PUEBLA'S NATURAL HERITAGE BY REGIONS - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The natural heritage of Puebla is distributed across socioeconomic regions of its 7. These regions have in common characteristic elements of a geographical, historical, cultural, economic and political nature. It includes the flora, fauna (wild and domestic), natural parks and their water resources, reliefs and formations.

Its main ecosystems are the forest, the jungle, the grassland, the scrub, the hydrophilic vegetation, the palm grove, the mesquite and the high mountain meadow. The flora that predominates in this vast Mexican region is made up of the maguey and fruit trees.

Popocatepetl volcano

These trees include custard apple, plum, peach, apricot, guava, lemon, lime, fig, orange tree, apple, walnut, tejocote, pear and perón, grape and xoconochtle. The predominant domestic animals are cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horses and donkeys, as well as poultry, cats and dogs.

In its wild fauna species such as the squirrel, the rabbit, the hare, the armadillo, the cacomixtle, the coyote, the bat, the mouse, the house and field rat, the ounce, the badger, the gopher, the fox, the opossum, the skunk, the owl, the rattlesnake, the lizard, the mound and the buzzard.

Regions of the state of Puebla

The regions of the state of Puebla are the following:

- Region I Huauchinango.

- Region II Teziutlán.

- Region III Ciudad Serdán.

- Region IV San Pedro Cholula.

- Region V Puebla.

- Region VI Izúcar de Matamoros.

- Region VII Tehuacán.

Puebla is the fourth most populous state in the country, with a population of 6,168,883 inhabitants, according to official data from 2015.

The state was distributed in 1986 by socioeconomic regions, in response to planning needs.

Region I, Huauchinango

It is located in the northwest of the state, with Veracruz to the north and with the states of Hidalgo and Tlaxcala to the west. This region is the second most inhabited due to its excellent climatic and socio-cultural conditions. It has an area of ​​5903.5 km.

It has varied temperatures (hot, humid and cold), with abundant mist in the high areas and high rainfall throughout the year.

Rivers

It has abundant water resources that serve hydroelectric, human and agricultural purposes. Here are the Necaxa dams (which feeds the river of the same name) together with those of Patla and Tenango.

Flora

It has a predominantly wooded relief with hills and mountains, and a jungle area in Huauchinango.

Fauna

Its varied arboreal flora is made up of pines, cedars and fir trees. In its wildlife there are many species such as hawks, gophers, tigrillos, coyotes and wild rabbits.

Region II, northeastern sierra

It is located in the northeastern part of the state, bordering the state of Veracruz to the north. It has an area of ​​2509.3 km and is the fifth most populated region in Puebla.

It is a wooded region with a variety of microclimates, ranging from warm to cold, although the humid and rainy climate predominates throughout the year.

Rivers

Its most important natural attractions are the Apulco River, which serves as a tributary of the Necaxa, and the Martínez de la Torre (also known as Nautla in Veracruz).

Flora

It has wooded landscapes with a variety of tree species and extensive grasslands. In its relief, the Colorado, Ozuma, Toxcaitac, Las Ventanillas, La Bandera and El Pinal hills stand out.

Its flora is made up of arboreal species, such as the fir, pine, fir and laquidambar.

Fauna

Among its wildlife include hares, armadillos, gophers, squirrels, raccoons, opossums and foxes, which are in danger of extinction.

Region III, Serdán Valley

It is located in the center of the state of Puebla, limits to the east with Veracruz and to the west with Tlaxcala. It has an area of ​​5,300.6 km2 and a population of 598,305 inhabitants, making it the third most inhabited region in the state.

Flora

It has a diverse relief, composed of valleys, plains and mountains. Its flora is varied in which shrubs, herbs, nopales, algae, ferns, fungi and mosses stand out. In its mountains the climate is cold, while in the valleys it is temperate.

Pico de Orizaba, also called Citlaltépetl, is the highest formation and is its main wooded area. It also has a high mountain meadow with perpetual snow.

