Coatlán del Río


Coatlán del Río is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos.
It stands at,
at a mean height of 1,010 metres above sea level.
Coatlán is a name of Nahuatl origin, meaning "place of abundant snakes".
The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name.
The municipality reported 9,768 inhabitants in the 2015 census.

History

The origin of Coatlán del Río dates from the pre-Hispanic era. This town was founded by Toltecs in the year 1509, who were on a pilgrimage from Malinalco, State of Mexico. At first, they settled what is historically known as Coatlán Viejo, where there are stone ruins of the walls of buildings.
Coatlán Viejo is located 5 kilometers south of the municipal seat, on the hill known as Las Paredes. Later, they moved to the hill of Axoyochi, located 3 km to the east, where archaeological remains of carved stones, known as Momoxtles, were found. It is believed there is a pyramid that has not been discovered.
Other ruins of a town have been found in San Rafael, on the banks of the Chalma River. The stone called Escudo is a series of hieroglyphic and pictographic figures represent the history of the area. There is a similar stone on the civic plaza of Coatlán del Río. Other groups, such as the Aztecs and the Tlahuica, may have settled in this area. This town belonged to the religious and political center of Xochicalco, to then become part of the lordship of Cuauhnahuac, a tributary city of the Aztecs.
In the Colonial Era, Coatlán del Río was given in encomienda a conquistador named Juan Zermeño. In 1782, Zermeño's family filed a lawsuit against the Marquesado del Valle de Oaxaca over control of the town church, San Gaspar, which had been built in the 16th century.
The current church of Coatlán del Río was founded in 1808, and the bells were added in 1809. There is also a church called Santos Reyes or Epifania del Señor, and the chapel of Dolores, also called el Calvario.
Coatlán del Río was declared a municipality on May 22, 1862.
The old municipal presidency was located to the south of the civic square, where the elementary school Prof. Miguel Salinas is today. In 1939, city hall has been at the former home of General Pedro Saavedra Brito. The current city hall was built in 1957 by Colonel Ezequiel Cruz Ortiz.
Carlos Nieto Estrada, an independent candidate, was elected Presidente Municipal in the July 1, 2018 election.
The state of Morelos reported 209 cases and 28 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, as of April 27, 2020, two cases were reported in Coatlán del Río. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On June 2, Coatlán del Río reported five confirmed cases and one death from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13.

Water Resources

The municipality has important hydrological resources, which greatly benefit the regional economy and influence the climate, microclimates, and vegetation.
The most important river is the Chalma River, which source is in Chalma, State of Mexico. It crosses the municipality through Colonia Morelos, Cocoyotla, and Coatlán del Río. There are three dams: La Toma in Cocoyotla, and Apantle Chico and Cazahuatlánfrom in San Rafael. The Apantle Grande is derived from the Coatlán Dam; there is also another small dam in Cocoyotla, which is the source of the Agua Salada.
There are other low-flow streams such as the Cuates, the Cocoyotla, and the Axixintle that carry water throughout the year, and the Joyas, the Arenal and the Milpillas, which carry water only during the rainy season. There are also eight springs and seven wells.

Tourist Attractions

There are several small towns and villages in the municipality. The principal economic activities are farming, ranching, dairy, and cultivation of fruit and flowers.
Other communities have fewer than 1,000 residents.