Mapastepec | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 15°25′40″N 92°53′54″W / 15.42778°N 92.89833°W | |
Country | Mexico |
State | Chiapas |
Government | |
• Municipal President | Martín Ruiz Rosales |
Area | |
• Total | 419 sq mi (1,085 km2) |
Population (2015) | |
• Total | 47,932 |
Mapastepec is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. Its name derives from the place name mapachtepec, "Hill of the Raccoon", a compound of the Nahuatl words mapachi ("raccoon") and tepetl ("mountain").[1]
Mapestepec is on the Pacific Ocean, with roughly half of its territory on the Pacific Coastal Plain and half in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountain range. It is partly within two of Mexico's Biosphere Reserves, featuring a number of important species, including the horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus), Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), the Jaguar (Panthera once) and rare cloud forest and mangrove habitat.
The primary sector makes up over half of the local economy. Key products include cheese and dairy products and the local Ataulfo mango.