Amatepec facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amatepec
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Location of the municipality in Mexico State
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 Amatepec
Location in Mexico
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| Country |  Mexico |
| State | Mexico State |
| Area | |
| • Total | 624.9 km2 (241.3 sq mi) |
| Population
(2005)
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| • Total | 27,026 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (Central Daylight Time) |
Amatepec is a municipality located in Mexico State, Mexico. A municipality is like a local government area. The main town in Amatepec is also called Amatepec. The largest town in this area is Palmar Chico. The municipality covers about 624.9 square kilometers. The name Amatepec comes from the Náhuatl language. It means "hill of the Amate tree," which is a type of fig tree.
People discovered silver here in 1531. This discovery started silver mining in the area. Because of the silver, Amatepec and a nearby place called Sultepec became known as the "Province of Silver."
In 2005, about 27,026 people lived in the Amatepec municipality.
Discovering Ancient History
The San Miguel Ixtapan Site
About 15 miles northeast of Amatepec, there is an amazing archaeological site called San Miguel Ixtapan. An archaeological site is a place where people find old things from past civilizations. This site belonged to the Otomi people, an ancient group in Mexico.
This place is the most important pre-Hispanic site found in this region. "Pre-Hispanic" means before the Spanish arrived. At San Miguel Ixtapan, you can even see a special court where they played an ancient ballgame.
See also
In Spanish: Amatepec para niños
