Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city 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 ...

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 ...

and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the

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 ...

of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of 413,136. The municipality has an area of 118.45 km². Xalapa lies near the geographic center of the state and is the second-largest city in the state after the city of

to the southeast.

Etymology

The name ''Xalapa'' comes from the Classical Nahuatl roots (, 'sand') and (, 'place of water'), which means approximately 'spring in the sand'. It's classically pronounced in Nahuatl, although the final /n/ is often omitted. This was adopted into Spanish as ''Xalapa''. The complete name of the city is ''Xalapa-Enríquez'', bestowed in honor of a governor from the 19th century, Juan de la Luz Enríquez. The city's nickname, "City of Flowers" ( es, La ciudad de las flores), was given by

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, ...

, who visited the city 10 February 1804. The reference is also related to the city's older colonial history. According to folklore, the Spanish believed that Jalapa was the birthplace and home of the world's most beautiful woman, , which literally means 'little flower'. The residents of Xalapa are called or , which is the name given to the popular large peppers cultivated in this area.

History

The

Totonac The Totonac are an indigenous people of Mexico who reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained quarters in Teotihuacán (a city ...

s first established themselves around ("fifth mountain" in Nahuatl). This extinct volcano received its name because the

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

s used it as the fifth reference mountain to get to the gulf of Mexico's shores. Today it is preserved in a park. During the 14th century, four indigenous peoples settled in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each built a small village: Xalitic (in the sand) was founded by the Totonacas; Techacapan (river of waste) was founded by the

Chichimec Chichimeca () is the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples who were established in present-day Bajio region of Mexico. Chichimeca carried the meaning as the Roman term "barbarian" that desc ...

as; in the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) was founded by the

Toltec The Toltec culture () was a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, reaching prominence from 950 to 1150 CE. T ...

as, and Tlalnecapan was founded by the Teochichimecas. Around 1313, the four villages grew together and joined, forming one large village named Xallapan.

Moctezuma Ilhuicamina Moctezuma I (–1469), also known as Moteuczomatzin Ilhuicamina (), Huehuemoteuczoma or Montezuma I ( nci, Motēuczōma Ilhuicamīna , nci, Huēhuemotēuczōma ), was the second Aztec emperor and fifth king of Tenochtitlan. During his reign, th ...

, the fifth

emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century. All the land was ruled as part of the Aztec Empire before the arrival and conquest of the Spanish conquistadores. In 1519 Hernán Cortés passed through en route to

Tenochtitlan , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

.Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, In 1555 Spanish Franciscans completed construction of a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

, an important event in the

Nueva España New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Amer ...

of that time. Carlos IV de rojo

When the Spanish invaded, Xalapa was barely populated. The population rose after the conquest and colonial settlement. When the Spanish improved the Mexico-

Orizaba Orizaba () is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It is located 20 km west of its sister city Córdoba, and is adjacent to Río Blanco and Ixtaczoquitlán, on Federal Highways 180 and 190. The city had a 2005 census ...

route, Xalapa declined in importance as a transport hub, and its population stagnated in the 17th century. From 1720 on Xalapa became increasingly important, due to trade with merchants from New Spain arriving to buy and sell the products of the peninsula. Numerous Spanish families from the nearby towns settled in Xalapa, so by 1760 the population had increased to over 1,000 inhabitants, including mestizo and Spanish. Among local items of commerce were botanical medicines particularly

ipomoea purga ''Ipomoea purga'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Ipomoea''. It is commonly referred to as jalap and is probably also the source of the John the Conqueror root. Description ''Ipomoea purga'' is described as a vine that can reach ...

source of a drug known in English as

Jalap Jalap is a cathartic drug, largely obsolete in Western medicine, consisting of the tuberous roots of ''Ipomoea purga'', a convolvulaceous plant growing on the eastern declivities of the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico at an elevation of above ...

. The growth of Xalapa in population, culture, commerce and importance, increased dramatically in the 18th century. Responding to residents' requests,

Carlos IV of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father =Charles III of Spain , mother = Maria Amalia of Saxony , birth_date =11 November 1748 , birth_place =Palace of Portici, Portici, Naples , death_date = , death_place ...

declared Xalapa a town on 18 December 1791. In 1772, construction of Xalapa Cathedral began. On 18 May 1784, José María Alfaro got the first air

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

in the Americas, airborne, in Xalapa. Due to the abundance of flowers growing in the region,

, who visited the town on 10 February 1804, christened it the "city of the flowers". On 29 November 1830 by decree, Xalapa was named a city. In 1843, Don Antonio María de Rivera founded the Normal School of Xalapa to train teachers. Today it operates as a preparatory school for students going to college. In 1847, during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, Mexican general

Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...

attempted to defeat the opposing forces near Xalapa in the

Battle of Cerro Gordo The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, was an engagement in the Mexican–American War on April 18, 1847. The battle saw Winfield Scott's United States troops outflank Antonio López de Santa Anna's larger Mexican army, driving ...

