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109-448: Antón Lizardo is a fishing town (2005 population 4,586) located 23 km (14 mi) in the Mexican state of Veracruz . It is located south of the port city of Veracruz , near Boca del Río , in the municipality of Alvarado . In January 1860, the small naval Battle of Anton Lizardo occurred here between Mexican rebels and United States Navy warships. Since 11 November 1952, it is

218-531: A flavoring. When the Aztecs conquered Totonacapan, part of the tribute was in vanilla beans, mostly used to flavor chocolate drinks in Tenochtitlán. In the recent past, vanilla was a major trade in the region, with a number of vanilla “barons” in the first half of the 20th century making fortunes as middlemen and exporters. However, it began to be grown more cheaply elsewhere and the creation of synthetic vanilla collapsed

327-436: A green called quelite with beans or with herbs and eggs, chayote with squash seeds, enchiladas with mamey and nopal cactus with eggs. Seafood dishes include shrimp in various preparations including with sesame seed and sweet potato and grilled fish. Meats include various domestic fowl, pork, beef and rabbit, often smoked. Most ingredients are indigenous with a few exceptions such as sesame seed and almonds. Another common dish

436-470: A large fishing industry, producing one-fifth of Mexico's catch. Most of the country's mojarra , oysters and shrimp come from here. Other major fish catches include crab, sea bass and red snapper . Totonacapan Totonacapan refers to the historical extension where the Totonac people of Mexico dominated, as well as to a region in the modern states of Veracruz and Puebla . The historical territory

545-1129: A large mixture of climates, from cold, snow-topped mountain peaks to hot, humid tropical areas on the coast. 32% of the state is classified as hot and humid, 52% as hot and semi humid, 9% is warm and humid, 6% as temperate and humid and 1% is classified as cold. Hot and humid and hot and semi-humid climates dominate from sea level to about 1,000 m (3,281 ft) above sea level. Average annual temperature ranges from 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F) with precipitation varying from 2,000 mm (79 in) to just over 3,500 mm (138 in) per year. Cooler and humid climates are found at elevations between 1,000 and 1,600 m (3,281 and 5,249 ft). These have an average temperature of between 18 and 22 °C (64 and 72 °F) with precipitation varying between 2,000 and 2,500 mm (79 and 98 in). Temperate climates are found at higher altitudes, between 1,600 and 2,800 m (5,249 and 9,186 ft). Temperatures here vary from 12 to 18 °C (54 to 64 °F) with precipitation varying more, between 500 and 2,500 mm (20 and 98 in). Cold climates are found at

654-408: A long coastline and forest containing a wide variety of trees and other plants. There is about 1 million hectares of cultivable land, half of which is in private hands and 43% is ejido or communal land. The rest is occupied by human settlements. There are 3,620 ejidos parceled out to 270,000 ejido members. 52.5% of agricultural land is used for the growing of crops or used as pasture and 43.1%

763-457: A plan to land a few miles south of Veracruz, which surrendered after a 20-day siege , defeated General Santa Anna 's forces at the Battle of Cerro Gordo , and marched inland through Xalapa towards Mexico City, led by General Winfield Scott . Mexico surrendered shortly after. The municipalities of Tuxpan and Chicontepec belonged to Puebla until 1853, when they were annexed to Veracruz to give

872-455: A regressor. Global spatial autocorrelation is found especially literacy at the macro-regional level which is an area for further research beyond this study. Improved literacy bolsters both the informal and formal economies in Veracruz indicating policies designed to further literacy are vital for growing the regional economy. While indigenous people are relatively poor, little evidence was found that

981-536: A series of Totonac revolts against these incursions, especially in the Papantla and Orizaba regions. This rebellion caused the Totonacs to ally with the cause for independence early, led by Serafín Olarte , but they were crushed by royalist forces. The struggle continued after Independence with a new insurrection led by Olarte's son, Mariano Olarte with the flash point being the prohibition of Totonac Holy Week rites, which

1090-557: A very large population of Totonacs in both states, as Mexico's tenth largest indigenous group , today, what is called Totonacapan is only a fraction of former Totonac lands. It refers to a region in Veracruz, which is made up of fifteen municipalities: Cazones de Herrera , Coahuitlán , Coatzintla , Coyutla , Chumatlan , Espinal , Filomeno Mata , Gutiérrez Zamora , Mecatlán , Papantla , Poza Rica de Hidalgo , Tecolutla , Tihuatlán , and Zozocolco de Hidalgo . The Totonac population continues to decline in both states, especially since

1199-695: Is 11,700 hectares of pine and oyamel forest, which was created in 1937. The Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve covers the municipalities of Ángel R. Cabada , Santiago Tuxtla , San Andres Tuxtla , Catemaco , Soteapan , Mecayapan , Pajapan and Tatahuicapan for a total of 155,122 ha (383,314.8 acres). It contains various volcanos such as San Martín and Santa Marta and rich biodiversity as it stretches from sea level to higher elevations, with 16 climate regions groups into four climate types. Forest types range from evergreen tropical rainforest to pine. 75% of species here are also found in Central America and there

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1308-445: Is a total of 2,368 plant species. Some, such as Costus dirzoi , Daphnopsis megacarpa , Eugenia sotoesparzae , Inga sinacae , Miconia ibarrae , Mormodes tuxtlensis , and Thelypteris rachyflexuosa , are native only to this area. Wildlife includes 102 mammal species, 49 amphibian, 109 reptilian, 561 bird species and more. Species in danger of extinction include the jaguar, spider monkey and anteater . The Veracruz Reef System

