidad Veracruzana
Universidad Veracruzana a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the south-east region of México and has a good projection in all México...
(the main public university in the State of Veracruz), which is largely a reason why General Enriquez, whose policies did much to enchance the educational system in Xalapa, is so honored in the city.
Culturally, a wide variety of events and venues are present in Xalapa like its theatres, museums, and street art. Many musicians and dancers frequently perform in the center in the nights, especially on special occasions and events of celebration or commemoration, notably the fandango
Fandango
Fandango is a lively couple's dance, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping . Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones"...
.
Art has a keen following in Xalapa, and notably the gallery of Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera is an art gallery in the city of Xalapa, in Veracruz state, of eastern Mexico. Located near the City Hall and Parque Juárez in the downtown area of the city, it has the widest collection of Diego Rivera's paintings in all of Mexico....
. located near the City Hall and Parque Juárez in the downtown area of the city, has the widest collection of Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
's paintings in all of Mexico.
Holidays
Feast day of San José, Feast of Santiago Apostle, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Jesus, Conception of Maria, and Expo-Fair International are all celebrated in the city. An important religious holiday is on the 8th of December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception,celebrating Mary the Mother of God patroness of the city. On 24 October San Rafael Guizar and Valencia are celebrated, with thousands of people from all over Mexico visiting their tomb that is in a chapel within the cathedral. The cathedral remains open all night and day during this event.Cuisine
Xalapa is the home place of the famous JalapeñoJalapeño
The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...
peppers,. as well as products made with maize
Maize
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...
: gorditas, tostadas, pasties
Pasties
Pasties are adhesive coverings applied to cover a woman's nipples and areolae. Though pasties are commonly associated with burlesque and erotic entertainment, they are also at times worn as an undergarment and occasionally as beachwear.Some women wear pasties when wearing a strapless or backless...
, enfrijoladas, and chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
are common foods. The desserts that are consumed in the region are typically sweet such as cake and coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
candies.
Music
Xalapa is home to numerous classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s and bands. The Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa is the most prominent, formed on August 21, 1929. Other orchestras include the Orquesta municipal de Xalapa, Banda Sinfónica del Estado, Orquesta de Música Popular de la UV, Orquesta de salsa de la UV, Orquesta de Guitarras de Xalapa, Tlen Huicani and Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil del Estado, which is the youth symphony orchestra for Veracruz state.
Notable city landmarks
- The Xalapa CathedralXalapa CathedralXalapa Cathedral or in full, Catedral Metropolitana de la Immaculada Concepción de Xalapa is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, in eastern Mexico...
is a mix of BaroqueBaroqueThe 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...
and Neogothic design built in 1773. It has a clock tower, the clock coming from England. - Callejón DiamanteCallejón DiamanteCallejón Diamante is an important central street in the city of Xalapa in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.At night the street is often crowded with a Bohemian atmosphere and features a number of cafes and shops catering for the arts...
(lit. Diamond Alley) is one of the more crowded streets at night because of its Bohemian atmosphere with cafes and an artists' colony. Callejón Jesús te Ampare is a cobblestoneCobblestoneCobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
street next to the Church of San José . - Patio MuñozPatio MuñozPatio Muñóz is a neighborhood of the city of Xalapa in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.The neighborhood is known for its lively performances featuring musicians and dancers and other forms of artistic display. Fandango performances are a common sight in Patio Muñoz.-External links:*...
is a neighborhood built in the 19th century, with most of the original buildings intact. Here are held workshops in Veracruz-style painting, dance and music.
- Parque Juárez is a park in central Xalapa with a terrace-like appearance. The southern side of the park looks over the valley below, offering scenic views of the Sierra Madre OrientalSierra Madre OrientalThe 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...
mountains in the distance. Parque Juárez was the location of the Monastery of San Francisco. It is located among the four oldest neighborhoods of the city. Its central garden features enormous monkey puzzle trees, art gallerys, an agora, workshops, an auditorium and a café. - The Jardín de EsculturasJardín de EsculturasJardín de Esculturas is a museum in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. It is a sculptural garden, exhibiting works by nationally and internationally-recognized artists....
