Soteapan 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 ...
and city located in the south-central zone of the
Mexican 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 ...
of
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 ...
, about 260 km from 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 ...
. As of 2000, the municipality counted 27,487 inhabitants within 528.07 km², including about 10,000 in the main city area of Soteapan.
History
Historically the city of Soteapan was mentioned as a part of the
municipality of Coatzacoalcos by
colonial Spanish references, yet was only recognised as a separate Mexican municipality in 1831.
The area in the
pre-columbian era
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...
was an area of contention between the
Aztec empire and its southern neighbours.
The area only recently obtained paved road access and is considered to be one of the most
impoverished communities in Mexico. Its population is composed of mainly of
Popoluca
Popoluca is a Nahuatl term for various indigenous peoples of southeastern Veracruz and Oaxaca. Many of them (about 30,000 , with a small amount of
Nahula people. Though many speak their native language,
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, Can ...
is the predominant language.
Geography
The municipality of Soteapan is delimited to the north by
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
, to the east by
Mecayapan, to the south by
Chinameca and
Acayucan
Acayucan is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, located in the state's southeast, in the Olmeca region. It serves as the municipal seat for the Acayucan Municipality.
At the 2005 INEGI Census, Acayucan reported a population of 49,945.
Ref ...
, and to the west by
Hueyapan de Ocampo and
Catemaco
Catemaco () is a city in Catemaco Municipality located in the south of the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located on Lake Catemaco, with the municipality stretching north to the Gulf of Mexico. Catemaco is a tourist destination, with its m ...
.
Economy
Economically, Soteapan depends on
small-scale agriculture
A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...
and
cattle ranching. The area invites many tourists due to several waterfalls and views of pristine mountains.
The area is located near the volcanoes of the
Sierra de los Tuxtlas
The Sierra de Los Tuxtlas (Tuxtlas Mountains) are a volcanic belt and mountain range along the southeastern Veracruz Gulf coast in Eastern Mexico. The Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (Biósfera Los Tuxtlas) includes the coastal and higher elevations ...
and is located within a large part of the
Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve
The Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve or Biósfera Los Tuxtlas, is a biosphere reserve located in the coastal and higher elevations of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas, in Los Tuxtlas of Veracruz state, in south eastern Mexico.
Ecoregion
The area is notable ...
.
Celebrations
During March there is a celebration to honour to
San José, the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of the town, and in December there is a celebration to honour to
Virgen de 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 ...
.
References
External links
Soteapan Tourist Guide*
State Official webpage*
Municipal Official webpage*
Municipal Official Information
{{Veracruz
Municipalities of Veracruz
Los Tuxtlas