. He led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers. Mexican troops suffered many casualties; around a thousand were killed and three thousand wounded on 18 April 1847. The US invaders occupied the city the following day. Among them was Lt.

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

, later the commanding general of the Union armies in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Grant's letters call Jalapa "decidedly the most beautiful place I ever saw in my life" and its climate "the best in the world." Battle Cerro Gordo

Xalapeños such as Ambrosio Alcalde and Antonio García fought bravely to defend the city of Veracruz, but were taken prisoner. They were released and paroled, but after rejoining the fighting against the US, they were recaptured near

Teocelo Teocelo is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, located to 20 km from Jalapa-Enríquez on Federal Highway 180. It is bordered by: Ixhuacán, Xico, and Coatepec. The coffee of Teocelo is one of the best coffees produced in Mexico. Teocel ...

, taken to Xalapa, sentenced to death and executed on 24 November 1847. Today these two men are remembered as martyrs. An obelisk commemorates their sacrifice, between San Jose Church and Alcalde Market, named for Ambrosio Alcalde. US forces marched on to capture Mexico City and departed after the

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...

. In November 1862 Xalapa was attacked in the French invasion; foreigners temporarily took control of the state capital. On 27 November 1867 the corpse of emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who had been executed in Querétaro, arrived and was held in San José, attended by the priest José María y Daza, then transferred to Veracruz the following day. The remains were shipped back to

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

for burial. In 1885 General Juan de la Luz Enríquez increased the influence of Xalapa when he moved some legislative authority from Orizaba to Xalapa, in accordance with a decree issued in June 1884 by provisional Governor Juan Manuel Fernández de Jáuregui. Enríquez and Swiss teacher in 1886 founded the Normal School in Xalapa, the first school of this type in the country. Juan de la Luz Enríquez

Enríquez died in 1892, but the construction of the Normal School and founding of its other schools led to Xalapa becoming known as a center of learning, the "Athens of Veracruz". On 18 May 1911,

Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who became the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'etat in February 1 ...

visited Xalapa. On 21 June of the same year a minor conflict occurred between federal forces and revolutionaries.

Culture

Xalapa is known as the "Athens of Veracruz" because of the strong cultural influence of its major university,

Universidad Veracruzana Universidad Veracruzana (Spanish for ''University of Veracruz'') is a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the southeast region of México. Its ...

(the main public university in the State of Veracruz). General Enriquez is known for policies encouraging the educational system in Xalapa. Culturally, Xalapa has a wide variety of events associated with its theatres, museums, and street art. Many musicians and dancers frequently perform in the center in the nights, especially on special occasions and events of celebration or commemoration; they often dance the

fandango Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...

. Art has a keen following in Xalapa. The gallery, ''

Pinacoteca Diego Rivera Pinacoteca Diego Rivera is an art gallery in downtown Xalapa, in Veracruz state, of eastern Mexico. It has a large collection of the works of Diego Rivera. The museum was inaugurated by the state government on April 21, 1998, to provide the opport ...

,'' located near the City Hall and Parque Juárez in downtown, has the most numerous collection of

Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...

's paintings in all of Mexico.

Holidays

Feast day of San José, Feast of Santiago Apostle, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Jesus, Conception of Maria, and Expo-Fair International are all celebrated in the city. An important religious holiday is on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrating Mary the Mother of God patroness of the city. On 24 October San Rafael Guizar and Valencia are celebrated, with thousands of people from all over Mexico visiting their tomb that is in a chapel within the cathedral. The cathedral remains open all night and day during this event.

Cuisine

Xalapa is the place of origin of the famous

Jalapeño The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and hangs down with a round, firm, smooth flesh of wide. It can have a range of pungency, with Scovi ...

peppers. Dishes made with maize: , ,

pasties Pasties (singular pasty or pastie) are patches that cover a person's nipples and areolae, typically self-adhesive or affixed with adhesive. They originated as part of burlesque shows, providing a commercial form of bare-breasted entertainment. T ...

