Tehuantepec, Isthmus of

Tehuantepec, Isthmus of

Spanish  Istmo de Tehuantepec 

      isthmus in southern Mexico, between the Gulf of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico to the north, and the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific Ocean to the south. From gulf to gulf the isthmus is 137 miles (220 km) wide at its narrowest part; and it is 120 miles (193 km) from the Gulf of Campeche to the head of Superior Lagoon, an inlet on the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The isthmus is a broad, plateaulike ridge. Its climate is hot, but Pacific winds often bring relief. The northern side is swampy and densely covered with tropical forest; the Pacific slopes on the south are drier.

      Although the isthmus has been considered a favourable transportation route since the early 16th century, it was rejected as an interoceanic canal site because construction of the canal would have been too costly. Instead, a railroad extending 192 miles (310 km) from Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of Campeche to Salina Cruz on the Gulf of Tehuantepec was opened in 1907. The isthmus is connected to Veracruz, Mexico City, and the Guatemalan border by rail. Salina Cruz is a free port with large dry docks. The town of Tehuantepec is the cultural centre of the Tehuana people, whose social organization is matriarchic and whose gold jewelry is especially distinctive.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tehuántepec, Isthmus von — Tehuántepec, Isthmus von, die schmälste Stelle des nordamerikan. Kontinents, zwischen dem Golf von T. im S. und dem Golf von Coatzacoalcos am Mexikanischen Meerbusen (s. Karte »Mexiko«) im N., die 210 km breit ist und das Hochland von Guatemala… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Tehuantepec,Isthmus of — Te·huan·te·pec (tə wänʹtə pĕk , tĕ wänʹtĕ ), Isthmus of An isthmus of southern Mexico between the Bay of Campeche and the Gulf of Tehuantepec, a wide inlet of the Pacific Ocean. * * * …   Universalium

  • Tehuantepec, Isthmus of — geographical name the narrowest section of Mexico, between Gulf of Tehuantepec (on Pacific side) & Bay of Campeche; 137 miles (220 kilometers) wide at narrowest point …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Isthmus of Tehuantepec — The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec… …   Wikipedia

  • Isthmus (Geographie) — Ein Isthmus aus Sand verbindet den nördlichen und südlichen Teil von Bruny Island bei Tasmanien Ein Isthmus (aus dem Griechischen ἰσθμός, isthmos, Plural isthmoi) ist ein relativ schmaler Streifen Land, der zu beiden Seiten von Wasser begrenzt… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tehuantepec — (in full, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec) is a town and municipality in the southeast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The 2005 census reported a population of 39,529 in the town and 57,163 in the entire municipality, which has an areal extent of 965.8 …   Wikipedia

  • Isthmus von Tehuantepec — Der Isthmus von Tehuantepec ist eine Landenge (Isthmus) in Mexiko. Er stellt die kürzeste Landverbindung – etwa 200 km Luftlinie – zwischen dem Golf von Mexiko und dem Pazifik dar. In den Jahren 1888 bis 1893 wurde unter Leitung… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tehuantepec — • Diocese in the Republic of Mexico, suffragan of Oaxaca Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Tehuantepec     Tehuantepec     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Isthmus von Panama — Der Isthmus von Panama ist eine Landenge, die im Norden von der Karibischen See und im Süden vom Pazifischen Ozean begrenzt wird. Er stellt gleichzeitig die Landbrücke zwischen Nordamerika und Südamerika dar. Der Isthmus bildete sich vor etwa… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tehuantepec —   [teu̯ante pɛk], Sạnto Domịngo Tehuantepec, Stadt im Bundesstaat Oaxaca, Mexiko, 100 m über dem Meeresspiegel, 60 000 Einwohner; katholischer Bischofssitz. Der Isthmus von Tehuantepec, 216 km zwischen Golf von Campeche im Norden und Golf von… …   Universal-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

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