Tlaquiltenango is a city in the

Mexican state The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...

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 is south of Mexico city and southeast 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 ...

, the state capital via

Mexican Federal Highway 95D Federal Highway 95D is a toll highway connecting Mexico City to Acapulco, Guerrero. Highway 95D is among the most important toll roads in the country, serving as a backbone for traffic out of Mexico City toward Morelos and tourist destinations in ...

The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality, with which it shares a name. The toponym ''Tlaquiltenango ''comes from a

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 ...

name and means "place of whitewashed walls". The municipality reported 33,844 inhabitants in the year 2015 census.

History

Prehispanic history

There are two pre-Hispanic archaeological sites in Tlaquiltenango: ''Chimalacatlan'' and ''Huaxtla''. Chamalacatlan was built on the top of the hill of "El Venado"; it had 33 terraces and an equal number of piles of cut stone. There is also a small cave that was used for ceremonies. From the top of the hill, you can see Lake Tequesquitengo,

Xochicalco Xochicalco () is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Miacatlán Municipality in the western part of the Mexican state of Morelos. The name ''Xochicalco'' may be translated from Nahuatl as "in the house of Flowers". The site is located 38 ...

, and parts of the state of

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

. The site is almost unique among

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

n ruins in that the walls and platform were constructed of megaliths rather than the smaller rocks usually found in such structures. A small ceremonial ballcourt is also uncharacteristic of the

Olmecs The Olmecs () were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. Following a progressive development in Soconusco, they occupied the tropical lowlands of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. It has been speculated that t ...

. The ruins were described by Fernando de Alva Ixtlixochitl in the early 17th century, although the modern discovery by Father Lorenzo Castro in the late 19th century was more significant. Castro reported his find to Bishop

Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete (October 21, 1856 – June 2, 1920) was born in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico, the son of Jesus Plancarte Labastida and Maria de los Angeles Navarrete. He had two younger sisters, Maria Gertrudis and Maria Benita Vir ...

, who speculated Chimalacatlan was none other than the mythological

Tamoanchan Tamoanchan is a mythical location of origin known to the Mesoamerican cultures of the central Mexican region in the Late Postclassic period. In the mythological traditions and creation accounts of Late Postclassic peoples such as the Aztec, Ta ...

, the cradle of Mesoamerican civilization. Huaxtla was built in what is the center of the community by that name today, at the top of a horseshoe-shaped hill. The ruins are similar to those of Chimalacatlan. It is believed that the inhabitants of these sites were from

Tepexpan Tepexpan is the largest town in the Acolman municipality in the State of Mexico, Mexico. The population was 48,103 as of the 2005 Mexican census. One of the most interesting aspects of this town is the discovery of an early Mesoamerican skeleton ...

, who migrated south in search of better food and a better climate.

Conquest and colonialism

Tlaquiltenango was included in the towns belonging to the marquisate of the Valley of Oaxtepec, awarded to the conquistador

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...

. Cortes established a hacienda for the breeding of fine horses that would be destined for his army; for its surveillance, he ordered the construction of a circular stone tower with a height of close to 40 meters (130 feet). The convent-fortress ''Santo Domingo de Guzmán'' was initiated by the order of the

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

and finished by the Dominicans in the year 1540, one the oldest of the American continent. The convent is not very well-maintained, and there are cracks in the walls, and interior frescos are in poor condition. The clock was installed in December, 1898. In 1909, Mauricio de la Arena and Father Agapito Mateo Menes discovered a prehispanic codex in one corner; this is at the

National Museum of Anthropology The National Museum of Anthropology ( es, Museo Nacional de Antropología, MNA) is a national museum of Mexico. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Mahatma Gandhi Street withi ...

today.

Independence period

Tlaquiltenango became a city 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 ...

in 1825 under the

1824 Constitution of Mexico The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 ( es, Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1824) was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new Fr ...

