El Espinal, Spanish for "the spine" is a town and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
in
Oaxaca
)
, population_note =
, population_rank = 10th
, timezone1 = CST
, utc_offset1 = −6
, timezone1_DST = CDT
, utc_offset1_DST = −5
, postal_code_type = Postal ...
, southwestern
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 Guate ...
. As of 2005, the municipality had a population of 8,219
Geography
Covering an area of 82.93 km², El Espinal is part of the
Juchitán District
Juchitán District is located in the east of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, covering the southern part of a low-lying corridor through the mountains that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Pacific ocean.
The dis ...
in the west of the
Istmo de Tehuantepec region.
The area is a plain, ideal for agriculture, with a very warm and somewhat humid climate. It shares boundaries with
Asunción Ixtaltepec
Asunción Ixtaltepec is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico.
It is part of the Juchitán District in the west of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region.
The town was founded in 1546.
The name means "White Mountain".
Environ ...
to the north, Comitancillo and
San Pedro Comitancillo
San Pedro Comitancillo is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Tehuantepec District
Tehuantepec District is located in the west of the Istmo Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico.
It includes the cities of ...
to the west, and Juchitán de Zaragoza to the south.
History
El Espinal was recognized as a town in 1808, just before Mexican War of Independence, Mexican Independence. This zone did not play an important role during the toughest years of the struggle for the independence of Mexico. Non of the important movements towards independence started here. Nor any of the important personalities that fought for independence was originally from this municipality. El Espinal remained isolated from national events that took place elsewhere.
Infrastructure
In terms of education, the municipality has one kindergarten, four grammar schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Additionally, there is one computer lab and a small English school. Health care is limited, with only one center providing basic services and first aid.
Sports play an important role in El Espinal, with young people frequently using the local facilities. These include two small soccer fields, two basketball courts, and a running track. The most prominent facility is the baseball field, as many well-known Mexican baseball professionals come from this municipality.
In regard to population and according to a local source from 2005, there are about 2,172 houses from which 2,115 are owned by the population.
Gastronomy
Traditional foods in El Espinal include the black mole, stewed beef, jerked beef, tamales, marquesote, garnachas, corn tamales, chiles stuffed with different types of meat and seafood.
References
{{Juchitán District, Oaxaca
Municipalities of Oaxaca