, , and chicken are common. The desserts that are consumed in the region are typically sweet such as cake and and craft candies like

candied fruit Candied fruit, also known as glacé fruit, is whole fruit, smaller pieces of fruit, or pieces of peel, placed in heated sugar syrup, which absorbs the moisture from within the fruit and eventually preserves it. Depending on the size and type of ...

, and .

Notable city landmarks

* The Xalapa Cathedral is a mix of Baroque and

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

design built in 1773. It has a clock tower, the clock is originally from England. * Callejón Diamante (lit. Diamond Alley) is one of the more crowded streets at night because of its Bohemian atmosphere with cafes and an artists' colony. Callejón Jesús te Ampare is a cobblestone street next to the Church of San José. * Patio Muñoz is a neighborhood built in the 19th century, with most of the original buildings intact. Here are held workshops in Veracruz-style painting, dance and music. * Parque Juárez is a park in central Xalapa. Parque Juárez was the location of the Monastery of San Francisco. It is located among the four oldest neighborhoods of the city. Its central garden features enormous monkey puzzle trees, art gallerys, an agora, workshops, an auditorium and a café. * The Jardín de Esculturas (Sculpture Garden) is a museum dedicated to sculpture, exhibiting works by nationally and internationally recognized artists. * The

Museo Interactivo de Xalapa Museo may refer to: * Museo, 2018 Mexican drama heist film *Museo (Naples Metro) Museo is a station on line 1 of the Naples Metro. It was opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. ...

(Interactive Museum of Xalapa) features a planetarium with an IMAX screen, showing educational documentaries. * In the Paseo de los Lagos, there used to be an ancient dam. Today it has footpaths surrounded by leafy trees, circling three lakes and a fresh-water spring. * The Parque de los Tecajetes is in a natural depression or ravine of the same name in the center of the city. Underneath is a fresh-water spring that feeds the aqueducts, artificial pools and canals of the park. * The

Museo de Antropología de Xalapa The Museo de Antropología de Xalapa ( en, Xalapa Museum of Anthropology) is an anthropological museum in the city of Xalapa, capital of the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. The building was designed by the architect Paul Balev at EDSA, 4 ...

houses the largest collection of artifacts from Mexican Gulf Coast cultures such as the

Olmec 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 ...

, the

Huastec Huastec can refer to either: *Huastec people, an indigenous group of Mexico *Huastec language (also called "Wasteko" and "Teenek"), spoken by the Huastec people * Huastec civilization The Huastec civilization (sometimes spelled Huaxtec or Wastek ...

and the

with more than 25,000 pieces. The most notable pieces in the museum are the giant Olmec heads and the smaller Totonac ones. Some of the pieces in the museum date back to the Early Pre-Classic Period from 1300 BC −900 BC. * Nearby is the

Hacienda del Lencero The Hacienda del Lencero is a Spanish Colonial architecture era building and gardens located near of Xalapa city, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. The house, which takes its name from Juan Lencero, a soldier of Hernán Cortés, was the ...

Its first owner was Juan Lencero, a soldier of Hernán Cortés. In 1842 it was purchased by

for 45,000 pesos. Today, it is a museum which displays furniture and personal belongings dating from the 19th century. It also has a chapel, spacious gardens and a lake surrounding the property which include a sculpture by

Gabriela Mistral Lucila Godoy Alcayaga (; 7 April 1889 – 10 January 1957), known by her pseudonym Gabriela Mistral (), was a Chilean poet-diplomat, educator and humanist. In 1945 she became the first Latin American author to receive a Nobel Prize in Li ...

who spent time there while in exile. * The Jardín Botánico Clavijero (Clavijero Botanical Garden) has an important collection of regional plants with sections dedicated to Mexican ornamental flowers, reconstructed mountain environments in Xalapa, ferns and the most extensive variety of pines in Mexico.

Parks and gardens

* Jardín Botánico de Xalapa * Parque Juárez * Parque Los Berros * Parque Ecológico "Cerro del Macuiltépec" * Paseo de Los Lagos * Parque Ecológico "El Haya" * Parque "Natura" * Jardines de la Universidad Veracruzana * Parque "Tejar Garnica" * Jardín de las Esculturas * Parque Ecológico de Los Tecajetes * Parque María Enriqueta * Parque Revolución * Parque Bicentenario * Stadium Xalapeño

Museums

* Museo Casa de Xalapa *

* Museo del Transporte. Carr. *

* Museo del Bombero. * Museo de la fauna.

