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CHIAPAS

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Originally appearing in Volume V06, Page 118 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CHIAPAS , a Pacific See also:

coast See also:state of See also:southern See also:Mexico on the Guatemalan frontier, bounded by the states of See also:Tabasco on the N. and See also:Vera Cruz and See also:Oaxaca on the W. Pop. (1895) 318,730; (1900) 360,799, a large proportion of which are See also:Indians; See also:area, 27,222 sq. m. largely forested. The Sierra Madre crosses the southern See also:part of the state parallel with the coast, separating the See also:low, humid, forested districts on the frontier of Tabasco from the hot, drier, coastal See also:plain on the Pacific. The See also:mountain region includes a See also:plateau of See also:great fertility and temperate See also:climate, which is one of the best parts of Mexico and contains the larger part of the See also:population of the state. But See also:isolation and lack of transportation facilities have retarded its development. The See also:extension of the See also:Pan-See also:American railway across the state, from See also:San Geronimo, on the See also:Tehuantepec See also:National See also:line, to the Guatemalan frontier, is calculated to improve the See also:industrial and social conditions of the See also:people. The See also:principal See also:industries are See also:agriculture, which is very backward, stock-raising, See also:timber-cutting, See also:fruit-farming and See also:salt-making. See also:Coffee-planting is a new See also:industry on the Pacific slope of the Sierra Madre at elevations of 2000 to 4000 ft., and has met with considerable success. See also:Rubber plantations have also been laid out, principally by American companies, the Castilloa elastica doing well. The exports include See also:cattle, hides, coffee, rubber, fruit and salt. The See also:mineral resources include See also:gold, See also:silver, See also:copper and See also:petroleum, but no mines were in operation in '906.

The See also:

capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez (pop. 9395 in 1900), is on the plateau, 3z M. from the Rio Sabinas, and '38 m. N.E. of the Pacific See also:port of Tonala. The former capital, San Cristobal (pop. about 5000 in 1895), about 40 M. E. of Tuxtla, is an interesting old See also:town and the seat of the bishopric of Chiapas, founded in 1525 and made famous through its associations with See also:Las Casas. Tapachula (pop. in 1895, 6775), the capital of the See also:department of Soconusco; m. from the Guatemalan frontier, is a rising commercial town of the new coffee See also:district. It is 24 M. inland from the small port of San Benito, is 559 ft. above See also:sea-level, and has a healthy climate. Other prominent towns with their populations in 1895, are Comitan, or Comitlan (93'6), on the Rio Grijalva about 40 M. S.E. of San Cristobal, and chiefly distinguished for its See also:fine See also:church and See also:convent dedicated to San Domingo; Pichucalco (8549), Tenejapa (7936), San See also:Antonio (6715), Cintalape (6455), La See also:Concordia (6291), San See also:Carlos (5977), and Ococingo (5667).

End of Article: CHIAPAS

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