1417-623: Is a tributary of the Tecolutla. There are also numerous streams the largest of which include the Zozocolco, the Tecacán and the Chumatlán. The wild vegetation is tropical rainforest, rich in hardwoods with include species such as cedar, mahogany ( Swietenia humilis and S. macrophylla ), kapok fibre trees ( Ceiba pentandra ), Mexican laurel , Salix (willow) and fig species. However, their range

1526-453: Is a very small town, it does not have many people, but it is a very quiet place to vacation. 19°03′N 95°59′W  /  19.050°N 95.983°W  / 19.050; -95.983 Veracruz Veracruz has a significant share of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico on the east of the state. The state is noted for its mixed ethnic and indigenous populations. Its cuisine reflects

1635-606: Is also considered to be a national park and is mostly off the coast of Veracruz city, Boca del Río and Alvarado . The area includes coral reefs, seaweed beds and other marine vegetation, covering an area of 52,239 ha (129,085.4 acres). There are seventeen reefs in total, some of which jut above the surface to form small islands. This system links with the reef systems of Campeche and Yucatán . Veracruz has one of Mexico's leading economies, based on agriculture and petroleum. Using relatively recent night light data and electricity consumption in comparison with Gross County Product,

1744-639: Is centered between the Cazones River and the Papaloapan River in the north of the state. Pre-Columbian Totonacs lived from hunting, fishing and agriculture, mostly of corn, beans, chili peppers and squash. This is also the native region of the vanilla bean . Clay sculptures with smiling faces are indicative of this culture. The major site is El Tajín , located near Papantla , but the culture reached its apogee in Cempoala (about five miles (8.0 km) inland from

1853-522: Is forest or rainforest. Chief agricultural products include coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, tobacco, bananas, coconuts, and vegetables, but local farmers depend mainly on corn and beans. Two corn crops per year are generally produced, planted on 644,936 hectares with a production of 1,114,325 tons. The state is the leading national producer of coffee, sugarcane, corn, and rice. Coffee is grown on 152,993 hectares producing 400,575 tons. Export earnings from this crop are about US$ 232 million annually. Most coffee

1962-400: Is grown in the mountain areas of Córdoba-Huatusco, Coatepec-Teocelo-Cosautlán and Misantla-Tlapacoyan-Atzalan. Sugarcane is cultivated on 254,000 hectares, producing 16,867,958 tons annually. Veracruz is the largest producer of rice with 24,000 hectares producing 120,000 tons. Much is this crop is protected by import bans from Asia. The state grows half of the country's citrus fruit and grows

2071-511: Is informal. Programs in the past that might move economic activity from the informal to the formal sector have not succeeded suggesting public finance issues such as tax evasion will continue to plague the state with low government revenues. The primary sector of the economy (agriculture, forestry and fishing) has been important since pre-Hispanic times and continues to be important both as a source of income as well as culturally. The state has abundant rainfall and extremely fertile soils, as well as

2180-413: Is limited to less than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) in about seven municipalities. Wildlife includes squirrels, rabbits, armadillos, opossums, fresh and saltwater shrimp, trout, and various bird species. Totonacapan is one of Mexico poorest regions, despite the fact that there is oil production in and around Poza Rica. The reason is that much of the region is still isolated and rural. For example, Mecatlan

2289-657: Is more pronounced in the lowland areas where it has all but disappeared in some places. The largest concentration of speakers is in Papantla with large concentrations on the Veracruz/Puebla border. Traditional dances play an important part in Totonac identity. There are four basic categories: Voladores , those depicting aspects of the Spanish conquest, Afro-European and those which were imposed by Catholic clergy such as those performed during Las Posadas . The best known of these dances

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2398-512: Is not known how the Totonacs came to occupy and dominate the region, and there are several theories, some of which point to links with Teotihuacan and/or a migration from the interior towards the Gulf coast. Their main archeological sites include El Tajín, Cempoala and Yohualichan (in the Sierra Norte de Puebla). El Tajín is considered crucial to Totonac identity. The territory originally extended from

2507-512: Is of great importance for many plant and animal species. It is a center of plant endemism and has two separate endemic bird areas. The northern part of the state as well as the higher mountain areas, are convergence zones between lowland evergreen tropical forests and more temperate flora and fauna. It is also the northernmost occurrence of subhumid tropical forest in Mexico, although little of this remains, mostly on steep slopes. The tropical forests of

2616-524: Is one of the sites of the Cumbre Tajín annual festival. Although the Totonac people are no longer the dominant population in Totonacapan, their culture remains an important part of the Veracruz region still named for them. The various municipalities have formal, generally mestizo-dominated, governments but there are also councils of elders in many indigenous communities which have various relationships with

2725-409: Is one of the sixty poorest municipalities in the country, with half of home without running water and seventy percent with dirt floors. Illiteracy is four times the national level. Infrastructure such as roadways and housing is in poor condition especially in the mountain areas. The construction of bridges is considered to be important to the regions development, especially to connect the coastline with

2834-441: Is only one significant lake, called Lake Catemaco . Off the coast are the islands of Isla de Lobos, Isla de los Burros, Isla de Sacrificios , Isla de Salmendina, Isla del Idolo, Isladel Toro, Isla Frijoles, Isla Juan A Ramirez, Isla Pajaros and Isla Terrón and the ocean reefs called Blanquilla, Medio, Tangüillo, Tuxpan, Gualleguilla, Gallega, Anegada de Adento Anegada de Afuera and Cabezo. The large variation of altitude results in

