Jojutla facts for kids

Jojutla is a municipality in the state of Morelos, Mexico. Its main city is Jojutla de Juárez. The name Jojutla comes from the Nahuatl language and means Place of abundant blue skies. Another idea is that it means Place abundant in blue paint, which was used to make indigo dye.

Jojutla covers an area of about 143 square kilometers (55.2 square miles). It is located 890 meters (2,920 feet) above sea level. In 2015, about 57,121 people lived there.

Lake Tequesquitengo and part of the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve are found in Jojutla.

History

Early History

Long, long ago, the area where Jojutla is now was covered by an ancient sea. The first people are thought to have arrived here about 22,000 years ago! Even though some old tools and pottery pieces have been found, we don't have many detailed studies about these early times.

We know from old records, like the Codex Mendoza, that people lived in Jojutla between 1425 and 1436. During this time, they were conquered by the armies of Izcóatl and Nezahualcóyotl, who were powerful leaders from other areas.

Colonial Times

The Spanish arrived in this area around 1522 or 1523. They named the town San Miguel Xoxutla. In the early days, the land around Xoxutla was quite swampy, so farming was not easy. People mostly made a living by fishing, making indigo dye (a blue color), and weaving baskets.

As more people moved to the area, a Sunday market started in the main plaza. This market grew even bigger when a new trade route opened between Acapulco and Mexico City in the 1600s. A bridge over the Apatlaco River also helped the market grow.

There's a bit of confusion about when Jojutla was officially founded. Some records talk about families moving to the area in 1695 to escape an illness.

An interesting story from 1722 tells of a mule driver named José Cerón who found an image of a crucified Christ. This image mysteriously disappeared and reappeared several times, eventually settling in the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Xoxutla. Since then, a special festival has been held in Jojutla to celebrate this event.

Independence and the 1800s

During the War of Mexican Independence, a local hero named Juan Antonio Tlaxcoapan from a nearby town led a group to meet important generals in 1813. The people of Jojutla didn't join the fight right away. Sadly, Tlaxcoapan was captured and shot by the Spanish. Today, he is remembered as a local hero.

In 1830, a man named Ricardo Sánchez moved to Jojutla. He started growing brown rice in 1836, which became very important for the area. Sánchez also worked hard to make Jojutla an official municipality, which happened on March 29, 1847. He became the first mayor!

The Jojutla Railway started operating in 1890, helping to connect the town to other places. In 1895, Jojutla celebrated its 200th birthday.

Revolution and the 1900s

During the Mexican Revolution, Jojutla saw a big battle. The city was taken over and looted by revolutionary groups.

The 2000s

In 2006, a Mexican astronomer named Andres Eloy Martínez Rojas discovered a crater on Mars and named it Jojutla!

In March 2017, a place where many bodies were found was discovered in Jojutla. This discovery showed the need for more police investigations into missing persons cases.

Jojutla was hit very hard by a big earthquake on September 19, 2017. Many people sadly lost their lives, and hundreds were hurt. A lot of homes and buildings, including schools and the city hall, were damaged or destroyed. Even more than two years later, many people were still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt.

In 2018, Juan Angel Flores Bustamonte was elected as the new mayor of Jojutla.

In 2019, there was an accident where two parachutists died near Jojutla. Also in 2019, a middle school in Jojutla, La Secundaria Técnica número 34, became the first in Mexico to offer classes in agroecology, which is about farming in a way that protects nature.

Like many places around the world, Jojutla was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools and many businesses had to close for a while in 2020 to keep people safe. The local government also sent food and water to families who needed help.

Notable People

• Fernando Amilpa Rivera (1898–1952), a union leader and federal deputy.
• Abraham Enzástiga Menes, who started and directed the Jojutla Symphony Orchestra.
• Manuel Pío López Estrada (1891–1971), who became an important archbishop.
• Andrés Eloy Martínez Rojas (born 1963), the astronomer who named a crater on Mars after Jojutla.
• José Agapito Mateos Minos (1850–1926), a priest and historian who wrote about Jojutla's history.
• Mónica Ocampo Medina (born 1987), a professional football (soccer) player for the Mexico women's national team.
• Irving Adrián Pérez Pineda (born 1986), a triathlete who competed in the Olympics.
• Valeria Pulido Velasco (born 1990), a former professional tennis player.
• Ricardo Sánchez (died 1858), who brought rice farming to Jojutla.
• Juan Antonio Tlaxcoapan (died 1813), a local hero from the War of Independence.

Communities

• Jojutla de Juárez is the main city and where the local government is located. About 45% of the municipality's people live here. It has hospitals, universities, and high schools.
• Unidad Habitacional Morelos is a residential area with about 25% of the population.
• Tehuixtla is a community known for farming, ranching, and tourism. It has a waterpark called ISSSTEHUIXTLA.
• Tlatenchi is another community focused on ranching and farming.
• Tequesquitengo is a small tourist community right on the shores of Lake Tequesquitengo.

