Misplaced Pages

#571428

52-706: The forest lies between 16°00'32"N, 17°32'00"N, 93°21'40"W and 94°53'53"W in the eastern part of the mountain range that forms the spine of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec . The terrain is rugged and includes a complex mixture of forest types at different levels. Geologically, the region dates from the Upper Cretaceous and the Cenozoic . Elevations range from 100m to 2,700m. Average monthly temperatures in most areas range between 18 °C and 22 °C, and annual rainfall between 500 and 2,500 mm, with high humidity throughout most of

104-474: A channel to the 47,800 hectare reservoir formed by the Miguel Alemán, giving a combined capacity of 13,380 million m . There are plans to add hydroelectric generation capacity to the dam, delivering about 10.8 megawatts. Approximately 26,000 local people were forced to move. The original plan had been to move the people to the area immediately below the dam, but this was frustrated by large landowners in

156-655: A company that also operates along the Ferroistmo -owned Tuehantepec line. Several proposals have been made for modernizing the inter-ocean rail connection. In 2019, as part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Development Plan, a project has been taking place since June of that year to create a communication link between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through the Tehuantepec Railway and the ports of Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, known as

208-516: A maize-based drink. Since the days of Hernán Cortés , the Tehuantepec isthmus has been considered a favorable route, first for an interoceanic canal , and since the 19th century for an interoceanic railway . Its proximity to the axis of international trade gives it some advantage over the Panama route. The Isthmus of Panama, however, is significantly narrower, making for a shorter traversal, even if

260-722: A surge of denser air originating from the North American continent will send strong winds through the Chivela Pass and out over the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific coast. This wind is known as the Tehuano . The region has one of the best wind resources in Mexico, with several wind farms . In the Oaxaca half of Tehuantepec, the population is composed mostly of indigenous Zapotec peoples . The women are

312-699: Is an isthmus in Mexico . It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean . Before the opening of the Panama Canal , it was a major overland transport route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route . The name is taken from the town of Santo Domingo Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca ; this was derived from the Nahuatl term Tēcuāntepēc (" jaguar mountain "). The isthmus includes

364-516: Is now ethnically diverse, with the Zoques reduced to a minority of perhaps 30%. The region is extremely poor, with limited infrastructure such as roads and schools. The Mexican government has plans to develop the trans-isthmus corridor that borders the region to the west. This includes improving transportation routes across the isthmus between the Caribbean and the Pacific, developing an industrial zone along

416-528: Is the narrowest area between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the whole country. Only 220 kilometers separate the two oceans between the gulfs of Mexico and Tehuantepec. During the first half of the 16th century, it seemed as if nature could not withstand the strenuous effort of the Spanish conquistadores to find, within the tropics, a strait connecting the two oceans. This meant that in the conquest explorations during

468-565: The Atlantic or northern slope is 3,960 mm (156 in) and the maximum temperature about 35 °C (95 °F) in the shade. The Pacific slope has a light rainfall and dryer climate . The narrowness of the isthmus, and the gap in the Sierra Madre, allow the trade winds from the Gulf of Mexico to blow through to the Pacific. Normally, these winds are not particularly strong, but periodically,

520-507: The Central American river turtle . As a result, the Isthmus presents a case of allopatric speciation wherein a geographic divide gives rise to population divergence and a significant decrease in gene flow. The predominant climates in the region are tropical savanna (primarily in the south) and tropical monsoon (primarily in the north). There are also small central areas with a temperate climate due to elevation. The annual rainfall on

572-573: The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec . Recent reports state that this corridor will be fully operational by December 2023. 17°12′N 94°42′W  /  17.2°N 94.7°W  / 17.2; -94.7 Cerro de Oro Dam The Cerro de Oro Dam (English: Gold Hill Dam ), also called the Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado Dam, is on the Santo Domingo River in

