Malinche (volcano)

La Malinche
Matlalcueye
Highest point
Elevation4,461 m (14,636 ft)[1]
Prominence1,920 m (6,300 ft)[2]
Listing
Coordinates19°13′51″N 98°01′55″W / 19.23083°N 98.03194°W / 19.23083; -98.03194[1]
Geography
La Malinche is located in Tlaxcala
La Malinche
La Malinche
Mexico
La Malinche is located in Puebla (state)
La Malinche
La Malinche
La Malinche (Puebla (state))
La Malinche is located in Mexico
La Malinche
La Malinche
La Malinche (Mexico)
LocationTlaxcala / Puebla, Mexico
Parent rangeCordillera Anahuac
Geology
Mountain typestratovolcano
Volcanic arc/beltTrans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Last eruption1170 BCE ± 50 years
Climbing
Easiest routehiking trail

La Malinche, also known as Matlalcueye or Malintzin, is an inactive volcano (dormant for the last 3,100 years) located in the states of Tlaxcala and Puebla in Mexico. Officially, its summit reaches 4,461 metres (14,636 ft) above sea level, though it is generally considered to be closer to 4,440 metres (14,567 ft), using GPS measurements.[3] It is the highest peak in Tlaxcala, the fifth-highest in Puebla, the sixth-highest in Mexico, the 23rd-highest in North America, and the 252nd-highest in the world. Its height above nearby cities varies from 1,908 metres (6,260 ft) above Huamantla, 2,461 metres (8,074 ft) above Villa Vicente Guerrero, 2,221 metres (7,287 ft) above Tlaxcala, to 2,299 metres (7,543 ft) above Puebla. The summit is 22.4 kilometres (13.9 mi) from Tlaxcala, 28.3 kilometres (17.6 mi) from Puebla, and 118 kilometres (73 mi) from Mexico City. The climate is cold near the summit and mild on the lower slopes.

The Tlaxcaltecs named the peak Matlalcueitl, which translates to "[Lady of the] Blue Skirt", a goddess of rain and song, believed to be the local equivalent of Chalchiuhtlicue. The Spanish named it simply Sierra de Tlaxcala ("Tlaxcalan Range").[4] The current name, Malinche or Malintzin, became popular during the 17th century, and honors the woman who helped Hernán Cortés as an interpreter during the conquest of the Aztec Empire.[5]

  1. ^ a b "La Malinche". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  2. ^ "Mexico Ultras". Peaklist.org. Listed as "Malinche". Note the elevation given here (4,420 m) is used to calculate the prominence of 1,920 m. See also note #9. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
  3. ^ Neyra Jáuregui, p. 5.
  4. ^ Acuña, p. 73.
  5. ^ Espejel Rodríguez, Angelina. "La Malinche: una visión retrospectiva de su deterioro y conservación". Instituto Nacional de Ecología. Retrieved May 25, 2016.