(Sculpture Garden) is a museum dedicated to sculpture, exhibiting works by nationally and internationally-recognized artists. - The Museo Interactivo de XalapaMuseo Interactivo de XalapaThe Museo Interactivo de Xalapa is a modern interactive museum in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.The museum features a planetarium with an IMAX screen, showing educational documentaries....
(Interactive Museum of Xalapa) features a planetarium with an IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
screen, showing educational documentaries. - In the Paseo de los Lagos, there used to be an ancient dam. Today it has footpaths surrounded by leafy trees, circling three lakes and a fresh-water spring.
- The Parque de los TecajetesParque de los TecajetesParque de los Tecajetes is a park in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. Formed on a natural depression, underneath the ground is a fresh-water spring that feeds the aqueducts, artificial pools and canals that are a characteristic of the park....
is in a natural depression or ravine of the same name in the center of the city. Underneath is a fresh-water spring that feeds the aqueducts, artificial pools and canals of the park. - The Museo de Antropología de XalapaMuseo de Antropología de XalapaThe Museo de Antropología de Xalapa is an anthropological museum in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.The museum houses the largest collection of artifacts from Mexican Gulf Coast cultures such as the Olmec, the Huastec and the Totonac with more than 25,000 pieces...
houses the largest collection of artifacts from Mexican Gulf CoastGulf Coast of MexicoThe Gulf Coast of Mexico stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from the border with the United states at Matamoros, Tamaulipas all the way to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cancún. It includes the coastal regions along the Bay of Campeche. Major cities include Veracruz, Tampico, and...
cultures such as the OlmecOlmecThe Olmec were the first major Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco....
, the Huastec and the TotonacTotonacThe Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained...
with more than 25,000 pieces. The most notable pieces in the museum are the giant Olmec heads and the smaller Totonac ones. Some of the pieces in the museum date back to the Early Pre-Classic Period from 1300 BC -900 BC. - Nearby is the Hacienda del LenceroHacienda del LenceroThe Hacienda del Lencero is a Spanish Colonial architecture era building and gardens located near of Xalapa city, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico...
Its first owner was Juan Lencero, a soldier of Hernán CortésHernán CortésHernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
. In 1842 it was purchased by Antonio López de Santa AnnaAntonio López de Santa AnnaAntonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
for 45,000 pesos. Today, it is a museum which displays furniture and personal belongings dating from the 19th century. It also has a chapel, spacious gardens and a lake surrounding the property which include a sculpture by Gabriela MistralGabriela MistralGabriela Mistral was the pseudonym of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1945...
who spent time there while in exile. - The Jardín Botánico Clavijero (Clavijero Botanical Garden) has an important collection of regional plants with sections dedicated to Mexican ornamental flowers, reconstructed mountain environments in Xalapa, ferns and the most extensive variety of pines in Mexico.
Parks and gardens
- Jardín Botánico de Xalapa
- Parque Juárez
- Parque Los BerrosParque Los BerrosParque Los Berros, in Xalapa, Veracruz, is located a short distance to the southeast of the center of town, in the neighbourhood of the Stadium.Its name was derived from an edible herb called "berros" that used to grow in the area....
- Parque Ecológico "Cerro del Macuiltépec"
- Paseo de Los Lagos
- Parque Ecológico "El Haya"
- Parque "Natura"
- Jardines de la Universidad Veracruzana
- Parque "Tejar Garnica"
- Jardín de las Esculturas
- Parque Ecológico de Los Tecajetes
- Parque María Enriqueta
- Parque Revolución
- Parque Bicentenario
- Stadium Xalapeño
Museums
-
- Museo de Antropología de XalapaMuseo de Antropología de XalapaThe Museo de Antropología de Xalapa is an anthropological museum in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.The museum houses the largest collection of artifacts from Mexican Gulf Coast cultures such as the Olmec, the Huastec and the Totonac with more than 25,000 pieces...
