Comitán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Comitán
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Municipality and city
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The Temple of San José, in the historic center of Comitán de Dominguez.
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 Comitán
Location in Mexico
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| Country |  Mexico (de jure) Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities (Controlled by) |
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| State | Chiapas | |
| Area | ||
| • Municipality | 308.0 sq mi (797.8 km2) | |
| • City | 12.98 sq mi (33.63 km2) | |
| Population
(2020 census)
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| • Municipality | 166,178 | |
| • Density | 539.48/sq mi (208.295/km2) | |
| • City | 113,479 | |
| • City density | 8,739.5/sq mi (3,374.3/km2) | |
Comitán (pronounced komi-TAN), officially known as Comitán de Domínguez, is a city in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is the fourth-largest city in Chiapas. The city is named after Belisario Domínguez, a famous Mexican doctor and politician.
Comitán is located in the east-central part of Chiapas. It is quite close to the border with Guatemala. The area of the municipality (the larger region around the city) is about 797.8 square kilometers.
This city is a popular spot for tourists, especially for people from Mexico. Visitors enjoy its old-style buildings, narrow streets, and clean surroundings. The weather in Comitán is usually cool for most of the year. It can get quite chilly from October to March.
Contents
History of Comitán
The original town was built in a swampy area by a group of Tzeltal people. They called it Balún Canán, which means "Nine Stars."
When the Spanish arrived, they founded the town of Comitán in February 1528. It became a city in 1556. It was part of the area controlled by Guatemala back then. Later, its name was changed to Comitán de las Flores (Comitán of the Flowers).
In 1915, the name changed again to Comitán de Domínguez. This was to honor Dr. Belisario Domínguez. He was a brave politician who spoke out against a dictator named Victoriano Huerta. Sadly, he was murdered for his courage.
Geography and Climate
Comitán's Location and Size
Comitán is in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The entire municipality covers an area of about 797.8 square kilometers. The city itself is smaller, covering about 33.63 square kilometers.
Weather in Comitán
Comitán has a climate that is like a cool highland area. Afternoons are often warm and humid, but mornings are cool, especially during the dry season. The dry season is from November to April. The rainy season starts in May and lasts until October. This is when the weather is more humid.
| Climate data for Comitán (1951–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.5 (90.5) |
33.5 (92.3) |
35.5 (95.9) |
37.5 (99.5) |
36.0 (96.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
32.0 (89.6) |
32.5 (90.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32.5 (90.5) |
37.5 (99.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.8 (74.8) |
25.3 (77.5) |
27.6 (81.7) |
28.7 (83.7) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
25.0 (77.0) |
25.7 (78.3) |
25.3 (77.5) |
24.5 (76.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25.6 (78.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.9 (62.4) |
18.0 (64.4) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.0 (69.8) |
21.1 (70.0) |
20.4 (68.7) |
19.7 (67.5) |
20.1 (68.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
12.0 (53.6) |
13.4 (56.1) |
14.3 (57.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
14.5 (58.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
14.6 (58.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.9 (55.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.0 (41.0) |
2.0 (35.6) |
5.5 (41.9) |
7.0 (44.6) |
6.0 (42.8) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
1.5 (34.7) |
0.5 (32.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 7.9 (0.31) |
11.6 (0.46) |
18.0 (0.71) |
44.8 (1.76) |
129.3 (5.09) |
216.6 (8.53) |
124.5 (4.90) |
146.0 (5.75) |
220.9 (8.70) |
109.5 (4.31) |
25.3 (1.00) |
11.1 (0.44) |
1,065.5 (41.96) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 6.5 | 13.2 | 19.4 | 16.7 | 17.8 | 21.3 | 15.1 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 133.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 69 | 66 | 62 | 62 | 67 | 74 | 75 | 74 | 76 | 76 | 74 | 72 | 71 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 248 | 218 | 268 | 255 | 226 | 193 | 230 | 230 | 182 | 212 | 228 | 232 | 2,722 |
| Source 1: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (humidity, 1981–2000) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
Population and Communities
As of 2020, the entire municipality of Comitán had a population of 166,178 people. The city of Comitán itself had about 113,479 residents.
Besides the main city, there are many smaller towns and villages in the municipality. Some of the larger ones include Villahermosa Yalumá, San José Yocnajab, and La Floresta.
Things to See in Comitán
Comitán offers many interesting places for tourists to visit. You can explore ancient Mayan ruins nearby.
One popular spot is the Lagunas de Montebello. This park has beautiful lakes with different colors. Another exciting place is El Chiflon, which is a series of stunning waterfalls. You can also visit Tenam Puente, an important Mayan archaeological site.
Comitán is about a two-hour bus ride from San Cristobal. It is about three hours from Tuxtla. Many local people travel between these cities to visit friends or see the sights.
See also
- Chiapas
- Municipalities of Chiapas
