Chiapas

Chiapas
/chee ah"pahs/, n.
a state in S Mexico. 1,933,000; 28,732 sq. mi. (74,415 sq. km). Cap.: Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

* * *

State (pop., 2000: 3,920,892), southeastern Mexico.

Covering 28,653 sq mi (74,211 sq km), its capital is Tuxtla Gutiérrez. It is mountainous and forested and is bounded by Guatemala and the Pacific Ocean. Most of its inhabitants are Indian peoples. The extraordinary Maya ruins of Palenque are in the northeastern rainforests. Bonhampak, with its famous Mayan murals, can be reached from the capital. Linked with Guatemala in colonial days, Chiapas became a Mexican state in 1824; its boundaries were fixed in 1882. In 1994 impoverished Indians and middle-class residents, protesting economic and social inequalities, formed the Zapatista National Liberation Army and launched an armed uprising that continued into the 21st century.

* * *

  estado (state) of southern Mexico. It is bounded to the north by the state of Tabasco, to the east by Guatemala, to the southwest by the Gulf of Tehuantepec (Tehuantepec, Gulf of) and the Pacific Ocean, and to the west by the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz. The capital and largest city is Tuxtla (Tuxtla Gutiérrez).

 The relief of Chiapas is dominated by the Sierra Madre de Chiapas and associated plateaus of the Chiapas Highlands. Virtually the entire state is forested, including the vast Lacondón rainforest in the east. Among the more spectacular Mayan (Maya) ruins are Bonampak, where intricate murals are preserved, and Palenque, which is part of a national park designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Chiapas is home to one of the largest indigenous populations in Mexico; about one-fourth speak Mayan (Maya languages) dialects or related languages. More than half of the people inhabit impoverished rural areas, making subsistence agriculture the basis of the state's economy. Chiapas grows a leading share of Mexico's corn (maize), along with beans, bananas, coffee, and cacao. Also of note are livestock raising and logging. Petroleum is extracted in the eastern part of the state.

      Chiapas was linked with Guatemala in colonial days, but it became a Mexican state in 1824; its boundaries were fixed in 1882. In the 19th and 20th centuries, most of its people toiled in poverty under a small landowning elite, although some joined communal farms (ejidos) after the Mexican Revolution. The Pan-American Highway and a railway were extended across Chiapas in the mid-20th century, yet the state attracted little subsequent investment. In 1994 large numbers of both impoverished Indians and middle-class residents, protesting economic and social inequalities, created the Zapatista National Liberation Army and launched an armed uprising that continued into the 21st century.

      The executive branch of state government is led by a governor, who is elected to a single term of six years. Members of the unicameral legislature (the State Congress) are elected to three-year terms. Chiapas is divided into local governmental units called municipios (municipalities), each of which is headquartered in a prominent city, town, or village. Tuxtla is home to most of the state's cultural institutions, including the Regional Museum of Chiapas (founded 1939), with archaeological and historical collections; the Autonomous University of Chiapas (1975); and the University of Arts and Sciences of Chiapas (founded 1893; university status 1995). Area 28,653 square miles (74,211 square km). Pop. (2000) 3,920,892; (2005) 4,293,459.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chiapas — Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas   State   …   Wikipedia

  • Chiapas — Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas État libre et souverain de Chiapas …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Chiapas — Chiapas …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Chiapas — • The Diocese comprises almost the entire state of that name in the Republic of Mexico. San Cristobal Las Casas, formerly called Ciudad Real, is the episcopal seat, and is the principal city of the state Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • CHIAPAS — Par son relief, par son peuplement et par son économie, le Chiapas est une région plus centre américaine, et plus précisément guatémaltèque, que mexicaine. Le peuplement maya traditionnel s’accroche aux plateaux et chaînes calcaires des Altos (au …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Chiapas — (spr. tschiāpas, Las C.), mexikan. Staat, am Stillen Ozean (s. Karte »Mexiko«), 70,524 qkm und (1900) 363,607 Einw., ist größtenteils Gebirgsland. Über der Küstenebene steigt schroff die Sierra Madre an mit mehreren hohen Vulkanen (Soconusco 2380 …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Chiapas — Chiāpas, Las (spr. tschi ), südlichster Staat Mexikos, 70.524 qkm, (1900) 360.799 E., meist Hochebene, mit Urwäldern und ausgebrannten Vulkanen (Soconusco 2380 m); Hauptstadt Tuxtla Gutierrez (9395 E.); ältester Ort Chiapa de los Indios (ca. 1600 …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Chiapas — [chē ä′pəs] state of SE Mexico, on the Guatemalan border & the Gulf of Tehuantepec: 28,528 sq mi (73,887 sq km); pop. 3,210,000; cap. Tuxtla Gutiérrez …   English World dictionary

  • Chiapas — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar al autor princ …   Wikipedia Español

  • Chiapas — Chiạpas   [tʃ ], südlichster Bundesstaat von Mexiko, am Pazifik, 73 681 km2, (2000) 3,9 Mio. Einwohner, Hauptstadt ist Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Chiapas, zwischen dem Isthmus von Tehuantepec und der Grenze gegen Guatemala gelegen, ist nordöstlich der… …   Universal-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”