Acaponeta

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Acaponeta is a both a municipality and a town in the northern part of the Mexican state of Nayarit. The town is located at the geographical coordinates of 22°29′47″N, 105°21′34″W. The population of the municipality was 34,665 at the 2005 census, living in a total area of 1,667.7 km² (643.9 sq mi). The population of the town, its municipal seat, was 18,066, the fifth-largest community in the state (after Tepic, Xalisco, Ixtlán del Río, and Tuxpan). The Acaponeta River flows through the town.

1 Origin of the name
2 Location
3 Demographic profile
4 Social infrastructure
5 Means of communication
6 Economic activity
7 Cultural and tourist attractions
8 Government
9 Notables
10 References
11 External links

[edit] Origin of the name

Acaponeta means, "Place near the river where the bean tangled in the reed grows"; which is formed by joining the translation of the Tepehuano word Acaponeta (Caponeta) which means, "place near the river"; and the Nahuatl Acatl-pol-etl-tlan, which means, "place where the bean tangled in the reed grows".

[edit] Location

The municipality of Acaponeta lies in the north of the state of Nayarit, 75 mi/121 km NNW of Tepic, between the extreme geographical coordinates: north 22°38’; and south 22°17’ north latitude; east 104°54’ and west 105°37’ longitude east. There are boundaries in the north with the state of Sinaloa, the municipality of Huajicori and the state of Durango; in the south with the municipalities of El Nayar, Rosamorada and Tecuala; in the east with the municipality of El Nayar and the state of Durango; in the west with the municipality of Tecuala and the state of Sinaloa. See maps at [1] and [2]

The total area of the municipality is 1,667.7 km², which makes up 6 % of the total area of the state.

Population centers

The main population centers are: Acaponeta, the municipal seat with 18,066 inhabitants (2005 census); Sayulilla with 2,154; La Guásima 1,006; San José de Gracia 934; El Tigre 861; El Resbalón 704; El Recodo 682; San Miguel 680; and Llano de la Cruz with 645 inhabitants. These 9 centers make up 74.23% of the municipal population. There are also 133 other settlements where the remaining 25.77% of the population resides.

The land

A large part of the municipality is made up of steep lands, which are in the Teponohuaxtla mountains. In the flat lands we find the agricultural areas. The municipal seat has an elevation of 30 meters. The main elevations are: cerro Cañones, 1,980 m; cerro Tepetate, 1,580 m; cerro La Redonda, 1,400 m; cerro El Brinco, 1,320 m and cerro Corpos, 1,220 m.

Rivers and lakes

The municipality is crossed by the following rivers: Acaponeta River, Cañas, Riecito and San Pedro. Permanent streams are El Naranjo and El Cofradía. In the rainy season there are innumerable streams. There are also 8 small lakes.

Climate

The climate is hot, subhumid, with the rainy season between June and September. The average annual rainfall is 1,307 mm., of which 92% is registered in the months of July to September. The average temperature is 26.7 °C.

Ecosystems

The vegetation is abundant in the mountain zone where there are forests of pine and oak. There are wild animals like the deer, wild pig, armadillo, and jaguar. In the flat zones , which are under cultivation, there is a great variety of birds, rabbits, raccoons, and tlacuaches.

Agricultural Use of the Soil

There is agricultural use in about 180 km²; cattle raising in 320 km²; forestry in 980 km²; as well as small zones of mineral use.

[edit] Demographic profile

Ethnic groups

The indigenous population makes up 1.4% of the inhabitants. The main groups are the Cora, Tepehuano and Nahuatlacas.

Demographic Evolution

Population in 1970: 29,779
Population in 1980: 35,866
Population in 1990: 36,441
Population in 1995: 37,349

The slow growth of the population shows an important migration towards the United States of America. During the period 1990-1995 the annual growth rate was only 0.44%. The population density was 22 inhabitants per square kilometer.

[edit] Social infrastructure

Education

This municipality has an extensive educational infrastructure, covering all the levels of preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary. There is also a Center for Technological Studies and different centers for the job market.

On the tertiary level there is the Escuela Normal Experimental, dependent on the Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit.

The infrastructure is made up of 155 schools and 628 teachers (1995). There are two public libraries. The illiterate population makes up 12% of those 15 years or older.

Health

The medical services are provided by the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, with 5 units of primary care, and a hospital unit of the subzone; the Secretaria de Salud provides health care with 6 units and one for hospitalization. The ISSSTE maintains a medical unit for external patients. The total number of users of IMSS, ISSSTE and SS, is 30,185 persons; and IMSS-Solidaridad provides for 5,960 users. In the municipal seat there are also private health services.

