Costa Region
Costa Region | |
---|---|
Region | |
Coordinates: 15°51′43″N 97°4′2″W / 15.86194°N 97.06722°W | |
Country | Mexico |
State | Oaxaca |
Area | |
• Total | 12,502 km2 (4,827 sq mi) |
The Costa Region or Costa Chica lies on the Pacific coast of the state of
Climate
The region has a tropical climate in the coastal plain, with a more temperate climate higher up. Average temperatures range between 24 and 26 °C (75.2 and 78.8 °F), and maximum annual rainfall is between 730 and 2,000 mm (28.7 and 78.7 in) -
Economy
The population is mainly engaged in agriculture and waterfront fisheries. One of the best coffees in the world, the Pluma Hidalgo, is cultivated in the Pochutla district. In other parts of the region lemons are grown to make lemon oil, a raw material for perfumes and medicines. Pine and oak wood is harvested for plywood. Ranching is a major source of revenue. There is also small-scale exploitation of iron, copper and magnesium, and the region has titanium deposits.
It is a tourist region, based on the beaches of Huatulco and Puerto Escondido. To develop this industry, the government has emphasized construction of airports, ports and tourist roads.
People
Historically the region has been tied culturally and economically with the
The population includes
Important towns or municipalities include:
Dance
Dance is an important element of the coast's cultural life. Dance in this area is an amalgam of indigenous, "African" and Spanish elements, much like the rest of the culture here. Authorities here, including village elders, the town councils, municipal authorities as well as important village figures have worked to keep traditions, such as the "sones" (traditional music) and "chilenas" (dance performed particularly in Pinotepa Nacional) alive. The area hosts an annual ‘’’Coastal Dance Festival’’ with the purpose of preserving and popularizing traditional coast dances.[5]
One example of local dance is the Petate Bull dance. There are numerous bull dances in Mexico but the version that is performed in the village of
Every year in November the government organizes the Coastal Dance Festival, where regional groups from the Oaxaca coast and guests from Michoacán, Guerrero and Chiapas in Puerto Escondido have assembled since 1994 to give exhibitions of the traditional dances of the southern Pacific region.[6]
References
- ^ "Región Costa". Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
- ^ a b Quintanar Hinojosa, Beatriz (August 2007). "Ciudad de Oaxaca". Guía México Desconocido: Oaxaca. 137: 85.
- ^ a b Marín Ruiz, Guillermo. "Aquí Oaxaca: Costa". Archived from the original on 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ^ "STATE OF OAXACA: SANTA CATARINA Juquila". Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ a b "Dances from the Oaxacan Coast". Oaxaca News. Archived from the original on 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ^ "Festival Costeño de la Danza". El Sistema de Información Cultural. Retrieved 2010-06-06.