Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Narrow Mexican isthmus linking Gulf of Mexico and Pacific.
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a narrow strip of land in southern Mexico that represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. It has historically served as a natural border between North America and Central America and was a major overland transport route, known as the Tehuantepec Route, before the opening of the Panama Canal.
- location
- Mexico, between the 94th and 96th meridians west longitude
- narrowest width
- 200 km (124 mi) from gulf to gulf
- highest elevation
- 224 m (735 ft) at Chivela Pass
- annual rainfall (northern slope)
- 3,960 mm (156 in)
- maximum temperature
- about 35 °C (95 °F)
- notable wind
- Tehuano
- indigenous group
- Zapotec peoples
Lore & Background
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec was used as an interoceanic passage during the 16th century by Spanish conquistadores. Hernán Cortés, in 1520, transported equipment and supplies across the isthmus from the Gulf of Mexico to his shipyard on the Pacific coast, utilizing the Coatzacoalcos River for about two-thirds of the journey. Spanish expeditions later moved materials by canoe and on the backs of indigenous people from the river's sources to the Gulf of Tehuantepec.
Reader's Guide
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec holds significance as a geographic and biogeographic divide. It separates North America from Central America geographically, though geologically the division lies farther south at the Motagua Fault in Guatemala. The isthmus has been noted as a biogeographical barrier among montane taxa, such as Mexican birds, toads, and the Central American river turtle, leading to allopatric speciation. Its narrowness and the gap in the Sierra Madre allow trade winds to blow through, creating the Tehuano wind and making the region one of the best wind resources in Mexico, with several wind farms. The isthmus also has a rich cultural heritage, with the Zapotec peoples in Oaxaca, where women known as Tehuanas are traders and known for their colorful dresses and assertive personalities.
Did You Know?
- The name Tehuantepec comes from the Nahuatl term Tēcuāntepēc, meaning 'jaguar mountain'.
- The Selva Zoque in the eastern-central region is the largest remaining tropical rainforest in Mexico.
- The isthmus was considered for an interoceanic canal as early as the 16th century.
- The Tehuano wind is a strong wind that blows through Chivela Pass from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific.
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