News: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is in news after a deadly derailment of the Interoceanic Train in Oaxaca, where at least 13 people were killed when the passenger train carrying 250 people derailed near Nizanda.
About Isthmus of Tehuantepec
- Location: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a narrow strip of land located in southern Mexico.
- The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is shared primarily by the Mexican states of Veracruz and Oaxaca.
- It lies between the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Gulf of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico to the north.
- The isthmus provides the shortest land distance between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
- Width: At its narrowest point, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec measures approximately 200 km in width.
- It separates the southern states of Chiapas, Yucatán, Tabasco, and Campeche from the rest of Mexico. A small portion of the isthmus also extends into western Tabasco.
- Terrain: The terrain of the Isthmus is highly diverse, ranging from tropical grasslands and fertile plains to isolated mountains and arid lowlands.
- Mountain range: The Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range terminates at the isthmus and transitions into a broad, low ridge.
- Pass: The Chivela Pass represents the highest elevation within the isthmus and separates the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca from the Sierra Madre de Chiapas.
- The Chivela Pass also marks a significant geographic boundary between North and Central America.
- Vegetation: Swamps and dense tropical forests dominate the northern portion of the isthmus.
- The Selva Zoque, one of Mexico’s most important ecological regions, occupies the east-central part of the isthmus.
- Climate: The northern region of the Isthmus experiences a tropical monsoon climate.
- The southern portion of the isthmus is characterized by a tropical savanna climate.
- Indigenous communities: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is home to several indigenous groups, including the Zapotecs, Mixes, Zoques, Nahuas, Popolocas, Chontales, and Huaves.
- Culture: The region is widely recognized for its distinctive and colorful traditional women’s attire known as “Tehuanas.”
- Importance: The strategic location of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec has long made it a potential site for interoceanic routes and canal construction.