. It included not only present-day Tlaquiltenango, but also the municipalities of

Jojutla Jojutla is a municipality in the state of Morelos, Mexico. Its municipal seat is the city of ''Jojutla de Juárez''. The name ''Jojutla'' comes from Nahuatl ''Xoxōuhtlān'' () and means, ''Place of abundant blue skies''. Another interpretation is ...

and Zacatepec, and stretched southeast to the

Cuautla River Cuautla may refer to: * Cuautla, Jalisco, Mexico *Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico ** Cuautla FC, the football club of Cuautla, Morelos **Siege of Cuautla The siege of Cuautla was a battle of the War of Mexican Independence that occurred from 19 F ...

. It became a municipality of Morelos by decree of governor Carlos Pacheco on September 25, 1884. The 2017 earthquake did considerable damage in Tlaquitenango. Two children and two women were killed, while a woman from ''Valle de Vázquez'' was killed in

. The earthquake left a large crack in the earth that split two houses apart and destroyed 183 others and severely damaged 365 other homes in Colonia Celino Manzanares next to the

Yautepec River The Yautepec River is a river of Mexico. See also *List of rivers of Mexico This is a list of rivers of Mexico, listed from north to south. There are 246 rivers on this list. Alternate names for rivers are given in parentheses. Rivers flowing in ...

. The 16th-century church was severely damaged, as was the 17th-century bridge in Colonia Manzares, 60 stone fences collapsed, and the municipal hall was damaged. The Secreatary of Health reported that 396 homes were destroyed and 510 were damaged. Jorge Maldonado Ortiz of ''Juntos Haremos Historia'' (

Morena Morena is the headquarter city of Morena district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is governed by a municipality corporation. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Chambal division. It is from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. G ...

Together we will make history coalition) was elected Presidente Municipal (mayor) on July 1, 2018. José Almanza Alcaine, a former alderman and the 2018 candidate of

Movimiento Ciudadano Citizens' Movement ( es, Movimiento Ciudadano) is a political party in Mexico. Dante Delgado Rannauro was its first leader. It was initially known as Convergence for Democracy ( es, Convergencia por la Democracia), but the name was shortened to ...

for municipal president, was gunned down on January 27, 2019. His two companions were also shot, and one died. In response 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 ...

, Tlaquiltenango blocked the entrances to the community. The town reports two confirmed cases and one death as of April 27, 2020. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On July 2, Tlaquiltenango reported eleven infections and one death from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Tlaqiltenango reported 75 cases, 51 recuperations, and 22 deaths from the virus as of August 31. One hundred twenty/one cases were reported on December 27, 2020.

Communities

There are 29 communities in the municipality, which has a population of 29,637, including 292 people who identify as Indigenous. 16% of the 7,641 homes have a dirt floor, 89% have running water, 95% have electricity, 90% have television, and 11% have computers. The average education level is 7 years. Women have a fertility rate of 2.58 children. 12.61% of the population come from outside the state of Morelos. 67.7% are Roman Catholic, and 49.7% of the adults are economically active. ''Tlaquiltenango'' is the municipal seat. It has a population of 17,606 and is located at an altitude of 920 meters (3,018 feet) above sea level. It is 45.3 km (28.1 miles) from

and 133.3 km from Mexico City. ''Alfredo V. Bonfil (Chacampalco)'' has a population of 2,188 and is located at an altitude of 930 meters (3,051 feet). It is 2.8 km (1.7 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. ''Valle de Vázquez (Los Hornos)'' has a population of 929 and is located at 950 meters (3,117 feet) above sea level. It is 19.9 km (12.4 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. Huautla has a population of 913 and is located at an altitude of 945 meters (3,100 feet). It is 45.6 km (28.3 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. There is a prehispanic archaeological site in the community. ''Lorenzo Vázquez (Santa Cruz)'' has a population of 744 and is located at an altitude of 890 meters (2,920 feet). It is 16.5 km (10.3 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. ''Colonia 3 de Mayo (El Tepiolol)'' has a population of 699 and is located at an altitude of 930 meters (3,051 feet). It is 2.4 km (1.5 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. ''Quilamula'' has a population of 614 and is located at an altitude of 1,070 meters (3,510 feet). It is 28.0 km (17.4 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. ''La Mezquitera (El Astillero)'' has a population of 529 and is located at an altitude of 855 meters (2,805 feet). The 16th-century mining hacienda ''San Jacinto Ixtoluca'' houses a small hotel. It is 11.6 km (7.2 miles) from Tlaquiltenango. ''Chimalacatlan'' has a population of 364 people and is located at an altitude of 1,091 meters (3.979 feet) above sea level. It has one preschool, one elementary school (grades 1-6), and one middle school (grades 7–9). Chimalacatlan is best known for its prehispanic archaeological site of the same name. It is 30.4 km (18.9 miles) from Tlaquiltenango.

