Coatlán del Río is a town in the Mexican state of

Morelos Morelos (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 36 municipalities and its capital city is Cuer ...

. It stands at , at a mean height of 1,010 metres above sea level. ''Coatlán'' is a name of

Nahuatl Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...

origin, meaning "place of abundant snakes". The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality reported 9,768 inhabitants in the 2015 census and 10,520 in 2020. The town of Coatlán del Río had a population of 1,907 the same year.

History

The origin of Coatlán del Río dates from the pre-Hispanic era. This town was founded by Toltecs in the year 1509, who were on a pilgrimage from Malinalco, State of Mexico. At first, they settled what is historically known as ''Coatlán Viejo'' (Old Coatlan), where there are stone ruins of the walls of buildings. Coatlán Viejo is located 5 kilometers south of the municipal seat, on the hill known as ''Las Paredes'' (the Walls). Later, they moved to the hill of ''Axoyochi'', located 3 km to the east, where archaeological remains of carved stones, known as Momoxtles (mound of earth), were found. It is believed there is a pyramid that has not been discovered. Other ruins of a town have been found in ''San Rafael'', on the banks of the Chalma River. The stone called ''Escudo'' (now in the Palace of Cortés, Cuernavaca a.k.a. ''Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac'') is a series of hieroglyphic and pictographic figures represent the history of the area. There is a similar stone on the civic plaza of Coatlán del Río. Other groups, such as the Aztecs and the Tlahuica, may have settled in this area. This town belonged to the religious and political center of Xochicalco, to then become part of the lordship of ''Cuauhnahuac'' (Cuernavaca), a tributary city of the

Aztecs The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

. In the Colonial Era (1521-1812), Coatlán del Río was given in ''encomienda'' (entrusted to) a

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

named Juan Zermeño. In 1782, Zermeño's family filed a lawsuit against the

Marquessate of the Valley of Oaxaca The Marquessate of the Valley of Oaxaca ( es, Marquesado del Valle de Oaxaca) is a hereditary marquessal title in the Spanish nobility and a former seignorial estate in New Spain. It was granted to Don Hernán Cortés, ''conquistador'' who led t ...

over control of the town church, ''San Gaspar'', which had been built in the 16th century. The current church of Coatlán del Río was founded in 1808, and the bells were added in 1809. There is also a church called ''Santos Reyes'' or ''Epifania del Señor'', and the chapel of ''Dolores'', also called ''el Calvario''. Coatlán del Río was declared a municipality on May 22, 1862. The old municipal presidency was located to the south of the civic square, where the elementary school ''Prof. Miguel Salinas'' is today. In 1939, city hall has been at the former home of General ''Pedro Saavedra Brito'' (d. 1935). The current city hall was built in 1957 by Colonel ''Ezequiel Cruz Ortiz'' (1890-1970). Carlos Nieto Estrada, an independent candidate, was elected Presidente Municipal (mayor) in the July 1, 2018 election. The state of Morelos reported 209 cases and 28 deaths due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Mexico in February 2020. Howe ...

, as of April 27, 2020, two cases were reported in Coatlán del Río. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On June 2, Coatlán del Río reported five confirmed cases and one death from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Coatlán del Río reported 17 cases, 12 recuperations, and six deaths as of August 31. Twenty-five cases were reported on December 27,2020.

Water Resources

Federal government page in Spanish (Dec 19, 2018)
The municipality has important hydrological resources, which greatly benefit the regional economy and influence the climate, microclimates, and vegetation. The most important river is the

Chalma River Chalma may refer to: Afghanistan * Chalma, Afghanistan (alternatively: Calma, Afghanistan) Iran * Chalma, Iran, a village in Zanjan Province, Iran Mexico *Chalma, Malinalco, Mexico State, a place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage in the municipality ...

, which source is in Chalma, State of Mexico. It crosses the municipality through Colonia Morelos, Cocoyotla; and Coatlán del Río. There are three dams: ''La Toma'' in Cocoyotla, and ''Apantle Chico'' and ''Cazahuatlánfrom'' in San Rafael. The ''Apantle Grande'' is derived from the Coatlán Dam; there is also another small dam in Cocoyotla, which is the source of the ''Agua Salada''. There are other low-flow streams such as the ''Cuates'', the ''Cocoyotla'', and the ''Axixintle'' that carry water throughout the year, and the ''Joyas'', the ''Arenal'' and the ''Milpillas'', which carry water only during the rainy season (May-November). There are also eight springs and seven wells.