- Museo de Antropología de Xalapa
- Museo Casa de Xalapa
- Museo Interactivo de XalapaMuseo Interactivo de XalapaThe Museo Interactivo de Xalapa is a modern interactive museum in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.The museum features a planetarium with an IMAX screen, showing educational documentaries....
- Museo Interactivo de Xalapa
- Museo del Transporte. Carr.
- Hacienda del LenceroHacienda del LenceroThe Hacienda del Lencero is a Spanish Colonial architecture era building and gardens located near of Xalapa city, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico...
- Hacienda del Lencero
- Museo del Bombero.
- Museo de la fauna.
Galleries
- Casa de las Artesanías
- Galería "Ramón Alba de la Canal"
- Agora de la Ciudad
- Pinacoteca Diego RiveraPinacoteca Diego RiveraPinacoteca Diego Rivera is an art gallery in the city of Xalapa, in Veracruz state, of eastern Mexico. Located near the City Hall and Parque Juárez in the downtown area of the city, it has the widest collection of Diego Rivera's paintings in all of Mexico....
- Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
- Galería de Arte Contemporáneo
- Galería del Centro Recreativo Xalapeño
- Galeria Marie Louise Ferrari
- Jardín de EsculturasJardín de EsculturasJardín de Esculturas is a museum in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. It is a sculptural garden, exhibiting works by nationally and internationally-recognized artists....
- Jardín de Esculturas
Theatres and auditoriums
- Teatro del Estado
- Sala de Conciertos de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa (to open in 2010)
- Teatro J. J. Herrera
- Teatro La Caja
- Auditorio de la Escuela
Education
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s. In addition it has 86 institutions which offer baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, as well as a technical and professional training center (CONALEP). In addition it has several institutions of further education. Of the most important is the Universidad Veracruzana
Universidad Veracruzana
Universidad Veracruzana a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the south-east region of México and has a good projection in all México...
which is also the most important in the state of Veracruz and attracts students not only from across Mexico but worldwide. Established in 1944, the current director of the university is Dr. Patricia Arceo Briseño, a graduate of the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
. Furthermore, it is associated with the North American Mobility Project, a transnational academic program that links it to Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
in the United States and Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
High Schools
ESTI 128
ESTI 97
Universities
- Universidad Anáhuac
- Universidad Atenas Veracruzana
- Universidad de América LatinaUniversidad de América LatinaThe Universidad de América Latina is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico....
- Benemérita Escuela Normal Veracruzana "Enrique C. Rébsamen"
- Universidad Cálmecac
- Instituto Culinario de Xalapa
- Centro de Estudios Superiores Hispano-Anglo-Francés
- Universidad CLAES
- El Colegio de VeracruzEl Colegio de VeracruzThe El Colegio de Veracruz is a college in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico....
- Escuela Libre de Ciencias Políticas y Administración Pública de Ote.
- Escuela de Diseño de Modas Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
- Universidad EurohispanoamericanaUniversidad EurohispanoamericanaThe Universidad Euro Hispanoamericana is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico....
- Universidad Gestalt
- Universidad del Golfo de México, Campus Xalapa
- Universidad Hernán Cortés
- Instituto de Estudios Superiores MorelosInstituto de Estudios Superiores MorelosThe Instituto de Estudios Superiores Morelos is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico....
- Universidad Metropolitana XalapaUniversidad Metropolitana XalapaThe Universidad Metropolitana Xalapa is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.La Universidad Metropolitana Xalapa se localiza en el centro de la capital del estado de Veracruz, Xalapa...
- Instituto Superior de Música del Estado de Veracruz
- Instituto Tecnológico Superior de XalapaInstituto Tecnológico Superior de XalapaThe Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Xalapa is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico....
- Tecnológico de Xalapa
- Universidad Paccioli Xalapa
- Universidad Pedagógica Veracruzana
- Universidad ValladolidUniversidad ValladolidThe Universidad Valladolid is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico....
- Universidad VeracruzanaUniversidad VeracruzanaUniversidad Veracruzana a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the south-east region of México and has a good projection in all México...