Culture

Points of Interest

The 16th-century church and monastery of

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, the haciendas of ''Las Bóvedas'' and ''Los Hornos'', and the concrete tower in El Rollo waterpark are the main historical constructions. There are two waterparks in the municipality. ''El Rollo'' is located in Gabriel Tepepa and is one of the best waterparks in Latin America. It has 40 pools and 18 water slides, including one with a 25-meter (80-foot) height. ''Paraiso Aventura Las Huertas'' is a natural waterpark with a spring, camping area, cabins, picnic area, and pools. The ''Museo Comunitario Rubén Jaramillo'' (Ruben Jaramillo Community Museum) in Tlaquiltenango is a small museum where paintings of revolutionary characters are exhibited, as well as books from the era of 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 ...

, as well as pieces and pre-Hispanic tools.

Rubén Jaramillo Rubén Jaramillo Méndez (1900 – May 23, 1962) was a Mexican military and political leader of ''campesino'' origin who participated in the Mexican Revolution. After the Revolution, he continued to fight for the land reform promised under the Me ...

(1900-1962) was a native of Tlaquiltenango and a peasant and labor leader during the 1940s and 1950s who, along with his family, was assassinated by the

Mexican Army The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army. The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National De ...

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

. The Santo Domingo Tlaquitenango bridge in Colonia Celerino Manzanares is a narrow, stone arched bridge designed by Fray Andrés de San Miguel in 1615. It was designed to open a path for miners from Cuautla de Amilpas en route to modern

and possibly as an alternative route to the hacienda of Huatecalco.

Church and monastery of Santo Domingo

Construction of the church and former monastery of Santo Domingo was begun by the

between 1535 and 1540, and it was completed by the Dominicans. It is considered one of the most beautiful 16th-century monasteries in Morelos. The church is very large and rectangular. The main entrance is on the west side, and there is a side entrance on the south that is very similar to that of the

Cuernavaca Cathedral The Cuernavaca Cathedral ( es, Catedral de la Asunción de María) is the Roman Catholic church architecture, church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cuernavaca, Diocese of Cuernavaca, located in the city of Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. The church ...

. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and presbytery are separated by a triumphal arch supported by large, circular The columns. The western entrance to the church is simple and austere; above the access arch there is a stone triangle with a small window. There is a clock that was added in 1898 above the window. The base of the bell tower is connected to the main façade of the church. It is proportionately tall and consists of two ornamented sections for bells that contrast with the general austerity of the church itself. There are large pink, stone buttresses on the south side of the church and a carved, Franciscan-style cross above the main entrance. The interior of the church is simple in the Dominican style. The monastery cloister is high with a small central patio; the cells for the monks are simple. The atrium is huge; the ''capillas pozas'' for the instruction of unbaptized Indigenous and the two large entrances are still standing. There is little information about earthquake damages prior to the 20th century. In

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

, the sphere at the top of the bell tower fell. The August 28,

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

earthquake cracked several walls and left two walls off balance. The earthquakes of 1985, 1999, and September 7, 2017 did not cause serious damage to the building, but the September 19, 2017 earthquake did. The bell tower was almost completely separated from the main building, and the cupola was completely destroyed. Other damages were so severe that it is possible the building will no longer be used as a church.