SECTION 10

#1732851450572

624-699: The Mexican colonial period , the area was inhabited by the Chima, a Zoque people believed to be descendants of the Olmec . With the arrival of the Spanish, the Uxpanapa colony to the north established settlements on the Corte River (English: Cut River ), which is easily navigable, and began to exploit the forest. From 1731 to 1747, the region around Santa María Chimalapa was an important source of giant pines, used for masts and beams by

676-790: The San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec municipality of the Papaloapan Region of Oaxaca state in southern Mexico . The dam operates in conjunction with the Miguel Alemán Dam , located on the Tonto River to control floods in the Papaloapan basin in Veracruz state. Construction began in 1973 and the dam was completed in May 1989. About 26,000 people were displaced by the project. Water quality in

728-488: The 16th century, this region was used as an interoceanic passage. The exploration of this region between the 'North Sea' and the 'South Sea' was, since the conquest of Mesoamerica, a fixed idea of the Spanish monarchy and its representatives. Carlos V made this project one of the priority missions of the explorers whose objective was to put the kingdom of New Spain in communication with that of Peru. Hernán Cortés, in 1520, used this route to transport equipment and supplies across

780-523: The Ferrocarril Transístmico ("Trans-Isthmic Railroad")), is 308 km (191 mi) long, running from the port of Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of Mexico to Salina Cruz in Oaxaca on the Pacific coast, with a branch of 29 km (18 mi) between Juile and San Juan Evangelista . The minimum depth at low water in both ports is 10 m (33 ft). An extensive system of quays and railway tracks at both terminals affords ample facilities for

832-514: The Isthmus itself. During the last third of the 16th century, Spanish expeditions arrived at the port of Veracruz, in the Gulf of Mexico, and from there they moved by boat to the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River. The material necessary to build ships (supplies and tools or provisions) in the shipyards located along the Pacific coast, together with the artillery, were loaded into shallow canoes to navigate upstream, and subsequently transported, on

884-480: The Mexican government resolved to undertake the railroad construction on its own account, and entered into contracts with a prominent Mexican contractor for the work. In 1888 this contract was rescinded, after 108 km (67 mi) of road had been completed. The next contract was fruitless because of the death of the contractor, and the third failed to complete the work within the sum specified ( £2,700,000 ). This

936-851: The Negro River watershed, which feeds the Nezahualcoyotl (Malpaso) Dam , the Uxpanapa River watershed and the Coatzacoalcos River which flow into Veracruz's southern wetlands and the Gulf of Mexico; and the Espiritu Santo River watershed which supplies the lagoon system to the south in the Pacific Ocean. The region has highly diverse plant communities. For example, over 300 orchid species have been identified, 60% of all orchid genera in Mexico. Over 200 canopy tree species have been found in

988-632: The Spanish navy. The trees were floated down the Corte River, which owes its name to the cutting of these trees, to Coatzacoalcos and carried across to the Havana Shipyards . Despite continued contacts with the colonialists and prospectors, in their relatively inaccessible terrain the Chimas in the forest region were largely undisturbed until the later half of the nineteenth century, when the government started selling off concessions to exploit their "vacant" lands for timber and grazing. The process slowed with

1040-725: The State of Oaxaca was again proposing construction of a storage dam in the Rio El Corte Basin in the Chimalapa sub-region, with the potential to irrigate 100,000 hectares of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and to supply water to the Salina Cruz Refinery. To reduce impact of this nearby development on the Chimalapas the government has in the past made offers to buy forest land and turn it into a biosphere reserve, but these have been rejected by

1092-484: The Uxpanapa lowlands, and the entire region is estimated to have 3,500 vascular plant species. Several genera and one family are found only in this area of Mexico. Valuable plants include the tropical red cedar ( Cedrela odorata ) and bigleaf mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla ). Palmita ( Chamaedorea sp.) is an important source of revenue for the local people, with the ornamental leaves harvested carefully to avoid killing

