theindigenoushistoryofguerrero-somosprimos（13页）.docVIP

Indigenous Guerrero: A Remnant of the Aztec Empire By John P. Schmal Location and Description The Mexican state of Guerrero is located in the southern coastal region of the Mexican Republic. Guerrero covers an area of 63,597 square kilometers, occupying 3.2% of the national territory. The state is bordered to the north by the states of Michoacán, Mexico and Morelos; to the east, by Puebla and Oaxaca; and to the south, by the Pacific Ocean. Politically, Guerrero is divided into eighty-one municipios. Dominated by the Sierra Madre Mountains of southern Mexico, Guerrero is extremely mountainous, except for a narrow coastal strip of flatlands. Environmentally, the state is divided into the following regions: Tierra Caliente: The northwest interior, which borders Michoacán and Estado de Mexico La Monta?a (The Mountain): the mountainous region in the northeast, bordering on Puebla and Oaxaca Sierra del Norte: The far north adjacent to Morelos, Estado de Mexico and Puebla Centro: The Central Valleys in the middle of the State Costa Grande: The Coastal strip northwest of Acapulco Costa Chica: The Coastal strip southeast of Acapulco The capital of Guerrero is Chilpancingo de los Bravos. In 2010, Guerrero had a population of 3,388,768 inhabitants, representing 3.0 of the total population of the Republic of Mexico. Historical Notes In pre-Hispanic times, Guerrero was inhabited by a large number of indigenous tribes. Archaeological sites in the state show a human presence since at least 2000 B.C. and ceramic pieces indicate that the inhabitants of the area had contact with both the Olmecs and Toltecs by the Eighth Century. By the 11th century, the Cuitlatecos began to dominate the Costa Grande region. By the 14th century, much of the coastal area and Tierra Caliente had come under the control of the Cuitlatecos, with their capital at Mezcaltepec. Other cultures that passed through the area included the Tolimecas, Chubias, Coixas and Pantecas. Fifteenth Century