Fiestas, dances, and traditions

Candlemas Day 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 presentati ...

is celebrated on February 2 in Tlaquiltenango. There is a fair, ''jaripeo'' (bulls), and

Chinelo Chinelos are a kind of traditional costumed dancer which is popular in the Mexican state of Morelos, parts of the State of Mexico and the Mexico City, Federal District of Mexico City, especially the boroughs of Milpa Alta and Xochimilco. The tradit ...

and Tecuanes dances. In the latter, dancers wear old clothes, a mask, and a hat while they carry a dissected animal. Tlayehualco celebrates the appearance of the

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 ...

on December 12.

Cuisine

White pork

pozole Pozole (; from nah, pozoll, meaning '' cacahuazintle'', a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically pork, but possibly chicken), and can be seasoned and garnished ...

, chito, goat and pork

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

, fish in

mixiote A mixiote is a traditional pit- barbecued meat dish in central Mexico; especially in the Basin of Mexico. It can also be prepared in an oven. It is usually made with mutton or rabbit, but chicken, lamb, and pork are also used. The meat is c ...

, in tamales and in clemole seasoned with wild plum and

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

are typical foods in the area.

Geography

Location and area

Tlaquiltenango is geographically located between parallels at an altitude of 911 meters (2,989 feet) above sea level. To the north are the municipalities of Tlaltizapán,

Ayala Ayala may refer to: Places * Ciudad Ayala, Morelos, Mexico * Ayala Alabang, a barangay in Muntinlupa, Philippines * Ayala Avenue, a major thoroughfare in the Makati Central Business District, Philippines * Ayala, Magalang, a barrio in Magalang ...

and

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 ...

; to the south are the States of Guerrero and Puebla; to the west are the municipalities of Zacatepec,

, and

Puente de Ixtla Puente de Ixtla is a city in the Mexican state of Morelos. It stands at . The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality reported 66,435 inhabitants in the year 2015 census. The town gets ...

; while Tepalcingo is to the east. Tlaquiltenango has a surface area of 544 km², (210 square miles) which represents 11.73% of the total of the State of

Climate

The wet season in Tlaquiltenango (late May to late October) is overcast, the dry season (late October to late May) is partly cloudy, and it is hot year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 56 °F to 95 °F (13 °C to 35 °C). The hot season lasts for two months, from March 21 to May 23, with an average daily high temperature above 93 °F (34 °C) The cool season lasts for seven months, from June 25 to February 1, with an average daily high temperature below 88 °F (31 °C). Average annual rainfall is 35.8 inches (910 mm). February 24, is the clearest day of the year, and September 14, is the cloudiest day of the year. The windier part of the year lasts for five months, from December to May, with average wind speeds of more than 4.9 miles per hour (7.9 kilometers per hour). The wind is mostly from the west in March, from the south from April through June, and from the east from July through February.

Relief and water resources

Dominant heights in the municipality of Tlaquiltenango are the Santa María hill, the Guajolote hill, the Huautla hill, 1,642 meters (5,387 feet), the Palo Verde hill, the black ground of the Ciénega, and the Limón. Along the boundaries of the State of Puebla and Municipality of Tepalcingo, are Tetillas, Cerro Picacho del Burial, Temazcales, and Cueva (Cave) de San Martín. Hilly areas cover 44% of Tlaquiltenango, mostly in the center and south. 38% of the land is semi-flat, mostly in the center and south. Plains cover 18% of the total surface, mostly in the northwest. Water resources in Tlaquiltenango include the

Amacuzac River The Amacuzac River is located in Morelos, Mexico and it is the most important river of this state being approximately 60 km long. It originates in the slopes of Nevado de Toluca and empties southwards into the Balsas River. It bisects the Si ...

, which flows from west to south; the

, which flows from north to south joining the Amacuzac River west of Nexpa, and the

. This last flows northwest, joining the Apatlaco River in

. There are also smaller, intermittent channels that descend from the mountains during the rainy season. In addition, there are springs in El Rollo, Nexpa, Los Elotes, Valle de Vázquez, and La Huertas. Finally, there are 25 wells—21 for drinking water and four used for irrigation.

Flora and fauna

Flora consists mainly of low

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

forests in a warm climate. ''

Jacaranda ''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. The generic name is also used as the common name. The species ''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' has achie ...

