Ciudad Ayala is a city in the east-central part of the
Mexican state
The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a separate en ...
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 Cue ...
. It stands at , at a mean height of above sea level. The city is named for Coronel Francisco Ayala (1760-1812) who fought with
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 ...
during the 1812
Siege of Cuautla. The town's previous name was ''Mapachtlan''. Ayala became a municipality on April 17, 1869.
Ciudad Ayala had a population of 6,190 inhabitants in 2005, and 6335 in 2020.
[Censo de Poblacion y Vivienda 2020]
/ref> The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Ayala, had a population of 85,521 inhabitants in 2015 and it has an area of and 89,834 in 2020.[ The municipality includes towns ''San Pedro Apatlaco'', '']Anenecuilco
Anenecuilco (Nahuatl: "Place where the water twists back and forth") is a town in the municipality of Ayala, Morelos, Mexico. As of 2021, it has a population of 11,227. Anenecuilco is known as the birthplace of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Za ...
'', and ''Tenextepango'', which are all larger than Ciudad Ayala. The city was previously known as ''San Francisco Mapachtlan'' but was renamed in 1868 to honor Francisco Ayala (1760–1812), who was the first leader in the modern state of Morelos to join the Cry of Dolores
The Cry of Dolores ( es, Grito de Dolores, links=no, region=MX) occurred in Dolores, Mexico, on 16 September 1810, when Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave the call to arms that triggered the Mexican W ...
in 1810.
The town of Anenecuilco
Anenecuilco (Nahuatl: "Place where the water twists back and forth") is a town in the municipality of Ayala, Morelos, Mexico. As of 2021, it has a population of 11,227. Anenecuilco is known as the birthplace of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Za ...
, birthplace of Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the ins ...
, is within this municipality; as is the ''Hacienda de San Juan'', near the town of Chinameca, where he was betrayed and assassinated. Ayala itself is best known for giving the name to Emiliano Zapata's manifesto: the Plan of Ayala
The Plan of Ayala (Spanish: ''Plan de Ayala'') was a document drafted by revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. In it, Zapata denounced President Francisco Madero for his perceived betrayal of the revolutionary idea ...
.
History
Prehispanic ruins at ''Olintepec'' date back to 1500 BCE, where they reached their peak between 1200 and 1610 CE. The people of Olintepec were Tlahuica
Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D.
The na ...
s. Other ruins have been found at Tlayecac.
In 1603 Don ''Nicolas Abad'' built the hacienda of ''San Francisco Mapachtlan'' in 1603. Twelve years later this was elevated to a ''congregación.'' In 1750, supported by Dominican friars, the people built their own church, called ''San José de Mapachtlan.'' This was dependent upon Cuautla, Morelos
Cuautla (, meaning "where the eagles roam"), officially La heroica e histórica Cuautla, Morelos (''The Heroic and Historic Cuautla, Morelos'') or H. H. Cuautla, Morelos, is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Morelos, about 104 kil ...
, (formally called ''Cuautla de Ampilas'') and in 1834 it became a ''pueblo.'' In 1868 it became a ''municipalidad'' of the State of Mexico
The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...
, district of Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D.
The na ...
, and changed its name to ''Villa de Ayala'' in honor of Francisco Ayala, a leader of the Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
. Ayala became a ''Centro de Poblacion'' (Population Center) on March 17, 1976.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. Ho ...
, as of April 27, 2020, and five cases were reported in Ayala. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. The municipal president, Isaac Pimentel Mejía, led an effort to distribute 10,000 food baskets to families in remote areas of the municipality. On June 2, Ayala reported 44 confirmed cases and five deaths from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Ayala reported 264 cases, 205 recuperations, and 34 deaths as of August 31. There were 373 cases reported on December 27, 2020.
Famous residents
*Coronel Francisco Ayala (Mexican Insurgent) Francisco Ayala may refer to:
* Francisco Ayala (novelist)
Francisco Ayala García-Duarte (16 March 1906 – 3 November 2009) was a Spanish writer, the last representative of the Generation of '27.
Biography
He was born in Granada. At the ...
(1760-1812) was the first Insurgent leader from Morelos.
* Eufemio Zapata (1873-1917), the brother of Emiliano Zapata. He was killed by Sidronio Camacho Sidronio Camacho was one of the soldiers of Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution and the killer of Emiliano's brother, Eufemio.
On June 18, 1917, Camacho killed Emiliano's brother, Eufemio Zapata, who had beaten up Camacho's father, at t ...
, one of Zapata's commanders, because Eufemio had become drunk and beat and insulted Camacho's father.
*General Pablo Torres Burgos
Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul.
People
* Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer
* Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
*Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer
*Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist
* Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer
*Pablo Bren ...
(1877-1911). Torres Burgos founded the liberation club called ''Melchor Ocampo
Melchor Ocampo (5 January 1814 – 3 June 1861) was a Mexican lawyer, scientist, and politician. A mestizo and a radical liberal, he was fiercely anticlerical, perhaps an atheist, and his early writings against the Catholic Church in Mexico ga ...