- Universidad de XalapaUniversidad de XalapaThe Universidad de Xalapa is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.The institution was founded in 1992 by Carlos Garcia Hernandez as a response to the demand from youngsters with not much career options in the area...
Sport
Halcones UV Xalapa
Halcones UV Xalapa is a basketball club based in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico that plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional . Their home games are played at Gimnasio Universitario de la Unidad Deportiva....
, a very successful professional basketball team. They play in the LNBP
- The team was created in 2003 and placed 3rd in the LNBP
- In 2004 they were champions of the south division, and got second overall in the LNBP
- In 2005 they were champions of the south division and champions of the LNBP
- In 2006 they were champions of the south division, and got second in the LNBP. They also placed second in the Copa Independencia LNBP
- In 2007 - 2008 they were champions of the south division and champions of the LNBP
- In 2008 - 2009 they were champions of the south division and champions of the LNBP. They also placed second in the FIBA de las Americas.
Xalapa also has many sporting facilities. As of 2005, the city has 25 soccer fields, 95 volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
fields, 95 basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, 36 baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fields, and 29 multiple-use fields.
Also, the city has 12 gymnasiums, 7 parks, and the notable Heriberto Jara Corona Stadium, inaugurated 1921-1925.
Sportspeople of note hailing from Xalapa include Armando Fernández
Armando Fernández
Armando Fernández García is a Mexican former sport wrestler from Xalapa, Veracruz, in eastern Mexico. Nicknamed "La Jarocha" he competed in Olympic wrestling in the 1990s appearing in Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's Greco-Roman 57 kg and Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's...
(an Olympic wrestler), Eulalio Ríos Alemán
Eulalio Ríos Alemán
Eulalio Ríos Alemán was a Mexican Olympic swimmer.- Family :He was born to a poor family in a village near Xalapa, Veracruz, and from a young age trained to swim against the current of a brook that passed near his house, in Hueyapan de Ocampo, to the south of Catemaco on the way to...
(an Olympic swimmer and at some time butterfly-stroke record holder in the USA, indicted into the Ft. Lauderdale's International Swimming Hall of Fame), and the athlete Luis Hernández
Luis Hernández (athlete)
Luis Hernández is a retired long-distance runner from Mexico. He claimed the gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games in the Men's 10,000 metres, and represented his native country the following year at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, Canada.-References:* He also is one of the best...
Transportation
The city has a central bus stationBus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
(CAXA) which is a nodal point for many bus companies operating in the area, including AU, ADO, ADO-GL, OCC, Auto-Tour and Buses Sierra-Texcoco. Various autobus companies are based in Xalapa including Servicio Urbano de Xalapa
Servicio Urbano de Xalapa
Servicio Urbano de Xalapa is a bus company operating in the city of Xalapa, Mexico....
(SUX); Auto-Transportes Banderilla
Auto-Transportes Banderilla
Auto-Transportes Banderilla is a bus company operating in the city of Xalapa, Mexico....
(ATB); the yellow and green sets of Interbus
Interbus (Xalapa)
Interbus is a bus company operating in the city of Xalapa, Mexico. The company operates two lines of buses in the city, the Green Line and the Yellow Line....
, Auto-Transportes Miradores Del Mar; and Transportes Rápidos de Veracruz (TRV) amongst many others.
There is also a bus service which exclusively takes passengers back and forth from Xalapa to Coatepec. These buses operate all over the city, with a cost per person ranging from 6.00 to 8.00 Mexican pesos; discount is offered to the elderly and to students who normally pay 4.00 Mexican pesos within the urban area. There are over 100 bus routes in the city.
The taxis that operate in Xalapa are easily recognisable by their white and red paintwork. The most abundant taxis are of the Nissan Tsuru model. Typically, taxi drivers do not charge based on taximeter
Taximeter
A taximeter is a mechanical or electronic device installed in taxicabs and auto rickshaws that calculates passenger fares based on a combination of distance travelled and waiting time...