SECTION 20

#1732851450572

1144-492: The amount of land allocated. The government denied making such promises, and stated that the people had not owned the flooded land since time immemorial and therefore were not entitled to compensation, although land had been provided. The reservoir waters have been changing from oligotrophic to eutrophic due to increased release of nutrients from submerged organic matter, combined with thermal stratification, making them less hospitable to many fish species. Land clearance around

1196-429: The area, seeking to prevent further fires and encourage sustainable land use. The WWF has also been active in attempting to encourage conservation efforts in the Chimalapas area. The area of El Ocote is now protected, although with mixed results. Pronatura Chiapas and Pronatura Veracruz are also working on conservation projects in the area. The goal is to improve environmental protection while supporting sustainable use of

1248-583: The area. The planned large scale agricultural schemes failed, although small farmers were able to make a living. The displaced people were dissatisfied with the new conditions and protested, but did not achieve much. Several of their leaders were jailed. Migrants also settled in other parts of the Selva Zoque. Some of the new arrivals engaged in small scale farming and hunting, while others moved into more destructive activities such as ranching, illegal logging of valuable tree species and cultivation of narcotics. In

1300-460: The backs of the indigenous people, from the sources of the Coatzacoalcos River to the Pacific coast, in the Gulf of Tehuantepec.1 Many of these expeditions later moved along the coast to the port of Acapulco, from where they sailed along the western coast of North America, and then set off westwards, seeking a passage to the Philippines and southern China. The advantages of this itinerary would lead to

1352-483: The canal is farther from trade routes. The 1854 Gadsden Purchase treaty included a provision allowing the U.S. to transport mail and trade goods across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec via a plank road and railroad . The 1859 McLane–Ocampo Treaty , which Benito Juárez signed but was never ratified by the United States Congress, would have given the U.S. extensive transit rights along the same route. While

1404-474: The communities affected and have emphasized sustainable use of the forest resources. This approach appears to have more promise. Environmental issues include destructive forestry, land clearance for grazing livestock and clearance for cultivation of illegal drugs. Rare animal species are at risk from illegal hunting, and valuable trees such as mahogany and cedar are extracted through illegal forestry. Construction of Federal roads may cause loss of continuity between

1456-427: The core Chimalapas region there was a total population of about 18,000 in 1999. Two towns, Santa Maria Chimalapa and San Miguel Chimalapa had a combined population of 3,000. The remainder was split between 38 "recognized" settlements and 34 informal settlements along the river banks and in the valleys. Some of the informal settlements were created by official colonization schemes and others by invading peasants. The area

1508-507: The damage sometimes compounded by cyclones. A particularly severe flood in September 1944 covered 470,000 hectares, with great loss of life and property. The Miguel Aleman dam reduced the problem, but further floods occurred after it had been completed in 1955. A flood in 1958 covered 195,000 hectares and one in 1969 covered 340,000 hectares. Meanwhile, the drainage capacity of the Papaloapan river

1560-623: The different forest areas. In the Uxpanapa area more than 80% of the original cover has been lost, and in the Ocote area 40%. Loss of original cover has been relatively low in Los Chimalapas area. At the end of the dry season in early 1998 there were extensive forest fires in the region, affecting over 200,000 hectares. The season had been exceptionally dry, partly due to El Niño . When the rains came, flooding resulted and since then land productivity has fallen. Various theories were put forward to explain

1612-531: The drainage works of the valley of Mexico and the new port works of Veracruz , to rebuild the line and construct terminal ports at Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf coast , and at Salina Cruz on the Pacific side. The work was done for account of the Mexican government. Work began on 10 December 1899, and was finished to a point where its formal opening for traffic was possible in January 1907. The Tehuantepec railway (now

Selva Zoque - Misplaced Pages Continue

1664-585: The expeditious handling of heavy cargoes . The general offices and repair shops of the original Tehuantepec Railway were located at Rincón Antonio , at the entrance to the Chivela Pass . At Santa Lucrecia , 175 km (109 mi) from Salina Cruz, connection was made with the Veracruz & Pacific Railway, 343 km (213 mi) to Córdoba, Veracruz , and 500 km (310 mi) to Mexico City . Those connecting lines are now owned and operated by Ferrosur ,

