Coatzacoalcos stands on the Gulf coast of the Isthmus de Tehuantepec

Coatzacoalcos is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the Coatzacoalcos River. Coatzacoalcos comes from an indigenous word meaning "Site of the Snake" or "Where the snake hides". The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Description: Shaded relief map of Mexicos Isthmus of Tehuantepec Caption: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is the narrowest part of Mexico between the Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico) and the Pacific oceans. ... Description: Shaded relief map of Mexicos Isthmus of Tehuantepec Caption: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is the narrowest part of Mexico between the Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico) and the Pacific oceans. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Port. ... The United Mexican States or Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos or México) is a federal republic made up of 31 states (estados) and one Federal District, (Distrito Federal), which contains the capital, Mexico City. ... The state of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that compose Mexico (does not include the Mexican Federal District). ... Municipal Palace of Veracruz Municipalities (municipios in Spanish) are the second-level administrative division in Mexico (where the first-level administrative division is the estado, or state). ...

The city is located at 18°09′N, 94°26′W. It is connected by road and rail to the Pacific Ocean about 160 km away. This location has prompted plans for an interoceanic waterway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, or for a much expanded railroad system, for over a century. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. ...

The city had a 2005 census population of 234,174, making it the third-largest city in the state after Veracruz and Xalapa. The municipality covers a surface area of 471.16 km² (181.916 sq mi) and reported a population of 280,263 persons. The largest community in the municipality, aside from Coatzacoalcos, is the town of Allende, with a population of 20,501. Veracruz from space, July 1997 The city of Veracruz is a major port city on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. ... Xalapa or Jalapa is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz. ...

Although it is not known when the site was first inhabited it was already considered a provincial capital by the Olmecs. In 1522, Hernán Cortés ordered Gonzalo de Sandoval to fund a settlement near Guazacualco. Sandoval named it Villa del Espíritu Santo. It was elevated to the category of port in 1825 and the name changed to Coatzacoalcos. Olmec stone head The Olmec were an ancient people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly what would now be the Veracruz and Tabasco regions of the Mexican isthmus. ... Hernán(do) Cortés, Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485–December 2, 1547) was the conquistador who became famous for leading the military expedition that initiated the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. ... Gonzalo de Sandoval, Conquistador Gonzalo de Sandoval (1497, Medellin, Spain—late in 1528, Palos de Moguer, Spain) was a Spanish conquistador in New Spain (Mexico) and briefly co-governor of the colony while Hernan Cortés was away from the capital (March 2, 1527 to August 22, 1527). ...

In 1900 the name was changed to Puerto México to make it easier for foreigners. In 1911 it was elevated to city, and in 1936 the name was changed to the current Coatzacoalcos.

Coatzacoalcos became a very important crossroads during the oil boom of the 1970s, connecting the Yucatán Peninsula and oil fields in Campeche to the rest of Mexico and to the port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca on the Pacific coast. The Yucatán peninsula as seen from space The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... The State of Campeche was long a part of Yucatán and shared its history through the mid 19th century. ... Salina Cruz is a major seaport in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. ... Catedral de Santo Domingo The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca or simply Oaxaca   is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located in the southern part of Mexico, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ...

The city's industry is dominated by the petrochemical sector. Four big industrial petrochemical complexes are located near the city (Pajaritos, Cosoleacaque, Morelos and Cangrejera) making it one of the most important concentrations of its kind in the world. The state-owned Pemex Petroquímica is headquartered in Coatzacoalcos and 85% of its production is concentrated there. Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. ... A Pemex gas station in Puerto Vallarta Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) is Mexicos state-owned, nationalized petroleum company. ...

Coatzacoalcos is the birthplace of actress Salma Hayek and Carlos Antonio Warren. Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is an Academy Award-nominated Mexican actress, Daytime Emmy-winning director, and a film and television producer. ...

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática

• Veracruz Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

External links

• Coatzacoalcos municipal government Official website (in Spanish)

Coatzacoalcos, in Nahuatl language, means "The place where the snake hides" According to the legend, this is the place where the god Quetzalcoatl made his final journey to the sea around the year 999 and where he made his promise to return.