.
The city of Xalapa is served by a small airport, El Lencero Airport
El Lencero Airport
El Lencero Airport is an airport located at Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. It handles national air traffic for the city of Xalapa. The airport is capable to handle up to 100,000 passengers per year. The only airline at the airport Aeromar, operates a total of 26-28 weekly flights in and out the airport....
, located 15 minutes by road from the city. The only commercial airline that serves the city is Aeromar
Aeromar
For the Dominican Republic airline, see Aeromar Líneas Aéreas DominicanasTransportes Aeromar, S.A. de C.V, doing business as Aeromar, is an airline based in Hangar 7 of Zone D of the General Aviation Terminal at Mexico City International Airport in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City, Mexico. Aeromar...
with non-stop flights to and from Mexico City.
Healthcare
The demand for medical services by the population of the municipality, is taken care of by publicly and privately owned institutions. The medical units in Xalapa provide external advisory services, general and specialized hospitalization that are equipped with laboratories for clinical medical analyses including X-rayX-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s, obstetrical, gynaecological
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
and paediatric equipment.
The public institutions of the health sector that provide services are:
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social IMSSMexican Social Security InstituteThe Mexican Social Security Institute is a governmental organization that attends to public health, pensions and social security in Mexico operating under Secretaría de Salud .-History:...
, - Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado ISSSTE,
- Centro de Especialidades Médicas CEM,
- Petróleos Mexicanos PEMEXPemexPetróleos Mexicanos or Pemex is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. As of 2010, with a total asset worth of $415.75 billion, it is the second non-publicly listed largest company in the world by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009...
, - Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional SDN
- Secretaría de Salud y Asistencia SSASSA-Commercial/ government enterprises:* SSA Global Technologies* SSA Graphics* Social Security Administration* Special Services Area-Computing and data analysis:* Software Security Assurance* Serial Storage Architecture* Singular Spectrum Analysis...
, - Centro de Rehabilitación y Educación Especial de Veracruz CREEVER,
- Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia DIFDesarrollo Integral de la FamiliaThe National System for Integral Family Development is a Mexican public institution of social assistance that focuses on strengthening and developing the welfare of the Mexican families...
.
In the private sector the municipality counts on important medical establishments such as :
- Sanatorio San Francisco,
- Clínica del American Hospital,
- Clínica de especialidades Las Palmas,
- Vital Clínica Hospital,
- Cruz Roja Mexicana,
- Centro Médico de Xalapa,
- Clínica Millenium
- Hospital Ángeles which is considered the most modern chain of hospitals in Mexico (to open in fall 2009).
Media
Newspaper
Notable newspapers produced or circulated in Xalapa include www.Xalapa.MX Diario de Xalapa, Diario AZ, Diario el Portal de Xalapa, Diario la Opinión, Periodico Marcha, Periodico Al Calor Politico, Periodico Agronomica, Milenio and the Lider.Radio
The city is served by numerous radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s including:
FM:
- 90.5 Radio de la Universidad Veracruzana
- 91.7 Satélite (Grupo Acir)
- 95.5 Sensación FM (Oliva Radio)
- 96.9 Digital (AvanRadio)
- 97.7 La Máquina (AvanRadio)
- 98.5 Los 40 Principales (AvanRadio, Televisa)
- 107.7 Radio Más (Radio-Televisión de Veracruz)
AM:
- 550 La Romántica (AvanRadio)
- 610 Conexión (AvanRadio)
- 1040 Radio Favorita (AvanRadio)
- 1130 Capital 1130 AM(Grupo Radio Capital)
- 1210 Centro (Oliva Radio)
- 1460 ABC Xalapa Radio (Grupo ABC)
- 1550 Radio Universidad Veracruzana
Television
Television channels include:- XHGV-TVXHGV-TVRTV is the state-owned public broadcaster serving the Mexican state of Veracruz.RTV was established in March 1999 by the Secretaría de Educación y Cultura of Veracruz as a centre for audiovisual production and educational/cultural broadcasting...
channel 4 - RTV - XHAJ-TV channel 5 - Televisa RegionalTelevisa RegionalTelevisa Regional refers to Televisa owned television stations that broadcast select programming from Televisa's Canal de las Estrellas, FOROtv, Canal 5, and/or Galavisión, Televisa Networks and locally produced programming...
