Tekantó Municipality

Coordinates: 21°01′N 89°06′W / 21.017°N 89.100°W / 21.017; -89.100
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Tekantó
Municipality
Municipal Building of Tekantó
Municipal Building of Tekantó
Central Daylight Time
)
Postal Codes
Tekanto 97520, Tixkochoh 97522
Area code991
Population History
by Year
MMMD
Municipalities of Yucatán

Tekantó Municipality (In the

Yucatec Maya Language: “Place where there is yellow flint”)[2] is a small (47.25 km²)[1] municipality in the Mexican state of Yucatán. The municipality was formed in 1900[1] and its municipal seat is the homonymous locality of Tekantó, at the end of highway 80, 54 km east of Merida
.

A typical shop in Tekantó, these buildings date back to the 1920s

History

  • Before the Spanish conquest of Yucatán the region of Tekantó was part of the chieftainship of Ah Kin Chel (1441–1543).
  • 1546: The Spanish conquest of Yucatán that started in 1526 is considered complete.
  • 1567: Franciscan Mission founded in Tekantó.[2]
  • 1581: Cristobal Sanchez inherits both Tekantó and Tepakan under the encomienda system from his father, the famous conquistador Don Diego Sanchez.[3]
  • 1688: Construction of the convent and mission of San Augustin Tekantó is completed.[2]
  • 1700: Antonia Pacheco and Juan N. Calderón are responsible for Tekantó under the encomienda system.[4]
  • 1720: The legality of the
    Hacienda system in which laborers were directly employed by the hacienda owners (Sanlatah is a Hacienda in Tekantó municipality).[5]
  • 1821: Yucatán declares itself independent of Spain.[6]
  • 1825: During this time Tekantó was in the partido of La Costa, which had
    Yucatán was divided up onto 15 partidos or subdelegaciones, and Yucatán then included what is now Campeche).[7]
  • 1848: On May 28 during the Caste War of Yucatán after a 6-day siege Colonel Bello led his force of 1,000 men out of Izamal taking a back trail to Tekantó. From Tekantó he watched Izamal burn.[8]
  • 1900: Tekantó Municipality is created and Tekantó becomes its own municipality seat.[1]

Shield

In 1990 the Mexican federal government asked all the municipalities to have their own shield or coat of arms. The City council then presided over by C. Manuel González Towers, decided to hold a contest to produce the shield's design. The design was adapted from submissions by several people. Some notable features of the shield are as follows. A sun with 13 rays that indicate the Mayan supraworld. An illustration of the Mayan chief Ah Kin Chel on a green background. Gold background with

henequen that has 9 blades, that means the Mayan infraworld, the color gold has economic importance. At either side two branches interlaced by a plant called Kantó and that some say gave rise to the name of the town. At the bottom of the shield in front of the branches is a tape of silver with the words Siyan Kán Tekantó, this means the illustrious or famous Tekantó.[9]

Population

The population of Tekantó is approximately 4,000.

Yucatec Maya.[10]
This is consistent with the state average which was 30% in 2000.

Communities

The municipality is made up from four principle communities, the municipal seat Tekantó along with its neighboring communities Tixkochoh 21°00′50″N 89°04′50″W / 21.0138°N 89.0806°W / 21.0138; -89.0806 (Tixkochoh), San Francisco Dzon 20°59′01″N 89°08′36″W / 20.9835°N 89.1433°W / 20.9835; -89.1433 (San Francisco Dzon) and Sanlatah 21°02′33″N 89°08′48″W / 21.0426°N 89.1466°W / 21.0426; -89.1466 (Sanlatah)). Their populations are as follows: Tekantó 3224, Tixkochoh 455, San Francisco Dzon 127, Sanlatah 83; the census also included 53 people living outside of these communities,[1] either in isolated rural homes or small communities like the hamlet of San Diego Rodriguez 20°59′32″N 89°06′51″W / 20.9923°N 89.1143°W / 20.9923; -89.1143 (San Diego Rodriguez). In 2005 there were 942 houses in the municipality.[11]

Geography

Road leading into the Tekantó locality

Borders

The municipalities that surround Tekantó Municipality are to the north: Suma and Teya, to the south: Izamal, to the east: Tepakán and to the west: Bokobá.

Nearby cities

The distances from the municipal seat to nearby cities are as follows:

  • Yucatán
     · 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) southeast  · 14,954 people.
  • Motul
    , Yucatán  · 21 kilometres (13 mi) west-northwest  · 21,109 people.
  • Merida
    , Yucatán  · 54 kilometres (34 mi) west  · 717,175 people.

Tekantó's rail station is on the (now disused) rail line that runs between Mérida and Valladolid via Izamal.

