Soconusco (region)
Soconusco refers to a historical region and administrative unit in Central America that includes areas in both Mexico and Guatemala . The city of Tapachula is considered the secret capital of Soconusco.
location
The geographical area of Soconusco (area 5776 km²) includes the extreme southeast of Mexico and a narrow border strip in southwest Guatemala. (Some authors extend the historical boundaries further to the west or further to the east.) Although Soconusco only makes up about 7% of the land area of the state of Chiapas , about 18% of the population of Chiapas live in this region - so about 1 million People. Soconusco is one of the most densely populated and wealthiest regions in Mexico.
Toponyms
The Nahuatl name Xoconochco means something like "land of the cactus fruit", although in the tropical climate, of all things , cacti and opuntia only thrive in the somewhat drier mountain regions. The Maya name in the Quiché language is Zaklohpakab , which can be roughly translated as "land of ancestors".
Geography and Municipios
The province of Soconusco is geographically characterized by three zones: the coasts, the fertile hinterland and the mountains of the Sierra Madre . The height of the mountain peaks ranges from 4064 m in the east ( Tacaná volcano ) to 2460 m in the west (Cerro de Tres Picos).
In the Mexican Chiapas Soconusco today is one of the economic regions in the state and consists of the following 15 counties ( municipios ) together: Acacoyagua , Acapetahua , Cacahoatán , Escuintla , Frontera Hidalgo , Huehuetán , Huixtla , Mazatán , Metapa , Villa Comaltitlán , Suchiate , Tapachula , Tuxtla Chico , Unión Juárez and Tuzantán . On the Guatemalan side, the Municipios Ocos and Ayutla should be mentioned.
climate
The entire area of the former province of Soconusco is in the tropical climatic zone. The annual average temperatures depend on the location: near the coast it is extremely hot and humid; temperatures sometimes reach 45 °. In the hinterland it is a bit more bearable - the average temperatures are mostly between 30 ° and 35 °; due to the frequent rains, however, it is also comparatively humid here. The temperatures in the drier mountain regions are somewhat more pleasant; therefore the valleys at the foot of the mountains are ideal for excursions and hikes.
economy
On the coasts and in the coastal lakes, fishing was already practiced in pre-Hispanic times; It has not been clarified whether the fish served exclusively for self-sufficiency or were also negotiated in the hinterland, which was rather unlikely in the tropical climate. In addition, the cultivation of corn and beans - as everywhere in Central America - formed the essential basis for the nutrition of the residents. With the improved cooling and transport conditions, fish and seafood are being negotiated as far as the highlands of Mexico. Beach tourism has also played an increasing role in economic life since the 1970s.
Especially in the late colonial period, the hinterland changed from a by livestock, sugar cane - and cotton fields dominated landscape to a plantation economy: flourish here today heat and moisture-loving crops such as cocoa , bananas , mangoes , papayas , star fruit ( caramboles ) and rambutan , a Lychee- like fruit from Southeast Asia.
The areas at the foot of the mountains are ideally suited for the cultivation of coffee, which produces good quality and yields, especially in the region around Unión Juárez . In addition, recreational tourism also plays a role in economic life here.
Rambutan fruits
history
Pre-Hispanic time
Possibly before the Olmecs on the Gulf Coast developed around 1700 BC. In the area of Soconusco the Mokaya culture ("corn people" in the Mixe-Zoque language) - one of the oldest cultures in Mesoamerica . So far, however, no architectural traces of this culture have been discovered, only ceramic remains; however, some researchers are of the opinion that the Mokaya culture had a stimulating effect on the emergence of the Olmec culture. Another early center in the Soconusco area was Izapa , traces of which date back to around 1500 BC. Go back BC. In 1486 the Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl conquered the region from which (already processed?) Cotton, bird feathers, jaguar pelts and cocoa had already come to Tenochtitlán as merchandise . However, the population resisted foreign rule and so Moctezuma II had to send troops to the region in 1502 and 1505.
