Key Facts

• Pronunciation: wa HA ka
• Size: 95,268 sq km (36,820 sq mi).
• Population: 3,506,821 (2005 census)
• Location: Center (approximate): 16 57 N 96 26 W

When Cortes decided it was time to settle down, he asked the King of Spain to give him Oaxaca. I'm not a big fan of Cortes, but his request does indicate how special this area is. Oaxaca is located at the convergence of the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges, resulting in a rugged and mountainous terrain with a large temperate central valley. In the southern part of the state the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountain meet the Pacific Ocean where the nine bays of Bahías de Huatulco interspersed with white sandy beaches stretch along the jagged coastline.

The central valley has seen civilizations develop, rise and fall over nearly 10,000 years. Today the valley is home to the largest city in the state, officially Oaxaca de Juarez but usually called Oaxaca. Oaxaca city, along with many lovely towns and villages in the valley continue to preserve skills, languages and customs from those earlier cultures.

Oaxaca is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located in the southern part of the country, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Oaxaca borders the states of Guerrero to the west, Puebla to the northwest, Veracruz to the north, Chiapas to the east, and the Pacific Ocean in the south.

The historic home of the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples, Oaxaca contains more speakers of indigenous languages than any other Mexican state.

The name "Oaxaca" comes from the Nahuatl "Hua-xyacac" imposed by invading Mexicas in the fifteenth century when they incorporated the region under their rule. "Hua-x" means "guajes", the flat green pods of the acacia tree common in the Oaxaca valleys; "Yaca" means "nose" and the "c" suffix is an abbreviated form of "tepec" or "location". Combined, they read "Huax yaca tepec" or "at the tip of guajes." The Spanish conquistadors transformed this to "Oaxaca."

Notable Oaxacans include beloved president Benito Juárez, born in the Oaxacan village of San Pablo Guelatao, the artist Rufino Tamayo, notorious president Porfirio Diaz, author José Vasconcelos, artist Francisco Toledo, shaman María Sabina, baseball player J. Alberto Canseco Díaz, and baseball player Vinicio Castilla.

Why visit?

It's hard to know where to start, but lets try -- there's food, culture, art, crafts, colonial architecture, festivals, markets, museums, archaeological sites and ecotourism.

History

Pre-Columbian

Monte Albán

If you happened into the Valley of Oaxaca 1,500 years ago you would have arrived during the golden age of a rich and thriving Zapotec state. Its administrative and ceremonial center, surrounding an enormous grand plaza paved with gleaming white stucco, sprawled across the top of Monte Albán. From their palace in this center, the Coquí, or hereditary lord, and his royal wife, along with their court governed over 100,000 people living on the terraced slopes of Monte Albán, on adjacent hills and in the surrounding valleys. Large cities within a day's walk at San Jose Mogote to the north, Dainzu to the east and near present day San Martín Tilcajete to the south were run by nobles under the control of the Monte Albán lords. Each of these next tier cities had their own ceremonial and administrative buildings where the local nobles oversaw the administration of surrounding villages.

Noble men wore breechclouts, sandals and sometimes capes. Noble women wore skirts and huipiles. They enhanced their appearance with elaborately braided hair and wore jewelry made from jade, pearls and conch shells. Headresses and face masks made of wood and jade were used by the noble lords to indicate their relationship to Cocyo (Lightning), the highest Zapotec god, and to other gods. Masks made from the flayed skin of captives underscored their role as warriors. Priests staged performances where, dressed as plumed birds, they would magically appear and disappear in alters specially constructed with hidden tunnels to enable their supernatural skills. On their deaths, nobles were buried in the most elaborate tombs found in mesoamerica. Individuals had adopted specialties based on their skills, training and lot in life. There were acrobats, jugglers, merchants, musicians, priests, soothswayers, ballpalyers, warriors, farmers and porters.

The forest that once covered the valley was long since gone and much of the land was now heavily farmed, irrigated from shallow wells and an extensive canal system. Crops included maize, beans, squash, peppers and avocados. Dogs and turkeys were raised for their meat.

The fine burnished gray, as well as red-on-orange, red-on-cream and black pottery produced in the valley was traded all over what is today Mexico. A Monte Alban bario existed at Teotijuacan and trade was well established with other population centers.

Danzante

Like politicians of today, the nobles worked to justify their positions in the minds of their people. Monuments celebrated their right to rule, showing venerated ancestors, captives they had taken in war and diplomatic meetings with other power centers.

Public reminders celebrated the power of Monte Albán. On display near the plaza at Monte Alban were forty carved stone "conquest slabs" each representing a city under control of the central government. City glyphs along with the dates of subjugation were shown with an inverted head if the city joined by conquest. Those joining via diplomatic means were shown with a vertical head.