Galleries

* Casa de las Artesanías * Galería "Ramón Alba de la Canal" * Agora de la Ciudad *

* Galería de Arte Contemporáneo * Galería del Centro Recreativo Xalapeño * Galería Domínguez y Buis * Galeria Marie Louise Ferrari * Jardín de Esculturas

Theatres and auditoriums

* Teatro del Estado * Sala de Conciertos de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa * Teatro J. J. Herrera * Teatro La Caja * Auditorio de la Benemérita Escuela Normal Veracruzana

Education

Universities

Universidad Anáhuac The Anahuac University Network is a private universities system grouped and administered by the religious congregation of the Legion of Christ. The network is composed of several universities, some with different names and educational approaches. ...

* Universidad Atenas Veracruzana * Universidad de América Latina * Benemérita Escuela Normal Veracruzana "Enrique C. Rébsamen" * Universidad Cálmecac * Instituto Culinario de Xalapa * Centro de Estudios Superiores Hispano-Anglo-Francés * Universidad CLAES * El Colegio de Veracruz * Universidad IVES * Escuela Libre de Ciencias Políticas y Administración Pública de Ote. * Escuela de Diseño de Modas Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz * Universidad Eurohispanoamericana * Universidad Gestalt * Universidad del Golfo de México, Campus Xalapa * Universidad Hernán Cortés * Instituto de Estudios Superiores Morelos *

Universidad Metropolitana Xalapa The Universidad Metropolitana Xalapa is a university in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of ...

* Instituto Superior de Música del Estado de Veracruz * Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Xalapa * Tecnológico de Xalapa * Universidad Paccioli Xalapa * Universidad Pedagógica Veracruzana *

Universidad Filadelfia Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to: Places * Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Universidad (Madrid) Football clubs * Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala ...

* Universidad de Xalapa

Sport

Xalapa is home to the Halcones UV Xalapa, a very successful professional basketball team. They play in the LNBP * The team was created in 2003 and placed 3rd in the LNBP * In 2004 they were champions of the south division, and got second overall in the LNBP * In 2005 they were champions of the south division and champions of the LNBP * In 2006 they were champions of the south division, and got second in the LNBP. They also placed second in the Copa Independencia LNBP * In 2007 – 2008 they were champions of the south division and champions of the LNBP * In 2008 – 2009 they were champions of the south division and champions of the LNBP. They also placed second in the

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...

de las Americas. Xalapa also has many sporting facilities. As of 2005, the city has 25 soccer fields, 95 volleyball fields, 95 basketball courts, 36 baseball fields, and 29 multiple-use fields. Also, the city has 12 gymnasiums, 7 parks, and the notable

Heriberto Jara Corona Stadium Heriberto is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name Herbert. It may refer to: *Osvaldo Heriberto Hurtado Galeguillo (born 1957), Chilean retired footballer who played as a striker *Heriberto Araújo (born 1983), Spanish journal ...

, inaugurated 1921–1925. Sportspeople of note hailing from Xalapa include Armando Fernández (an Olympic

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spor ...

), Eulalio Ríos Alemán (an Olympic swimmer and at some time butterfly-stroke record holder in the US, inducted into the Ft. Lauderdale's International Swimming Hall of Fame), and the

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete Luis Hernández. Every four years the Central American Games take place in cities all over Central America and the Caribbean. In 2012 Veracruz was chosen to host these games in 2014. Several events took place in Xalapa. The Track Cycling was held in the Velodrome, the Modern Pentathlon Swimming took place in the University Swimming Pool, the Athletics trials in the Hilberto Jara Corona Stadium, and Badminton and Table Tennis in the Omega Complex. All of this brought recognition in the sports world to Xalapa. The Cuban athlete Sandra Mustelier, a member of the table tennis team, decided to flee the hotel where her team was staying two days before the opening of the Central American Games in Veracruz. The 28-year-old athlete did not collect her accreditation in Veracruz, a situation for which her teammates located her immediately by phone. When contacted, Mustelier herself informed her team of her defection. No investigation was undertaken by the Mexican authorities regarding this situation. Mustelier was considered to be a strong contender to win medals in table tennis.

Industry

Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP) is located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in Alto Lucero, Veracruz, Mexico. It is the only nuclear power plant in Mexico and produces about 4.5% of the country's electrical energy. It consists of ...