- XHAH-TV channel 7 - Canal de las EstrellasCanal de las EstrellasCanal de las Estrellas is one of the cornerstone networks of Televisa, with affiliate stations all over Mexico, flagshipped at XEW-TV in Mexico City. Many of the programs of Canal de las Estrellas are seen in the United States on Univision, Telefutura, and Galavisión...
- XHAI-TV channel 9 - Canal 5Canal 5 (Televisa Network)Canal 5 is a television network owned by Televisa, broadcasting from Mexico City and originating from its flagship station, XHGC-TV. Most programming on this station is intended for children and young people, while at night usually features foreign drama and action series, as well a movies...
- XHCPE-TV channel 11 - Azteca 7Azteca 7Azteca 7 or El 7 is a network owned by TV Azteca, with affiliate stations all over Mexico all of which are owned and operated by TV Azteca. Azteca 7 uses Mexico, Distrito Federal's XHIMT as its flagship station and its channel as part of its name. Azteca 7's programming is available in HD and is...
- XHIC-TV channel 13 - Azteca 13Azteca 13Azteca 13 is a television broadcast network owned by TV Azteca, with affiliate stations all over Mexico all of which are owned and operated by TV Azteca. Azteca 13 uses Mexico, Distrito Federal's XHDF as its flagship station and its channel as part of its name...
- XHCLV-TV channel 22 - GalavisiónGalavisión (Mexico)Galavisión is a Mexican television network owned by Televisa. Originating at XEQ-TV in Mexico City, the network is distributed throughout Mexico through affiliates. "Galavisión" should not be confused with Univision's cable TV network of the same name in the United States.-History:Galavisión was...
Cable services include:
- MegacableMegacableMegacable Holdings S. A. B. de C.V., doing business as Megacable Comunicaciones, is a Mexican cable operator and provider of internet and phone service. It has its headquarters in Colonia El Fresno, Guadalajara, Jalisco....
(Cable TV) - Super Cable (Cable TV)
- UltraVisión (Cable TV)
- SkySKY MéxicoSKY México is a company that operates a subscription television service in the Mexico, Central America, Dominican Republic area. It produces TV content, and owns several TV channels...
(Satellite TV) - Dish NetworkDish NetworkDish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
(Satellite TV)
Notable people from Xalapa
Politicians
- Francisco Xavier Echeverría
- Sebastián Lerdo de TejadaSebastián Lerdo de TejadaSebastián Lerdo de Tejada y Corral was a jurist and Liberal president of Mexico.-Background:...
- Antonio López de Santa AnnaAntonio López de Santa AnnaAntonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
- José Joaquín de Herrera
- Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos
- Marco Antonio Muñoz Turnbull
Writers
- Sergio Armin Vásquez Muñoz
- Carlos Manuel Cruz Meza
- Jorge Lobillo
- José María Roa Bárcena
- Juan Díaz Covarrubias
- Julio Zarate
- Francisco Morosini
- Alicia Bazarte Martínez
Educators
- Enrique C. Rébsamen
- Sinforosa AmadorSinforosa AmadorSinforosa Amador Noriega was born at the Real Presidio de San Francisco on July 18, 1788 and was baptized at "Misión de Nuestro Seráfico Padre San Francisco", later known as Mission Dolores....
(1788–1841) - Soledad Ramos Enríquez
- Guillermo Fernández de la Garza
Athletes
- Barbara Bonola - Triatlón
- Martha Ángelica Blanco - Lanzamiento de Jabalina
- Silvia García Ramírez - Judo
- Marcela García Ramírez - Judo
- Armando Fernández - Lucha
- Alejandro Fernández Ávila - Fosa olímpica
- Luis Hernández - Atletismo, 10 mil metros
- Eulalio Ríos Alemán - Natación
The municipality
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...