Tourist Attractions

Besides Lake Tequesquitengo, Jojutla has many fun places to visit, especially waterparks!

• Aqua Splash waterpark: Has 8 swimming pools, a wave pool, and slides.
• La Plata waterpark: Features 6 swimming pools, wading pools, and water slides.
• Las Palmas waterpark: Offers swimming pools, camping, cabins, and an artificial lake with a protected area for iguanas. It's in Tehuixtla.
• Cocos Bugambilia waterpark: Has a swimming pool and a dance floor.
• Los Naranjos waterpark: Includes 2 pools, a restaurant, and a campground.
• Issstehuixtla waterpark: Run by the government, it has 6 swimming pools, a diving pool, and a natural pool with sulfur water. It's also in Tehuixtla.

The Ex-hacienda La Perseverancia is an old farm from 1870 that still has a rice mill.

Jardines de Mexico (Gardens of Mexico), located in Tehuixla, is the largest ornamental garden in the world! It has millions of flowers and thousands of trees spread across seven different gardens. They even have an annual hot-air balloon festival there.

Near Lake Tequesquitengo, in the town of Chisco, you can enjoy exciting activities like river rafting and tubing on the Amacuzac River. You can also go mountain biking, ultralight aviation (flying small planes), and camping.

Lake Tequesquitengo

Often called The Sea of Morelos, Lake Tequesquitengo is a great place for fun and relaxation. You can go water skiing, skydiving, snorkeling, bungee jumping, or scuba diving. There are many hotels around the lake for visitors. It's a very popular spot for people from Mexico City and Morelos to visit on weekends.

The lake has an interesting, and a bit sad, history. Long ago, there was a village called Tequesquitengo where the lake is now. People believe that the village was flooded on purpose by landowners who diverted water from their farms into the valley. This caused the lake to form, covering the old town and its church, San Juan Bautista. The villagers had to move to the shores of the new lake. No one is exactly sure when this flooding started, but it was sometime in the 1800s.

Festivals, Dances, and Traditions

Festivals

• New Year's Fair: From January 1–10 in Jojutla de Juárez. This is the most important festival, celebrating the discovery of a special black crucifix.
• Flag Day: February 24–28 in Jicarero.
• Cultural Week: March 21–29 in Jojutla.
• Feria del Arroz (Rice Fair): Held in June in Jojutla for seven days, celebrating the important rice crop.
• Feast of San Juan: June 24 in Panchimalco.
• Feast of Santa María: September 8 in Tlatenchi.
• Independence Day celebrations: Mid-September in Jojutla.
• Feast of St. Francis of Assisi: October 4 in Higuerón.
• Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary: The first Sunday of October in Tehuixtla.
• Day of the Dead: November 1 & 2, a special time to remember loved ones.
• Revolution Day: November 20.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe: December 11 & 12.
• Las Posadas: December 16–24, a series of festive processions.
• Most families celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24.

Music and Dances

You can often hear lively brass bands playing music for traditional dances like Los Tecuanes, Las Pastoras, and Chinelos during festivals.

Cuisine

When you visit Jojutla, you can try delicious local foods like:

• Red, white, and green pozole (a hearty soup).
• Corn tamales (steamed masa dough with fillings).
• Fish and nopales (cactus leaves) with onions.
• Huazmole (a goat stew).
• Different rice dishes.
• Cecina (thinly sliced dried meat).
• Barbecue.
• Tacos dorados (deep-fried tacos).

Economy

Farming is the most important way people make a living in Jojutla. Farmers grow crops like sugarcane, rice, corn, beans, jicama, and watermelons. They also raise livestock for meat and dairy products.

There are a few factories in Jojutla, including one that makes wires and another that produces boxes and disposable plates.

Jojutla is also a busy trading center, attracting customers from other parts of Morelos state. Tourism is a big part of the economy too, thanks to Lake Tequesquitengo, Jardines de Mexico, and many water parks, spas, restaurants, and hotels.

Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve

The Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve (REBIOSH) was created in 2006 to protect a special natural area. It covers a large space of about 59,031 hectares (145,869 acres) across several municipalities, including Jojutla.

This reserve has a varied landscape, from lower valleys to higher mountains. It is home to many unique plants and animals found only in Mexico. You can find different types of forests here, including dry forests and pine and oak forests.

Scientists have recorded many species in the reserve, including:

• Over 939 types of plants.
• 44 kinds of butterflies.
• 71 types of mammals, like jaguars, mountain lions, ocelots, and bobcats.
• 208 kinds of birds, such as the military macaw and roufus-backed robin.
• 53 types of reptiles, including the beaded lizard.
• 18 types of amphibians.
• 14 types of fish.

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Jojutla para niños