Tapachula

Tapachula, Chiapas
—  Municipality  —
File:Tapachula vista Par Vial.jpg
The location of Tapachula in Chiapas
Tapachula, Chiapas Location in Mexico
Coordinates: 14°54′N 92°16′W / 14.9°N 92.267°W / 14.9; -92.267
Country	Mexico
State	Chiapas
Area
- Municipality	117 sq mi (303 km2)
Population (2005)
- Municipality	282,420
- Metro	189,991

Tapachula is a municipio (municipality) and city with a hot, humid climate in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is located in southern part of the state on the Soconusco coastal plain, near the border with Guatemala, at 14.91° N 92.27° W. In the 2005 census the population of the municipality was 282,420 people, whereas the city of Tapachula had a population of 189,991 (more than two-thirds of the municipality's total). The city and the municipality both rank second in the state in population, behind Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

The city has one of the highest GDP per capita in Mexico, and it is known sometimes as "Perla del Soconusco" ("Pearl of Soconusco").^{[citation needed]}

Culture

German Finca in Tapachula

The population mix is culturally diverse. From Native Americans and Mestizos, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, French and several others. The International Fair of Tapachula is celebrated during March with cattle agricultural and commercial exhibition.

(See image at this link for German presence in Tapachula.)

Important newspapers are the Tapachultecan "El Orbe" and the Soconuscan "El Diario del Sur"; radio can be received from both Mexico and Guatemala.

Important politicians, scientists, and artists were born in Tapachula, like Fray Matías de Córdova and Amparo Montes. During the history of the city several foreign cultures had influence in the rich history of the city. The Germans came during the coffee boom and created German villages and haciendas where their descendants live today, and haciendas like: Hamburgo, Bremen, Germania, etc. still remind us of the first Saxons of the area. The Japanese and the Chinese also left a strong influence in Tapachula, in the cuisine and architecture. They came to construct railroads and were the first Asian immigrants in Latin America. Italian, French and other expats descendants still live along the Spanish, Mestizo and Indians of the region.

Migration

Tapachula is also known as the point at which the undocumented migrants from Central America begin their trek northward in search of jobs, and a better life. Before Hurricane Stan devastated the Soconusco region, a train system carried large numbers of these migrants weekly to the north.

Metropolitan area

Tapachula has an extensive metropolitan zone that includes several suburbs including beaches like Playa Linda, Puerto Madero, Viva Mexico a downtown Tapachula and even a Cruise Harbor named Puerto Chiapas (2005). The postal code for Tapachula is 30700.

Education

The city is an exemplary cultural hub with strong involvement from the government of Mexico changing trends of literacy around this city. Although there are not that many universities, most majors are offered from law and accounting (UNACH, CEST), to medicine and civil engineering (IESCH, Tecnologico de Tapachula), architecture and system engineer (UVG).

Puerto Madero is a former name of the current Puerto Chiapas.

Notable features

Tapachula's main attractions are:

• The colonial-era Temple of San Agustín
• The Archaeological Museum,
• The German houses and Haciendas,
• The variety of Asian cuisine,
• The pyramids of Izapa
• The beach of San Benito
• The central park

Air travel

The city is served by the Tapachula International Airport.

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática

External links

• Ayuntamiento de Tapachula Official website
• Turism of Tapachula No Official website Turism

Coordinates: 14°54′N 92°16′W / 14.9°N 92.267°W / 14.9; -92.267

v • d • e   State of Chiapas Tuxtla Gutiérrez (capital) Municipalities Acacoyagua  · Acala  · Acapetahua  · Aldama  · Altamirano  · Amatán  · Amatenango de la Frontera  · Amatenango del Valle  · Ángel Albino Corzo  · Arriaga  · Bejucal de Ocampo  · Bella Vista  · Benemérito de las Américas  · Berriozábal  · Bochil  · El Bosque  · Cacahoatán  · Catazajá  · Chalchihuitán  · Chamula  · Chanal  · Chapultenango  · Chenalhó  · Chiapa de Corzo  · Chiapilla  · Chicoasén  · Chicomuselo  · Chilón  · Cintalapa  · Coapilla  · Comitán  · La Concordia  · Copainalá  · Escuintla  · Francisco León  · Frontera Comalapa  · Frontera Hidalgo · La Grandeza  · Huehuetán  · Huixtán  · Huitiupán  · Huixtla  · La Independencia  · Ixhuatán  · Ixtacomitán  · Ixtapa · Ixtapangajoya  · Jiquipilas  · Jitotol  · Juárez  · Larráinzar  · La Libertad  · Las Margaritas  · Las Rosas  · Mapastepec  · Maravilla Tenejapa  · Marqués de Comillas  · Mazapa de Madero  · Mazatán  · Metapa  · Mitontic  · Montecristo de Guerrero  · Motozintla  · Nicolás Ruíz  · Ocosingo  · Ocotepec · Ocozocoautla de Espinosa  · Ostuacán  · Osumacinta  · Oxchuc  · Palenque  · Pantelhó  · Pantepec  · Pichucalco  · Pijijiapan  · El Porvenir  · Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán  · Rayón  · Reforma  · Sabanilla  · Salto de Agua  · San Andrés Duraznal  · San Cristóbal de las Casas  · San Fernando  · San Juan Cancuc  · San Lucas  · Santiago el Pinar  · Siltepec  · Simojovel  · Sitalá  · Socoltenango  · Solosuchiapa  · Soyaló  · Suchiapa  · Suchiate  · Sunuapa  · Tapachula  · Tapalapa  · Tapilula  · Tecpatán  · Tenejapa · Teopisca  · Tila  · Tonalá · Totolapa · La Trinitaria  · Tumbalá  · Tuxtla Chico  · Tuxtla Gutiérrez  · Tuzantán  · Tzimol · Unión Juárez · Venustiano Carranza  · Villa Comaltitlán  · Villa Corzo  · Villaflores  · Yajalón  · Zinacantán