.
The municipality of Xalapa has an area of 118.45 square kilometres which comprises 0.16% of Veracruz state. It borders to the north with Banderilla
Banderilla, Mexico
Banderilla is a municipality located in the montane central zone in the State of Veracruz, about 1 km from state capital Xalapa. It has a surface of 22.21 km2. It is located at...
, Jilotepec and Naolinco
Naolinco
Naolinco is a city in Veracruz, Mexico. It is named after Guadalupe Victoria, also known as Naolinco de Victoria. It is on Federal Highways 190 and 180. It has borders with Xalapa, Acatlán, Tepetlán, and Coacoatzintla.Naolinco is known for its leather-crafts....
, to the east with Actopan and Zapata, to the south with Coatepec and the west with Tlalnelhuacoyan.
The city of Xalapa is located beneath the volcanic peaks of 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...
, at an elevation that oscillates from 1400 metres to 1700 metres above sea level, and is surrounded in lush tropical vegetation. This mountainous area of Mexico is volcanic, and in the area surrounding the city are places such as the Naolinco volcanic field. Located north of the city, it consists of a broad area of scattered quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
pyroclastic cones and associated basaltic lava flows.
Situated east, about 50 km (31.1 mi) away along Mexican Federal Highway 140
Mexican Federal Highway 140
Mexican Federal Highway 140 is a Federal Highway of Mexico....
is the Cofre de Perote National Park. The park covers an area of 117 km² (28,899 acres), and consists of mainly forested mountains and hills. Its highest point of Cerro de Macuiltépetl
Cerro de Macuiltépetl
Cerro de Macuiltépetl is a mountain of eastern Mexico with an elevation of 1522 metres above sea level.It is located in the Cofre de Perote mountainous area of the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
rises 1522 metres above sea level. Other hills of prominence include the Cerro de Acalotépetl and the Cerro Colorado.
From Xalapa you can also see the Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba
The Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl , is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla...
, the highest peak in Mexico (5,366m or 18,490 feet). It is also the third highest peak in North America.
Hydrographically, there are numerous streams and springs which are in the area around the city. These include the rivers: Sedeño River
Sedeño River
Sedeño River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
, Carneros River
Carneros River
Carneros River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
, Sordo River
Sordo River (Mexico)
Sordo River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
, Santiago River, Zapotillo River
Zapotillo River
Zapotillo River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
, Castillo River
Castillo River
Castillo River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
and the Coapexpan River
Coapexpan River
Coapexpan River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz....
, 3 artificial lakes and the springs Chiltoyac, Ánimas, Xalitic, Techacapanand Tlalmecapan. Jalcomulco
Jalcomulco
Jalcomulco is a municipality in Veracruz, Mexico. It is located in central zone of the State of Veracruz, about , from State Capital, Xalapa and , from Mexico City. It has a surface of 58.40 km2...
is located 39 km (24.2 mi) southeast of Xalapa which has numerous natural features, such as the mouth of the Pescados River. Cascada de Texolo
Cascada de Texolo
Cascada de Texolo is a waterfall of eastern Mexico. It is located south of the town of Xico, in the state of Veracruz, and approximately from Xalapa city.The waterfall is roughly high. There is a bridge over the gorge connecting the dense woodland together...
(Texolo Waterfall) is located 19 km (11.8 mi) southwest of Xalapa, in the town of Xico
Xico, Veracruz
Xico is a city located in the central part of the state of Veracruz. It produces coffee, tropical fruit, wine, handicrafts, and other products. It is 25 km from state capital Xalapa....
. It is an 80 meter (264 ft) waterfall that drops into a lush canyon, home to numerous animal species.
Climate
Xalapa features a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
that borders on a subtropical highland climate under the Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. The climate in Xalapa is semi-humid, but the city is relatively cool being located in the mountains over 1400 metres above sea level. The climate can be variable, having a maximum temperature of 37.3°C and a minimum ranging from 0°C to 10 °C, but on average the temperature does not fluctuate greatly all year round with an average annual temperature of 18°C. The warmer season in Xalapa tends to fall between March and reaching a peak in May when the average high reaches 28 °C and low of 17°C. The cooler season is late December, January and February with an average low of 11°C and an average high of 22°C.
