San Mateo del Mar
San Mateo del Mar is a coastal town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region. It is the largest of four Huave towns in the region, the others being San Dionisio del Mar, San Francisco del Mar and Santa María del Mar.
San Mateo del Mar | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
  San Mateo del Mar Location in Mexico | |
| Coordinates: 16°12′N 94°59′W | |
| Country |  |
| State | Oaxaca |
| Area | |
| • Total | 75.2 km2 (29.0 sq mi) |
| Population (2005)[1] | |
| • Total | 12,667 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (Central Daylight Time) |
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 12667.[2]
Geography
The total area of the municipality is 75.2 km².[1] It is located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Climate
San Mateo del Mar has a warm climate, with rainfall in summer and early autumn.[1]
Wildlife
Flora include Pochote, Mesquite and Tepehuaje.[1] Fauna include wild boar, coyote, badger, rabbit, armadillo, chachalaca and buzzard.[1]
History
San Mateo del Mar was founded in 1606.[1]
Demography
The population of San Mateo del Mar, according to the 2005 Census, is 12,667.[1] There are 2,352 dwellings.[1]
Language
Almost all of the town's population speak a dialect of the Huave language. According to a 1990 census, 1,800 of these Huave speakers are monolingual.[3]
Religion
The predominant religion in San Mateo del Mar is Christianity, including both Catholic and evangelical adherents.[1]
The first church building in San Mateo del Mar was constructed under the supervision of Spanish priests between 1591 and 1620.[4] According to local legend, four men were buried alive at each corner of the church's foundation as it was built.[4]
Local facilities
Utilities
Ninety percent of the town has immediate access to drinking water.[1]
Education
The municipality has 3 kindergartens, 2 primary schools and 1 high school.[1]
Health care
There are four medical centres in San Mateo del Mar.[1]
Sport and recreation
The town has basketball, baseball and volleyball facilities.[1]
Places of interest
San Mateo del Mar has a museum with exhibitions about Huave culture, located at 'La Casa del Pueblo' (People's House).[5]
Economy
The main economic activities of San Mateo are commercial fishing and agriculture. Shrimp is the most common seafood export, and bass and bream are also commercially fished.[1] In terms of agriculture, residents grow crops such as corn and vegetables, and breed cattle, pigs and goats.[1]
In addition, some of the townspeople make crafts.<Encyclopedia/> Traditional crafts include basket-making, pottery and earthenware.<encyclopedia/>
See also
References
- "San Mateo del Mar". Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal. 2009. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
- "San Mateo del Mar". Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México. Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
- "Huave, San Mateo del Mar". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. SIL International. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
- Warkentin, Fishers of Men (1997), p. 13.
- "Sea Beach Tileme". oaxaca.travel. Secretary of Tourism and Economic Development of the State of Oaxaca. Retrieved 1 July 2011.