1716-449: The fires, ranging from slash and burn clearing within the forest and deliberate burns to remove stubble from farmland that ran out of control to a plot by the government to create the fires from the air. Some pointed out that much of the burned land was in the area that would be covered by the proposed dam and highway. The implication that fires were set deliberately is based on the belief that there are powerful interests who would like to see

1768-455: The grades in crossing the sierra. The Selva Zoque in the eastern-central region of the isthmus is an area of great ecological importance, the largest remaining area of tropical rainforest in Mexico and holding the majority of the terrestrial biodiversity in Mexico. The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca mountains flatten to form Chivela Pass before the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountains resume to

1820-498: The head of Laguna Superior on the Pacific coast. The Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range breaks down at this point into a broad, plateau -like ridge, whose elevation, at the highest point reached by the Ferrocarril Transistmico railway at Chivela Pass , is 224 m (735 ft). The northern side of the isthmus is swampy and densely covered with jungle , which has been a greater obstacle to railway construction than

1872-465: The highway and expanding the petroleum and petrochemical industries in Salina Cruz on the Pacific coast. Other plans include creating coffee plantations and cattle corridors, expanding production of beans, maize and chili and exploiting the bio-genetic resources of native medicinal plants. A plan first proposed in 1977 for a dam in the Chimalapas has been stalled due to environmental concerns. In June 2008

1924-409: The idea of a canal across the isthmus failed to gain momentum due to the enormous cost of such a project, engineer James B. Eads proposed to construct a quadruple track ship-railway , and the scheme received serious attention for some time. Then came projects for an ordinary railway, and several concessions were granted by the Mexican government for this purpose from 1857 to 1882. In the latter year

1976-406: The isthmus from the Gulf of Mexico to his shipyard located on the Pacific coast, near the town of Santo Domingo de Tehuantepec. The advantage lay in the ability to make a good part of the journey by river. Approximately two-thirds of the Isthmus is crossed by the Coatzacoalcos River , which is navigable for approximately 200 kilometers. Cortés saw this river as a means of fluvial communication across

2028-594: The native people who would lose their ancestral lands. The local government officials and their families are dedicated to sell tracks of virgin forest to create ranch operations and destroy the forest, and use the money to help the Zapatista warlords, they use their influences inside the state to legalize the plots of lands that they sold, this is evidenced in the new town called Arroyo Dos Arcos, deep into federally protected land. More recently, plans (at least in Oaxaca) have involved

2080-510: The natural resources by the local population. However, it is difficult to strike a balance between protecting this unique environment, respecting the rights of the traditional inhabitants and improving the economy to eliminate poverty, malnutrition and disease. 16°56′20.10″N 94°46′18.63″W  /  16.9389167°N 94.7718417°W  / 16.9389167; -94.7718417 Isthmus of Tehuantepec The Isthmus of Tehuantepec ( Spanish pronunciation: [tewanteˈpek] )

2132-414: The part of Mexico lying between the 94th and 96th meridians west longitude , or the southeastern parts of Veracruz and Oaxaca, including small areas of Chiapas and Tabasco. The states of Tabasco and Chiapas are east of the isthmus , with Veracruz and Oaxaca on the west. At its narrowest point, the isthmus is 200 km (124 mi) across from gulf to gulf, or 192 km (119 mi) to

Selva Zoque - Misplaced Pages Continue

2184-821: The plant. Types of vegetation cover include: The forest forms a vital biological corridor between North and Central America and has very diverse zoology, lying at the conjunction between the Nearctic and Neotropical realms and spanning a range of montane and lowland habitats. It is home to species that include the ocelot , Baird's tapir , and puma . Highly threatened species include jaguar , Geoffroy's spider monkey , white-lipped peccary , horned guan , resplendent quetzal and harpy eagle . There are estimated to be more than 600 bird species , including great curassow , crested guan and ornate hawk-eagle . Recent herpetological studies have found many new forms, including at least eight endemic reptile and amphibian species. Before

