Las Minas (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: 'the mines') is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, located northeast of the state capital

Xalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...

Geography

The municipality of Las Minas is located in central Veracruz at an altitude between . It borders the municipalities of

Altotonga Altotonga Municipality ( es, Municipio de Altotonga) is a municipality in Veracruz, Mexico. It is located about 80 km northwest of the state capital Xalapa. It has an area of 375.1. km2 It is located at . Altotonga is delimited to the east by ...

to the west and north,

Tatatila Tatatila is a municipality located in the mountainous central zone of the Mexican state of Veracruz, about 26 km from the state capital Xalapa. It has a surface area of 82.25 km2. It is located at . Geography The municipality of Tatatila i ...

to the east, Las Vigas de Ramírez to the south, and

Villa Aldama Villa Aldama is a municipality located in the central zone in the Tabasco, Mexico, about 33 km from the state capital Villahermosa. It has a surface of 78.96 km2. It is located at . The municipality takes this name in honor of Don Juan A ...

to the southwest. The municipality covers an area of and comprises 0.1% of the state's area. The land in Las Minas is mostly either forested (47%) or used as farmland (46%). The municipality is located in the

Nautla River The Nautla River is a river of Mexico. The River rises on the northern slope of Cofre de Perote volcano, and flows northeastwards to empty into the Gulf of Mexico. The Bobos River is a tributary. See also *List of rivers of Mexico This is a lis ...

basin and the main stem of the Nautla flows through it from south to north. Known as the ''

arroyo Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: People * Arroyo (surname) Places United States ;California * Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California * Arroyo ...

'' Borregos as it enters the municipality, it changes its name to the Trinidad River as it flows past the hydroelectric plant near the municipal seat, and then becomes the Bobos River as its course bends northwest on the municipality's border with Tatatila. Las Minas's climate is generally temperate and humid. Average temperatures in the municipality range between , and average annual precipitation ranges between .

History

The original name for the area was Zomelahuacan (

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 ...

: "slippery place of elderberries"). The discovery of rich mineral deposits in the area of Zomelahuacan and Tatatila dates back to 1680 and gold and copper mining took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1803 the town of Las Minas de Zomelahuacan was founded; its name was eventually shortened to Las Minas. On 1 December 1868, Las Minas became a municipality in the canton of Jalacingo in the state of Veracruz. On 28 October 1881 it was separated from Jalacingo and attached to the canton of Xalapa. It became a free municipality on 15 January 1918.

Administration

The municipal government comprises a president, a councillor (

: ''síndico''), and a trustee (''regidor''). The current president of the municipality is María Magdalena Hernández Condado.

Demographics

In the 2020 Mexican Census, the municipality of Las Minas recorded a population of 2,934 inhabitants living in 614 households.2020 Las Minas CENSUS
/ref> There are 12 localities in the municipality, all of the classified as rural. The municipal seat, Las Minas, recorded a population of 219 inhabitants. Other localities include Rinconada (539 hab.), Molinillo (439 hab.), Landaco (348 hab.), Quiahuixcuautla (304 hab.) and Pueblo Nuevo (242 hab.).

Economy and infrastructure

The main economic activity in Las Minas is farming. Corn, beans and coffee are the main crops grown, and pastures are maintained for the grazing of goats and sheep. Mineral exploration in the area is ongoing as of 2018. The Las Minas

hydroelectric plant Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

is located near the municipal seat and has a capacity of 15 MW.

References

{{Veracruz Municipalities of Veracruz 1868 establishments in Mexico States and territories established in 1868