Cofre de Perote, also known by its
Nahuatl
Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...
names Naupa-Tecutépetl (from ''Nāuhpa-Tēuctēpetl'') and Nauhcampatépetl, both meaning something like "Place of Four Mountains" or "Mountain of the Lord of Four Places", is an inactive
volcano
A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
located in the
Mexican state of
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
, at the point where the
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, home to all of Mexico's highest peaks, joins the
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that ...
. With an elevation of above sea level, Cofre de Perote is Mexico's eighth highest mountain summit.
Cofre de Perote is a
shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava ...
, shaped very differently from the
stratovolcanic Pico de Orizaba, which lies about to the southeast. A ''cofre'' is a
coffer, and the name alludes to a volcanic outcropping on the shield which constitutes the peak of the mountain. To the north is the town of
Perote, Veracruz, after which the mountain is named.
The area surrounding the volcano was protected by the Mexican government as a
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
, known as Cofre de Perote National Park (), in 1937.
Climate
Cofre de Perote features a
humid alpine climate (Köppen climate classification ''ET''), without a dry season but having a rainier season in summer and autumn.
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of North America
**
List of mountain peaks of Mexico
***
List of volcanoes in Mexico
References
*
External links
Programa de manejo del Parque nacional Cofre de Perote, Universidad Veracruzana
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Volcanoes of Veracruz
Mountains of Mexico
Landforms of Veracruz
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Sierra Madre Oriental
North American 4000 m summits
National parks of Mexico
Protected areas of Veracruz
Protected areas of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt