Zacatepec, Morelos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zacatepec Zacatepec de Hidalgo
Town and Municipality
View of a Zacatepec de Hidalgo street lined with palm trees, with the sugar mill in the distance
Country	Mexico
State	Morelos
Municipality	December 25, 1938
Government
• Type	Municipality
Area
• Total	2,853 km2 (1,102 sq mi)
• Water	84 km2 (32 sq mi)
• Agriculture	1,175 km2 (454 sq mi)
• Industrial	806 km2 (311 sq mi)
Elevation	917 m (3,009 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Total	36,159
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (Central Zone)
Postal code	62780, 62785
Area code(s)	734

Zacatepec de Hidalgo is a town in the state of Morelos, Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl language. Zacatl means grass and tepetl means hill. So, Zacatepec means "grassy hill."

The town is next to Puente de Ixtla, Tlaltizapán, Tlaquiltenango, and Jojutla. The "de Hidalgo" part of its name honors Miguel Hidalgo. He was a priest whose call to action on September 16, 1810, started the Mexican War of Independence.

Zacatepec is also the name of the local government area, called a municipality. In 2015, about 36,159 people lived there. The main business in Zacatepec is growing and processing sugar cane. You can easily spot the sugar mill in the middle of town. When it's working, the air smells sweet from the sugar!

Many students from nearby parts of Morelos come to study at the public university. It's called the Instituto Tecnológico de Zacatepec and is right next to the sugar mill.

History of Zacatepec

Ancient Times and Spanish Conquest

Before the Spanish arrived, Zacatepec was part of the Tlahuica kingdom of Cuauhnahuac, which is now Cuernavaca. Records show that Zacatepec and Tetelpa were known for growing cotton. They had special systems to water their crops. These towns paid tribute to the Triple Alliance (Acolhuas, Tepanecas, and Mexicas) who ruled the Valley of Mexico. This started after they were fully taken over in 1437.

After the Spanish conquered the area, Zacatepec became part of the Count of Oaxaca's land. The Santo Domingo de Tlaquiltenango convent was in charge of teaching Christianity here. In 1619, Pedro Cortés gave 200 hectares of land along the Tetelpa river to Juan Fernández Moradillo. Over time, this land and its sugar refinery were owned by different people.

Becoming a Municipality

In 1869, Zacatepec became part of the new state of Morelos. Before that, it was part of the State of Mexico.

On February 5, 1938, President Lázaro Cárdenas opened a new sugar mill. He wanted it to help the local farmers and factory workers. Because of this, Zacatepec was made into its own municipality. On December 25, 1938, the Governor of Morelos, Elpidio Perdomo, officially created the free municipality of Zacatepec. It included the areas of Tetelpa, Galeana, and Zacatepec itself. Zacatepec became the main town of this new municipality.

Recent Events

Zacatepec was hit hard by an earthquake on September 9, 2017. Ten people died, and many homes were damaged or destroyed.

Olivia Ramirez Lamadrid became the Presidente Municipal (mayor) on July 1, 2018. She is from the Panal party.

Fun Places to Visit

Zacatepec has several nice parks and gardens:

• The "Miguel Hidalgo" garden is in the main square, called the zócalo.
• The Liberal Garden is between the lienzo charro (rodeo arena) and the sugar mill.
• The "Maestra Toyita Park" is near Tetelpa.

There are also cool spas where you can swim:

• Real de San Nicolás in Galeana has 8 swimming pools.
• Iguazú in Tetelpa has 7 pools.

Local Festivals and Food

Zacatepec celebrates several festivals:

• June 29: For the town's patron saint, "San Pedro Apóstol."
• December 8: To honor the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.
• December 13: To remember when Father Mariano Matamoros joined the fight for independence in 1810.

These festivals often feature Chinelo dancers and brass bands. You might also see dances like Tecuanes and Apaches.

Traditional foods you can try include:

• White pork pozole (a hearty soup).
• Chito and pork barbacoa.
• Mixiote (steamed fish).
• Tamales.
• Clemole (a meat and vegetable soup) flavored with wild plum and tamarind.

Cerro de la Tortuga State Park

The Cerro de la Tortuga (Turtle Hill) state park is in the Ejido de Tetelpa. It's one of the last remaining low deciduous forests in this part of Morelos. It's an important place for wild plants and animals in Zacatepec. The park has an old ceremonial center, the church of San Esteban Tetelpa, and a community museum.

