Santiago Yaitepec is a town and

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 ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

in south-western

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, two kilometers southeast of

Santa Catarina Juquila Santa Catarina Juquila is a town in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, and is the seat of the municipality also called Santa Catarina Juquila. It is part of the Juquila District in the center of the Costa Region. The name "Juquila" comes from "Xuhquilil ...

. It is part of the

Juquila District Juquila District is located in the center of the Costa Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, on the Pacific coast. It has an area of 5,055 km2. As of 2005 it had a total population of 134,365 of whom 33,106 spoke an indigenous language. Eco ...

in the center of the

Costa Region The Costa Region or Costa Chica lies on the Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, south of the more mountainous Sierra Sur inland from the coast. It includes the districts of Jamiltepec, Juquila and Pochutla. Climate The region has a t ...

. The name "Yaitepec" means "Three hills".

Environment

The municipality covers an area of 53.58 km² at an altitude of 1,840 meters above sea level. The terrain is hilly, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur. The climate is temperate and humid, with an average temperature of 17.9 °C and annual rainfall of 1,347.6 mm. Trees include pine, fir, pine, madrone, moral, oak, and alder. Wild fauna include opossum, skunk, armadillo, rabbit, snake and deer.

People

As of 2005, the municipality had 623 households with a total population of 3,665 of whom 3,137 spoke an indigenous language. 90% of economic activity is related to agriculture, with coffee being the cash crop. Yaitepec is one of the centers of the Chatino people, related to the Zapotec but with a distinct language. The municipality selects its authorities under the Uses and Customs system, which lets indigenous communities conserve their traditional political structure. Although infrastructure is modern, the Chatino community has maintained its traditional culture. Most of the women wear traditional dress, including colorful skirts and the richly embroidered blouses with unique local designs of bright flowers and animals. The clothes are hand-woven using back strap looms and hand embroidered. The town is "dry": no alcohol is sold.

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of Oaxaca