2943-462: Is related to oil and gas production although this is limited to the very north of the region. There are also some small industries dedicated to the production of bricks, piloncillo , furniture and handcrafts. One nascent economic initiative is ecotourism, with nature parks such as Parque Xanath just outside Papantla and the Totonac culture, especially the Voladores and the growing of vanilla. Papantla

3052-608: Is still important. This region is home to the El Tajín and Cempoala archeological sites as well as Papantla , which is noted for its performance of the Danza de los Voladores . The earliest human settlements in the area date back to about 2000 BCE with agriculture practiced early with those communities on the coast having seafood prominent in the diet, especially mollusks. The area thrived with many small villages and ceremonial center because of abundant agricultural production. The beginning of

3161-498: Is the Ritual Ceremony of the Voladores of Papantla, which has been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO . However, these dances are also waning and survive mostly in marginalized communities. In very poor communities, dances are dying out because the people do not have the time or money to make or maintain the elaborate costumes. As older instructors die, there are no younger ones to take their place. Most of

3270-443: Is the manila variety, which is preferred in Mexico. 95% of this crop is consumed fresh within Mexico although exports to Canada have begun. Vanilla beans are native to the state, which is the primary producer for Mexico. Most of this crop is grown in an area known as Totonacapan in and around Papantla. Livestock raising is an important activity. There are over 300,000 units of production most of which raise cattle, with Veracruz being

3379-442: Is the modern capital of Totonac culture, with a Volador pole in the atrium of the main church. Zozocolca has various waterfalls surrounded by large and leafy trees and slabs of rock which guide the water. Parque Takilhsukut is a nature park which is also dedicated to the preservation of Totonac culture with workshops, concerts, and more for both visitors and the local population. Its school for Voladores has children as young as nine. It

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3488-448: Is zacahuil, which is a kind of corn pudding. Another distinct ethnicity in the region is the Tepehua , whose language is similar to Totonac. Tepehua communities include Chicontepec and Huayacocotla . The Cumbre Tajín is considered to be one of Mexico's five largest festivals and one of the 100 most important in the world. Centered on three sites over five days, the aim of the event

3597-542: The Classic era of Mesoamerica . A part of the Classic Veracruz culture , El Tajín flourished from 600 to 1200 C.E. and during this time numerous temples, palaces, ballcourts , and pyramids were built. El Tajín was named a World Heritage Site in 1992, due to its cultural importance, especially to the Totonac people and its architecture. This architecture includes the use of decorative niches and cement in forms unknown in

3706-514: The Classic period around 300BCE brought great changes to the region as it became part of an important trade route between Teotihuacan and the Maya . Evidence of Teotihuacan influence become evident including religion and architecture. The name "Totonacapan" is from the Totonac people (+ "pan" meaning "place"), who probably arrived to the area between the 8th and 9th centuries. It was populated by other cultures before this, which have since been lost. It

3815-509: The Maya are similar; however, only a few buildings and ceramics remain from the early Huastec culture. This culture also reached its peak between 1200 and 1519, when it was conquered by the Spanish. During the 15th and very early 16th century, the Aztecs came to dominate much of the state and dividing it into tributary provinces, of Tochtepec, Cuetlaxtlan, Cempoallan, Quauhtochco, Jalapa, Misantla, and Tlatlauhquitepec. The Aztecs were interested in

3924-858: The Mexican Drug War . Within the state the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas have battled for control. Additionally, this has led to journalists being targeted and killed within the state. The state is a crescent-shaped strip of land wedged between the Sierra Madre Oriental to the west and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Its total area is 78,815 km (30,431 sq mi), accounting for about 3.7% of Mexico's total territory. It stretches about 650 km (403.9 mi) north to south, but its width varies from between 212 and 36 km (132 and 22 mi), with an average of about 100 km (62 mi) in width. Veracruz shares common borders with

4033-515: The Sierra de Los Tuxtlas . Major peaks include Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m; 18,491 ft), Cofre de Perote (4,282 m; 14,048.6 ft), Cerro de Tecomates (3,227 m; 10,587 ft), Cerro del Vigía Alta (3,055 m; 10,023 ft) and Cerro de 3 Tortas (2,997 m; 9,833 ft). The Pico de Orizaba is covered in snow year round; the Cofre de Perote is covered in winter. Major valleys include

4142-820: The Tuxtlas Region, the Central Region, the Laguna del Castillo Region, the Pueblo Viejo-Tamiahua Region and the Laguna de Alvarado Region. The topography changes drastically, rising from the narrow coastal plains to the highlands of the eastern Sierra Madre. Elevation varies from sea level to the Pico de Orizaba , Mexico's highest peak at 5,636 m (18,491 ft) above sea level. The coast consists of low sandy strips interspersed with tidewater streams and lagoons. Most of

4251-543: The Veracruz moist forests ecoregion are situated in the northeastern coastal plain and extend into southern Tamaulipas state, on the east side of the Sierra Madre Oriental . The soils here are volcanic and shallow, but with rich organic matter. Species that predominate include Mayan breadnut ( Brosimum alicastrum ), sapodilla ( Manilkara zapota ), rosadillo ( Celtis monoica ), Bursera simaruba , Dendropanax arboreus , and Sideroxylon capiri . This ecoregion extends into