Tourist Attractions

*Parish of the ''Santos Reyes'' *Chapel of ''Calvario'' *Chapel of ''Cerrito'' (the Little Hill) in Coatlán del Río *Chapel of ''San Andrés'' in Colonia Morelos *Exhacienda and chapel of ''Santa Rosa'' in Cocoyotla *Exhacienda Coatlán *Ruins of ''Coatlán Viejo'' (Old Coatlan), the site of a Toltec settlement, founded in 1509 CE, located 5 km from the center of town *Palacio Municipal *Los Arcos Campo la Chia *''Piedra Coatlán'', a stone with a series of figures that describe historical events according to the hieroglyphic and pictographic symbols that it presents. It is in the civic plaza of Coatlán del Río.

Fiestas, dances, and Traditions

*January 1-6 —

Epiphany season The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphanytide or the time of Sundays After Epiphany, is a liturgical period, celebrated by many Christian Churches, which immediately follows the Christmas season. It begins on Epiphany Day, and ends at various ...

, fair and ''jaripeos'' (a type of rodeo), fireworks and a brass band; Coatlán del RíoFestivals (in Spanish) Dec 19, 2018
*March 19-25 — Feast of

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...

, jaripeos; Michapa *April 25 — ''Feria del Mango''; Coatlán del Río *May 15-20 — Feast of Saint

Isidore the Laborer Isidore the Labourer, also known as Isidore the Farmer ( es, San Isidro Labrador) (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), was a Spanish farmworker known for his piety toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, El ...

, jaripeos; Chavarría *June 24 — Feast of Saint

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

jaripeos; Cocoyotla *September 15-20 —

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

, fair and jaripeos; fireworks and a brass band; Coatlán del Río *September 30–October 5 — Birthday of

José María Morelos José María Teclo Morelos Pérez y Pavón () (30 September 1765 – 22 December 1815) was a Mexican Catholic priest, statesman and military leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of ...

(b. 1765), parade; jaripeos; Cocoyotla *November 11-15 — Feast of Saint

Martin de Porres Martín de Porres Velázquez (9 December 1579 – 3 November 1639) was a Peruvian lay brother of the Dominican Order who was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. He is the patron saint of mixed-r ...

, jaripeo, Chinelo dancers, ''Mojiganga'' (a traditional theatrical production), and a parade; Col. Benito Juárez *November 20-25 —

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

, parade with a brass band and floats, jaripeos; Tilancingo *December 8 — Feast of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, Mojiganga, brass band, Chinelos, ''jaripeo''; Buenavista de Aldama and Colonia Benito Juárez *December 12-18 — Feast of

Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe ( es, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe ( es, Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed t ...

, parade, jaripeos; Apancingo *December 24-31 — Christmas, jaripeos; Chavarría *December 31 — New Year's Eve parade; Coatlán del Río

Communities

There are several small towns and villages in the municipality. The principal economic activities are farming, ranching, dairy, and cultivation of fruit and flowers. *Coatlán del Río is the municipal seat. It has 1,907 inhabitants and is located 65 km from Cuernavaca, at an altitude of 1,010 m / 3,314 ft. *Cocoyotla has 1,333 residents and is located 3.5 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,060 m / 3,478 ft. *Tilancingo has 1,280 residents and is located 2 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,020 m / 3346 ft. *''Michapa'' has 1,127 residents and is located 12 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,190 m / 3,904 ft.Michapa
accessed Jan 1, 2019 *Chavarría has 990 residents and is located 8.5 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,124 m / 3688 ft. *CEFERESO Número 16 CPS Femenil Morelos (Women′s penitentiary), population 833 Other communities have fewer than 1,000 residents.

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20040607043735/http://e-municipios.e-morelos.gob.mx/Coatlan_del_Rio.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20050124110809/http://www.e-morelos.gob.mx/e-gobierno/DirMunicipios/Coatlan_del_Rio.htm Municipalities of Morelos Populated places in Morelos Populated places established in 1509 {{Coord, 18.744, N, 99.435, W, display=title