The Municipality of Pachuca de Soto, or Municipality of Pachuca, is one of the Municipalities of the state of Hidalgo, located in east-central

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The municipal seat is the City of Pachuca de Soto (''Ciudad de Pachuca de Soto''). The Municipality of Pachuca is increasingly co-extensive with the metropolitan area of Pachuca, as development has grown to cover over 60% of the geographic open space. That has eliminated much of the municipality's native flora diversity and larger fauna.

Geography

The location of the municipality is north of the state of Mexico, and is located in the low extreme geographical coordinates of Greenwich, north latitude 20º01'23", 20º12'28" maximum, west longitude 98°41'30" minimum, 98°52'35" maximum. The Municipality of Pachuca has a territory of and borders the municipalities of Mineral del Chico, Mineral del Monte, Zempoala, Zapotlán de Juárez, Mineral de la Reforma,

Epazoyucan Epazoyucan is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north ...

, and

San Agustín Tlaxiaca San Agustín Tlaxiaca is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 354.6 km2. As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 27,118. Geography It is located be ...

Natural features

The municipality is located in rugged hill and mountain terrains, and varies in altitude between above sea level. It is located on the

Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ( es, Eje Volcánico Transversal), also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the (''Snowy Mountain Range''), is an active volcanic belt that covers central-southern Mexico. Several of its highest peaks h ...

(''Eje Volcánico Transversal, Sierra Nevada'') mountain ranges system. The only major level terrain is where the historic center of Pachuca city is located. Notable mountains are the Cerro del Cuixi, the Cerro de San Cristóbal, and the Cerro de Cubitos. Rivers that cross through the municipality are the Actopan, the Amajac and the Tezontepec Rivers. The climate is temperate and relatively cold with strong winds during eight to nine months out of the year. These can reach speeds of 60–65 km an hour.

Economy

64% of the Municipality of Pachuca is a developed urban area. Agriculture is nearly a non-existent factor in the economy, as the small-scale farming and livestock raising in the hills is for family or local consumption.

Industry

Despite its decline in the 20th century, mining still continues to be an important element of Pachuca's economy. Pachuca still produces more than 60% of the state's gold and more than 50% of its silver. The manufacturing sector was established in the 1950s and has been steadily growing, changing the city's traditional mining image. Some of the major industrial employers are Applied Power de México (automotive parts), BARROMEX (machinery), Herramientas Cleveland (machinery and tools) and Embotelladora la Minera (soft drinks). The city also contains over 800 smaller manufacturing enterprises. The municipality's economy also has a large commercial sector, with numerous stores and thirteen public markets. It is also the wholesale center for foodstuffs for most of the state.

Tourism

Despite all the changes in the 20th century, the Historic center of Pachuca has maintained its colonial provincial feel. This has led the municipality and city to promote it as a tourist attraction. The ''Mina de Acosta'' is a mine, and an open-air and subterranean mining museum, adjacent to Pachuca in the village of Real del Monte in the municipality. It is still active, but barely as for each ton and a half of ore extracted, only 200 grams of silver and 2 grams of gold are obtained. Guided tours show how

ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...

is extracted from the mine, at depths up to .

Politics

Demography

According to the 2005 census the Municipality of Pachuca de Soto had 275,578 inhabitants. The municipality contains fifteen other communities, with all but two having less than 1,500 people according to the 2005 INEGI census. Only three percent of the municipality's population lives outside the Pachuca city boundaries. The majority of the residents are Roman Catholic, but there is a significant percentage of Protestants, mostly descendants of English miners.

Populated places in Pachuca

Settlements in the Municipality of Pachuca include: * Barrio del Judío * La Rabia * El Comal * El Bordo (Barrio del Bordo)

References

External links

*�
Municipality of Pachuca de Soto: Municipal Presidency website
{{Clear Municipalities of Hidalgo (state) eo:Pachuca de Soto (komunumo)