Nopaltepec, State of Mexico

Nopaltepec
Santa María de la Asunción Nopaltepec
Town & Municipality

Coat of arms
Nopaltepec
Coordinates: 19°46′55″N 98°42′45″W / 19.78194°N 98.71250°W / 19.78194; -98.71250Coordinates: 19°46′55″N 98°42′45″W / 19.78194°N 98.71250°W / 19.78194; -98.71250
Country  Mexico
State State of Mexico
Populated by Chichimecas 1134
Part of the Great Otompan Mayoralty 1535
Municipal Status October 19, 1871
Government
  Municipal President Gumaro Waldo López (2006-2009)
Elevation (of seat) 2,450 m (8,040 ft)
Population (2005) Municipality
  Municipality 8,182
  Seat 3,224
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
Postal code (of seat) 55970
Website (Spanish) http://www.nopaltepec.gob.mx/

Nopaltepec is a village and municipality in State of Mexico, Mexico. It is approximately 250 km from Toluca, the state capital. The name derives from Náhuatl meaning "on nopal (paddle cactus) hill". It was originally called "Santa María de la Asunción Nopaltepec" but, after 1960, only Nopaltepec has been used.[1]

The village

The village first appears in records around 1603 though villages in this area have existed since pre-Hispanic times. The village officially becomes the municipal seat in 1872. In 1901 the Parish of Nopaltepec is established and was expanded in 1932. The village had a population of 3,224 in 2005.[2]

The municipality

As municipal seat, the village of Nopaltepec has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: Ex-hacienda la Puerta, San Felipe Teotitlán, San Miguel Atepoxco, Santa Inés Amiltepec, Ex-hacienda de Tepatepec, Colonia Venta de Cruz, Las Ambrises, and Rancho San Felipe (Moratepec).

The municipality has 87.94 square km of territory and a total population of 8,182 as of 2005.[2] It is bordered by the municipality of Axapusco and the state of Hidalgo.[1]

The municipality is principally rural, mainly flat plateau with small elevations. With no lakes or rivers, all water supplies come from underground aquifers. Its flora is adapted to its semi-arid climate and include: pirúl, mezquite, licorice root, sweet acacia, date palm, maguey, various varieties of nopal eucalyptus, camphor, pine, trueno, mimosa, ash tree, and ornamental palms. Wild fauna include: rabbits, hares, squirrels, skunks, cacomixtle, tlacuache, chachahuate, lizards, cencuate, trout, rattlesnakes, linger and scorpions. Agriculture is the primary economic activity with the production of cactus fruit, pulque and basic grains for auto-consumption. There is some fish-farming here as well. There is almost no livestock here and only a few home-based workshops producing clothing, plastic items, plumbing, and metalworks.[1]

History

The villages of this area in the pre-Hispanic era, were dominated by the Teotihuacan culture. Around 1134, the Chichimecas migrated here from what is now the north of Mexico, taking over these same villages. What now the municipality was part of the dominion of Xaltoca around 1200 and when this lord fell, the kind King Xolotl consolidated this area along with Teotitln, Atepoxco, as well as other villages of the time. During the Aztec empire, Nopalteppec was part of the Acolhua region. After the Conquest, the area became part of the "alcaldia mayor" (lit. major mayorship) of Otompan and would remain so throughout the 18th century. The municipality would not be officially declared until 1871 with the name of Santa María de la Asunción Nopaltepec.[1]

The Battle of Venta de Cruz took place here in 1816 as part of the Mexican War of Independence.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico Estado de Mexico Nopaltepec". Archived from the original on June 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  2. 1 2 Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 "INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática" Check |url= value (help).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.