Colonial times
At the beginning of the Spanish conquest under Pedro de Alvarado , the Soconusco region was estimated to have around 75,000 inhabitants; After the Spanish conquest, diseases in particular led to a significant decrease in the population. In 1526 Soconusco was raised to the rank of province and received a governor; At the end of the 16th century, Miguel de Cervantes made efforts to keep this lucrative post. In 1543 Chiapas and with it Socunusco came under the jurisdiction ( Real Audiencia ) of Guatemala, whereby the - already long-standing - close cultural ties to Central America were recognized and confirmed by the Spanish crown. However, just 20 years later, the capital of the Audiencia was moved from Guatemala to Panama, and Chiapas temporarily fell back under the jurisdiction of Mexico. In 1568 the General Capitanate of Guatemala was established - Chiapas and Soconusco became parts of it. Huehuetán was the capital of the Soconusco province from 1540, later it became Escuintla and finally - after the dissolution and final annexation of the province to Chiapas in 1790 - Tapachula (since 1794).
The repeated bad treatment of the Indians by the large landowners led to uprisings and a decline in the population in the 18th century. The Spaniards in Soconusco and in the southern mountains of Chiapas were among the first to advocate breaking away from Spain; Chiapas also declared independence from Mexico in 1821. However, for economic and military reasons, one had to decide either to join Mexico or to join Central America ( Centroamerica ). Mexico formally annexed Chiapas into its national territory in 1824, but political affiliation remained controversial, as many Spanish landowners, but also large parts of the mestizo population of Soconusco, favored the Central American or Guatemalan solution. The conflict, which was at times also fought militarily, was not decided until 1882 - the Río Suchiate was set as the border , and with the exception of a small part in southwest Guatemala, the former province has belonged to Mexico since then. But there are still a few voices calling for independence, or at least greater autonomy, for Soconusco.
Attractions
In addition to the scenic attractions (sea, beaches, forest areas and mountains) there are also several sights of a cultural nature: First and foremost, the pre-Hispanic city of Izapa is to be mentioned, whose origins up to 1500 BC Go back to BC; this is followed by the ruins near Tonalá , known as Iglesia Vieja , and other smaller sites in the area. Parts of the finds are exhibited in the museums of Tapachula, Tonalá and Tuxtla Gutiérrez ( Museo Arqueológico del Soconusco en Tapachula , Museo Arqueológico de Tonalá and Museo Regional de Chiapas ).
Imposing colonial buildings are rare - the former Franciscan monastery of San Francisco de Asís in Tonalá is the most important of them all.
fauna and Flora
Although the almost tropical climate promotes the biodiversity of the flora and fauna enormously, the dense settlement and economic exploitation of the areas by humans means that not much has remained of the former diversity . However, several smaller protected areas have been set up - it is not entirely clear whether these actually serve primarily to protect species or are to be regarded as excursion areas.
Personalities
- Fray Matías de Córdova y Ordóñez (1768–1828), monk and supporter of the independence of Soconusco / Chiapas
- Sebastián Escobar (1831-1893), general and governor of Chiapas
- Augusto Enrique Villarreal Quezada (1934–2005), writer and journalist; Fighters for the separation of the province of Soconusco from Chiapas
literature
- Marco Antonio Perez de los Reyes: El Soconusco y su Mexicanidad (Breves Consideraciones) . Jurídicas (Mexico: UNAM) 12. [1] (PDF; 1.3 MB)
- Eugenio Eliseo Santacruz de León, Elba Pérez Villalba: Atraso económico, migración y remesas: el caso del Soconusco, Chiapas. In: México Convergencia: Revista de Ciencias Sociales Convergencia (Estado de México: UAEM) 50, 2009, pp. 57-77, ISSN 1405-1435 . [2] (PDF; 195 kB)
- Ruta Costa - Soconusco. Mexico: Secretaría de Turismo Chiapas. [3]
- Manuel Larráinzar: Chiapas y Soconusco: la cuestión de límites entre México y Guatemala. Gobierno del estado de Chiapas, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1996, ISBN 978-9-68298-830-1
Web links
- History, geography of Soconusco in the 19th century (Spanish)
- Div. Information about Soconusco (Spanish)
- History, geography and culture of Soconusco (Spanish)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archaeological sites in the Municipio Tonalá ( Memento of the original from October 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 5.1 MB)