This golden age of the Zapotec civilization developed with very little influence from other civilizations. Human presence in Oaxaca dates back to about 7500 BCE. Cave paintings found in Yagul, 25 km east of Oaxaca City, have been linked to nomadic Nugroups who first inhabited the valley of Oaxaca. One of the earliest manifestation of the Zapotecs is the ceremonial center of San Jose Mogote, located about 12 km north of Oaxaca City, and Teotitlán del Valle located about 28 km south-east. The decline of these centers is strongly associated with the construction of Monte Alban around the years of 500 to 100 BCE.

From 800 CE, Monte Alban gradually lost significance and in 1325 was invaded by Mixtecs from the north. The Mixtec culture reached its height shortly after this invasion when they made Mitla the center of their empire. The displaced Zapotecs captured Tehuantepec to the south. By the fifteenth century, the Zapotecs and Mixtecs had allied against a common enemy, the Mexicas who they fought to keep them from winning control of the trade routes to Chiapas, Veracruz and Guatemala.

In 1458 a Mexica campaigns under Emperor Moctezuma resulted in triumph for the Mexicas over the Mixtecs and by 1486, the Mexicas had established a fort on the hill of Huaxyácac, now called El Fortín, above present-day Oaxaca City. The Mixtecs were effectively subjugated, but, under the command of their king, Cosijoeza, the Zapotecs maintained political autonomy through complicated alliances with both the Mixtecs and the Mexicas.

Colonial Period

Everything changed in 1521. Word reached Oaxaca that Cortes had taken Tenochtitlán. The Zapotecs, who had benefitted from earlier alliances with potential adversaries, sent emmissaries to propose one with the Spanish. Cortes, who also had learned the value of alliances but alliances backed by force, sent Francisco de Orozco along with 400 Mexica soldiers to Oaxaca. Shortly after his arrival, a population of about 350,000 Zapotecs and Mixtecs had submitted. The lack of conflict spared Oaxaca the serious disruptions that occurred in the Valley of Mexico.

The Spaniards kept the indigenous chiefdoms in place to maintain control but implemented an estate system to exploit the area economically. In Oaxaca, which lacked major mines, operations were focused on the exploitation of the cochineal beetle, an insect which lives on nopal cacti and when processed results in a brilliant red dye. In the Mixtec and the valley regions livestock was the important economic activity. The death of many indigenous people as a result of the epidemics forced the Spaniards to bring black slaves from Africa. Some populations of African origin live today on the Oaxacan coast.

Santo Domingo

Also with the Spanish came a new religion, Christianity. The indigenous religious beliefs, with their rich world view and many gods, were transformed by the Dominican friars in Oaxaca. They adapted to the existing beliefs and today, we can still see the results of that adaptation in customs like the offerings made to land before planting and the celebrations of Day of the Dead.

Independence

On September 16, 1810 Miguel Hidalgo, the priest of the village of Dolores, issued his famous grito and set Mexico on it's road to independence from Spain. The Revolution was not seen as positive in Oaxaca and it took military action led by Mexican hero José María Morelos who took the city for the rebels in late 1812. The war ended in 1821. On February 3, 1824, the state of Oaxaca was founded within the newly independent Mexican Republic, after 303 years of Spanish rule.

Independence was followed by many years of turbulence, led mostly by the militarily minded Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna whose accomplishments included losing northern Mexico to the United States.

Santa Anna was forced out in 1855 by Benito Juárez, one of Oaxaca's and Mexico's most respected statesmen. Born to indiginous parents in the small Oaxacan village of San Pablo Guelatao, at the age of 12 in 1818, he walked to the city of Oaxaca in search of a better life. He became a lawyer, then a judge and then governor of the state of Oaxaca from 1847 to 1853, at which time Santa Anna forced him into exile because of his objections to the military dictatorship. While in exile, he helped draft the Plan of Ayutla as the basis for the liberal revolution in Mexico that forced Santa Anna to resign. Juárez became one of the key leaders of Mexico throug the "Reforma" which curtailed the power of the Catholic Church, abolishing clerical properties and separate religious courts, curtailed the power fo the military and adopted the Constitution of 1857, guaranteeing many civil and political liberties. Juarez's Oaxaca house is now a museum, housing many of the original furnishings.

Juarez was succeeded by another native Oaxacan, Porifirio Díaz who approached government with a different view. He ran Mexico with an iron fist, ignoring much of what had been accomplished during the Reforma. He did develop and modernize much of the country.

Ironically, Oaxaca benefited little from developments under Díaz and remained largely an agriculture-based economy with little new industry.

