Chiapas, Mexico
by: Cheyenne stevens
Maya areas in Chiapas
Chiapas' people
Chiapas' biggest religion
Chiapas' people
Chiapas is the eight most populated state in Mexico with 3.9 million people (in year 2000).Also Chiapas has the youngest population through all of Mexico; 50 percent of the reisdents are 20 and under.And many of the people are indiginous; atleast 25 percent of the Chiapas speak one or more Maya languages (in the Chiapas area). The most common are Chol,Tojolobal,Tzotzil,and Tzelta.Most of the people here are catholic (64%) but there is some protestants (14%), Jews, Muslims, and those who don't have beliefs.
Chiapas' jobs and the affect they have
Chiapas is one of Mexicos biggest producers of coffe,corn,cattle,and cocoa.Also makes 54% of mexico's hydroelectric power, 47% of it's natural gas, and 24% of it's crude oil.Though not all of the products get spread evenly; 12% of the homes there lack electricity,26% dont have running water,and 53% cook with wood.Also Chiapas has the highest illiteracy rate in all of Mexico with 22%,the least doctors per person with 1 doctor per 17,856 people, and the second smallest life expectancy of 67 years old.
Chiapas' history
Chiapas was very poor in mineral weath; they had no gold, and no silver. But they had a lot of agriculutral products. Some of these products were cocoa, tobacco, forced labor, sugar cane, and red dye also refered to as cochineal. In Chiapas the conditions were so severe that many of the Chiapas people either died, fled, or arose rebellion which would later become "the Tzeltal rebellion of 1712 and the Tzotzil uprising of 1868".
In 1984 the Zapatista rebellion began to form and Chiapas soon went to war in 1992.Not long after the war begun Chiapas and the Zapatista formed a truce, though it was a edgy truce.
Chiapas' massacre
The most dreadful thing seemingly in Chiapas was the Acteal massacre that left over fifty women , children, and a nonviolent Zapatista group mercilessly slaughtered by a pro-government assembly.