(LVNPP) in nearby Alto Lucero, Veracruz, produces about 4.5% of Mexico's electrical energy.

Transportation

The city is connected by the 140-D Highway with the cities of Veracruz, Puebla and Mexico City. Also the 140 Road provides a link between those cities. Several bus companies are based in Xalapa including Servicio Urbano de Xalapa (SUX); Auto-Transportes Banderilla (ATB); the yellow and green sets of Interbus, Auto-Transportes Miradores Del Mar; and Transportes Rápidos de Veracruz (TRV) amongst many others. The city of Xalapa is served by a small airport, El Lencero Airport, located 15 minutes by road from the city. It is currently not served by any commercial airline.

Healthcare

The public institutions of the health sector that provide services are: * Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social IMSS, * Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado

ISSSTE The Mexican Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers or Civil Service Social Security and Services Institute ( es, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, or ISSSTE) is a federal governmen ...

, * Centro de Especialidades Médicas CEM, * Petróleos Mexicanos PEMEX, * Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional SDN * Secretaría de Salud de Veracruz SESVER, * Centro de Rehabilitación y Educación Especial de Veracruz CREEVER, * Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia DIF. In the private sector the municipality counts on important medical establishments such as: * Sanatorio San Francisco, * Clínica del American Hospital, * Clínica de especialidades Las Palmas, * Vital Clínica Hospital, * Cruz Roja Mexicana, * Centro Médico de Xalapa, * Clínica Millenium * Hospital Ángeles.

Media

Newspaper

Notable newspapers produced or circulated in Xalapa include www.Xalapa.MX ''Diario de Xalapa'', ''Diario AZ'', ''Diario el Portal de Xalapa'', ''Diario la Opinión'', ''Periódico Marcha'', ''Periódico Al Calor Político'', ''Periódico Agronómica'', ''Milenio'' and the ''Líder''. As well, important agency of news on line, like RadioVer www.radiover.com and magazine Revista Era www.revistaera.com t

Radio

The city is served by numerous radio stations including: FM: * 90.5 Radio de la Universidad Veracruzana * 91.7 Amor (Grupo Acir) * 95.5 Sensación HD (Oliva Radio) * 96.9 Digital 96.9 (AvanRadio) * 97.7 La Máquina (AvanRadio) * 98.5 ONE FM (AvanRadio) * 104.9 El Patron FM (Oliva Radio) * 107.7 Radio Más (Radio-Televisión de Veracruz) AM: * 550 W Radio (AvanRadio) * 610 Ke Buena (AvanRadio) * 1040 OK Radio (AvanRadio) * 1130 Yo FM 1130 AM(Grupo Radio Capital) * 1210 El Patrón (Oliva Radio) * 1460 ABC Xalapa Radio (Grupo ABC) * 1550 Radio Universidad Veracruzana

Television

Television channels A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with ...

include: * XHGV-TV channel 4 – RTV * XHAJ-TV channel 5 –

Televisa Regional Televisa Regional is a unit of Grupo Televisa which owns and operates television stations across Mexico. The stations rebroadcast programming from its subsidiary TelevisaUnivision's other networks, and they engage in the local production of newsca ...

* XHAH-TV channel 7 –

Canal de las Estrellas Las Estrellas ("The Stars"; previously El Canal de las Estrellas, or "The Channel of the Stars") is one of the cornerstone networks of TelevisaUnivision, with affiliate stations all over Mexico, flagshipped at XEW-TDT in Mexico City. Many of t ...

XHAI-TV Canal 5 is a Mexican free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It traces its origins to the foundation of Channel 5 in Mexico City in 1952 (also known by its identification code XHGC-TDT). Canal 5's program lineup is generally tar ...

channel 9 – Canal 5 *

XHCPE-TV Azteca 7 (also called El Siete) is a Mexican network owned by TV Azteca, with more than 100 main transmitters all over Mexico. Azteca 7 is available on all cable and satellite systems. A substantial portion of their purchased programming include ...

channel 11 –

Azteca 7 Azteca 7 (also called El Siete) is a Mexican network owned by TV Azteca, with more than 100 main transmitters all over Mexico. Azteca 7 is available on all cable and satellite systems. A substantial portion of their purchased programming include ...

* XHIC-TV channel 13 –

Azteca 13 Azteca Uno (previously Azteca Trece), is a Mexican national broadcast television network owned by TV Azteca, with more than 100 transmitters across the country. Azteca Uno broadcasts on virtual channel 1. Azteca Uno programming is available in ...

