Metepec

**Metepec** is a ceety an municipality in the State o Mexico in Mexico an is locatit directly tae the east o the state caipital, Toluca, at a altitude o 2,635 metres abuin sea level. The centre o Mexico Ceety lees some 50&nbsp;km further tae the east. The name Metepec comes frae Náhuatl meanin *hill of the [[Agave|maguey]] plants*. Housomeivver, it is kent in the Matlatzinca leid as "Nepinta-Tuhi" an an meanin 'fowk o corn land' an in the Otomi leid as "Ntaguada".

## The ceety

The ceety centre lees at the fuit o the hill that gies the ceety an municipality its name. Thare haes been a commonty here syne the Otomis an Matlatzincas settled in this pairt o the Valley o Toluca: the Matlatzincas reached thair cultural peak atween AD 1120 an 1450 as pairt o the Teotihuacan cultur. The Aztecs conquered this commonty, alang wi the rest o the aurie bi AD 1470 bi the tlatoani (chief) namit Axáyacatl.  The Spaingie arrivit here in AD 1526 obliteratin native rites that wur practicit on the "maguey hill" an biggit a kirk thare, nou-cried the **Ex-convento de San Juan**, renamin the aurie **San Juan Bautista Metepec**. Accordin tae the **Codex o Metepec** the Spaingie toun wis foondit in the same year.

The **Ex-convento de San Juan** is the main releegious structur in the toun an dates frae the 16t century; housomeivver, ither kirks wirth visitin include Las Capillas de El Calvario, La Santa Cruz, del Espíritu Santo, San Bartolomé, de San Salvador, de Santa María Magdalena an la Parroquia de San Mateo. The 24t o Juin is the feast day o Metepec's patron saunt, John the Baptist.  Addeetionally, syne 1990 the ceety haes a internaitional airts an cultur festival cried **Quimera**, which occurs in October.

The Cerro de Maguey (Maguey Hill) haes a nummer o smaw caves wi names lik "La cueva del diablo" (The Devil's Cave) that can be splorit. While maist o the fuid in Metepec is teepical o the region (wi dishes sic as barbacoa, tamales, an huaraches) it daes hae a unique drink cried "Garañona".  It is made frae 15 yerbs an is a strang, sweet drink.  Some locals say it is a aphrodisiac. The anerly place that sells an distributes this drink is a bar cried the "2 de Abril", locatit in the ceety centre.

### Economic activities

Metepec is kent for its pottery items an it is still o economic importance. The airtisans o this aurie hae organisit intae the **Asociación de Artesanos de Metepec y la Unión de Alfareros de Metepec, A.C.** (Association o Airtisans o Metepec an the Union o Potters o Metepec). Principal crafts include objects made frae clay, gless an includes saddlemakkin. The ceety haes aboot 300 craftsmen as well as 275 faimily wirkshops.  The craft Metepec is best kent for is the '''Arbol de la vida''' ("Tree o Life") which is a tradeetional pottery representation o the tree frae which Adam an Eve ett in the Biblical story.  Monday is mercat day in the ceety centre, cried plaza, whaur merchants go tae sell fruit, vegetables an even a few electronic items. In recent years, the municipality haes increased its economic importance wi the construction o shoppin maws, commercial plazas an automobile agencies etc.

The follaein are some o the recognisit establishments, restaurants an plazas tae be foond in this municipality:

Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco,
Mega, 
Sears, 
Liverpool (store), 
Chedraui, Soriana, Radio Shack, McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Mercedes Benz, SEAT, Volkswagen, Cinemex an Cinepolis amang ithers. 

Accordin tae INEGI 2005 census figurs, the ceety haed a population o 164,182, while the municipality haed a population o 206,005 indwallers. The municipality covers a aurie o 70.43&nbsp;km² (27.19 sq mi) an includes several smawer commonties besides Metepec. Maist commercial activity occurs in the ceety o Metepec proper an haes grown considerably in the past years, alang wi its population.

## The municipality

As municipal seat, the ceety o Metepec haes govrenin jurisdiction ower the follaein commonties: Barrio Santiaguito, Colonia Álvaro Obregón, Colonia Llano Grande (El Salitre), Rancho el Carmen Progreso, San Bartolomé Tlaltelulco, San Gaspar Tlahuelilpan, San Lorenzo Coacalco (San Lorenzo), San Lucas Tunco (San Lucas), San Miguel Totocuitlapilco, San Sebastián, Santa María Magdalena Ocotitlán, an Tepoluli.

The municipality borders wi the municipalities o San Mateo Atenco, Santiago Tianguistenco, Toluca, Chapultepec, Mexicaltzingo an Calimaya an haes a territory o 70.43 square kilometres. Due tae its altitude, average temperaturs here vary atween 14 an 30&nbsp;°C wi cauld spells doun tae -5&nbsp;°C that can occur as late as Mairch or Apryle.

### Economic activities
Ootside o the ceety o Metepec, the main economic activity is still agricultur, wi 5,271.59 hectares devotit tae crops. Fish ferms comprise 208.18 hectares, wi urban auries totalin anerly 1,193.16 hectares. Livestock raisin includes cattle, sheep, pigs, horse, goats, rabbits an various fowl sic as turkeys an chickens.  Maist is raised for autoconsumption an for nearbi localities. Housomeivver, industrial activities hae grown in importance wi enterprises dedicatit tae fuid-processin, bottlin, tobacco, clothin, paper products, construction materials, as well as machinery an ither equipment.

### History
Durin the Spaingie conquest, Gonzálo de Sandoval an his Otomi allees, conquered Toluca, Tenango, Tlacotepec, Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca, Calimaya alang wi Metepec an ither Matlatzinca an Mexica population centres, whose land wur then abandoned bi the natives. Thir land wur then redistributit amang the Spaniards who pairticipatit in the Conquest an tae those local chiefs that supportit the Spaingie.  Land in an aroond Metepec wur gien tae Caiptain Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano, who brocht the Franciscans in tae evangelize the aurie, an then thir land passed on tae form the estates o the Coonts o Santiago. The aurie wis considered a "alcaldía mayor" (leeterally 'major mayorship') bi 1560 wi the veelage o Metepec as its seat. Records o municipal govrenment transactions begin in the 19t century. Feenally, the municipality o Metepec wis creatit in 1821; awtho this wis no ratifee'd bi the govrenment o the State o Mexico till 1827.

## In popular cultur
The oreeginal veelage o Metepec regards the Tree o Life as representative o this municipality an some local wirkshops still produce this brichtly pentit pottery airtifact. The album kiver o the Beatles' 1967 record Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band featurs a Metepec Tree o Life. The Zepeda faimily haes thair ferm-lik hame in the region.

## Sister ceeties
Metepec is twinned wi:
* Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico
* Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
* Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru

## References


## Freemit airtins

* Ayuntamiento de Metepec  Offeecial wabsteid 
* Quimera wabsteid 
* Trees of Life  (fowk airt pottery)