Santiago Astata

Santiago Astata
Municipality and town
Santiago Astata

Location in Mexico

Coordinates: 15°59′N 95°40′W / 15.983°N 95.667°W / 15.983; -95.667Coordinates: 15°59′N 95°40′W / 15.983°N 95.667°W / 15.983; -95.667
Country  Mexico
State Oaxaca
Area
  Total 446.54 km2 (172.41 sq mi)
Elevation 30 m (100 ft)
Time zone Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
  Summer (DST) Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)

Santiago Astata is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region. The name "Astata" means "place of herons".[1]

The municipality covers an area of 446.54 km² at an elevation of 30 metres above sea level. The climate is very warm. Flora includes deciduous trees and shrubs such as passion fruit, cachimbo and mesquite. Wild fauna consist of deer, rabbit, badger and wild boar.[1]

As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 3,642 of whom 273 spoke an indigenous language.[1] A few people speak the lowland version of Oaxacan Chontal, a language that is in danger of extinction.[2] Economic activities include agriculture (beans, corn, sesame, sorghum, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes and peanuts), animal husbandry (cattle, goats and pigs), harvesting the ocean for fish and shellfish for the Salina Cruz market, limestone quarrying and logging.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Santiago Astata". Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México. Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  2. "Chontales". Go Oaxaco. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
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