| Tapachula, Chiapas | |
|---|---|
| — Town & Municipality — | |
| The location of baja guerrero negro baja california | |
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Tapachula, Chiapas
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Chiapas |
| Area | |
| • Town & Municipality | 117 sq mi (303 km2) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Town & Municipality | 282,420 |
| • Metro | 189,991 |
Tapachula is a town and (municipality) with a hot, humid climate in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is located in southern part of the state on the Soconusco coastal plain, near the border with Guatemala, at 14.91° N 92.27° W. In the 2005 census the population of the municipality was 282,420 people, whereas the city of Tapachula had a population of 189,991 (more than two-thirds of the municipality's total). The city and the municipality both rank second in the state in population, behind Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
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The population mix is culturally diverse. From Indigenous Mexicans and Mestizos, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, French and several others. The International Fair of Tapachula is celebrated during March with cattle agricultural and commercial exhibition.
(See image at this link for German presence in Tapachula.)
Important newspapers are the Tapachultecan "El Orbe" and the Soconuscan "El Diario del Sur"; radio can be received from both Mexico and Guatemala.
Important politicians, scientists, and artists were born in Tapachula, like Fray Matías de Córdova and Amparo Montes. During the history of the city several foreign cultures had influence in the rich history of the city. The Germans came during the coffee boom and created German villages and haciendas where their descendants live today, and haciendas like: Hamburgo, Bremen, Germania, etc. still remind us of the first Germans of the area. The Japanese and the Chinese also left a strong influence in Tapachula, in the cuisine and architecture. They came to construct railroads and were some of the first Asian immigrants in Latin America (the first recordings of Asians in Latin America were those coming on the Spanish Manila Galleons during the 16th century that connected what is now Acapulco, Mexico to Manila in the Philippines). Italian, French and other expats descendants still live along the Spanish, Mestizo and Indians of the region.
Tapachula is also known as a major point for the smuggling of illegal aliens from Central America. Here, they begin their trek northward. Before Hurricane Stan devastated the Soconusco region, a train system carried large numbers of these migrants weekly to the north.
Tapachula has an extensive metropolitan zone that includes several suburbs including beaches like Playa Linda, Puerto Madero, Viva Mexico a downtown Tapachula and even a Cruise Harbor named Puerto Chiapas (refurbished in 2005). The postal code for Tapachula is 30755.
changing trends of literacy around this city. Although there are not that many universities, most majors are offered from law and accounting (UNACH, CEST), to medicine and civil engineering (IESCH, Tecnologico de Tapachula), architecture and computer engineering (UVG).
Puerto Madero is a former name of the current Puerto Chiapas.
Tapachula's main attractions are:
Mexican Federal Highway 200 (a part of the Carretera Pacifico) and 225 pass through Tapachula. For air travel the city is served by the Tapachula International Airport.