4360-550: The colossal stone heads . These ceremonial sites were the most complex of that early time period. For this reason, many anthropologists consider the Olmec civilization to be the mother culture of the many Mesoamerican cultures that followed it. By 300 BCE, this culture was eclipsed by other emerging civilizations in Mesoamerica. Another major group was the Totonacs, who have survived to the present day. Their region, called Totonacapan ,

4469-651: The " mestizo " or mixed European/indigenous ethnicities began, which is a large part of Mexican cultural identity. Arriving with the Spanish conquerors, new diseases made their first appearance in the continent. European diseases decimated the native population of the province, prompting the importation of African slaves during the colonial period, starting in the 16th century. The Spanish imported between 500,000 and 1,000,000 West African slaves into Mexico between 1535 and 1767 ( miscegenation between indigenous and African populations began almost immediately). New Spain did not have any laws prohibiting interracial marriage, hence

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4578-515: The 1930s. The process of dividing Totonacapan into various smaller entities politically and economically continued through the 20th century. One development was the construction of the Mexico City- Tuxpan highway and the development of petroleum extraction in the Poza Rica area. The Teziutlán - Tlatlauquitepec highway to Tenampulco reinforced a Veracruz/Puebla border. While there is still

4687-415: The 1980s with many migrating out due to the poor economy of the region. History has put pressure on the Totonac language, with speakers switching over to Spanish and in some cases, to Nahuatl even though those who change language still consider themselves Totonac. The most important archeological site in the region is El Tajín , located near Papantla, and is one of the largest and most important cities of

4796-915: The Acultzingo, Córdoba, Maltrata, Orizaba and San Andrés. More than 40 rivers and tributaries provide water for irrigation and hydroelectric power; they also carry rich silt down from the eroding highlands, which is deposited in the valleys and coastal areas. All of the rivers and streams that cross the state begin in the Sierra Madre Oriental or in the Central Mesa, flowing east to the Gulf of Mexico. The important ones include: Actopan River , Acuatempan river, Río Blanco , Cazones River , Coatzacoalcos River , Río de La Antigua, Ayyappan River, Jamapa River , Nautla River, Pánuco River , Papaloapan River , Tecolutla River , Tonalá River , Tuxpan River and Xoloapa River . The largest in terms of water discharge are

4905-554: The Aztec Empire by Hernán Cortés and his expedition members. They founded Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz on May 18, 1519, as the first Spanish town in what is now Mexico. By doing so, Cortés threw off the authority of the Governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez , claiming authority directly from the Spanish crown. A small contingent of the expedition remained at Veracruz, while the main body of conquerors moved inland. The Totonacs were some of

5014-455: The French pushed on to establish the reign of Maximilian I of Mexico . However, this was short-lived and the French were expelled through Veracruz in 1866/67. In 1863, the state was officially named Veracruz-Llave. After the French were expelled, the state government was in the port of Veracruz. In 1878, the capital was transferred to Orizaba. It was later moved to Xalapa in 1885. By the end of

5123-407: The Papaloapan River in the south to the Cazones River in the north, the Gulf of Mexico on the east and into the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains to the west into what is now the Sierra Norte de Puebla and perhaps even as far as Tulancingo. However, these western areas had become ethnically mixed due to influxes of Nahuas and Otomis long before the Spanish arrived. They were also heavily influenced by

5232-497: The Puebla diocese deemed “too pagan.” The first president of Mexico, Guadalupe Victoria , who had fought with Serafín Olarte, mediated the dispute but was unable to get the diocese to relent. The rebellions by the Totonac spurred mestizo and Spanish authorities into a series of moves that resulted in the splitting of historical Totonacapan mostly between the modern states of Veracruz and Puebla, with some small areas now part of Hidalgo over

5341-714: The Pánuco, Tuxpan, Papaloapan, Coazocoalcos and Uxpanapa . The Panuco, Tuxpan, Papaloapan and Coatzacoalcos are navigable. Two of Mexico's most polluted rivers, the Coatzacoalcos and the Río Blanco are located in the state. Much of the pollution comes from industrial sources, but the discharge of sewerage and uncontrolled garbage disposal are also major contributors. The state has very few sewage treatment plants, with only 10% of sewage being treated before discharge. The state also has ten major waterfalls and ten major coastal lagoons. There

5450-559: The Revolution, agrarian reform, including the redistribution of land and the creation of ejidos took place here. The oil companies in the north of the state were nationalized and consolidated into PEMEX in the 1930s by Lázaro Cárdenas . In the 1950s, more road construction, such as the Mexico City- Poza Rica, Veracruz-Alvarado- Coatzacoalco and Tinajas-Ciudad Aleman-Tlacoatalpan highways were constructed. The Universidad Veracruzana

5559-581: The Rio Blanco area. However, the gravest of these occurred in the Orizaba area, where there were about 500 fugitive slaves. In 1609, a leader named Gaspar Yanga led an insurrection against the Spanish but was defeated in battle. Unrest continued, eventually forcing the government to sign an amnesty pact and giving the Africans the right to form their own community, exacting as a condition that bandits be suppressed. This

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5668-483: The Spanish arrived in 1519 but with only eighty left in 1550. The Spanish also took their lands for cattle raising until the ethnicity occupied only about half of what it used to. In many areas, the Totonac population was replaced by Spanish, mestizo and African peoples. Until the 17th century, the Spanish mostly respected Totonac leadership as their help against the Aztec made them non-threatening militarily. Evangelization

