Municipalities of Zacatecas

Map of Mexico with Zacatecas highlighted
Map of Mexico with Zacatecas highlighted

Zacatecas is a state in North Central Mexico that is divided into 58 municipalities.[1] According to the 2020 Mexican census, it is the state that has the 7th smallest population with 1,622,138 inhabitants[1] and the 8th largest by land area spanning 75,275.3 square kilometres (29,064.0 sq mi).[2]

Municipalities in Zacatecas are administratively autonomous of the state according to the 115th article of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico.[3] Every three years, citizens elect a municipal president (Spanish: presidente municipal) by a plurality voting system who heads a concurrently elected municipal council (ayuntamiento) responsible for providing all the public services for their constituents. The municipal council consists of a variable number of trustees and councillors (regidores y síndicos).[4] Municipalities are responsible for public services (such as water and sewerage), street lighting, public safety, traffic, and the maintenance of public parks, gardens and cemeteries.[5] They may also assist the state and federal governments in education, emergency fire and medical services, environmental protection and maintenance of monuments and historical landmarks. Since 1984, they have had the power to collect property taxes and user fees, although more funds are obtained from the state and federal governments than from their own income.[5]

The largest municipality by population in Zacatecas is Fresnillo, with 240,532 residents, and the smallest municipality by population is Susticacán with 1,365 residents.[1] The largest municipality by area is the municipality of Mazapil which spans 12,143.26 km2 (4,688.54 sq mi), while Vetagrande is the smallest at 160.36 km2 (61.92 sq mi).[2] The two newest municipalities are Trancoso, created out of Guadalupe in 2000, and Santa María de la Paz, separated in 2005 from Teúl.

  1. ^ a b c "Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020 - SCITEL" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  2. ^ a b "México en cifras - Medio Ambiente - Zacatecas" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Article 115) (in Spanish). 1917. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  4. ^ OECD (November 12, 2004). New Forms of Governance for Economic Development. OECD Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 9264015329.
  5. ^ a b International Business Publications (2009). Mexico Company Laws and Regulations Handbook. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-4330-7030-3. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)