During the twentieth century, especially since the decade of the thirties, Oaxaca entered into a process of accelerated population growth. This period was also characterized by a desire to integrate indiginous culture with the larger population, resulting in an erosion of the Oaxacan cultural heritage. This turned around in the seventies and witht he support of local, state and the federal government Oaxaca has paid much more attention to preserving indigineous customs, languages and culture.

Recent

In May of 2006 a teachers strike, calling for higher wages, led to the occupation of many buildings and streets in Oaxaca's capital city. On June 14, 2006, the Oaxaca Teachers Union was evicted. By October of 2006, supporters of the strike, led by the Asemblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca (APPO), had grown to tens of thousands, calling for Oaxaca governor Ulises Ruíz Ortíz to resign. Demonstrators launched a widespread campaign of civil disobedience. The violence escalated, resulting in numerous confrontations, damage to many buildings and several deaths.

APPO's occupation of Oaxaca ended on the night of November 25, 2006, when the Federal Preventative Police, or PFP, cleared away APPO's last encampment in front of Santo Domingo church. During the subsequent months, civic leaders, Oaxaca's business community, and especially Oaxaca's tourism sector, have tried to bring Oaxaca back to its previous level of economic functioning. Since then, APPO has staged a series of marches. To date, these have been peaceful. Tourists are returning in large numbers, hotels and restaurants are open and the Zocalo is as lively as it was before.

Economy

Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in the Mexico. More than half the economically active population receives less than a minimum wage -- a large number recieve no income. Most of the municipalities are marginal. Because of this, Oaxaca has a high rate of migration to the north-west and the United States.

The Mexican government is attempting to stimulate the economy by developing manufacturing centers focused on textiles, and parts assembly as well as making investments in mining, forestry fishing and others.

Tourism focused investments have resulted in restored buildings, improved roads, public parks and targetted resort-style developments.

People

Baskets and weavings in a Oaxaca market

One of the main features of the Oaxaca is the diversity of its people. Indigenous groups include Amuzgos, Cuicatecos, Chatinos, Chinanteco, Chocholtecos, Chontales, Huaves, Ixcatecos, Mazatecos, Mixe, Mixtecs, Nahua, Triqui, Zapotecs and Zoques. Because the Spanish at imported slaves during the colonial perios, there are populations of African descent. Of the 570 municipalities that exist in Oaxaca, 418 have a presence predominantly indigenous. About one third of the population speaks a native language.

The Zapotecs are the largest indigenous group of Oaxaca and concentrated in the Tlacolula, Ejutla, Ocotlán, Centro, Zaachila, Zimatlán and Etla as well as in the southeren mountain regions and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Zapotec language is the most widely spoken language of Oaxaca. In the 2000 census, there were approximately 350,000 Zapotec speakers.

The Mixtecs are mostly concentrated in northwestern Oaxaca and smaller portions of Puebla and Guerrero. In the 2000 census, there were about 240,000 Mixtec speakers. Today, the Mixtecs call themselves Ñuu Savi, the People of the rain.

Culture

Crafts

Oaxaca has a number of native crafts, including the production of alebrijes, weaving and black clay pottery. Alebrijes are popular wooden figurines of mythical beings, animals, and fantastic combinations of both, usually painted with very vibrant colors.

Alebrijes are now famous the world over. Fantastic, brightly colored figures of animals, imigainary beasts, and even plants figures of animal are carved and painted by craftsemen from green copal wood collected in the mountains of Oaxaca. The two primary alebrije villages are San Martin Tilcajete and San Antonio Arrazola.

Oaxacan weaving dates to pre-Hispanic times and adapted to the arrival of the treadle loom with the Spanish. Original designs and colors identify each region. Teotitlán del Valle, Mitla and Tlacolula are noted for their blankets and rugs produced on treadle looms dyed with natural dyes. The designs range from traditional Zapotec to modern motifs inspired by Tamayo, Toledo, Picasso and the artist weavers themselves.

San Bartolo Coyotepec is famous for its black clay pottery, produced by hand and fired in underground ovens. The black mud used to make the pottery is extracted from a spot near the village and has mineral content that results in completely black pottery after firing.

Food

Nicknamed "Land of the Seven Moles", named for the indigenous sauces made by toasting and grinding spices, seeds, and chiles. There are in fact many more than seven and sampling as many as possible should be a goal of every visit. Some of the most well known are negro (the traditional mole made with toasted chile, burnt grain and rich with chocolate), rojo (dark red, intensely sweet, and mild), amarillo (brilliant yellow, light and intensely spicy), chichilo (rich with the flavor of chilhuacle negro and other chiles) and coloradito (dark red with a rich, spicy, crunchy flavor). Two others, somewhat different are Mole de Castillo, prepared with oregano, ground black pepper and chile guajillo and thickened with bread cooked in chicken broth. Mole manchamanteles is even more distinctive, made with sweet blend with pineapple and plantains.