'' in 1909 and became a general in 1911. He is remembered for the phrase, "Down with the haciendas! Long live the people!"[
*General Emiliano Zapata Salazar (1879-1919) was the leader of the agrarian movement who proposed the Plan de Ayala. Born in Anencuilco, he was assassinated in Chinameca. He is remembered for the slogan, "Land and Liberty."][
*]Otilio Montaño Sánchez
Otilio Montaño Sánchez ( Villa de Ayala, Morelos, December 13, 1877– Buenavista de Cuéllar, Guerrero, May 18, 1917) was a Zapatista general during the Mexican Revolution.
Otilio Montaño was born in Morelos to Esteban Montaño and Guada ...
(1887-1917) was the ideologue behind the Plan de Ayala
The Plan of Ayala (Spanish: ''Plan de Ayala'') was a document drafted by revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. In it, Zapata denounced President Francisco Madero for his perceived betrayal of the revolutionary idea ...
. He was a ''Zapatista'' general who became the Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts in 1914.[ He was executed for betraying the ]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 ...
in 1917.
Munincipal presidents
Presidents of Ciudad Ayala, 1922–present
Economy
The Cuautla Industrial Park, located in Ayala, covers and is the second largest in Morelos. Most of the companies are related to the automotive industry. The largest employers are ''Saint-Gobainl'', (glass), ''Sekurit'' (windshields), and ''Continental Automotive Temic'' (industrial parts and transmissions).
Agriculture is the dominant occupation. Crops include sugar cane, corn, sorghum, rice, onions, zucchini, and gladiolas. Cattle, sheep, horses, and poultry are raised. Tourism is also important.
Tourist attractions
The archaeological ruins of ''Olintepec'' in Ciudad Ayala date from 1500 BCE to 1610 CE, although its peak was from 1200 to 1610 CE. The people paid tribute to Huaxtepec (Oaxtepec), the Mexica
The Mexica (Nahuatl: , ;''Nahuatl Dictionary.'' (1990). Wired Humanities Project. University of Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2012, frolink/ref> singular ) were a Nahuatl-speaking indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of ...
s, and the Texcocanos. ''Tlayecac'' has Prehispanic paintings and a small pyramid. The novel ''Tiro al vuelo'' by Alejandro Volnie is set in the village. The 1962 movie ''Pueblito,'' directed by Emilio Fernández
Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 October 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best kn ...
was filmed there.
There are ex-haciendas in Tenextepango and Coahuixtla as well as Chinameca. General Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the ins ...
and three of his men were assassinated in Chinameca on April 10, 1919, and the hacienda has been transformed into the ''National Museum of Agrarian Reform Movement''. There is also a large statue of Zapata on the property.
Other attractions in Ayala include the parish church of San José, whose feast is March 15, and the kiosk.
Communities and holidays
''San Pedro Apatlaco'' is an agricultural community with 736 hectares (1,819 acres) belonging to 318 producers. The most important crops are onions, beans, and corn. Dairy cattle are raised. There is small-scale commerce and industry. Apatlaco has a population of 13,032.[ The distance from Ciudad Ayala is approximately two kilometers.]Candlemas
Candlemas (also spelled Candlemass), also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presenta ...
) and June 29 (Saint Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupat ...
).Lent
Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Jesus, temptation by Satan, according ...
, August 8 (birth of Emiliano Zapata); September 29 (Saint Michael the Archangel
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), a ...
).[
''Tenextepango'' is an agricultural community. Principal crops are vegetables such as beans, corn, and zucchini, as well as sugar cane. 1,039 hectares are cultivated by 456 producers. Trade is another important activity, as well as tourism since its annual fair is one of the most important in the area. It has a population of 8,835 inhabitants][ and its distance to Ciudad Ayala head is 6 km.]James, son of Zebedee
James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob ( Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin ...
).[ and is located 60 km (37.3 miles) from Cuernavaca and 6 km (3.7 miles) from Cuautla. It is primarily an agricultural community; the most important crops are sugar cane, corn, sorghum, rice, onions, and vegetables, grown on 2,002.4 hectares (4,948 acres). Cattle, goats, horses, and poultry are raised. Commerce and tourism are also important to the economy.]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 ...
) and December 12 ( Our Lady of Guadalupe).[ Onions, corn, and sorghum are grown on 1,195 hectares by 295 farmers. Cattle, goats, and horses are raised. It is 15 km (9.3 miles) from Ciudad Ayala.]Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...