XHCLV-TV Nueve (English: Nine) (stylized Nu9ve) is a Mexican free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. The primary station and network namesake is Channel 9 of Mexico City (also known by its call sign XEQ-TDT), though the network has na ...

channel 22 –

Galavisión Galavisión is an American Spanish-language pay television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. The network is unrelated to the earlier Mexican channel of the same name, though both broadcast Televisa-produced programming. As of February 2015 ...

Cable services include: *

Megacable Megacable Holdings S. A. B. de C.V., doing business as Megacable Comunicaciones, is a Mexican cable operator and provider of internet and phone service. It has its headquarters in, Guadalajara, Jalisco.Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

(Satellite TV) * Dish Network (Satellite TV)

Notable people from Xalapa

Politicians

* Francisco Javier Echeverría *

Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada y Corral (; 24 April 1823 – 21 April 1889) was Mexican liberal politician and jurist who served as the 27th president of Mexico from 1872 to 1876. A successor to Benito Juárez, who died in office in July 1872, Le ...

José Joaquín de Herrera José Joaquín Antonio de Herrera (February 23, 1792 – February 10, 1854) was a Mexican moderate politician who served as president of Mexico three times (1844, 1844–1845 and 1848–1851), and as a general in the Mexican Army during the Me ...

* José Luis Oliva Meza *

Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos (June 9, 1760, Ciénega del Rincón, New Spain – October 4, 1808, Mexico City, New Spain) was a Novohispanic lawyer and politician and a proponent of Mexican independence from Spain. He was imprisoned by th ...

* Marco Antonio Muñoz Turnbull

Writers

* Sergio Armin Vásquez Muñoz * Alicia Bazarte Martínez *

Carlos Manuel Cruz Meza Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhe ...

* Juan Díaz Covarrubias *

Jorge Lobillo Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...

Francisco Morosini Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name '' Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father o ...

* José María Roa Bárcena * Raquel Torres Cerdán * Julio Zarate

Educators

* Enrique C. Rébsamen * Sinforosa Amador (1788–1841) * Soledad Ramos Enríquez * Guillermo Fernández de la Garza

Athletes

* Barbara Bonola - Triathlete * Martha Ángelica Blanco - Javelin throw * Silvia García Ramírez - Judo * Marcela García Ramírez - Judo * Armando Fernández - Wrestler * Alejandro Fernández Ávila - Shooting sport * Luis Hernández - Athletics, 10,000 meters * Eulalio Ríos Alemán - Swimmer

Artists

* Villalobos Brothers – composers, violinists *

Gabriel Orozco Gabriel Orozco (born April 27, 1962) is a Mexican artist. He gained his reputation in the early 1990s with his exploration of drawing, photography, sculpture and installation. In 1998, Francesco Bonami called Orozco "one of the most influentia ...

– artist *

Son de Madera Son de Madera is a '' son jarocho'' band based in Veracruz, Mexico. Its core members are Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, Tereso Vega, and Rubí Oseguera Rueda. The band was founded in 1992 by Ramón Gutiérrez and Laura Rebolloso. Personnel Gutiér ...

– musical group * Rey Alejandro Conde – conductor

Doctors

* Rafael Lucio

Benefactors

William K. Boone William Kenneth Boone (1875–1944), a U.S. citizen, was a "distinguished philanthropist and benefactor of the city" of Xalapa, Veracruz. Throughout his life he sent numerous letters, postcards, and photographs to his parents and sisters at home. ...

The municipality

Xalapa is situated in eastern-central Mexico, approximately northwest of

Veracruz city Veracruz (), known officially as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located along the coast in the central pa ...

. and roughly 350 kilometres from

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

. The municipality of Xalapa has an area of 118.45 square kilometres which comprises 0.16% of Veracruz state. It borders to the north with Banderilla, Jilotepec and

Naolinco Naolinco is a small city in Veracruz, Mexico. It is named after Guadalupe Victoria, also known as Naolinco de Victoria. It is on Federal Highways 190 and 180. It has borders with Xalapa, Acatlán, Tepetlán, and Coacoatzintla. Naolinco is kno ...

, to the east with Actopan and

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 ...

