Michoacán

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Michoacán

Location

Statistics
Capital	Morelia
Area	59,928 km² Ranked 16th
Population (2005 census)	3,966,073 Ranked 7th
HDI (2004)	0.7422 - medium Ranked 29th
Governor (2002-2008)	Lázaro Cárdenas Batel (PRD)
Federal Deputies	PRD:8 PAN:4
Federal Senators	PRD:2 PAN:1
ISO 3166-2 Postal Abbr.	MX-MIC Mich.

Michoacán de Ocampo (From michamacuan, Nahuatl for "the place of the fishermen") is one of the 31 constituent states of Mexico. It borders the states of Colima and Jalisco to the west, Guanajuato and Querétaro to the north, México to the east, Guerrero to the south-east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Michoacán has an area of 59 864 km² (23 113.62 square miles). In 2003 the population was estimated at 4,047,500 people. Its state capital is the city of Morelia (previously known as Valladolid).

Michoacán also contains the cities of Apatzingán, Huetamo, Zirandaro, San Lucas, Ciudad Hidalgo, Jacona, Jiquilpan, La Piedad, Lázaro Cárdenas, Los Reyes, Paracho, Pátzcuaro, Aquila, El Triunfo, Coalcoman, Puruándiro, Sahuayo, Uruapan, Zacapú, Zamora, and Zitácuaro. The state's pre-Columbian sites include the ruins of Tzintzuntzan, Ihautzio, and Tingambato.

The area around Angangueo in northeast Michoacán is famous for the beautiful monarch butterflies that spend the winter in the surrounding mountains.

The migration of Michoacán inhabitants to the United States during the late 20th and early 21st centuries has been extensive. The migration is primarily economically driven, with most migrants providing financial support to their families in Mexico by sending money back home.

On September 19, 1985, an earthquake measuring approximately 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Michoacán and inflicted severe damage on Mexico City. Estimates of the number of dead range from 6,500 to 30,000. (See Great Mexican Earthquake.)

On August 11, 2006, an earthquake measuring approximately 5.9 on the Richter scale struck the southeastern part of the state. It was felt in Mexico City also, but no casualties or damages occurred.

1 Demographics
2 Drug Trafficking
3 Fauna of Michoacán
4 External links

[edit] Demographics

The population in Michoacan is mainly Mestizo and Mulatto, but has also a great Pre-Hispanic civilization, the Tarascans in the north-eastern region, also called P'urhépecha by some. The Aztecs attempted more than once to conquer the Tarascan lands, but never attained their goal. On the coastal region there are still people with some african influence. While the region known as "Tierra Caliente" has a largely Mestizo population, with a minority decended from Andalusians.

[edit] Drug Trafficking

In the year 2006 more then 500 people were killed by Mexico's main drug cartels making the state one the most deadly in the nation. The state also boasts the highest police murder rate for Mexico in the same year. A gang know as "The Family" have taken out newspaper advertisments in the state to declare that they are the upholder of law and order contrasting their image with rival cartels. The town of Apatzingan with it back drop of the Sierra Madre mountains is at the center of the situation. In the area opium poppy and marijuana farms dot the mountains along with light aircraft landing stips for cocaine transportation and makeshift methamphetamine labs.