5777-425: The Spanish crown rather than individual encomenderos . During the colonial era, Veracruz was the main port of entry for immigrants from Spain, African slaves , and all types of luxury goods for import and export. The first group of Franciscans arrived in Veracruz in 1524, walking barefoot to the capital of the Spanish colony of New Spain . The route between Veracruz and the Spanish capital of Mexico City, built on

5886-694: The United States under the Monroe Doctrine , however, that nation was occupied with a Civil War at the time, and the European powers believed that the Americans could not act. In December, Spanish troops commanded by general Manuel Gasset occupied the port of Veracruz, without any local resistance, followed a month later by French and British forces. The Spanish and the British withdrew after making deals with Juárez, but

5995-467: The area's vegetation and crops such as cedars, fruit, cotton, cacao, corn, beans and vanilla. However, the Totonacs chafed under Aztec rule, with Aztec rulers from Axayacatl to Moctezuma II having to send soldiers to quell rebellions. The Huastecs were subjugated more successfully by the Aztecs and relegated to the provinces of Atlan and Tochpan. Veracruz played an important part in the Spanish conquest of

6104-422: The building of the fort of San Juan de Ulúa , a site Juan de Grijalva visited in 1518, and the fortification of the city overall. Much of Totonac and Huastec culture have survived the colonial period into the present day. Much of the reason for this is that the north of Veracruz is rugged with thick vegetation and relatively little of the resources the Spanish were looking for. Veracruz is considered to be where

6213-582: The central part of the state, with vegetation changing to include mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla ), sapodilla ( Manilkara zapota ), Bernoullia flammea , and Astronium graveolens . In the central part of the state, the Veracruz dry forests extend from the Sierra to the coast, south of the Sierra de Chiconquiaco . The Petén–Veracruz moist forests occupy the southern part of the state, and extend eastwards through neighboring Chiapas and Tabasco states into Guatemala. Veracruz has been described as having one of

6322-545: The century, many infrastructure improvements, such as roads and railways (especially the Ferrocarril Interoceánico ) had been completed with the major cities being Veracruz, Orizaba, Xalapa, Córdoba, Jalacingo , Chicontepec and Tantoyuca . The discovery of oil in the north of the state attracted foreign firms, which brought machinery needed for its extraction. These companies included Huasteca Company Petroleum and El Aguila along with American and English firms. During

6431-430: The citrus fruit is exported. Aside from cattle there is some other livestock such as pigs, sheep, horses and domestic fowl as well as bees. The mountain areas of the region are home to the vanilla plant, which is a kind of orchid which produces the bean from which the flavoring comes. The bean was highly valued long before the arrival of the Spanish, used for religious rituals, perfumes and healing potions as well as

6540-406: The colonial period, the Totonac population and territory shrank, especially after 1750 when mestizos began infiltrating Totonacapan, taking political and economic power. This continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, prompting the division of most of historical Totonacpan between the states of Puebla and Veracruz. Today, the term refers only to a region in the north of Veracruz where Totonac culture

6649-433: The correct term is Afro-Mestizo, which includes all 3 ethnicities: Indigenous, African, and Spanish. Runaway slaves ( cimarrones ) became problematic to public order since they frequently formed robber bands that attacked travelers on highways. Crown efforts against these groups began in earnest in the late sixteenth century, but a major rebellion broke out in 1606 in the areas of Villa Rica, Nueva Veracruz, Antón Lizardo, and

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6758-464: The course of the 19th century. Borders fluctuated over this time but were set by the beginning of Mexican Revolution. The mestizos, meanwhile, were privatizing communally held land, confiscating religious property and prohibiting public worship to weaken the power of indigenous authorities. The Totonacs had some luck in turning the tide during the Mexican Revolution but these gains were lost in

6867-537: The current port of Veracruz), when it was conquered by the Aztecs. When the Spaniards arrived in 1519, the territory was still home to a population of about 250,000 people living in fifty population centers and speaking four Totonac dialects. 25,000 were living in Cempoala alone. The Huastecs are in the far north of the Veracruz and extend into parts of Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Puebla. The language and agricultural techniques of these people and

6976-450: The deterioration of the forest areas, it is still an important stopover for migratory birds as well. Many endangered mammal species can be found here including two endemic rodents ( Peromyscus ochraventer and Neotoma angustapalata ), the jaguar ( Panthera onca ), ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ), jaguarundi ( Herpailurus yaguarondi ) and white-nosed coati ( Nasua narica ). The endangered Baird's tapir may occasionally be spotted in

7085-402: The early conquest era, Cortés distributed the labor of indigenous settlements to particular conquerors in an institution known as encomienda . The indigenous ruler of the settlement was charged with mobilization labor and tribute that was due to the holder of the encomienda . Veracruz had a number of encomiendas that changed hands a number of times, but early on came under the direct control of

7194-568: The first people with whom the Spanish had contact on the American mainland. The very first contact was with Captain Juan de Grijalva on the coastline north of the present-day city of Veracruz. Still chafing under Aztec rule, Totonac ruler Tlacochcalcatl welcomed Hernán Cortés and promised 50,000 warriors to help defeat Tenochtitlan . The Spanish helped the Totonacs expel Aztec tribute collectors and seize control of some Aztec outposts. The Spanish founded

7303-567: The first time in the 1838, in what became the Pastry War . The port was blockaded. Efforts to defend the country were coordinated from Xalapa. The port was bombarded, but eventually a settlement was reached. During the Mexican–American War , the port was blockaded again, this time by the Americans. Initial American attempts in 1847 to land in Alvarado were checked, but the Americans then made

