Demographics of Michoacán

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Michoacán
Image:Mx-mich.gif
Location
Statistics
Capital Morelia
Area 59,928 km²
Ranked 16th
Population
(2005 census)		 3,966,073
Ranked 7th
HDI (2004) 0.7422 - medium
Ranked 29th
Governor
(2002-2008)		 Lázaro Cárdenas Batel (PRD)
Federal Deputies PRD:8
PAN:4
Federal Senators PRD:2
PAN:1
ISO 3166-2
Postal Abbr.		 MX-MIC
Mich.

Michoacán de Ocampo (Also spelled Mixoacán by some Chicanos.)(From michamacuan, Nahuatl for "the place of the fishermen") is one of the 31 constituent states of Mexico. It borders the states of Colima and Jalisco to the west, Guanajuato and Querétaro to the north, México to the east, Guerrero to the south-east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Michoacán has an area of 59 864 km² (23 113.62 square miles). In 2003 the population was estimated at 4,047,500 people. Its state capital is the city of Morelia (previously known as Valladolid).

Michoacán also contains the cities of Apatzingán, Huetamo, Zirandaro, San Lucas, Ciudad Hidalgo, Jacona, Jiquilpan, La Piedad, Lázaro Cárdenas, Los Reyes, Paracho, Pátzcuaro, Aquila, El Triunfo, Coalcoman, Puruándiro, Sahuayo, Uruapan, Zacapú, Zamora, and Zitácuaro. The state's pre-Columbian sites include the ruins of Tzintzuntzan, Ihautzio, and Tingambato.

The area around Angangueo in northeast Michoacán is famous for the beautiful monarch butterflies that spend the winter in the surrounding mountains.

The migration of Michoacán inhabitants to the United States during the late 20th and early 21st centuries has been extensive. The migration is primarily economically driven, with most migrants providing financial support to their families in Mexico by sending money back home.

On September 19, 1985, an earthquake measuring approximately 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Michoacán and inflicted severe damage on Mexico City. Estimates of the number of dead range from 6,500 to 30,000. (See Great Mexican Earthquake.)

On August 11, 2006, an earthquake measuring approximately 5.9 on the Richter scale struck the southeastern part of the state. It was felt in Mexico City also, but no casualties or damages occurred.

Contents

[edit] Demographics

The population in Michoacan is mainly Mestizo and Mulatto, but has also a great Pre-Hispanic civilization, the Tarascans in the north-eastern region, also called P'urhépecha by some. The Aztecs attempted more than once to conquer the Tarascan lands, but never attained their goal. On the coastal region there are still people with a large African influence, while the northwest region has a largely Mestizo population, with a minority decended from Andalusians.


[edit] Mulattos of Michoacán

Note: The following is about the people of Michoacán who live in the Coastal Region, who are a blend of mainly African, European, and Amerindian. Many don’t even know that they possess African blood. Some just refer to themselves as just “Michoacános” or “Mexicans” because they believe that there is no need for segregation, and that a Mestizo is not the definition of a Mexican even though Mestizos are the majority in other regions such as Coahuila and Chihuahua. The Mulattos, that live in Coastal Region such as BuenaVista and Aquila are known their delicious Soul Food Recipes that derive from African influence such as Carnitas, Morisqueta, Champurado(Atole), Mashkuta, Chongos, Churipo, and Special type of Tamales such as Uchepos, Corundas,chakikurindas. Many of these regional foods are now known throughout the rest of Mexico.

[edit] Fauna of Michoacán

The main carnivores of the state are the Jaguar, Jaguarundi, Cougar, Ocelot, Margay, Coyote, and boa constrictor, other inhabitants of the state are the White-nosed Coati, racoons, squirrels, skunks, armadillos, the Ringtail, the White-tailed Deer, and a kind of wild pig named jabalí by the Spanish.

Reptiles include the spiney tailed iguana, Mexican beaded lizard, a species known as nolpiche is believed to be venomous by the local people but it is not, cnemidophorus, horrible spiny lizard, spiny lizard, Cope's largescale spiny lizard, bunchgrass lizard, rattlesnake, coral snake, ornate box turtle, new world sunbeam snake, trimorphodon and many others.

Some of the birds of the state are chachalaca, roadrunner, dove, caracara, golden eagle, vulture, quail, groove-billed ani locally known as "chicuaro", great horned owl, barn owl, and crow

[edit] External links

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Political divisions of Mexico