2236-505: The proposal, as early as the 16th century, of an interoceanic canal. However, a series of difficulties caused the most feasible option, Panama, to eclipse Tehuantepec as an interoceanic passage. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a valley otherwise surrounded by montane habitats, has also been noted as an important biogeographical barrier among montane taxa, such as Mexican birds. Population diversification has been observed among not only avian fauna, but other organisms as well, including toads and

2288-469: The region although there are dry interior valleys. In some of the higher areas, mean annual temperatures are as low as 13 °C. Excluding the Uxpanapa and La Sepultura extensions, the forest region covers about one million hectares. The main Chimalapas region in Oaxaca covers approximately 600,000 hectares. The forest contains the headwaters of five hydrological systems: the El Corte River watershed,

2340-581: The region exploited for its lumber and farmland potential, and to see the large hydropower potential put to work. The forest has been designated "outstanding at a bioregional level" by the World Bank and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and has been recognized as a Global 200 ecoregion. The government has recognized the rights of the communities in Chimalapas to be involved in conservation planning. The Maderas rainforest conservancy has been active in

2392-516: The reservoir is poor and deteriorating, affecting fish catches. The Santo Domingo joins the Valle Nacional River below the dam to form the Papaloapan river, which is joined by the Tonto river to the north of the city of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec and meanders northeastward through the Veracruz coastal plain to the Gulf of Mexico . The Papaloapan river basin was subject to frequent flooding, with

2444-476: The revolution of 1910, then picked up speed in the 1970s with fresh immigrants moving into the region, often assisted by the government. In the early 1970s, the federal government launched a program in the Uxpanapa region to resettle small farmers displaced by the Cerro de Oro Dam , bulldozing and burning large areas of the forest to open it up for farming. Approximately 26,000 people, mostly Chinantec , were moved into

2496-634: The south, so geographically the isthmus divides North America from Central America. The southern edge of the North American tectonic plate lies across the Motagua Fault in Guatemala , so geologically, the division between North America and Central America (on the Caribbean Plate ) is much farther south than the isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a region located in the south of Mexico,

2548-407: The target region. The move, mostly of Chinantec people, took place in two stages, ending up in 30 new villages in the Uxpanapa region of south-central Veracruz . The government bulldozed and burned large areas of the northern Selva Zoque forest to allow for farming in the new settlements, with mixed results. The displaced people later complained that the government had not met its promises in

2600-695: The traders in the Oaxacan Tehuantepec area and do little menial work. Known as "Tehuanas", these women are known throughout Mexico for their colorful dresses, assertive personalities, and relatively equal relations with men, leading some to characterize them as "matriarchal." The cuisine of the region is based upon traditional foods and ingredients. Dishes may range from simple to elaborate; most dishes incorporate maize and moles . Common items include tamales made with iguana , chicken, beef or armadillo ; guetabingui (fried balls of rice and shrimp); garnachas topped with dried queso Oaxaca ; and pozol ,

2652-562: Was being reduced by silt carried by the Santo Domingo river. The Papaloapan river Commission recommended building the Cerro de Oro dam on the Santo Domingo river, which would reduce the extent of floods to a manageable level. The combined reservoir of the two dams would also support increased power generation from the Miguel Alemán dam. The dam curtain is a massive structure of packed earth and gravel. The reservoir covers 22,000 hectares, joined by

SECTION 50

#1732851450572

2704-467: Was in 1893, and 60 km (37 mi) remained to be built. A fourth contract resulted in the completion of the 130-mile line from coast to coast in 1894. But, it was found that the terminal ports were deficient in facilities and the railroad was too light for heavy traffic. The government then entered into a contract with the London firm of contractors of S. Pearson & Son, Ltd. , who had constructed

#571428