The southwest of Mexico is made up of three states of Mexico: Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas. It is one of the eight regions in which the country is divided. At the level of extension, the Mexican southwest has more than 200 thousand square kilometers of surface.
Although it is wide, it is very far from the larger region, since the northwest has more than 750 thousand square kilometers. One difference between the two zones is that the Southwest only consists of three entities and the Northwest consists of six states.
Map of southwestern Mexico. Source: Hpav7, via Wikimedia Commons.
Its large size does not translate into the number of inhabitants, being the third least populated region in the country with almost 13 million people. It has fewer inhabitants than the northeastern and southeastern regions of Mexico.
Of the three states that make up the southwest, Chiapas is the most populated thanks to its more than five million people according to the 2018 census. The most populated city in the southwest is in the state of Guerrero, thanks to Acapulco de Juárez with more of half a million people.
Acapulco is precisely one of the best known places in Mexico worldwide. The city is of great importance to the Southwest region for its tourist activity. It is also a vital port for the arrival of international and national vessels.
A not so positive characteristic is that the seismic activity in this region is high, being the highest in the country. In the 21st century alone, 27 earth movements have been felt above 6 on the Richter scale of the 48 that have been recorded throughout the nation. Of course, most of them have not caused significant damage.
state
The southwestern region limits the north with several states: Morelos, Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla and the State of Mexico. The Pacific Ocean is located in the south of the region and to the west is Michoacán. In the east, the southwest borders Guatemala.
The three states that make up the Southwest region are considered very traditional. It maintains many festivals and ceremonies of antiquity. The production of handicraft objects is also common.
The Mayan civilization had a great impact on this region, although traces of Mixtec and Zapotec peoples have also been found.
This is the representation of Quiáhuitl, who is part of the legend from which the name of Acapulco arose. Source: Codex Magliabechiano
Oaxaca is the largest state with its 90 thousand square kilometers, but Chiapas is the territory with the largest amount of population. In turn, Guerrero has been characterized by its constant migratory movements. It is estimated that more than 70 thousand people seek a better future in the United States.
Warrior
The state of Guerrero's capital is the city of Chilpancingo de los Bravo. Acapulco de Juárez, better known simply as Acapulco, is the place with the most inhabitants in the state. It ranks as the twelfth city with the largest population in all of Mexico.
African-American communities are very present in this part of the Mexican southwest. Specifically the so-called Afro-Mexicans. It has been calculated that at least 16 municipalities in the state have a population of Afro-descendants of more than 10%.
The indigenous groups of this region are usually grouped in high areas, specifically in the mountains. The four most representative communities are the indigenous people of the Nahuatl culture (with more than 150 thousand people), the Mixtecs (130 thousand), the Tlapanecos (120 thousand) and the Amuzgo groups (40 thousand inhabitants).
It is the state with the largest number of migrants to other states in the country. Among the causes that most affect the stability of the communities in the state is unemployment. Indigenous communities are the most marginalized in this area.
Oaxaca
This state has an important influence of indigenous cultures. It is estimated that 35% of the population speaks some language of these civilizations. Among the most common and practiced is the Zapotec language (which can have more than 60 variants), Mixtec, Mazatec and Mixe.
It has three places that were declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacán, Monte Alban and Palenque. It was even the first state in Mexico to present its proposals for heritage sites to UNESCO.
This state has 570 municipalities, the vast majority are managed autonomously. It was, along with Puebla, the third state to be created (on December 21, 1823). Of the 31 existing entities and the capital of the country, Oaxaca is the ninth state with the largest population and the fifth in terms of area.
Chiapas
It is one of the states with the largest number of inhabitants in Mexico. It was founded in September 1824 and currently has 124 municipalities.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is its capital and also the city where the most people live. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Mesoamerican cultures were very influential in the area. The Olmecs, Mayans, and Chiapas were among the most significant groups in the state.
Indigenous groups have been especially ignored in recent decades. This has caused a large number of conflicts and acts of violence in the state.
Women in typical Chiapas costumes
It is a state that has been characterized by its production at the mining and coffee levels and the extraction of amber.
One of the most representative personages of the state was Matías de Córdova. This religious participated in the independence of Chiapas in the 19th century.
Weather
Warm weather is the most common in the southwestern region of Mexico. More than 60% of the state of Guerrero has this environment. In Chiapas it is usually present in low altitude areas.
In Oaxaca perhaps the greatest variety of temperature occurs. The mountainous reliefs in the entity have a great impact on the presence of winds and different ecosystems. You can see areas that alternate between warm and semi-warm climates. There are also semi-cold, semi-dry or temperate areas.
The rains in the southwest are present during the summer season. The highest altitude areas are where the level of rainfall is highest.
Temperatures
The average of the three southwestern states of Mexico is usually similar. Guerrero has an average during the year of 22 degrees centigrade. During the month of September the rains are more abundant. In the municipality of San Luis de Acatlán the water levels are the highest in the state.
Chiapas and Oaxaca have similar figures regarding temperature. Two seasons have been established in this region, the rainy season and the dry season. The first runs from May to October and the second covers the months of November and April.
