Asunción Nochixtlán

Asunción Nochixtlán
Municipality and town
Coat of arms
Asunción Nochixtlán Location in Mexico
Coordinates: 17°27′N 97°13′W / 17.450°N 97.217°W / 17.450; -97.217Coordinates: 17°27′N 97°13′W / 17.450°N 97.217°W / 17.450; -97.217
Country	Mexico
State	Oaxaca
Area
• Total	820.35 km2 (316.74 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	14,676
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)

Asunción Nochixtlán is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 820.35 km². It is part of the Nochixtlán District in the southeast of the Mixteca Region. The settlement, originally called Neochixtlán, was founded in 909 as a Mixtec military zone, by a ruler named Ndazahuidandaa. Between the years 1521-1522 the town suffered different epidemics (cholera, measles, smallpox, and plague). This caused the abandonment of the area. The new Nochixtlán was founded by Francisco Orozco on 1527. The economic activity of Nochixtlán is based on the agricultural, ranching and commerce activities. As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 14,676.^[1] The 16th-century church, Santa María de la Asunción, is notable for a number of fine colonial-era santos (statues of the saints).^[2]

History

Neochixtlán was founded in 909 as a Mixtec military zone, by its ruler Ndazahuidandaa. Between the years 1521-1522 the town suffered different epidemics (cholera, measles, smallpox, and plague). This caused that the people living there abandoned the area. After this event, the new Nochixtlán was founded on 1527 by Francisco Orozco. Francisco Orozco was helped by 50 Mixtecs who survived these diseases. All of them were intellectuals, who also did commerce activity. For this reason the town became known as "the traders' town". There is a myth that in 997 Quetzalcóatl, arrived to the municipality. He was a Mixtec God who disseminate the culture, science and art in this region. In 1997 was the 1,000 anniversary of this event. That is why people expect something to happen. On the same year (1997) Mexico achieved 75 years of public education. Its promoter was Nochixtlán Abraham's son. Nochixtlán Abraham Castellanos Coronado, who was a professor, writer, and philosopher, helped to develop the cultural values of this culture.^[1]

Economic Activity

Asunción Nochixtlán has two principal economic sectors: Agriculture forms part of one of these sectors. With the corn, bean and wheat harvest, agriculture is practice at a family level. The other principal sector is ranching. Asunción Nochixtlán is a municipality that forms part of the bovine ranching production. In terms of commerce, Asunción Nochixtlán trades crafts. It also has grocery stores, drugstores, furniture stores and hardware stores. The facilities that Asunción Nochixtlán offers are: hotel service, guest house and motels. According to INEGI in 2000, the active economic population of this municipality is 5,037 persons, but only 5,022 have a job. Of this amount of people, the primary sector (agriculture, ranching, fishing and hunting) has 27%. The secondary sector forms part with a 25% and the third sector (commerce, tourism and services) is leading the economic activity with 48% of the active population.^[1]

References