Communities in Zacatepec

Zacatepec de Hidalgo (Municipal Seat)

The main town, Zacatepec de Hidalgo, focuses on farming. They grow sorghum, corn, and beans. They also raise cattle, goats, chickens, and pigs. About 3,700 people live here. You can visit the San Pedro church and the museum dedicated to Father Mariano Matamoros. The town is also known for making and selling crystallized sweets.

San Nicolás Galeana

San Nicolás Galeana has about 10,071 people. It is 930 meters (about 3,051 feet) above sea level. It has schools for all ages, from preschool to high school, and even a teachers' college.

San Antonio Chiverías

San Antonio Chiverías has about 1,031 people. It is 945 meters (about 3,100 feet) high. It has a preschool, an elementary school, and a middle school. The main jobs here are farming rice, sorghum, and corn. People also raise cattle, goats, pigs, and chickens.

Geography and Nature

Location and Climate

Zacatepec is in the south-central part of Morelos. It is located at 18°41' North latitude and 99°11' West longitude. The municipality covers an area of about 26.3 square kilometers (10.15 square miles). This is about 0.5% of the total area of Morelos state.

The climate in Zacatepec is semi-dry. It has a dry season from fall to early spring. The rainy season is from June to October. The average temperature is about 24.5°C (76.1°F). On average, it rains about 844 millimeters (33.2 inches) each year.

Land and Water

Most of Zacatepec is in a valley, so there are no big mountains. The Cerro de La Tortuga (Turtle Hill) is a notable feature. It is about 917 meters (3,008 feet) above sea level. This hill is one of the last remaining low deciduous forests in central-south Morelos. It's an important home for wild plants and animals in the municipality. Many of these plants and animals are used for medicine, crafts, food, or decoration. This area is a state park and covers about 310.2 hectares (766.5 acres).

The Apatlaco River flows through a small part of the municipality. It passes through Zacatepec, Tetelpa, and Galeana.

Natural Resources

There is a quarry near the Cerro del Venado (Deer Hill) in the eastern part of Zacatepec. Most of the land (68%) is used for farming crops like sugar cane, rice, peanuts, watermelon, and melon. About 14.5% is forest, and 18% is used for other things like fishing and industry.

Plants and Animals

Zacatepec has a lot of deciduous forest, which means trees lose their leaves in the dry season. You can find beautiful trees like jacaranda, tabachín, casahuate (a medium-sized tree with white flowers), ceiba (a very large tree with pink or white flowers), and bougainvillea.

Wild animals living here include:

• White-tailed deer, boar, raccoon, badger, skunk, armadillo.
• Hares, rabbits, coyotes, wildcats, weasels.
• Cacomixtle (a type of ringtail), tlacuache (a type of opossum), and bats.
• Birds like the flagged bird, chachalaca, magpie, vulture, buzzard, crow, owl, and many songbirds.

Farmers grow sugar cane, rice, corn, and beans. They also grow fruits like mangoes, avocados, and guavas. Many types of animals are raised for food, including cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, and chickens.

Sports in Zacatepec

Club Atlético Zacatepec

Zacatepec de Hidalgo has a famous football (soccer) team called Club Atlético Zacatepec. Their nickname is Cañeros, which means "Sugarcane growers," because of the town's main industry. Their team colors are white and green.

The team had its greatest successes in the 1950s. They won two championships in Mexico's top league, the Primera División de México, in the 1954–1955 and 1957–1958 seasons. They also won the Copa Mexico (Mexico Cup) in the 1958–1959 season. Today, the team plays in the Tercera División de México (Third Division).

The coach of Zacatepec during their successful 1950s era was Ignacio Trelles. He later became the coach for Mexico's national team in the 1962 FIFA World Cup and 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Agustin "Coruco" Diaz Stadium

The team's home stadium is the Agustin "Coruco" Diaz stadium. It opened in November 1954 and was officially opened by Mexico's president at the time, Adolfo López Mateos. People often call the stadium "la selva cañera" (the sugarcane jungle). This is because of Zacatepec's warm and humid weather. The team's motto is Hacer Deporte es Hacer Patria, which means Doing sports is to be a patriot.

Team Achievements

• First Division Championships: 2 (1954–1955 and 1957–1958)
• Cup Championships: 1 (1958–1959)
• Second Division Championships: 5 (1950–1951, 1962–1963, 1969–1970, 1977–1978, 1983–1984)

Sister Cities

Zacatepec has "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world:

• Turnov, Czech Republic
• Cerro, Havana, Cuba