Oaxaca

1. Oaxaca

2. Oaxaca is one of 31 states of Mexico, located in the southern part of the country. It is the historic home of the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. It contains more speakers of indigenous languages than any other Mexican state.

3. Benito Juarez President José Vasconcelos Writer, philosopher and politician Rufino Tamayo born 1899 artist Porfio Diaz President Ricardo Osorio Soccer Player Vinicio Castilla Baseball Player Ricardo Flores Magón Anarchist Marco Rito-Palomares Chemical Engineer María Sabina Curandera 1888-1985 Francisco Toledo Artist Notable Oaxacans include President Benito Juarez, born in the Oaxacan village of San Pablo Guelatao, as well as Rufino Tamayo, Porfirio Diaz, Josè Vasconcelos, Francisco Toledo, Marìa Sabina, J. Alberto Canseco DÌaz, Major League Baseball player Vinicio Castilla, Bundesliga player Ricardo Osorio, chemical engineer Marco Rito-Palomares, Anarchist revolutionary Ricardo Flores Magon and many other writers, artists and politicians.

4. History Of Oaxaca • Oaxaca's rugged terrain caused various groups to develop in relative isolation from one another, and therefore the cultural and linguistic diversity of the region. • The Valley of Oaxaca was first occupied by the Zapotec people, who were conquered by the Mixtecs. The accomplishments of these civilizations included the domestication of many plants and animals including maize, beans, cacao, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, pumpkin, and turkeys.Also available in the fertile region of Oaxaca were pineapples, avocados, zapotes, and maguey. • In the south, the Pacific Ocean was an important food source. The civilizations built by these groups are reflected in important archaeological sites including Monte Alban, Mitla, Guiengola and Huijatzoo. Monte Alban was a great ceremonial center built by the Zapotec people. The ancient Zapotec village of Teotitlán del Valle, near the city of Oaxaca, is one of the oldest human settlements in Mexico. • Throughout the Zapoteca era, the local and regional trade flourished, and most important economic activities were agriculture, hunting, fishing and mining; silver and gold were fashioned by artisans for hundreds of years. Commercial routes passed through Oaxaca to the Mayan lands of the north and south to Central and South America. • Major ports were located in present-day Salina Cruz, Astata, Huatulco, Puerto Àngel and Pinotepa Nacional.In the mid-15th century, the central valley was conquered by the Aztecs, who forced the surrounding Mixtec and Zapotec kingdoms to pay tribute to the emperor in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. • The Aztec presence increased the social and economic ties between Oaxaca and the Aztec heartland. Shortly after 1496, the Aztecs established a garrison in the center of the valley, around the Cerro del FortÌn and down to the present Church of Carmen Alto where their temple was located. The Aztecs called their garrison Huaxyacac, meaning "place of guaje trees" in the Nahuatl language. Under Spanish rule, Huaxyacac became Oaxaca, and the pronunciation of the x transitioned from "sh" to the modern Mexican Spanish "j" [h].

5. Colonial period -Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish in August of 1521 and with it all of the Aztec empire. • Mexican War of Independence-Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. • Mexican Revolution (1910) and afterward - When the Mexican Revolution began in 1910, Oaxaca, like many southern states, rallied around the revolutionary Emiliano Zapata who proclaimed that the land belonged to the workers. This resonated with Oaxacans. With President Venustiano Carranza the relationship between Oaxaca and the federal government deteriorated. Oaxacans disliked the new president so much that Carranzaís brother was assassinated in Oaxaca. The period from 1916 to 1920 was filled with constant struggle for control of the new government. After the revolution, Oaxaca received little attention from the national government, resulting in virtually no industrialization and minimal economic growth. By the 1980s and 1990s, Oaxaca was one of Mexico's poorest states, having some of the nation's highest rates of illiteracy, malnutrition, and infant mortality, especially among its Native American population. Mexican revolution 1910 Federal Preventative Police prepare to attack the people of Oaxaca with armored bulldozers- Sunday Oct. 29th, 2006

6. Demography Of these, 477,788 are non-Spanish monolingual.Most of the indigenous languages belong to the Oto-Manguean family, while Mixec, Zoque, and Popoloco belong to the Mixe-Zoque family, and Huave is a language isolate, while Oaxacan Chontal is thought to be Hokan. 85% of the population declares to follow the Catholic faith. • Oaxaca has a high concentration of indigenous people. • There are 16 formally registered indigenous communities, some of which are culturally diverse themselves. • The 16 groups and the number of speakers of their language according to the 2005 census are:

7. Culture • Crafts - Alebrijes at the Pochote Market in Oaxaca, MÈxico. Oaxaca has a number of native crafts, including the production of alebrijes, weaving and black clay objects. Alebrijes are popular wooden figurines of mythical beings, animals. • Cuisine - Various sizes of Chapulines at the Mercado Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico.For the same reasons its people are so diverse, Oaxaca boasts a tremendous diversity of regional cuisine, nicknamed "Land of the Seven Moles". An abundance of fruits and vegetables are grown in the central valley, tropical fruits are found in the north and fish and shellfish dominate the cuisine of the south. Oaxaca is also known for Oaxaca cheese (quesillo).Corntortillas are the staple food but a vast array of foods are prepared from corn dough, from entomatadas and empanadas to tamales and tlayudas. Black beans are also a common ingredient, as is the pasilla chile which gives many dishes their distinct hot, smoky taste and red color.A breakfast specialty, generally only available in Oaxaca, is huevos oaxaqueÒos - eggs poached in a chili-tomato soup. Another specialty is chapulines, or roasted grasshoppers, a popular dish in the state's central valleys region. Chapulines are eaten after the rains begin and through early autumn.Oaxaca is well-known for producing mezcal, a liquor somewhat similar to tequila. Like tequila, it derives from fermented agave fruit, but differs in taste and its tradition of family artisan production. The state is also famous for its chocolate, which is made from ground cacao beans, and often includes almonds, cinnamon and many other ingredients.

8. Festivals - Major festivals include the dÌa de los muertos and noche de los rabanos. In Zapotec villages, families traditionally finance the dances and feasts on patron saints' days. The largest festival of dance and music in the state, the Guelaguetza,a major attraction for regional, national, and international tourists.

9. Key points of interest • Beautiful Catholic Churches throughout the state. • Beaches-Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, Huatulco. • Natural Spas-Laollaga, El Tzul-Zul, Atonaltzin. • Waterfalls -Hierve el Agua, La Guacamaya. • Plant Life -El Tule Tree, Historical Ethno-botanical Garden • Caves & Caverns-Apoala, Sótano de San Agustín, San Sebastián. • Lagoons -Manialtepec, Pastoría, Chacahua National Park. • Dams -Yosocuta, Miguel Alemán, El Estudiante and La Azucena, Benito Juárez. • Archaeological SitesMonte Albán, Mitla, Lambityeco, Dainzú.

10. Chilean or Chilenas The Chilean is a Mexican music genre in the region of the Costa Chica, the state boundary between Mexico's southern Guerrero and Oaxaca.Origins- This is a genre that grew out of the mix of music brought by the Chilean and Peruvian sailors with the traditions of the region Suriana mestizo Mexico. The name comes from South American musical traditions and came from those who migrated from Chile and Peru, passing through the port of Acapulco, Guerrero, Puerto Angel,Huatulco and Puerto Miniz, Oaxaca in the booming gold rush of California.In other states of Mexico, and United States Chilenas became a musical genre again, this due to mass migrations of several residents of coastal regions to the areas mentioned above, during the time of the 90 and 80. History of Chilenas Video

11. La San Marqueña • Writer: Agustín Ramirez • Artist: Dueto Caleta