Tlayuda

Corn is the staple food but the preparation of corn dough varies wildly, from entomadas and empanadas to tamales and tortillas. Black beans are also a common ingredient, as is the pasilla oaxaquena chile which gives many dishes their distinct hot, smoky taste and red color.

An abundance of fruits and vegetables are grown in the central valley, tropical fruits are found in the north and fish and shellfish dominate the cuisine of the south. Oaxaca cheese, is a white, semi-hard cheese with a mozzarella-like string sold in all of the markets and much tastier than the cheese of the same name sold in the US. A breakfast specialty, generally only available in Oaxaca - huevos oaxaqueños - eggs poached in a chili-tomato soup. Another specialty is chapulines, grasshoppers grilled in oil until crunchy and sprinkled with red chile powder. Heaped on platters in the local markets, they can be bought and eaten as a snack or served in tacos.

Oaxaca is also known for Mezcal, created from the indigenous pulque by using the distillation process introduced by the Spanish. Almost every village, town and region has at least one producer of local mezcal. It taks seven years for a maguey cactus to mature into a mescal-ready plant. After harvesting the pinas (or hearts) are baked in a rock-lined pit covered with hot rocks for two to three days where they absorb the flavors of the earth and smoke. Crushed and placed in wooden vats the mash ferments naturally and is then distilled twice, condensing in a copper sombrero. Like scotch, the flavors vary widely from producer to producer, and also like scotch, they improve with age. Joven mezcals are unaged. Reposados, aged for two months, are smoother. Añejo, aged for at least one year and make for the best sipping. As with moles, sampling as many as possible should also be a goal of every visit.

Oaxaca is also well-known for its chocolate, not only used in mole, but popular as a drink since prehispanic times. Originally made unsweetened, sugar was introduced by the Spanish and the sweetened version is now the norm. The densest concentration of shops are in Oaxaca City on Calle Mina, but it's sold in virtually every market. You can find many that have small mills grinding the beans and mixing the sugar while you watch.

Activities

Oaxaca is a major travel destination, with over 250 kilometers (155 mi) of beaches, colonial architecture, archaeological treasures, crafts and folkart. The prominent colonial destination is the city of Oaxaca which contains the Santo Domingo Temple, the Government Palace, the Macedonio Alcala Theater, the Rufino Tamayo Museum of Prehispanic Art, and the House of Cortés.

Pineapple Dance, Guelaguetza

Monte Alban is the dominant archaeological destination, having been the capital of the ancient Mixtec-Zapotec empire. Mitla, originally meaning "place of the dead" in Zapotec, is known for its unique ancient tile work.

Major festivals include the día de los muertos (day of the dead) and noche de los rabanos (night of the radishes). In Zapotec villages, families traditionally finance the large communally organized dances and feasts on patron saints' days through a system of making small loans over many years and then calling them in on an occasion when the family has volunteered to be the festival sponsor or mayordomo; this economic system is known in Zapotec as guelaguetza. This practice has given its name to the largest festival of dance and music in the state, the Guelaguetza, a major attraction for regional, national, and international tourists that is put on annually at a stadium built for the purpose overlooking the city of Oaxaca.

Climate

Even though it is in the tropical zone, because of it's altitude, Oaxaca is dominated by mild weather. The average temperature in the state - except for the coast - is 18° C. There are several types of climates in the state. The coastal region and Pacific regions of Yautepec, and parts of Putla Huajupan and Silacayoapan hot and dry. Hot humid weather prevails in the district of Villa Alta. The valley of Oaxaca is temperate. In the mountainous areas, with altitudes above two thousand meters, the weather can be cold.

Rainfall in Oaxaca tends to come from afternoon showers, with the day starting out sunny, clouding up, raining and then clearing again. The rainfall varies between 431 mm and 2710 mm depending on the region. In the Sierra Mazateca, Tuxtepec and the neighbouring region between Juchitán and the state of Veracruz there is recorded rainfall most of the year. In the central valleys, rainfall is heaviest between April and September.

Getting There and Around

Transportation is provided by a many secondary roads and highways, and a toll-road that leads to Mexico City through Puebla. Major airports are found in Oaxaca City, Huatulco and Puerto Escondido and are served by the airlines Aeroméxico, Aerocaribe, Aerotucan, Aviacsa, and Mexicana.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License which means you are free to use the material in this article provided you make any work that incorporates it freely available. For details see our Legal Stuff. This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Oaxaca", in English and "Oaxaca", in Spanish, which are licensed under the same terms.