The average annual precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is 1509.1 mm. During the cooler winter months rainfall is at a minimum, with Xalapa receiving only 42 millimetes in January and 38 millimetres in February on average. Snow however is common in winter outside the city at Perote and Ver, the former located around 35 minutes from Xalapa. Very early morning in Xalapa often has a mist, giving it a characteristic mountain atmosphere. The greatest rainfall occurs during the summer months particularly in June when on average rainfall reaches 328 millimetres and remaining relatively high until mid September.
Economy
Xalapa is often called the “Flower Garden of Mexico” and flowers play an important role in the economy. Xalapa is one of the most important places for CoffeeCoffee
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,...
production
Coffee production in Mexico
The coffee production in Mexico is the world's 8th largest with 252,000 metric tonnes produced in 2009, and is mainly concentrated to the South central to Southern regions of the country...
in Mexico due to its ideal climate, and coffee beans are grown on both smallholdings and large estates in the surrounding mountains. The tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
industry also forms a part of the local economy with the process of producing cigarettes, and the growing of tropical fruits. Processed foods and beverages are also produced in Xalapa.
The municipality has a total surface of 5,261,400 hectares, of which 3,457,363 hectares are seeded for agricultural production. The main agricultural products in the municipality of Xalapa are maize
Maize
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...
, sugar cane, orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
green chili and coffee. Approximately an area of 4,500 hectares is dedicated to cattle ranching, including the rearing of pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
. Bird-raising and avicultural farms have certain importance in Xalapa. Warehouses and factories for making of footwear, clothes, books are also present in Xalapa. In the municipality as of 2005 it had 75 hotels, 223 restaurants and 25 travel agencies.
The supermarket chain Chedraui
Chedraui
Chedraui is a publicly traded Mexican grocery store and department store chain. It is traded on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the symbol CHEDRAUI.-History:...
is based in Xalapa.
Employment structure in Xalapa in 2005:
| Industry sector | Typical professions | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Industry | Farming, cattle ranching, hunting Hunting Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law... and fishing Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping.... |
4.21 |
| Secondary Industry | Petroleum Petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling... Mining Mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock... , extraction and natural gas Natural gas Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural... , manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale... , industry Industry Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,... , electricity Electricity Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire... , water Water Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a... and construction Construction In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking... |
19% |
| Tertiary Industry | Commerce Commerce While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any... , transport Transport Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations... and communications, financial FINANCIAL FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is... , social Social The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms... and administrative services |
70% |
| Unspecified | - | 2.9% |
Sister cities
CovinaCovina, California
Covina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
, United States La Antigua
Antigua Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches...
, 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...
Matamoros
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, 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...
Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, United States Palma de Mallorca, Spain Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
, 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...
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...
, 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...
Torreón, 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...
Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, 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...
Books published about Xalapa
- Una excursión a Jalapa en 1875 por Guillermo PrietoGuillermo PrietoGuillermo Prieto Pradillo was a Mexican novelist, short-story writer, poet, chronicler, journalist, essayist, patriot and Liberal politician...
- El Libro Azul del Estado de Veracruz (1923). México, el País del Porvenir (bilingüe, español e inglés). México, Compañía Editorial Pan-Americana, S. A. Edición facsimilar de la Editora del Gobierno, 2007; reimpresión 2008.
- Arquilla Abierta (ca.1980) por Ana Güido de Icaza
- Xalapa de mis recuerdos (1986) por Aureliano Hernández Palacios
- Bocetos Antiguos de Xalapa (1991) por Rubén Pabello Acosta
- Trazos de una vida, bosquejos de una Ciudad. El pintor Carlos Rivera y Xalapa (2009) por Alicia Bazarte Martínez. México, Instituto Politécnico Nacional / Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, 2009.