Santa María del Oro, Nayarit
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Santa María del Oro is both a municipality and a small town in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The population of the municipalilty was 20,849 (2000 census) in a total area of 912.90 km². The population of the town and municipal seat with the same name was 3,515 (2000).
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[edit] Origin of the name
Originally, in the year of 1530, the name of the place was “Santa María de Acuitapílco”, in honor of the patron saint of the place and the mine of Acuitapílco located at the end of the lake. In 1594 the place and the name were changed to “Santa María del Oro”, remembering the three mines of fine gold near the town.
[edit] Location
Santa María del Oro is located in the south of the state of Nayarit, between parallels 21° 09’ and 21° 34’ latitude north and meridians 104° 23’ and 104° 49’ longitude west; it is bounded in the north by the municipalities of El Nayar and Tepic; in the south by the municipalities of Ahuacatlán, Jala and San Pedro Lagunillas; in the east by the municipality of La Yesca; and in the west by the municipalities of Xalisco and Tepic. See maps at [1] and [2].
The territorial extension is 912.90 km², which makes up 3.31% of the state territory, and it is the tenth largest municipality in the state.
[edit] Population centers
The main settlements in the municipality are: Santa María del Oro with 3,314 inhabitants (1990 census), La Labor with 2,188; El Ahualamo with 1,681; San José Mojarras with 1,586; Chapalilla with 1,534; and Tequepexpan with 1,113 inhabitants. These communities make up 55% of the total population. There are 90 other villages, scattered throughout the mountains, where 45% of the remaining population lives.
[edit] Orography
75% of the territory is mountainous, formed mainly by the peaks of Tepame and Las Cuevas. Santa Maria del Oro is located on the north end of the Sierra Volcánica Transversal which includes the volcanos of Sangangüey in the north and Colima in the south. Semi-flat zones make up 17% of the surface, with some valleys like La Labor, San José de Mojarras and Santa María del Oro.
[edit] Hydrography
The hydrography is made up of the Grande Santiago River, which flows in the north, the Zapotanito, which rises on the north slope of the Tepeltitic and Tequepexpan peaks, the Acuitapílco, Santo Domingo, Las Huesitas, El Saladito, Arroyo Hondo, El Buruato, San Juan, La Galinda San Pedro, Agua Buena, La Tía and Cofradías. There is also the lake of Santa María del Oro of volcanic origen.
[edit] Climate
The climate is hot and humid, with rains falling between June and October, and the hottest months being from May to June. The average annual temperature is 22 °C and the annual rainfall is between 842 and 1,384.3 milimeters depending on year and location.
[edit] Flora and fauna
There are forests of pine and oak, which cover most of the territory. The flat lands have scarce vegetation. Wildlife is represented deer, jaguar, small rodents, and several aquatic species native to the region.
[edit] Socio-demographic profile
[edit] Ethnic Groups
The indigenous population was estimated to be 783 inhabitants (1990 census), which made up 4.28% of the municipal population. Almost all of them--777-- were Huicholes.
[edit] Demographic evolution
In 1995, 20,714 inhabitants were registered, while in 1990 there had been 19,181. This represents an average annual population increase of 1.37%. In the years 1960, 1970 and 1980 the census registered 12,592, 15,250 and 18,803 inhabitants, respectively. The population density was 23 inhabitants per square kilometer (1995). 49.7% of the inhabitants were female.
[edit] Religion
Over 90% of the inhabitants declared themselves to be Catholic, but there were small numbers of Evangelical Protestants.
[edit] Dwellings and quality of life
- Number of dwellings in 2000: 4,867
- Average number of occupants per dwelling: 5.0
- Percentage of dwellings with piped in water (1995): 93.2%
- Percentage of dwellings with electricity (1995): 93.5%
- Percentage of dwellings with drainage: 85.6%
- Number of dwellings with a radio: 3,767
- Number of dwellings with a videocassette: 1,184
- Number of dwellings with a blender: 3,807
- Number of dwellings with a television: 4,078
- Number of dwellings with a refrigerator: 3,113
- Number of dwellings with a washing machine: 2,379
- Number of dwellings with a telephone: 450
- Number of dwellings with an automobile or truck: 1,364
- Number of dwellings with a computer: 58
All statistics are from the 2000 census provided by National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Data Processing (INEGI)
[edit] Education
The educational infrastructure was made up of 88 schools: 28 preschool, 41 primary, 18 lower secondary, and one higher secondary. In 1995 the illiteracy rate was 13.2% of the population older than 15.
[edit] Health
There were seven medical units for first care operated by the Social Security system, four units of the Health Services of Nayarit, one unit of DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), and one belonging to the ISSSTE (Social Security for State Workers).
[edit] Economic activity
[edit] Agriculture
The total cultivated area in the municipality was 201.44 km² (1995), which made up 5.8% of the planted surface in the state and 7% of the value of production. The lands are mainly seasonal (96%) while 4% are irrigated. The main crop is corn (maize), occupying 56% of the planted area, which makes the municipality the largest producer in the stae and the third largest producer of sugarcane. It is also the second producer of peanuts. These three crops make up 95% of the planted area.
[edit] Animal raising
The land used for cattle raising was 768.02 km² in 1995. There were 27,280 head of cattle, 41,445 head of swine, 1,769 of horses, mules, and donkeys, 1,178 goats and 479 sheep. There were also 880 beehives and 1,573,315 poultry for meat and eggs. Santa Marís is the second largest producer of pork in the state, the third of poultry, and the second of eggs, after Tepic. There are several poultry and swine farms. It has 6.8% of the cattle production and 16.5% of the poultry production.
[edit] Fishing
Fishing is concentrated mainly in the lake of Santa María del Oro, where there is an organization of fishermen on a commercial scale. There are also rivers and streams where fishing is done for personal use or sport. The production is approximately from 6 to 8 tons a year of tilapia, mojarra, and white fish.
[edit] Forestry and mining
There were 43.89 km² of forest in 1995, with pine, oak, and huanacaxtle predominating. The volume of forest production was 8,160 m3 of wood, which made up 4.3% of the state total.
In mining there are deposits of gold, silver, and lead. The most important mines are located in Real de Acuitapílco and in La Labor. This activity was being carried out by panhandlers (gambusinos), but there is great potential.
[edit] Economically Active Population by Sectors
The EAP was 23% of the municipal population and was distributed in this way: 63.8% in agriculture; 11.6% in manufacturing; 21.3% in services; the remaining 3.3% in non-specific activities. It is estimated that 15.8% of the total population is urban and de 84.2% rural. Since the municipality is mainly agricultural there is a lot of sub-employment and migration to the United States of America.
[edit] Tourism
Almost all of the tourism is concentrated in the Laguna of Santa María del Oro, 35 km. south of Tepic, and 5 km. after the municipal seat. To reach the one-mile wide crater (2 km) lake, the paved road twists downwards. The road is narrow and steep and without margins. A former governor of Nayarit is said to have had the road constructed in order to build his lakeside villa. When temperatures soar on the plateau above, the valley remains slightly cooler below. La Laguna is popular as a day-trip or weekend place for city dwellers from Tepic and Guadalajara. They enjoy the dozen lakeside restaurants and several choices of accommodations.
