San Pedro Pochutla

San Pedro Pochutla is a small city and the seat of a municipality of the same name located on the southwest coast of Mexico in the state of Oaxaca. It is located 238 km. from the state capital, Oaxaca. The Pacific Ocean is 12 km. from the municipal seat.

Area and Population

The area of the municipality is 421 km2, which is 0.44% of the total area of the state of Oaxaca According to the 2000 census the population was 36,982, of which 18, 592 were men and 18,390 were women. The total population of the municipality represents l.08 % of the population of the state.

Origin of the name

The name means place of pochotes, which are ceibas, or silk-cotton trees. (Pochtl=pochote, ceiba y tla=place of)

Fauna

The area is rich in fauna. Animals found are iguana, deer, wild pig, armadillo, rabbit, badger, raccoon, jaguar, skunk, squirrel, otter, dove, and lovebird.

Natural Resources

There is an oil field in the place known as Aragón, about 5 kilometers from Puerto Angel. In 1937 this oil was going be be exploited by an English company which had set up all the necessary equipment for the work, but in 1938 President Lázaro Cárdenas expropriated the oil and the work was never carried out. Nothing has ever been done.

There is also an abundante of wood (huanacastle, caoba, ceder, guayancan, ocotillo, and grandillo) which is used in the furniture industry

The sea is also plentiful in its resources, which are a source of income and basic food for the local inhabitants.

Socio-demographic Profile

Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census the total population of indigenous peoples was 2,523 people. Their native languages are Zapotec and Zapotec Suredo.

Religion

The 2000 census revealed that 27,546 people declared themselves Catholic, while the non-Catholics were4,603 people.

Social and Communications Infrastructure

Supply

There are two municipal markets, El Calvario and 15 de diciembre. The basic foods of the town are beans, corn, banana, mango, orange, coconut. There is a street market on Mondays.

Sport

There is a small sports center where footballs, volleyball, basketball, and athletics are practicad. There is a natural swimming pool in the town of San José Chacalapa.

Housing

According to the 2000 census there were 4,495 dwellings in the municipality.

Public Services

According to the city government 90% of the families are supplied with drinking water, 80% have access to electrical lighting, 30% to urban stormdrains, 20% have garbage collection and public thoroughfare cleaning.

Means of Communication

Pochutla has one radio station, X.E.P.X, a newspaper, telegraph service, automatic telephone, post office, taxi service to different communities, local bus service, and long-distance buses that carry passengers to the state capital.

Communication Routes

The municipality has a paved highway that connects with the coastal highway; there are eight bus lines, some connecting with other places in the interior of the region, and another with the capital of the country.

Economic Activity

Agriculture

Coffee cultivation is the main source of rural employment and of income since it is of high quality and is exported. There is also cultivation of coconut, tropical plums and mango

Commerce

50 % of the population is envolved in comerse. Economically active population by sector According to the 2000 census the total economically active population of the municipality is 11,019. This is divided as following:

Primary (agriculture, cattle raising, hunting, and fishing): 27%
Secondary (mining, oil, manufacturing industry, construction, and electricity) 22%
Tertiary (Commerce, tourism, and services): 48%
Others: 3%

Cultural and touristic attractions

Historical monuments

There are fragments of walls and trenches on the hills of Vigía, Espino, and Cometa. Popular belief is that these are signs of battles between the local inhabitants and Turkish or Moorish pirates, who were known in olden times as "pichilingues". There is no historal evidence for these beliefs. .

The main church was begun in 1840 and finished in 1957. The municipal palace was built in 1873 and was renovated in 2003. Two new buildings were added, a pavilion and a small amphitheatre for local festivities. See [1] for photos.

Festivals, Dances, and Traditions

Popular Festivals

During the festival of the Patron Saint San Pedro, celebrated on 29 June, masked participants run through the streets announcing the festivities. Fireworks are popular and efigies of castles and bulls are burnt.

Traditions

At a very early tour the women g oto the mill with their nixtamal (cooked maize) in large earthernware jars called tinajas or tenetes. We can see this from tour o’clock in the morning. From 6 o’clock to 7 o’clock they do their shopping in the market. Next the streets are filled with children going to the different schools, then street vendors offering their products: pumpkin seeds, iguana or fish tamales, freshly fished shrimp, popsicles, and objects made of black coral.

Handicrafts

The town is known for figures and necklaces made of coconut, black coral, and wood,

Gastronomy

Pochutla is famous for its tamales made of iguana meta, deer, and armadillo Centros

Tourist Points

Locals and tourists both from the country and abroad visit the beaches of Puerto Angel and Zopilote.

External Links

Statistical information in Spanish]