'', '' tabachín'', '' Ipomoea arborescens'' (the morning glory tree or ''casahuate'', a medium-sized tree with white flowers),

ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to N Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall or more, with a straight, la ...

(a very large grayish-green tree with pink or white flowers that provide fruit), and ''

bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

''. Wild animals include white-tailed deer, boar of collar, raccoon, badger, skunk, armadillo, hare, common rabbit, coyote, wildcat, weasel,

cacomixtle The cacomistle (; ''Bassariscus sumichrasti'') is a nocturnal, arboreal and omnivorous member of the carnivoran family Procyonidae. Its preferred habitats are wet, tropical, evergreen woodlands and mountain forests, though seasonally it will ...

tlacuache Opossums () are members of the marsupial Order (biology), order Didelphimorphia () Endemism, endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 Genus, genera. Opossums originated in ...

(a member of the raccoon family), and bats, flagged bird,

chachalaca Chachalacas are galliform birds from the genus ''Ortalis''. These birds are found in wooded habitats in the far southern United States (Texas), Mexico, and Central and South America. They are social, can be very noisy and often remain fairly c ...

(a very noisy bird), magpie copetona, vulture, aura (buzzard), crow, owl, and songbirds and ornamental birds.

Sierra de Huautla

Established in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, the ''Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve'' (REBIOSH) covers 59,031 hectares (145,869 acres) in the Balsas River Basin of the municipalities of Tlaquiltenango,

Amacuzac Amacuzac is a city in the Mexican state of Morelos. The name means ''In the River of Yellow Amates.'' Amacuzac stands at , at a mean height of 900 meters (3,000 ft.) above sea level. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding munic ...

, and

. Its rough topology varies from 700 to 2,240 meters (2,297 to 7,349 feet) above sea level in the Balsas Basin and constitutes a rich reservoir of endemic species to Mexico. There is a broad range of ecosystem, including low deciduous forest, gallery vegetation, and pine and oak forests. 939 species of plants, 44 species of butterflies, 71 species of mammals, 208 species of birds, 53 species of reptiles, 18 species of amphibians, and 14 species of fish have been noted. Among the species of animals are

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

s, short-horned Baronia butterfly,

beaded lizard The Mexican beaded lizard (''Heloderma horridum'') is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Helodermatidae, one of the two species of venomous beaded lizards found principally in Mexico and southern Guatemala. It and congener (biolo ...

military macaw The military macaw (''Ara militaris'') is a large parrot and a medium-sized macaw that gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform. It is native to forests of Mexico and South America and though conside ...

, rufous-backed robin,

Balsas screech owl The Balsas screech owl (''Megascops seductus'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The Balsas screech owl is monotypic. Description The Balsas screech owl is among the larger memb ...

Pileated flycatcher The pileated flycatcher (''Xenotriccus mexicanus'') is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae; it is endemic to western Mexico.Garcia et al. It is a small bird with gray feathers, white chest, yellow beak and a pointed gray-feathered tip on t ...

mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

margay The margay (''Leopardus wiedii'') is a small wild cat native to Central and South America. A solitary and nocturnal cat, it lives mainly in primary evergreen and deciduous forest. Until the 1990s, margays were hunted illegally for the wildlife ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

, and

jaguarundi The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi'') is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-sized ...

Natural resources and land tenure

Rivers and land are the most important natural resources in Tlaquiltenango.

Sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

, rice, onions,

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

, tomatoes, corn, and beans are the most important crops. Cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, and poultry are raised. The municipality has an approximate area of 581.77 km² (224.62 square miles). 5,738 hectares (14,179 acres) are for agricultural use, 8,319 hectares (20,557 acres) are for livestock, and 47,293 hectares (116,864 acres) are for forests. Land tenure can be divided into 51,303 hectares (126,772 acres) of ejidal property and 1,334 hectares (3,296 acres) private property.

References

External links

*http://www.e-tlaquiltenango.gob.mx/ *http://e-municipios.e-morelos.gob.mx/tlaquiltenango.htm {{Authority control Municipalities of Morelos Populated places in Morelos Nahua settlements