7412-427: The height of the Totonacs, was the most important city. It was still important when the Spanish arrived, but it became mostly abandoned afterwards. The area contains some of the earliest known archeological sites in Veracruz such as Trapiche, Chalahuite el Viejón, Limoncito and Tlalixcoyan. One of the earliest sites dates to around 1500 BCE is Remojadas which is considered the center of a pre Totonac culture called by

7521-622: The highest elevations, reaching up to the Cofre de Perote and the Pico de Orizaba. There is a small semiarid region around the city of Perote and the west of the Huasteca area. This is due to a rain shadow caused by the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Sierra Madre Oriental , which do not permit the flow of moist Gulf air to this region. Various types of forest cover the state, but evergreen tropical forest dominate. The state's ecology

7630-616: The home of the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar , the country's Naval Academy. Antón Lizardo offers a fairly long beach with fine, dark, hard-packed sand and calm shallow waters that make up part of the Veracruz Coral Reef System . These beaches are convenient for transportation for scuba diving at the coral reefs, but offer no protection from the wind or from drivers. The beaches here, as in Veracruz and Boca del Río, are packed during national holidays and Carnaval. It

7739-498: The independence movement in 1824. During the Mexican War of Independence , there was support for the insurgents in many parts of the state, with skirmishes erupting in various parts as early as 1811. A major conspiracy against the colonial government was discovered in the port in 1812, with rebels taking Ayahualulco and Ixhuacán during the same year. This forced royalist troops to withdraw to Xalapa. Eventually, this city along with

7848-408: The informal economy is a higher percentage of total economic activity in a municipio with a high share of indigenous people. While the formal economy might have been expanding relative to the informal economy in 2000, by 2006 this process had been reversed with growing informality. While rural municipios have smaller economies, they are not different from urban municipios in the share of the economy that

7957-569: The informal sector of the local economy in Veracruz state is shown to have grown during the period of the Fox Administration though the regional government remained PRI. The assumption that the informal economy of Mexico is a constant 30% of total economic activity is not supported at the local level. The small amount of local spatial autocorrelation that was found suggests a few clusters of high and low literacy rates amongst municipios in Veracruz but not enough to warrant including an I-statistic as

8066-426: The interior cities of Mexico. The principal economic activities are agriculture, the raising of cattle and in some areas, fishing. The coastal areas mostly produce corn with two harvests per year along with beans, chili peppers , oranges, limes, grapefruit, mandarin oranges , sugar cane, bananas, vanilla, sesame seed and more. The mountain areas principally grow coffee, black pepper, sapote and red mamey . Much of

8175-543: The job. The governor, Teodora A. Dehesa, unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a settlement. The strike went on for months until the strikers won. This victory encouraged more actions, until strikes at the factories in Rio Blanco, Nogales, Santa Rosa and Contón de Orizaba resulted in dramatic violence in January 1907 . No major battles of the Mexican Revolution were fought in the state, though there were skirmishes and attacks on

8284-523: The last of the Spanish held on in San Juan de Ulúa, Agustín de Iturbide had been declared the emperor of Mexico in 1822. However, his reign quickly encountered resistance from those favoring a republican form of government, including from Antonio López de Santa Anna from his stronghold in Veracruz state. Months later, Iturbide would go into exile and Santa Anna would eventually hold nine terms as president. The French intervened in Mexico through Veracruz for

8393-594: The logging is due to commercial timber, search for tropical hardwoods and the clearing of land for local farmers, especially for cattle grazing. Only 20% of Veracruz's original ecosystem remains, with 64% transformed by human exploitation. Despite some efforts at conservation and reclamation, exploitation continues to put pressure on remaining wild areas. The state has 31 environmentally protected areas in 21 different municipalities. Nine are urban parks, three are national parks ( Pico de Orizaba , Cofre de Perote and San José de los Molinos ). The Cofre de Perote National Park

8502-411: The long coastline is narrow and sandy with unstable dunes, small shifting lagoons, and points. The mountains are of the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt . Mountain ranges include the Sierra de Topila, Sierra de Otontepec, Sierra de Huayacocotla, Sierra de Coxquihui, Sierra de Chiconquiaco , Sierra de Jalacingo, Sierra de Axocuapan, Sierra de Huatusco, Sierra de Zongolica , and

8611-600: The main beef producer for the country at 14% of the total. In addition to beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, domestic fowl, and bees are raised. From the tropical forests of the inland regions come dyewoods , hardwoods, and rubber. About 20% of the state's territory is forested, with 220,000 of temperate forest and 1,200,000 hectares of tropical forests. Logging in the state produces 128,254 m3 of wood products per year. The most exploited species include pine, oyamel, cypress and oak. Some tropical hardwoods are harvested as well. Veracruz's long coastline supports

8720-490: The many cultural influences that have come through the state because of the importance of the port of Veracruz . In addition to the capital city, the state's largest cities include Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos , Córdoba , Minatitlán , Poza Rica , Boca Del Río and Orizaba . The full name of the state is Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave. Veracruz was named after the city of Veracruz (From Latin Vera Crux , " True Cross "), which

8829-555: The market for authentic Mexican vanilla. Despite the quality due to ideal growing conditions, Mexico produces only fifteen percent of the world's vanilla. However, a number of entrepreneurs are working to bring the crop back experimenting with production rates and promoting the quality of Totonacapan-grown vanilla. The best vanilla still comes from here. The Tecolutla, Nautla and Vega de la Torre zones are fishing centers were cooperatives catch catfish, crayfish and other species although crayfish species are endangered. The main industry