) is its local holiday.[
Other communities are:
*Chinameca, 3,149 inhabitants][
*Huitzililla, 2,878 inhabitants][
*San Juan Ahuehueyo, 2,547 inhabitants][
*Constancio Farfán (La Pascuala), 2,148 inhabitants][
*Abelardo L. Rodríguez, 2,072 inhabitants][
*Colonia las Arboledas, 1,850 inhabitants][
*Olintepec, 1,656 inhabitants][
*San Vicente de Juárez (Las Piedras), 1,485 inhabitants][
*Unidad Habitacional 10 de Abril, 1,460 inhabitants][
*El Salitre, 1,355 inhabitants][
*Fraccionamiento Huertas de Cuautla, 1,292 inhabitants][
*Unidad Habitacional Mariano Matamoros, 1,069 inhabitants][
*Other communities with fewer than 1,000 people each
]
Geography
Location
The municipality of Ayala is located in the central part of the state, between 18°46'North and 98°59'West, at an altitude of 1,220 meters (4,000 ft.) above sea level. To the north are the municipalities of Yautepec, Cuautla. and Yecapixtla
Yecapixtla ( nah, Yecapixtlān ) is a town and municipality located in the northeast of the state of Morelos in central Mexico. Yecapixtla means, ''Land of men and women with sharp noses''. The town is home to one of the monastery complexes associa ...
, to the south Tepalcingo
Tepalcingo is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos. It at . The name Nahuatl root ''tekpa-tl'' (flint), ''tzintli'' (saves honor), ''tzinco'' (back of an individual), so in sum it means ''tekpatzinko'' "down or behind the flints".
Tepalcingo li ...
and Tlaquiltenango
Tlaquiltenango is a city in the Mexican state of Morelos. It is south of Mexico city and southeast of Cuernavaca, the state capital via Mexican Federal Highway 95D.
The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality, with wh ...
; to the east Temoac, Jantetelco, and Jonacatepec; while to the west are Tlaltizapán Tlaltizapán de Zapata is a city in the Mexican state of Morelos. It stands at .
The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality, with which it shares a name. The toponym ''Tlaltizapán'' comes from a Nahuatl name and means ' ...
and Yautepec. It is approximately 60 km from Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D.
The na ...
.[ and 117 km (73 miles) south of Mexico City.
]
Relief
Ayala is part of the fertile valley of the ''Plain of Amilpas''. The most important hills are ''El Tenayo, El Aguacate, El Jimil'' and ''Cerro Prieto'' each has an altitude of about 1,500 meters (4920 ft.) above sea level.[
]
Waterways
The Ayala River receives water from El Hospital and Calderón ravines, flowing south past Abelardo L. Rodríguez, Olintepec, and Moyotepec, where the waters of the Ahuehueyo ravine join it. In the east, it crosses the Barranca de la Cuera, the Papayos, the Guayabos, and Tlayecac, then continues south through Jaloxtoc. Downstream it joins the Cuautla River, which continues through San Vicente de Juárez and Tecomalco, to flow into the Amacuzac River, a branch of the Balsas River
The Balsas River (Spanish Río Balsas, also locally known as the Mezcala River, or Atoyac River) is a major river of south-central Mexico.
The basin flows through the states of Guerrero, México, Morelos, and Puebla. Downstream of Ciudad Alta ...
. There are also small springs such as Axocoche, El Colibrí, and El Platanal. There is a dam in Palo Blanco.[
]
Climate
Ayala has a warm subhumid climate. Its average annual rainfall is 800 mm. (31") and it has an average annual temperature of 24 °C (75 °F). Prevailing winds blow from northeast to southwest.
Ecosystems
The vegetation consists of low deciduous forest, mainly cubatas, casahuates, tulip
Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...
s, amates (''Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...
''), framboyanes, guamuchil (a thorny tree with red fruit), guaje colorado, mesquite
Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus '' Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas.
They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under gr ...
, palo dulce, bonnet, tepejuaje, and fruit tree
A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans — all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, t ...
s such as ''Annona
''Annona'' (from Taíno ''annon'') is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/ sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after ''Guatteria'', containing approximately 166 '', cherimoya
The cherimoya (''Annona cherimola''), also spelled chirimoya and called chirimuya by the Inca people, is a species of edible fruit-bearing plant in the genus ''Annona'', from the family Annonaceae, which includes the closely related sweetsop ...
, mamey, plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...
, and guava
Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, t ...
.
Animal life is also very varied. Mammals include raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
, badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...
, rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...
, skunk
Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gin ...
, armadillo
Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, alo ...
, tlacuache
Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...
, and coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...
. Birds include magpie
Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is on ...
, buzzard
Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey.
''Buteo'' species
* Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'')
* Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'')
* Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'')
* Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'')
* Eastern ...
, owl, and sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the genus ''Accipiter''. "Sparrow-hawk" or sparhawk originally referred to ''Accipiter nisus'', now called "Eurasian" or "northern" sparrowhawk to distinguish it f ...
. There are iguanas and scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...
s. Fish include catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...
and mojarra
The mojarras are a family, Gerreidae, of fish in the order Perciformes. The family includes about 53 species found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate regions. They mostly inhabit coastal salt and brackish waters, although some occur in fr ...
.
References
External links
Ayuntamiento de Ayala
Official website of Municipality of Ayala
Gobierno del Estado de Morelos
Official website of State of Morelos
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Morelos
Populated places in Morelos
Populated places established in 1603