Tancítaro is a city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the western part of the Mexican

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

, in southwestern Mexico. Its municipal seat is the City of Tancítaro. The area has been called "the

avocado The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...

capital of the world." An Avocado Festival is held annually.

Geography

The municipality has an area of 717.65 square kilometres (1.21% of the surface of the state). It is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Peribán and

Uruapan Uruapan () is the second largest city in the Mexico, Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located at the western edge of the Tarascan Plateau, Purépecha highlands, just to the east of the Tierra Caliente (Mexico), Tierra Caliente region. Since the c ...

, to the east by Nuevo Parangaricutiro, to southeast by

Parácuaro Parácuaro is a Municipalities of Michoacán, municipality in the Mexico, Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Michoacán. It is a Purépecha language, Purépecha word for "place that has sticks for a roof". History During the precolumbia ...

, to the south by

Apatzingán Apatzingán (in full, Apatzingán de la Constitución) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Apatzingán in the west-central region of the Mexican state of Michoacán. History Mexico's Constitution of Apatzingán was signed in the c ...

, and to the southwest by Buenavista. A volcanic peak, Pico de Tancítaro or ''Volcán Tancítaro'', is located in the municipality. At in elevation, it is the highest point in Michoacán state. The municipality had a population of 26,089 inhabitants according to the 2005 census.

Criminal activities

Due to an increase in criminal activity in the area, the 60 man Municipal Police Force was disbanded in December 2009. Soon after the people of Michoacán began taking up arms against the drug traffickers and against organized crime. They called themselves "auto defensas". Mayor Gustavo Santoro and an aide were found dead September 27, 2010. It is believed they had been murdered by

stoning Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of capital punishment where a group throws stones at a person until the subject dies from blunt trauma. It has been attested as a form of punishment for grave misdeeds since ancient times. Stoning appears t ...

. The avocado growers association funded patrols by the Tancitaro Public Security Force (CUSEPT), and by summer of 2017, violence had subsided.

World record for guacamole

The Junta Local de Sanidad Vegetal de Tancítaro set a world record for the largest serving of

guacamole Guacamole (; informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisin ...

on 6 April 2018. It weighed 3,788 kg (8,351.11 lb).

References

Municipalities of Michoacán {{Michoacán-geo-stub Avocado

Geography

Criminal activities

World record for guacamole

See also

References