Tamaulipas

Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; it is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federated entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities.

It is located in northeast Mexico and is bordered by the states of Nuevo León to the west, San Luis Potosí to the southwest, and Veracruz to the southeast. To the north, it has a 370 km (230 mi) stretch of the U.S.–Mexico border with the state of Texas, and to the east it is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the capital city, Ciudad Victoria, the state's largest cities include Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Tampico, and Mante.

Etymology

The name Tamaulipas comes from an old word called Tamaholipa. In the Huastec language, tam- means "place where." People often think holipa means "high hills." Some believe the name comes from Ta ma ho'lipam, which means "place where they pray a lot," and refers to the Lipan Apache people.

History

The area now known as Tamaulipas has been home to people for at least 8,000 years. Many different groups lived there over time, including the Chichimec and Huastec peoples.

When Spanish explorers arrived, they slowly took control of the land. The first lasting Spanish town was Tampico in 1554. Missionaries and ranchers helped build the area, though local groups sometimes fought back. In 1746, Tamaulipas became its own region called Nuevo Santander.

After Mexico won independence from Spain in 1824, Tamaulipas became one of the original states. Later, it lost some land after wars with the United States. Through the 1900s and beyond, Tamaulipas grew with new roads, schools, and industries.

Geography

The Tropic of Cancer passes through the southern part of the municipality of Victoria. The coastal areas along the Gulf are flat, while the inland areas have many cactus plants and open pasture lands. Animals that live in this region include the cougar (Puma concolor), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), American badger (Taxidea taxus), North American beaver (Castor canadensis), plain chachalaca (Ortalis vetula), and quail.

In the western part of the state, the Sierra Madre Oriental has warm valleys and tall mountains. Some of these mountains reach heights of over 3,000 meters (about 9,800 feet) above sea level. The Sierra de Tamaulipas and the Sierra de San Carlos are separate mountain ranges found in the eastern part of Tamaulipas.

Several rivers, including the Bravo, Purificacion, and Guayalejo, flow from the western inland areas into the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande, called the Río Bravo in Mexico, forms the northern border with the United States. One of its tributaries, the San Juan River, feeds into the Marte R. Gómez Dam. There are 14 other dams in the state that help with farming and raising cattle, storing a total of 7,500 million cubic meters (260 billion cubic feet) of water.

Climate

About 58% of Tamaulipas has a hot and very wet humid subtropical climate. In the center, north, and southwest areas, the climate is dry or very dry, making up 38% of the state. The far southwest has a milder subtropical climate, and the far southeast, including Tampico, has a tropical savanna climate. The average temperature in Tamaulipas is around 23.5 °C (74.3 °F), and the area receives about 780 mm (31 inches) of rain each year, mostly from June to September.

Government and infrastructure

Tamaulipas has several important state agencies that help run the state. These include the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública (Tamaulipas), which works on safety, and other groups that handle public works and justice. There is also a special guard called the Guardia Estatal to help keep things running smoothly.

Economy

Northern Tamaulipas shares its economic culture with that of Texas, focusing on agriculture and strong growth in many industries. This area is home to many factories owned by foreign companies but worked by Mexicans, often by women. Important industrial parks include the Oradel Industrial Center in the border city of Nuevo Laredo.

Southern Tamaulipas's economy is mainly based on petrochemical industries. There are petrochemical plants around Altamira and important port facilities in Ciudad Madero and Tampico. Tourism and fishing are also important, especially in places like La Pesca. The central zone, including the capital Ciudad Victoria, focuses on forestry, farming, and some industry. About 30% of the population lives here.

Demographics

Many people from the nearby state of Veracruz move to Tamaulipas to find work in factories that make goods for other countries.

Education

Tamaulipas has good education standards. Only 5% of people older than 15 cannot read or write, and people usually go to school for about 7.8 years. About 11% of people earn a professional degree.

The state has several schools for higher learning, including:

• Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Tamaulipas (IEST)
• Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Madero (ITCM)
• Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas
• Tec Campus Tampico (ITESM)

Transportation

Highways

Mexican Federal Highways connect many places in Tamaulipas. Some important roads include:

• Highway 2 runs east from Nuevo Laredo to Matamoros along the Rio Bravo del Norte.
• Highway 40, also called the Inter-Oceanic Highway, goes east to Monterrey.
• Highway 54 heads south from Mier to Monterrey.
• Highway 70 connects Veracruz to Tampico and also links Ciudad Victoria to Soto la Marina.
• Highway 80 travels west from Tampico through Ciudad Mante to San Luis Potosi.
• Highway 85, part of the Inter-American Highway and the Pan-American Highway, runs south from Nuevo Laredo to Monterrey and continues to San Luis Potosi.
• Highway 85D is a toll road between Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo.
• Highway 97 goes south from Reynosa to meet Highway 101 from Matamoros.
• Highway 101 travels south from Matamoros through Ciudad Victoria to San Luis Potosi.
• Highway 180 runs south from Matamoros through San Fernando to Tampico.

Railroads

Railroads in Tamaulipas include lines from Monterrey to Tampico and from San Luis Potosi to Tampico, now operated by Kansas City Southern de Mexico. This company also runs a line from Matamoros through Reynosa to Monterrey.

There are two bridges across the Rio Grande: the Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge at Nuevo Laredo, and the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge.

Airports

Tamaulipas has five international airports and one national airport. These serve cities such as Ciudad Mante, Ciudad Victoria, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Tampico.

Oil pipelines

Four oil pipelines end at Tampico.

Ports

There is a major deep-water port at Tampico and a coastal port at Matamoros.

Media

Tamaulipas has many newspapers. Some of these newspapers include El Bravo, El Diario de Ciudad Victoria, El Mañana, El Mañana de Reynosa, El Mercurio de Tamaulipas, El Sol de la Tarde, El Sol de Tampico, Hora Cero Tamaulipas, La Razón, La Tarde, La Verdad de Tamaulipas, Milenio, Periódico Valle del Norte, and Siempre con la verdad a tiempo.

Notable natives and residents

Tamaulipas has been home to many interesting people. Some well-known individuals from the state include José Ángel Gurría Treviño, a diplomat and economist who worked with the OECD. There is also the Regional Mexican musical group Intocable, and famous musicians like Fito Olivares, Víctor García, Rodrigo González, Rigo Tovar, and Ismael Valdez, who played in Major League Baseball.

Actors and actresses from Tamaulipas include Alicja Bachleda-Curus, Linda Christian, Ana Brenda Contreras, Laura Elizondo, Juan García Esquivel, Laura Flores, Mauricio Garces, Arleth Terán, and Eduardo Verástegui. Other notable figures are Rosemary Barkett, a judge in the United States, and Jean-Louis Berlandier, a French-Mexican scientist from the 1800s.

State anthem

The current anthem of Tamaulipas is called Himno a Tamaulipas, created in 1926 by Rafael Antonio Pérez Pérez with music by Alfredo Tamayo Marín. Usually, only the chorus and first verse are sung in public.

Crime

Tamaulipas has faced challenges due to conflicts between criminal groups. These conflicts have caused fear and made some areas nearly empty. In response, Mexican forces worked to help people return home safely.

The state has experienced high rates of violent incidents, which has affected its economy and daily life. Efforts continue to address these issues and support the community.