Supply

The municipal seat of Acaponeta is the most important commercial center in the north of the state. There are markets, department stores, self-service supermarkets, autoparts stores, automobile agencies, and hotels.

Sports

There is a great variety of sports centers, including a municipal gymnasium, as well as a stadium for baseball and football. There are more than 50 sports units throughout the region.

Dwellings

In 1995 there were 8,321 private dwellings and 7 collective dwellings, with an average of 5 residents per dwelling. 15% were self-owned, 87.6% hade piped water, 95.1% had electricity and 44.8% had drainage.

Possession of household goods

Number of dwellings (2000): 8,680
Number of dwellings with a radio: 6,435
Number of dwellings with a television: 7,202
Number of dwellings with a videocassette: 2,340
Number of dwellings with a food blender: 6,408
Number of dwellings with a refrigerator: 6,076
Number of dwellings with a washing machine: 4,278
Number of dwellings with a telephone: 2,010
Number of dwellings with a water heater: 1,203
Number of dwellings with an automobile or pickup truck: 1,857
Number of dwellings with a computer: 199

[edit] Means of communication

The municipality has an ample telephone netword and is integrated into the Lada system. There is a main post office and 20 smaller agencies in the same number of population centers. There is one local newspaper, “El Eco de Nayarit”, founded in 1940.

Communication routes

The road system consisted of 142.3 kilometers (1995), of which 28.3% were paved, including 33.2 kilometers of the Mexico-Nogales highway. The remaining 71.7% are gravelled or dirt roads, with connections to all the small communities.

The municipality is crossed by the railroad and there is a station in the municipal seat. Besides people, the trains transport coffee, beans, tomatoes, and corn meal. Distances to some major cities are: Mazatlán 150.3 km. ; Tepic 166.2 km.; Mexicali 1,707.4 km. ; Mexico City 1,056.8 km.; Guadalajara 443.9 km. See Ferromex

There is a runway for small planes with a length of about 1,000 meters. In addition, there are bus stations, one for the lines that cover the Mexico-Nogales route, and another for local and regional service.

[edit] Economic activity

The economy of the region is heavily dependent on agriculture. The main crops are corn (maize), beans, sorghum, tobacco, chile, mangos and avocados. The planted area consisted of 188.88 km² in 1995, which made up 5.5% of the state total.

There is a modest cattle herd as well as swine and poultry.

Industry is little developed and consists of small transformation industries. The municipality has one of the oldest processing plants for corn flour as well as packing houses for mangos.

Agriculture employs over 40% of the economically active population, 41% are in services, and 16% in industry. Due to the agricultural nature of the economy there is high sub-employement and subsequent immigration to the United States of America.

[edit] Cultural and tourist attractions

In Acaponeta town we should mention the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción of plateresque style, built in the sixteenth century. Next to the church is the Franciscan convent dating from the seventeenth century, which is used today as a cultural center.

In the cultural center, Casa de la Cultura “Alí Chumacero”, there is a museum with a collection of prehispanic archeological artifacts, as well as paintings and sculptures from local artists. Recently the Casa Museo de “Vladimir Cora” was inaugurated, in which one can see the work of this international artist.

The main festivals are of a religious nature like the festival in honor of Señora de la Asunción celebrated on 19 December. Every year in the month of December the town celebrates a cultural festival, with music, oratory, poetry, and dance. On 25 July there is the festival of Santiago (Saint James) which is celebrated with games, dances, typical foods, horse races and rodeos. Finally we must mention the traditional cultural festival of Acaponeta, with shows and cultural activities. Singers of national renown participate.

Tourist centers

Near the city of Acaponeta is a natural swimming pool called Agua Caliente, with a spring of sulfurous waters. It is much sought after for ecological tourism and has hotels of two and three stars.

[edit] Government

The local government is made up of the Presidente Municipal, the Síndico and ten councilmembers. Of the latter, seven are elected by a mayority and three proportionally. The commissions of the government are the following: government, constitutional matters, finances, works and public services, planning and economic and social development, justice, public safety, control and administration of urban and ecological development, and education and culture.

In 1995 the municipal administration was made up of 192 public servants, of which 31 were nominated, 78 were effective and unionized, and 70 were in public safety.

The mayor or Presidente Municipal, as of the time of writing, was Efraín Arellano Nuñez, elected for the period 2005-2008.