8938-406: The most kinds. This occupies 180,577 hectares and produces 2,575,140 tons annually. Varieties include oranges, tangerines, mandarins , limes and grapefruit. Most citrus is grown in the north of the state, and much of the lime crop is exported, supporting a packing and shipping industry. Veracruz is the largest mango producer in the country, grown on 31,640 hectares producing 287,000 tons. Most of this

9047-425: The olmec. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the region was dominated by the Totonacs, who were then in turn dominated by the Aztec Empire. Because of this, the Totonacs allied with the Spanish against the Aztecs to conquer Tenochtitlán . However, war, disease and forced labor brought the Totonac population down drastically. The Totonac population in Cempoala is estimated to have been about 80,000 when

9156-479: The population is Catholic although these are split into those who practice the traditional mix of indigenous and Catholic beliefs and reform Catholics who put less emphasis on the political and social aspects of traditional religious practice. In the 1950s, Protestantism was introduced to the area by the Instituto Lingüístico de Verano which now includes evangelists , Baptists and Pentecostals . Much of

9265-522: The port city of Veracruz on the coast, as the first municipality under the direct control of the king of Spain. Cortés then began his march inland to Tenochtitlan. During the Conquest , the rest of the Totonac peoples allied themselves with the Spanish, but the Huastecs, despite also being under Aztec rule, fought against them. After the fall of Tenochtitlan, Cortés sent a regiment to subdue the Huastecs. During

9374-400: The port more important than it had been, and led to increased prosperity for the inhabitants. Outside of the port, in other areas of the province, the economy was based on agriculture, livestock, and commerce. In 1720, Xalapa organized the first trade fair, making it the center for trade between inland Mexican goods and those from abroad. This would lead to its eventual status as the capital of

9483-491: The port were cut off from Mexico City. Most of the state remained in rebel hands during the rest of the war although the commercial class of the port did not support the effort. In 1821, Juan de O'Donojú , the last viceroy of New Spain, came to the port to leave for Spain. However, until 1823, Spanish troops continued to occupy San Juan de Ulúa Fort. In 1826, the city would receive the first of its four titles of "heroic city" for confronting these remaining Spanish troops. While

9592-465: The port. By 1914 rebel Cándido Agular occupied a number of municipalities in the state and in 1917, Venustiano Carranza transferred the federal government here temporarily. On April 21, 1914, an incident involving U.S. sailors in Tampico led President Woodrow Wilson to land American troops in Veracruz, where they remained for six months. Mexico later responded by severing diplomatic relations. After

9701-583: The purely indigenous population continued to fall to a fraction of pre-Conquest levels (due now to mixing, rather than disease). Almost all trade in and out of New Spain had to be with Spain except for some limited trade authorized with England and other Spanish colonies. This would stay in place until 1778, when the Decreto de Libre Comercio , allowing a limited free trade within Spanish-held realms, lifted many of these restrictions on trade with Europe. This would make

9810-537: The region's cuisine is based on corn, along with wild and cultivated plants and fruits. Much of traditional cuisine survives because of the area's relative remoteness and traditional women still cook over wood fires, grinding corn and other foods on metates . Dishes include soups made from squash, sweet corn and beans. Beans are flavored with sesame seed. Small dishes include tlacoyos with beans, chili peppers with sesame seed, tamales with salted fish, turkey and other fillings, enchiladas zampadas. Vegetable dishes include

9919-605: The rest of Mesoamerica. Its best-known monument is the Pyramid of the Niches, but other important monuments include the Arroyo Group, the North and South Ballcourts and the palaces of Tajín Chico. Since the 1970s, El Tajin has been the most important archeological site in Veracruz for tourists, attracting over 650,000 visitors a year. The next most important site is Cempoala which during

10028-667: The richest varieties of wildlife in the western hemisphere. There is an especially diverse array of endemic insects like the conspicuous Arsenura armida . As well as insects, the state is known for its many arachnids, and features over 25 species of tarantula (Theraphosidae), of which many are endemic. The state is part of Birdlife International ’s Endemic Bird Area(EBA) project due to the number of endemic birds here. Some of these include green-cheeked amazon ( Amazona viridigenalis ), Tamaulipas crow ( Corvus imparatus ), Altamira yellowthroat ( Geothlypis flavovelata ) and crimson-collared grosbeak ( Rhodothraupis celaeno ). Despite much of

10137-589: The same name. Most of the modern Totonacapan of Veracruz state extends from the coast to the edges of the Sierra Madre Oriental , with altitudes of between zero and 800 meters above sea level. Most of it has a hot and humid climate with extreme lows reaching 5C in the highest elevations and high temperatures reaching 38C between March and June. The average annual temperature ranges from 15 to 20C. Annual rainfall averages between 1,500 and 1,800mm per year with most falling between July and November. The most important rivers include Cazones, Tecolutla and Necaxa , which

10246-464: The same time period, uprisings against the government under Porfirio Díaz in the agricultural south of the state were brutally repressed. Unrest against the Díaz regime continued until the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution ousted him from power. The major event leading up to this war in Veracruz was the cigar-makers strike of 1905, when more than 5,000 workers of the "El Valle Nacional" company walked off

10355-469: The site of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan , was the key trade route during the colonial era. Much of the history of the state is involved with the port city that Cortés founded in 1519. Veracruz became the principal and often only port to export and import goods between the colony of New Spain and Spain itself. To ensure the port's monopoly, it came to have control over almost all of New Spain's Gulf coastline. New Spain's silver and cochineal red dye, were

