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Tlaxcala Facts

Tlaxcala Facts
At only 1,551 square miles, Tlaxcala is last among all thirty-one Mexican states in terms of physical size. Tlaxcala is located in south-eastern Mexico, just east of Mexico City and is quite densely populated as a result. Tlaxcala has a population of more than 1,200,000 people, which makes it the third most densely populated Mexican state. The name Tlaxcala is an ancient Nahuatl (Aztec) word, although its precise meaning remains debated by scholars: some believe it mean "green tortilla," while others think it has something to do with a crag. The ancient city of Tlaxcala played an important role in Pre-Columbian Mexican and when Hernan Cortes and the first Spaniards arrived in 1519 the Tlaxcaltecans were among THE first Indians to align with the Spaniards against the Aztec Empire. Because of the Spanish-Tlaxcala alliance, the region of Tlaxcala was one of the first in Mexico to be developed as part of the colony of New Spain. Due to the growth of Mexico City in recent decades, much of western Tlaxcala is now a suburb of the Mexican capital.
Interesting Tlaxcala Facts:
Most of Tlaxcala is in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.
Tlaxcala is almost entirely encircled by the state of Puebla and shares a short border with Hidalgo to its north and the state of Mexico to its west.
It is about 75 miles from downtown Mexico City to downtown Tlaxcala City, but only about half that if you travel from the western border of Tlaxcala state to the western suburbs of Mexico City.
Tlaxcala has a hot, dry climate. Its average temperature is 62°F with the warmest months being in April and May. The state records average rainfall of only 1.18 inches.
The state of Tlaxcala was involved in a long, ongoing war with the Aztec Empire beginning in the fifteenth century. The Aztecs engaged Tlaxcala in a number of "Flower Wars," which were designed to capture live warriors in order to claim human sacrifice victims and to boost the prestige of the warriors who captured them.
Tlaxcala City is the capital city of the state. Despite its name, the site of modern Tlaxcala City was not a Pre-Columbian settlement.
Because of its size and proximity to Mexico City, Tlaxcala has no major commercial airport. Most people visiting Tlaxcala via plane either fly into Mexico City or Puebla.
Mexico Federal Highway 150 D connects Tlaxcala directly to Mexico City to the west and Veracruz to the east. It is a four lane, controlled access tollway.
San Pablo del Monte is the largest city in Tlaxcala, although its population is only just over 55,000 people. San Pablo del Monte is a suburb of the much larger Puebla City, Puebla and is therefore part of a metro area of more than three million people.
Tlaxcala's economy is still primarily agricultural based, although it has transitioned to more light industry in the years since NAFTA was signed in the early 1990s. Tourism of Pre-Columbian archaeological sites has also become a larger part of Tlaxcala's economy in recent years.


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