Turicato
Encyclopedia
Turicato is a municipality (municipio) in the state of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. Turicato comes from the word "turicata" that refers to a parasite that lives mainly in areas where there is cattle.

The municipality represents 2.62% of total land in the state
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...

. It is in the region known as "Tierra Caliente", or hot land, because during the dry season the region gets really hot. Most notably in the month of May you can see temperatures rise to more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. During the raining season in the summer the land converts to a very lush green forest region with streams running throughout the municipality.

It is a rural municipality in an area with rolling hills
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills may refer to:Canada* Rolling Hills, AlbertaUnited States* Rolling Hills, California, in Los Angeles County* Rolling Hills, Madera County, California* Rolling Hills Estates, California* Rolling Hills, Clark County, Indiana...

. The municipal seat is named Turicato as well. The town of Turicato is small, and has no more than 10,000 inhabitants. The rest of the inhabitants are from small scattered villages, tucked in the hills of the county. With dirt roads to reach most villages south of the capital, the people live a traditional life style. The majority, if not all of the county, is governed by the law of the land.

The municipality of Turicato is the heart of a drug turf war
Turf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...

, with military presence to combat the drug cartel
Cartel
A cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...

 that dominates the region. It is plagued by instability and is one of the most dangerous municipalities to live in or visit, because of the heavily-armed drug gangs and the family rivalries that are armed as well. They are normally armed with guns like the AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...

, AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....

, and others.

The best-known communities of Turicato are: Puruarán, Zárate, Cutzián Grande, and Santa Cruz. Several music groups have risen out of those villages. La Trafa Norteña and Los Norteñitos are the most popular groups that play in a wide variety of ceremonies, dances, and events.

The capital of Turicato is widely known throughout the county for its food. The most famous of these foods are the carnitas. People travel from all around the country to try these carnitas, which are unmatched by any other food. Another very traditional dish in the region is mole
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...

. This dish dates back to pre-colonial period and is a dish of the indigenous people.

Tapadas which are a five day celebration of bull-riding, cock fighting, and dances from prominent groups of Mexican musicians play all night long. This event is very famous from nearby municipalities people travel hours to enjoy the celebration. The first occurs in mid-January in the village of San Cristobal De Los Guajes...A.K.A Los Guajes. The other one occurs in mid to late November in Santa Cruz De Morelos.

The capital of Turicato is widely known throughout the county for its food. The most famous of these foods are the carnitas. People travel from all around the country to try these carnitas, which are unmatched by any other food. Another very traditional dish in the region is mole. This dish dates back to pre-colonial period and is a dish of the indigenous people.

To reach Turicato rom the capital of Morelia go to the Central Camionera and take a bus to Tacambaro (no more than 40 U.S dollars). From there you can either take a taxi to Turicato (for about less than 15 U.S dollars.) the capital of the county. To go into the heart of the county you can take "La Flecha" there are two different routes at different times. One of the routes goes to Santa Cruz via-Cutzian Grande, the other one goes to Las Nueces via Zarate.

As of August 2008 the region has been vary stable, violence has disappeared due to the presence of the military intervening. This is definitely the time to go especially when the region is lush and green.
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