, to the south with Coatepec and the west with Tlalnelhuayocan. Naolinco Volcanic Field

Situated east, about away along

Mexican Federal Highway 140 Federal Highway 140 (''Carretera Federal 140'') is a Federal Highway of Mexico. The highway travels from Veracruz, Veracruz in the east to Tepeaca, Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es ...

is the

Cofre de Perote National Park Cofre de Perote, also known by its Nahuatl names Naupa-Tecutépetl (from ''Nāuhpa-Tēuctēpetl'') and Nauhcampatépetl, both meaning something like "Place of Four Mountains" or "Mountain of the Lord of Four Places", is an inactive volcano locat ...

. The park covers an area of , and consists of mainly forested mountains and hills. Its highest point of Cerro de Macuiltépetl rises 1522 metres above sea level. Other hills of prominence include the Cerro de Acalotépetl and the Cerro Colorado. From Xalapa you can also see the

Pico de Orizaba Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltépetl (from Nahuatl = star, and = mountain), is an inactive stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America, after Denali of Alaska in the United States and Mount ...

, the highest peak in Mexico (5,366m or 18,490 feet). It is also the third highest peak in North America. Hydrographically, there are numerous streams and springs which are in the area around the city. These include the rivers: Sedeño River,

Carneros River Carneros River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Ll ...

Sordo River The Sordo is a small river in eastern Umbria in Italy. Its source is about 1 km south of Norcia Norcia (), traditionally known in English by its Latin name of Nursia (), is a town and comune in the province of Perugia ( Italy) in southea ...

, Santiago River,

Zapotillo River Zapotillo River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la ...

Castillo River Castillo River is a river of eastern Mexico. It flows through the municipality of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Ll ...

and the Coapexpan River, 3 artificial lakes and the springs Chiltoyac, Ánimas, Xallitic, Techacapan and Tlalnecapan. Jalcomulco is located southeast of Xalapa which has numerous natural features, such as the mouth of the Pescados River. Cascada de Texolo (Texolo Waterfall) is located southwest of Xalapa, in the town of Xico. It is an waterfall that drops into a lush canyon, home to numerous animal species.

Geography

Climate

Xalapa features a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(Cfb) that borders on a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

. The climate in Xalapa is humid, but the city is relatively cool being located in the mountains over 1400 meters above sea level. The climate can be variable, having a maximum temperature of 37.3 °C and a minimum ranging from 0 °C to 10 °C, but on average the temperature does not fluctuate greatly all year round with an average annual temperature of 18 °C. The warmer season in Xalapa tends to fall between March and reaching a peak in May when the average high reaches 28 °C and low of 17 °C. The cooler season is late December, January and February with an average low of 11 °C and an average high of 22 °C. Travelers to Xalapa will generally find that the most comfortable weather occurs from the beginning of November to mid-April, although they would be well-advised to bring warm clothing, as nighttime winter temperatures can occasionally drop to near 0 °C. The average annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

is 1509.1 mm. During the cooler winter months rainfall is at a minimum, with Xalapa receiving only 42 millimeters in January and 38 millimetres in February on average. Snow, however, is common in winter outside the city at Perote, located around 35 minutes from Xalapa. Very early in the morning, Xalapa often has a mist, giving it a characteristic mountain atmosphere. The greatest rainfall occurs during the summer months, particularly in June, when on average rainfall reaches 328 millimeters, remaining relatively high until mid-September.

Economy

Calles del centro de Xalapa, estado de Veracruz 19

Xalapa is often called the "Flower Garden of Mexico" and flowers play an important role in the economy. Xalapa is one of the most important places for

coffee production in Mexico The coffee production in Mexico is the world's 8th largest with 252,000 tonnes produced in 2009, and is mainly concentrated to the south central to southern regions of the country. The coffee is mainly arabica, which grows particularly well in th ...

due to its ideal climate, and coffee beans are grown on both small holdings and large estates in the surrounding mountains. The tobacco industry also forms a part of the local economy with the process of producing cigarettes, and the growing of

tropical fruits A tropical fruit one that typically grows in warm climates, or equatorial areas. Tropical fruits Varieties of tropical fruit include: *Acerola ( West Indian Cherry or Barbados Cherry) *Ackee *Banana *Barbadine (granadilla; maracujá-açu in ...

. Processed foods and beverages are also produced in Xalapa. Many people in Xalapa are employed by the government, since it is the state capital. Xalapa is also the head one of the five regional sections of the Tribunal Electoral (a level below the Supreme Court). This area encompasses 7 states: Campeche, Chiapas,

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 ...

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...

Tabasco Tabasco (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It is located in ...

and

Yucatán Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate mun ...

