Sierra Mixteca facts for kids
The Sierra Mixteca is a mountain area found between the Mexican states of Puebla and Oaxaca. It is located in south-central Mexico, in a region called La Mixteca.
This mountain range is also known by other names. People call it the Nudo Mixteco or Escudo Mixteco, which means "Mixtec Shield." In the Nahuatl language, it is known as Zempoaltépetl. This name means "twenty mountains." It is also the name of its highest point, Cerro Zempoaltépetl, which is about 3,400 meters (11,155 feet) tall. In the Mixtec language, the area is called Ñuñume, meaning "the land of clouds."
Contents
What is the Sierra Mixteca?
The Sierra Mixteca is one of the oldest geological areas in Mexico. It is where three major mountain systems meet: the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Neo-Volcanic Axis, and the Sierra Madre del Sur.
How the Mountains Were Formed
When the Sierra Madre mountain ranges were forming, the Mixtec Shield area went through a lot of changes. There was strong erosion, which is when rock and soil are worn away. There was also much faulting, which means the Earth's crust cracked and moved. These changes affected the upper parts of important rivers like the Balsas, Lerma, and Papaloapan.
During this time, there was also a lot of volcanic activity. Rivers starting in the Sierra Mixteca carved out many deep canyons. This made the land even more rugged and complex. One important valley created during this period is the Tehuacán Valley. It is in southeast Puebla and is known for its mineral springs.
People and Resources
The Sierra Mixteca is one of the poorest regions in Mexico when it comes to natural resources. About 200,000 people live here. Most of them are indigenous, mainly from the Mixtec people.
Life in the Mountains
The people living in the Sierra Mixteca mostly practice subsistence agriculture. This means they grow just enough food to feed themselves and their families. There are no large cities or towns in the region. Also, it is hard to travel to and from the area because communication and transportation links are not well developed.
See also
- In Spanish: Sierra Mixteca para niños
