Zacatlán
Encyclopedia
Zacatlán is a city, and the surrounding municipality
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...

 of the same name, in the northern region of the Mexican state of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....

. It is renowned as one of the country's foremost apple-growing regions, and is so sometimes called "Zacatlán de las Manzanas". The local cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...

 is famous, as is the traditional pan de Zacatlán, sweet pastries with cheese fillings.

Name

The name "Zacatlán" comes from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...

 zacatl ("zacate", a type of grass) and tlan ("place"): it thus means "place of abundant zacate".

Geography

Zacatlán is located at a height of 2,010 m above sea level in the Sierra Norte de Puebla
Sierra Norte de Puebla
The Sierra Norte de Puebla – known simply as the Sierra Norte by locals – is a mountain range that makes up the southern end of the Sierra Madre Oriental in central Mexico.-Mountain range:...

, on the left bank of the Río Laxaxalpa. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Chignahuapán, Aquixtla, Tetela de Ocampo
Tetela de Ocampo
Tetela de Ocampo is a town and municipality in the Sierra Norte region of the Mexican state of Puebla."Tetela" is a name of Nahuatl origin, containing the elements tetl and tla : it thus means "place of many hills"...

, Cuautempan, Tepetzintla
Tepetzintla
Tepetzintla may refer to:*Tepetzintla, Puebla*Tepetzintla, Veracruz...

, Ahuacatlán
Ahuacatlán, Puebla
Ahuacatlán is a municipio located in the Sierra Norte region of the Mexican state of Puebla. The seat of the ayuntamiento is the town of Ahuacatlán. The municipality is located in the northeastern portion of Puebla, approximately 124 km to the north of the state capital, the city of Puebla...

, Chiconcuautla, Ahuazotepec and Huauchinango
Huauchinango
thumb|200px|Center of Huauchinango.Huauchinango is a city and its surrounding municipality located in the northwestern part of the Mexican state of Puebla. The city is the eighth largest in the state, with a 2005 census population of 51,898 inhabitants. The municipality, which has an area of 160.75...

. The municipality covers a total area of 512.32 km².

The climate is wet, with year-long rains.

In the 2000 INEGI census, the municipality reported a population of 62,788, with 28,773 in the municipal seat.

Points of interest

  • The Franciscan Convent, work on which began in 1562.
  • Municipal Palace, built in the neo-classical style between 1876 and 1896.
  • The floral clock
    Floral clock
    A floral clock or flower clock is a large decorative clock set into a flower bed in a park or other public recreation area.The floral clock was a form of carpet bedding set onto an operational clock-face, invented in 1903 by John McHattie of Edinburgh Parks in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh and...

     in the main square, the only one in the world with two faces moved by the same mechanism.
  • Relojes Centenario: Clock factory and museum, manufacturers of the floral clock and many other monumental timepieces found across the country and overseas.
  • Los Claustros: The former cloisters of the Franciscan Convent, now used as a community cultural centre.
  • Casa de los Tormentos: A colonial house used as the local headquarters of the Holy Inquisition.

Gallery

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