Culture
There are many different customs in each of the states in the southwestern region of Mexico. In Chiapas, the most important festival takes place between January 8 and 23. During three weeks, festivals are held in honor of the saints San Antonio de Abad and Esquipulas.
It is the oldest celebration in the state. It is believed that it began during the 17th century. The calendar of this festival has races, parties in honor of its saints, parades and dances.
September is a month full of celebrations in the state of Guerrero. At the end of the month the dance of the Tlacololeros takes place. It is a way of paying tribute to the peasants and the work they do to take care of their crops. Throughout the month Xilocruz, the banner and fairs such as San Mateo are also celebrated.
One of the most important contributions at the cultural level of Oaxaca has been its impulse at the art level. The entity has been the cradle of several renowned painters throughout history, especially in the 20th century.
Archaeological Zone of Mitla, Oaxaca (Mexico) Source: Norberto_Photography_Negrete
Rufino Tamayo and Lea Remba had a leading role in the creation of mixography. It is a skill that is responsible for embossing reliefs on paper. This procedure allows the work to gain three-dimensionality thanks to the depth effect. It also has a textured structure.
Economy
The economy of southwestern Mexico has been very unstable. Despite the efforts of the governments of the moment, it has not yet been possible to create projects that will end up boosting the economic health of the region.
For 2016, one of the government plans was based on the creation of four areas called Special Economic Zones (SEZ). There was not much clarity in the management of these places and they were not able to curb the levels of poverty that were experienced in the region of the Mexican southwest.
The idea of the special zones was to create more attractive sites to generate the interest of new industries. In this way, the government planned to generate more employment opportunities in the area, the presence of more and better services and a better quality of life for the communities present.
In November 2019, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador canceled these projects that proved to be inefficient.
Besides tourism, the other activity of great importance in the area is agriculture. In the state of Guerrero, the production of products such as coffee, corn and rice is common. You also work with fruits such as mangoes or watermelons.
In the part of Guerrero, one of the most important tourist destinations in the region is located thanks to the presence of Acapulco. Although we must not forget the interest that places such as Ixtapa or Taxco arouse.
Flora
Most of the surface of the Mexican southwest region is made up of jungle. There are more ecosystems just as relevant as wooded areas, where pine trees are present. Or areas of scrub that benefit from the temperate characteristics of the climate in the area.
Christmas flower. Source H. Zell: Chachalaca. Source: Cloned Milkmen from Canada
Each of the states has different natural areas that are protected. The goal is to care for existing species and minimize the impact of human activities on their ecosystems.
Fauna
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN for its acronym in English), is an organization that is based in Switzerland and was founded in 1948. Its objective is to provide support to countries or communities to guarantee the conservation of their natural spaces.
In the case of Mexico, this body established that it is one of the countries with the most endangered species. Specifically, it occupies the fifth position in this ranking.
Even the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) reaffirmed in several studies that different ecosystems in the region have been damaged. This has caused, over time, the decline of almost a hundred species in the southwestern area of Mexico.
Some of the most representative animals that are in danger in the southwest area are the quetzal, the jaguar, some families of parrot, otters and several other types of wild animals.
In addition, in the region it is also possible to get other types of animals. There are snakes, more exotic birds such as chachalacas or roadrunners and insects of all kinds.
To worsen the issue of endangered species, researchers believe that Mexico is not prepared to stop this problem. There are no bills or laws that are effective when it comes to dealing with the issue.
Gastronomy
The traditional dishes of southwestern Mexico have benefited from all kinds of cultures. The Spanish contributed their part after the conquest, although it also has elements of French food, pre-colonization cultures and indigenous peoples.
One of the most complicated elaborations, not only in the southwest but in all of Mexico, are the seven Oaxacan moles. They are the black mole, the yellowish one, the red mole, the green one, the chichilo, the manchamanteles and the red mole.
A traditional drink is tascalate, which is made from corn and is sweet. Tamales are also eaten. Some more exotic foods consist of eating the meat of animals such as iguana or armadillos, although it is also common to consume rabbit or deer.
Sale of the Huitlacoche in Soriana Oaxaca Mexico. Taken and edited from: Nsaum75 at English Wikipedia.
Food in the state of Oaxaca was declared ten years ago as an intangible cultural heritage of Humanity, a designation granted by UNESCO. Although it is associated more with the seven moles, it is believed that there are hundreds of preparations for the preparation of the moles in the state.
References
- Arriola, A. (2003). Popular religiosity on the southern border of Mexico. Mexico: Conaculta-INAH.
- Cicco, G., Brockington, D. and Noguera, E. (1956). Archaeological survey in the southwest of Oaxaca. Mexico: National Institute of Anthropology and History.
- Covarrubias, M. (1980). Southern Mexico. National Indigenous Institute.
- Gadow, H. (2012). Travels of a naturalist through southern Mexico. Mexico DF: FCE - Economic Culture Fund.
- González Jácome, A. (2008). Wetlands in the southwest of Tlaxcala. Mexico, DF: Universidad Iberoamericana.