Its main natural attractions are the desert areas and several lagoons, among which Xolcingo, Quecholac, Alchichica, Tlapanalá, Aljojuca and Tecuitlapa stand out. It is a territory of pleasant climate and landscapes, especially in the valleys.

Fauna

Its wildlife is dominated by coyotes, badgers, wildcats, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, dogs, weasels and raccoons; some of these species are in danger of extinction. Reptiles such as rattlesnakes and chameleons also stand out.

Region IV, Angelopolis

This region is located in the central and western zone of the state. To the north it limits with Tlaxcala and to the west with the state of Mexico.

It has an area of ​​3,322 km2 and a population of 3 million, making it the most populated region in the state.

It has a temperate climate with occasional rains in summer, especially in the valley area, and it is cold around the mountains.

Among its natural attractions are valleys such as Puebla de Zaragoza, its capital city. Also noteworthy are the forested mountains, such as the Sierra de Tentzo and the Sierra de Nevada, as well as varied ravines such as El Salto, Trasquilla and Chichipilco and some isolated hills.

Cuexcomate, the smallest volcano in the world (barely 13 meters high), is another of its natural attractions. It was formed after the eruption of the Popocatépelt volcano in 1064 due to the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide.

Rivers

Its most important and mighty rivers are the Atoyac and the Alseseca. It also has several lagoons, intermittent streams and jagüeyes.

These are born on the slopes of the Popocatépetl, Iztaccihuatl and Malinche volcanoes, which are among its most important attractions. The rivers form the Manuel Ávila Camacho dams, which are located in Valsequillo.

Fauna

The native wildlife consists of quail and hawks, rabbits, gophers, coyotes, squirrels and hares. There are freshwater fish, amphibians, and bats.

In this region is the largest number of National Protected Areas in the state.

National Parks

- Zoquiapan and annexes.

- Iztaccihuatl-Popocatépetl.

- The Malinche.

Ecological park

- Flower of the Forest.

Ecological reserves

The hills include:

- Tepeyac.

- Zapotec.

- Amalucan.

- Totolqueme.

- Mendocinas.

- Eat it.

Region V, Atlixco Valley and Matamoros

It is located in the southwest of the state and borders Morelos to the west. It has an area of ​​3074 km2. It is a relatively small region and inhabited by just 40,000 inhabitants.

Its relief is formed by few mountainous formations, among which the foothills of the Sierra Nevada stand out and some hills such as Zacatoso, Toltepec, El Grande and Tapancale, La Mesa and Chicastlera.

The region basically comprises the Atlixco and Izúcar de Matamoros valleys, both located on the Puebla plateau.

Its climate is varied and ranges between temperate subhumid and warm subhumid with rains in summer (particularly in the valleys) and colder in the mountain areas.

Rivers

It is located in the Atoyac river basin and is crossed by the Nexapa rivers, a tributary of the Atoyac, and by the Atotonilco. Ravines like Huaxtepec and Posa Onda are formed from temporary currents.

The Epatlán lagoon is also located in this region, which contains aquatic species such as trout and the San Felipe lagoon.

Flora

The native flora is composed of tree species such as pine, cedar, palm, grasslands, the maguey and the ahuehuete. Deciduous and thorny bushes grow in the low forest.

It is a region with varied mineral resources: barite, limestone, clay, gold, silver, copper, lead, gypsum, iron, white marble and coal.

Fauna

Its typical fauna is composed of several species of birds, squirrels, skunks, rabbits, scorpions, spiders and snakes.

Atlixco

It is also called Atlixco de las Flores for being an area dedicated to floriculture. It has a temperate and warm climate with rains in summer.

Its attractions include the spring and the spa of Axocopan. They are medicinal sulfur waters, like the San Pedro and Los Molinos waterfalls.