. The other regional seats are

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in Mexico. The city f ...

, Monterrey and Guadalajara. Estacionamiento de Costco en Xalapa

The city is a thriving center for commerce and many multinational companies have large retail stores and franchise restaurants in the city. These include

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

, Superama,

Sam's Club Sam's West, Inc. (doing business as Sam's Club) is an American chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Walmart Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton as Sam’s Wholesale Club. , Sam's C ...

The Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation (Trade name, doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only Big-box store, big-box retail stores (warehouse c ...

, Office Depot, Office Max,

Oxxo Oxxo (stylized as OXXO) is a Mexican chain of convenience stores, with over 21,000 stores across Latin America. It is the largest chain of convenience stores in Latin America. Its headquarters are in Monterrey, Nuevo León. It is wholly owne ...

, Sanborns, C&A,

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

Domino's Pizza Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert a ...

, Subway, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken,

Little Caesars Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. (doing business as Little Caesars) is an American multi-national pizza chain. Based on 2020 statistics, Little Caesars is the third-largest pizza chain by total sales in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and ...

Hugo Boss Hugo Boss AG, often styled as BOSS, is a luxury fashion house headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company sells clothing, accessories, footwear, and fragrances. Hugo Boss is one of the largest German clothing companies, ...

Pull and Bear Pull&Bear () is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Narón (A Coruña), Galicia founded in 1991. It is part of Inditex, owner of Zara and Bershka brands. History The chain was established in 1991 due to the diversification o ...

Carl's Jr. Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., with franchisees in North & South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa. In 2016, ''Entrepreneur'' listed Carl's Jr. as No. 54 ...

, Prada, Tous, MINISO, etc. Xalapa also has a number of cinemas, some of them of substantial size, such as the Cinepolis Museum (10 screens), Cinepolis the Americas (16 screens), and other cinemas, such as XTreme Cinemas in Crystal and Cinetix in Plaza Animas, which is a local movie theater. There are also several retail malls in Xalapa: Plaza Crystal, Plaza Museo, Plaza Animas (L.A. Fashion), Plaza Américas, and Plaza los Arcos. The supermarket chain Chedraui is based in Xalapa. Employment structure in Xalapa in 2005:

Sister cities

Covina Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley. The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 census, up from 47,796 at the 2010 census. The city's slogan, "On ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States * La Antigua,

Guatemalan Highlands The Guatemalan Highlands is an upland region in southern Guatemala, lying between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the south and the Petén lowlands to the north. Description The highlands are made up of a series of high valleys enclosed by mou ...

, Guatemala * Matamoros,

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...

, Mexico * Omaha,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, United States * Puebla, Puebla, Mexico *

, State of Mexico, Mexico *

Torreón Torreón () is a city and seat of Torreón Municipality in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2021, the city's population was 735,340. The metropolitan population as of 2015 was 1,497,734, making it the ninth-biggest metropolitan area in ...

, Coahuila, Mexico *

, Mexico

Books published about Xalapa

* ''Una excursión a Jalapa en 1875'' by

Guillermo Prieto Guillermo Prieto Pradillo (10 February 1818 – 2 March 1897) was a Mexican novelist, short-story writer, poet, chronicler, journalist, essayist, patriot and Liberal politician. According to Eladio Cortés, during his lifetime he was consi ...

* ''El Libro Azul del Estado de Veracruz (1923). México, el País del Porvenir'' (bilingual, Spanish and English). México, Compañía Editorial Pan-Americana, S. A. Edición facsimilar de la Editora del Gobierno, 2007; reprint 2008. * ''Arquilla Abierta'' (ca.1980) by Ana Güido de Icaza * ''Xalapa de mis recuerdos'' (1986) by Aureliano Hernández Palacios * ''Bocetos Antiguos de Xalapa'' (1991) by Rubén Pabello Acosta * ''Trazos de una vida, bosquejos de una Ciudad. El pintor Carlos Rivera y Xalapa'' (2009) by Alicia Bazarte Martínez. México, Instituto Politécnico Nacional / Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, 2009. * Politics and Privilege in a Mexican City (Stanford University Press, 1972), by Richard Fagen and William S. Tuohy

References

Notes

External links

*
Ayuntamiento de Xalapa
Official website *
La Universidad Veracruzana
{{Authority control Capitals of states of Mexico Cities in Mexico Populated places in Veracruz Aztec sites Totonac 1313 establishments Populated places established in the 1310s 14th-century establishments in Mexico