10464-530: The state but were repelled from both the port and Xalapa. The Reform War wrecked Mexico's economy and it found itself unable to pay debts it owed to Europe. As a result, Juárez cancelled Mexico's foreign debt. Spain, Britain and France, all outraged by this action, decided in October 1861 to force repayment of their loans by the occupation of the Mexican Gulf Coast. Normally, this move would have been blocked by

10573-640: The state its final form. In 1855, the State Government Palace was constructed. During the Reform War , the major player was Ignacio de la Llave whose name is part of the state's official designation. In 1858, the port became the site for the liberal government under Benito Juárez after he was forced out of Mexico City during the Reform War. Their control of this port and its customs duties allowed liberal forces to gather resources. Conservative forces attacked

10682-711: The state of Veracruz is complex. In the pre-Columbian period, the modern-day state of Veracruz was inhabited primarily by four indigenous cultures. The Huastecs and Otomis occupied the north, while the Totonacs resided in the north-center. The Olmecs , one of the oldest cultures in the Americas, became dominant in the southern part of Veracruz. Remains of these past civilizations can be found in archeological sites such as Pánuco, Castillo de Teayo , El Zapotal, Las Higueras, Quiahuiztlán, El Tajín , Cempoala , Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán . The first major civilization in

10791-435: The state's southern jungle regions, such as Biósfera Los Tuxtlas . This region is also the northernmost extent of the primate Alouatta palliata , or mantled howler . Most of Veracruz's native forests have been destroyed and replaced by scrub and secondary communities of trees. From 1900 to 1987, over 18,553 km (7,163.4 sq mi) of forest had been logged, resulting in the loss of habitat and biodiversity. Much of

10900-476: The state. In 1746, the state was divided into the civil jurisdictions of Pánuco, Tampico, Huayacocotla, Huauchinango, Papantla, Misantla, Xalapa, Jalacingo, Veracruz, Córdoba, Orizaba, Cosamaloapan, Tuxtla, and Cotaxtla. The port city of Veracruz, and the fort of San Juan de Ulúa, where Cortés landed three hundred years earlier, was where the loyalist soldiers of the Spanish Crown made their last stand against

11009-586: The states of Tamaulipas (to the north), Oaxaca and Chiapas (to the south), Tabasco (to the southeast), and Puebla , Hidalgo , and San Luis Potosí (on the west). Veracruz has 690 km (429 mi) of coastline with the Gulf of Mexico. The natural geography can be categorized into nine regions: The Sierra de Zongolica , the Tecolutla Region, the Huayacocotla Region, the Metlac River area,

11118-580: The territory of the current state was that of the Olmecs. The Olmecs lived in the Coatzacoalcos River region and it became the center of Olmec culture. The main ceremonial center here was San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán. Other major centers in the state include Tres Zapotes in the city of Veracruz and La Venta in Tabasco. The culture reached its height about 2600 years ago, with its best-known artistic expression being

11227-456: The two most important exports from the port, along with chocolate, vanilla, chili peppers, and much more were exported. Imported were livestock (sheep, cows, goats, horses), wheat and other cultivars. From the Caribbean, slaves, pineapple, and sugar cane were introduced. This made the port a highly prized target for pirates during the colonial period, with attacks and sackings frequent. This led to

11336-403: The various municipal authorities. Totonac languages are principally spoken in Veracruz, the north of Puebla and some areas of Hidalgo. Both of the main branches of the language are spoken in Totonacapan in Veracruz where about half of all Totonac speakers live. The percentage of ethnic Totonacs which speak the language is declining as parents stop teaching it to their children. This phenomenon

11445-421: Was called San Lorenzo de Zerral but today it is known as the municipality of Yanga . This was the first time slavery was abolished in the Americas. In the first half of the seventeenth century, cities such as Córdoba , Orizaba , and Xalapa were formed or expanded to protect the trade route between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz. During this time, the Spanish and mixed-ethnicities population increased as

11554-585: Was expanded as well. In 1960, the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa was inaugurated as well as the Coatzacoalco- Salina Cruz highway. The Veracruz city international airport was opened in the 1970s. In the ten years after 2006, at least 3,600 people have disappeared within the state. Multiple mass graves have been found within the state. This is seen as part of the over 28,000 missing individuals related to

11663-503: Was likewise slow, with only sixteen parishes in all of Totonacapan by 1750. This means that until 1750, the political and social situation in Totonacapan was relatively stable. However, from this time to the present various political, social and economic developments have served to weaken and split Totonac control over its historical territory. Mestizos began to take indigenous land and felt sufficiently powerful enough to begin taking political and military power. From 1750 to 1820, there were

11772-706: Was much larger than the currently named region, extending from the Cazones River in the north to the Papaloapan River in the south and then west from the Gulf of Mexico into what is now the Sierra Norte de Puebla region and into parts of Hidalgo . When the Spanish arrived, the Totonac ethnicity dominated this large region, although they themselves were dominated by the Aztec Empire . For this reason, they allied with Hernán Cortés against Tenochtitlán . However, over

11881-466: Was originally called the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz . The suffix is in honor of Ignacio de la Llave y Segura Zevallos (1818–1863), who was the governor of Veracruz from 1861 to 1862. The state's seal was authorized by the state legislature in 1954, adapting the one used for the port of Veracruz and created by the Spanish in the early colonial days of the 16th century. The history of the native peoples of

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