Izúcar de Matamoros

It is a municipality with abundant springs, also with sulfur waters. It has the very busy Epatlan lagoon, where trout and crappie are caught and duck hunting is allowed.

Region VI, Mixteca

Mixteca is located in the southwest of the state, bordered to the east by Morelos and Guerrero, and to the west and south by Guerrero and Oaxaca, respectively. It has a very rugged geography.

This region serves as a natural bridge between the extensive areas of the Mixtec Nudo and the western slope of the Central Highlands. It covers an area of ​​8,849.6 km2 and is the least populated region of the state, with just 250,000 inhabitants.

It has a variety of climates, but the hot dry and the hot semi-dry predominate, with some rains in summer and little throughout the rest of the year. There is also a semi-arid sub-humid climate with rains in summer, and a temperate sub-humid climate with rains in summer.

In its rugged relief are located the Sierra Mixteca Baja, of which the Sierra de Acatlán is part. There, the Tenzó mountain range also stands out, with wide depressions. In this region there are intermountain valleys, such as Matamoros, Acatlán and Chiautla.

Some hills reach heights of up to 2500 meters above sea level. The most prominent hills are Temecate (1800 meters), El Largo, El Lobo, El Taberna, El Cuyun, El Pelillar, El Tambor, El Tlacuachito and others.

Rivers

The region is located on the slope of the Atoyac River, whose mouth reaches the Pacific Ocean through the Balsas River basin. There is the sub-basin of the Nexapa River and the Zinquihuila River. In the Atoyac basin there are also the Mixteco and Acatlán rivers.

Flora

Most of the territory is covered by grasslands and oak forests, in addition to low deciduous forest, secondary shrub vegetation and desert scrub. Species such as the mulatto duck, the tepehuaje, the chacha, the Brazilian wood and the ceiba inhabit this region.

Fauna

Its native fauna is made up of rabbits, chameleons, coyotes, snakes, scorpions, deer, bobcats and quails. Several of these species are in danger of extinction.

Region VII, Tehuacán and Sierra Negra

It is located in the southwest of the state and borders Veracruz to the north and Oaxaca to the south. Its geography is basically made up of valleys and mountains. It has an area of ​​about 5,000 km2 and has a population of approximately 600,000 inhabitants.

Its mountainous characteristic is reflected in the mountains of Zapotitlán and the Sierra Negra, with heights of more than 4600 meters above sea level, as is the case of Cerro la Negra. It is an independently formed extinct volcano.

The most important valley is the city of Tehuacán, the second most important in the state. Among its plains, Tepexi de Rodríguez stands out, with some hills such as Gavilán Grande, Chuco, Otate, Pozote, El Mirador and Machichi.

It has a diversity of climates, ranging from temperate-sub-humid to dry semi-warm, and dry and with little rain. Therefore, it has a wide variety of landscapes and ecosystems.

The region is crossed by the basins of the Papaloapan River and the Atoyac River with other subsidiary rivers such as the Salado. The Grande and Chica lagoons also stand out, located in San Bernandino Lagunas.

Flora

Its flora is made up of mesophilic pines and species of high and low forest.

Fauna

The typical fauna is composed of wild cats, deer, snakes, skunks, badgers, iguanas, rabbits and iguanas.

Protected natural areas

- Botanical Garden and Cactaceae Nursery.

- Edge of the Red Earth.

Biosphere Reserve

- Tehuán-Cuicatlán.

References

1. 7 Regions. Characteristics of the socioeconomic regions. Consulted on March 19, 2018 from planned.puebla.gob.mx
2. Puebla Natural Heritage. Consulted from sites.google.com
3. Regionalization. Consulted of inafed.gob.mx
4. Adventure through the rivers of Puebla. Consulted of mexicodesconocido.com.mx
5. Zacatlán. Valley of stones on top. Consulted of puebla.travel
6. Puebla's natural and cultural heritage (PDF). Consulted from institutowashington.com
7. Puebla. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org