Huauchinango

History

The name is derived from the Nahuatl phrase Cuauhchinanco which means within a wall of trees. It has a coat of arms which consists of a rampant lion in gold on a black background. The first Spanish ruler for the area was Juan de Jaso, who was in charge of the encomienda. Tribute at this time consisted of clothing, honey, wax, liquidambar, chairs, labor in cotton and maize fields, and other services and household products. Huauchinango would remain an encomienda until the 18th century, with the last encomendero being José Sarmiento de Valldares, Count of Moctezuma and Duke of Atlixco. In 1792, it became part of the Puebla province. During the 19th century, troops from the area fought in the Mexican War of Independence, the Mexican American War and the French Intervention in Mexico, especially the Battle of Puebla. The French were expelled from the town in 1863 by General Miguel Negrete. In 1861, the town's official name became Huauchinango de Degollado to honor Reform War hero, Santos Degollado. In 1863, it became a local headquarters for Liberal forces. During the Mexican Revolution, the town was taken in June 1914 by Francisco I. Madero follower of Emiliano Márquez. It was taken again in 1915 by a faction under the leadership of Coronel Alejandro Denis. The annual celebration to honor the patron saint of the city, the Señor del Santo Entierro was officially declared in 1923. This annual event gave rise to the city's major commercial event, the Feria de las Flores starting in 1938. In 1982, the state of Puebla began to promote the event nationally and internationally.

Geography

The area around the city is filled with dozens of waterfalls, streams, dams and pine forest, which has not varied too much since the arrival of the Chichimecas. The municipality is located in the Sierra Norte de Puebla region, which is part of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The terrain is rugged with numerous mountains, waterfalls and deep depressions, with altitudes varying from between 1000 and 3000 meters above sea level. The highest altitudes are found in the southwest with the lowest areas in the northeast near the Necaxa and Tenango Dams. Main peaks include Teochocatitla, Huitzipetl, Azacamitl, Ixipetl, Chiltepetl, Cojuinalayola, Osamatípetl, Netatiltépetl and Tlahuatzapila. A noted peak near the city is Necaxaltepetl whose summit is frequently climbed by hikers. Most of the municipality is part of the Necaxa River basin with the extreme northeast belonging to the San Marcos River basin. The Nexaca forms in the south of the municipality, flowing southwest to northwest through deep ravines and forming waterfalls such as the Salto Chico and Salto Grande, both of which are used to generate electricity. The river feeds the Necaxa Dam along with tributaries such as the Texcapa, Chapultepec, La Malva, Hayatlaco, Dos Puentes, Xoctongo, Mazontla and Cuacuila. In the north, the main river is the Naupan, which is a tributary of the San Marcos River. Part of the Necaxa Dam reservoir is in the municipality. This dam was construction in 1900 and filled by the waters of the Necaxa and Tenango Rivers. In addition to water storage, the dam also generates electricity for the area. Other notable waterfalls include the Ocpaco, Totolapa and Teopancingo. The area is one of the wettest in the state of Puebla, mostly due to moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The municipality has two…

Most-observed species

• Social Flycatcher

  Myiozetetes similis (Spix, 1825) · Aves
  166
• Black Vulture

  Coragyps atratus (Bechstein, 1793) · Aves
  155
• Brown Jay

  Psilorhinus morio (Wagler, 1829) · Aves
  155
• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  94
• Wilson's Warbler

  Cardellina pusilla (A.Wilson, 1811) · Aves
  80
• Montezuma Oropendola

  Psarocolius montezuma (Lesson, 1830) · Aves
  79
• Clay-colored Thrush

  Turdus grayi Bonaparte, 1838 · Aves
  77
• Black-throated Green Warbler

  Setophaga virens (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  73

Most recent

• M 4.7 — 2016-02-08
  5 km WSW of Atecax, Mexico
• M 3.9 — 2010-05-20
  3 km N of La Estancia, Mexico
• M 3.2 — 2008-12-13
  5 km E of San Martín Ahuatepec, Mexico
• M 3.4 — 2008-08-09
  4 km N of Villa Mariano Matamoros, Mexico
• M 3.8 — 2006-12-14
  1 km SW of Ciudad de Nanacamilpa, Mexico
• M 4 — 2005-08-07
  2 km W of San Isidro, Mexico