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 General Juan de la Luz Enríquez Lara (born Tlacotalpan, May 16, 1836 – died Xalapa, March 17, 1892) was a Mexican politician. He served as Governor of Veracruz The governor, according to the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovere ...

. 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 Xalapa Cathedral or in full, Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción de Xalapa is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, in eastern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is ...

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

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 Parque Juárez is a public park in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. It was inaugurated in 1892 and named in honor of Benito Juárez, 20 years after his death. The park is located in central Xalapa with a terrace-li ...

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

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 Patio Muñóz is a neighborhood of the city of Xalapa in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. The neighborhood is known for its lively performances featuring musicians and dancers and other forms of artistic display. Fandango Fandango is a l ...

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. *

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 tree ''Araucaria araucana'' (commonly called the monkey puzzle tree, monkey tail tree, piñonero, pewen or Chilean pine) is an evergreen tree growing to a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) and a height of 30–40 m (100–130 ft). ...

s, 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 Los Berros, in Xalapa, Veracruz, is located a short distance to the southeast of the center of town, in the neighbourhood of the Stadium. Its name was derived from an edible herb called "berros" (garden cress) that used to grow in the are ...

* 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 Halcones de Xalapa is a basketball club based in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico that plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). Their home games were played at Gimnasio Universitario de la Unidad Deportiva. Former Michigan star and ...

, 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 Mexican Social Security Institute, IMSS, * Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado ISSSTE, * Centro de Especialidades Médicas Centro de Especialidades Médicas, CEM, * Petróleos Mexicanos PEMEX, * Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional 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 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 include: * XHGV-TV channel 4 – RTV * XHAJ-TV channel 5 – Televisa Regional * XHAH-TV channel 7 – Canal de las Estrellas * XHAI-TV channel 9 – Canal 5 (Televisa Network), Canal 5 * XHCPE-TV channel 11 – Azteca 7 * XHIC-TV channel 13 – Azteca 13 * XHCLV-TV channel 22 – Galavisión (Mexico), Galavisión Cable services include: * Megacable (Cable TV) * Super Cable (Cable TV) * UltraVisión (Cable TV) * SKY México, Sky (Satellite TV) * Dish Network (Satellite TV)

Notable people from Xalapa

Politicians

* Francisco Javier Echeverría * Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada *

* José Joaquín de Herrera * José Luis Oliva Meza * Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos * Marco Antonio Muñoz Turnbull

Writers

* Sergio Armin Vásquez Muñoz * Alicia Bazarte Martínez * Carlos Manuel Cruz Meza * Juan Díaz Covarrubias * Jorge Lobillo * Francisco Morosini * 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 – artist *Son de Madera – musical group *Rey Alejandro Conde – conductor

Doctors

*Rafael Lucio Nájera, Rafael Lucio

Benefactors

*William K. Boone

The municipality

Xalapa is situated in eastern-central Mexico, approximately northwest of Veracruz city. and roughly 350 kilometres from Mexico City. 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, Veracruz, Banderilla, Jilotepec, Veracruz, Jilotepec and Naolinco, to the east with Actopan, Veracruz, Actopan and Emiliano Zapata Municipality, Veracruz, Emiliano Zapata, to the south with Coatepec, Veracruz, Coatepec and the west with Tlalnelhuayocan. Naolinco Volcanic Field

Situated east, about away along Mexican Federal Highway 140 is the Cofre de Perote National Park. 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, 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, Sordo River (Mexico), Sordo River, Santiago River (Mexico), Santiago River, Zapotillo River, Castillo River 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, Veracruz, Xico. It is an waterfall that drops into a lush canyon, home to numerous animal species.

Geography

Climate

Xalapa features a subtropical highland climate (Cfb) that borders on a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen climate classification. 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 (meteorology), precipitation 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 (Veracruz), 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 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. 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 (state), Campeche, Chiapas (state), Chiapas, Oaxaca (state), Oaxaca, Quintana Roo (state), Quintana Roo, Tabasco (state), Tabasco, Veracruz (state), Veracruz and Yucatán (state), Yucatán. The other regional seats are Mexico City, Toluca, 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, Superama, Sam's Club, The Home Depot, Liverpool (store), Liverpool, Sears, Costco, Office Depot, Office Max, Oxxo, Sanborns, C&A, McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Subway (restaurant), Subway, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Little Caesars, Hugo Boss, Pull and Bear, Carl's Jr., Prada, Tous Designer House, Tous, Miniso, 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, California, Covina, California, United States * Antigua Guatemala, La Antigua, Guatemalan Highlands, Guatemala * Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico * Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, United States * Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, State of Puebla, Puebla, Mexico * Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico * Torreón, Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico *

, State of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico

Books published about Xalapa

* ''Una excursión a Jalapa en 1875'' by Guillermo Prieto * ''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 Xalapa, 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