Catemaco
| Catemaco | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coordinates: 18 ° 25 ′ N , 95 ° 7 ′ W Catemaco on the map of Veracruz
|
||
| Basic data | ||
| Country | Mexico | |
| State | Veracruz | |
| Municipio | Catemaco | |
| City foundation | 1774 | |
| Residents | 27,615 (2010) | |
| City insignia | ||
 |
||
| Detailed data | ||
| height | 355 m | |
| Post Code | 95870 | |
| Website | ||
 |
||
Catemaco is a city with about 30,000 inhabitants in the southeast of the Mexican state of Veracruz . The city is the administrative seat of the Municipio Catemaco .
location
Catemaco lies at the foot of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas , an isolated mountain of volcanic origin on the west bank of Lake Catemaco at a height of approx. 355 m . The city of Veracruz is approx. 170 km (driving distance) in a north-westerly direction; The closest city is San Andrés Tuxtla, only 12 km to the west . The climate is mostly humid and - especially in the summer months - rainy (approx. 2330 mm / year).
Population development
| year | 1900 | 1950 | 2000 |
| Residents | 2,486 | 5,713 | 23,631 |
The city's population growth is mainly due to the influx of people from the surrounding countryside. The population of Catemaco is mixed; thoroughbred Indians are in the minority. They mainly speak Spanish.
economy
While in the villages in the vicinity of the city mainly arable and pasture farming is practiced, fishermen, craftsmen, traders, small businesses and service companies have settled in the city. Tourism has been playing an increasingly important role since the 1980s.
history
Although Catemaco lies at the foot of the volcanic mountains of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas and thus in the heartland of the Olmec culture , no archaeologically usable finds have been discovered here. When the Spanish took possession of the area in the 16th century, only a few Indians lived here. The city was not officially founded until 1774.
Attractions
Apart from its beaches, a promenade and a relaxed atmosphere, the place hardly offers anything worth seeing.
- The three-aisled Basílica de la Virgen de Carmen goes back to an apparition of the Virgin Mary from 1664, when the Virgin is said to have met a fisherman. Today's church with its two-tower facade and its crossing dome was only built between 1953 and 1961 instead of a smaller previous building.
- Surroundings
- Excursions to the volcanic mountains of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas are offered by local operators.
- The archaeological site of Tres Zapotes , about 50 km to the west, can be reached in the same way.
Others
On the outskirts of Catemaco there is a hut village for brujos (witchers, magicians). This tradition goes back to pre-Hispanic times, but still today people looking for help come here from the surrounding villages, but also from the city. Every year in March, the Congreso Nacional de Brujos de Catemaco takes place, which is viewed with suspicion by the Catholic Church. However, many pseudo-shamans are also there and so the whole event has taken on an almost touristic character.
Web links
- Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México: Catemaco and surroundings - Photos + information (Spanish)
- Catemaco - Photos + Info (Spanish)
- Catemaco, church - photos + information (Spanish)