Climate

Warm, with rains during the early summer followed by droughts during the late summer. The annual average temperature is of 26.5 °C and the annual average rainfall is 50 millimeters. The winds are predominantly from the northeast. Relative humidity Annual Average, March 66% - December 89%. The Rainy Season is May through July.[1]

Flora and fauna

Small portions of non-evergreen low forest with secondary vegetation in the ends northeast and the northwest. Including: poppy, bojom, ceiba, chehem, chichibé, pochote and flamboyán. The common animal species that are found in the area include: rabbit, raccoon, deer, armadillo, various snakes, iguanas and turtles; birds: dove, tzutzuy, quail and tórtola.[1]

Places of interest and tourism

Architectural

San Augustin Tekantó is an impressive building and one of the largest churches in the Yucatán outside of

Franciscan
Convent in this region.

Santo Christo de Citilcún
San Augustin Tekantó, as seen from the south

The original mission dates from 1567. According to an inscription on the facade, the church was completed in 1688, over a hundred years after the mission's founding.[2] Near to Tekantó are the hamlets of the ex-properties: Sanlatah and San Francisco Dzon.

Popular celebrations

From 26 to 28 August an annual fiesta is held in honor of the patron saint of Tekantó, San Augustin.

Between 15 and 26 November, an annual fair is held to celebrate Santo Christo de Citilcún. On November 15 each year a procession brings Santo Christo de Citilcún to Tekantó, after the procession there are firework displays and food for sale in the town square. Towards the end of the month there are various festivities including folk dancing, hosted at the town hall; an impromptu bullfighting ring is set up to host bull fights and other events.

Surrounding area

The ruins of Ake are 20 km to the south west of the locality of Tekanto, and Izamal with its world-famous monastery, Victorian era carriages, and mesoamerican pyramids is only 13 km to the south east.

Economy

Traditional House in Tekantó
Railway Station in Tekantó

Tekantó is a municipality that is located in the North central zone of Yucatán that is part of the denominated

henequen
industry.

With the decline of the

henequen
industry, a process of economic diversification occurred in Tekantó. Today in this area maize is main crop, along with kidney beans, various vegetables, watermelon and some varieties of chili peppers. In addition to these crops, pigs and poultry are farmed. Beekeeping is also common in the area.

Education

Number of schools by educative level, to the year 2000, according to the Statistical Yearbook of the State of Yucatán, published by the

INEGI:[1]

Guillermo Prieto School
Name of School Locality Level Student population
FRANCISCO I. MADERO Tekantó Pre-school 89
PREESCOLAR COMUNITARIO San Francisco Dzon Pre-school 6
SAYABI HA Tixkochoh Pre-school 21
ANDRES QUINTANA ROO Tekantó Primary 164
GUILLERMO PRIETO Tekantó Primary 247
PRIMARIA COMUNITARIA San Francisco Dzon Primary 27
PIPILA Tixkochoh Primary 47
GUILLERMO PRIETO Tekantó Secondary 223

Notable people

Notable locals include Marrufo Cetina, Carlos Anastasio. Mandolinista and musical composer (1875–1932).[1]

Gallery

  • The clock over San Augustin Tekantó.
    The clock over San Augustin Tekantó.
  • San Augustin Tekantó's Franciscan Bell.
    San Augustin Tekantó's Franciscan Bell.
  • San Augustin Tekantó's American Bell.
    San Augustin Tekantó's American Bell.
  • Local people in traditional dress.
    Local people in traditional dress.
  • Downtown Tekantó.
    Downtown Tekantó.
  • A nicer home in Tekantó.
    A nicer home in Tekantó.
  • A typical rural street.
    A typical rural street.
  • A Well at the edge of town.
    A Well at the edge of town.
  • A traditional Cottage.
    A traditional Cottage.
  • The Zócalo (Main Plaza).
    The Zócalo (Main Plaza).

See also

Notes

Spelling of Mayan Names:

The spelling of Mayan names (family names, place names and others) will often vary from document to document,

SCT
spellings are not used throughout the page, but included below for reference.

San Francisco Dzon is also known as San Francisco Tzon (

SCT)[13]

Sanlatah is also known as Sanlatá (

SCT).[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Nuestros municipios - Tekantó". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-9620811-9-1
  3. ^ Loveland Roys, Ralph The political geography of the Yucatan Maya Page 86. Carnegie Institution of Washington (1957). ASIN B0012KNZKY
  4. ^ Los Municipios de Yucatán p.396. Secretaría de Gobernación, 1988 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Alfred J. Andrea, James H. Overfield. The Human Record: Since 1500 p.75. Houghton Mifflin, 1998
  6. ^ John Macgregor Commercial statistics: A digest of the productive resources, commercial p.1217. Whittaker and co., 1850
  7. ISBN 0-939238-97-7
  8. ISBN 0-8047-0164-4
  9. ^ "Galería de Escudos Mesoamericanos". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  10. ^ "De acuerdo al XII Censo General de Población y Vivienda 2000 efectuado por el INEGI". Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  11. ^ "Enciclopedia de Municipios de México". Archived from the original on 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  12. ISBN 0-939238-97-7
  13. ^ a b "SCT Map of Yucatan" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2009-01-26. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
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