Actopan (Actopan)
Actopan (from Nahuatl: Ātocpan 'thick, humid and fertile land') is a Mexican city, head of the municipality of Actopan in the state of Hidalgo. Actopan is widely known for its gastronomy, especially for ximbo and barbacoa, as well as for the Church and ex-convent of San Nicolás de Tolentino.
The city is located north of Mexico City, from which it is 120 km away, and only 37 km from the city of Pachuca de Soto, the capital of the state of Hidalgo. It is located within the geographical region known as Mezquital Valley. According to the results of the 2020 Population and Housing Census of INEGI, the town has a population of 32,276 inhabitants, which represents 52.91% of the municipal population.
The city was a settlement of the Otomi people. In 1117 it was conquered by Chichimeca groups and became a dependency of Acolhuacan in 1120. It was conquered by the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco at the end of the 14th century. The Mexica conquest took place in 1427 during the reign of Itzcoatl. After the Conquest of Mexico, an encomienda was established in Actopan. According to the Universal Dictionary of History and Geography, the city was founded on July 16, 1546; although the date on which the anniversary of its founding is celebrated corresponds to July 8. In 1575 Actopan was elevated to the category of village.
It was elevated to Alcaldía Mayor in 1568; Actopan was the head and the towns around it were then República de Indios (Republic of Indigenous People). Later it became Subdelegation in the period of the Bourbon reforms; and it acquired the character of City Hall and head of party, dependent on the district of Tula, on August 6, 1824. On April 26, 1847, by decree of the Congress of the State of Mexico, Actopan was elevated to the category of town.
On October 15, 1861, Actopan was declared a district of the State of Mexico. On June 7, 1862, it became part of the military canton number 3 of the Second Military District of the State of Mexico, created to confront the French intervention in Mexico. At the beginning, Actopan was temporarily the capital of the district, but it was changed to Pachuca. During the Second Mexican Empire, Actopan became part of the department of Tula. In 1869, the decree of establishment of the state of Hidalgo confirmed the character of District head of the new entity.
The Constitution of Hidalgo of 1870 recognized Actopan as the 1st district, category that would be confirmed in the 1st article of the electoral laws of 1880 and 1894. In the 3rd article of the Constitution of Hidalgo of October 1, 1920 it appears in the list as municipal seat, and in it is included as municipal seat of the municipality number 3 of Hidalgo. When commemorating the fourth centennial of the foundation of Actopan, on July 8, 1946, the XXXVIII Legislature of the Congress of the state of Hidalgo, gave it the category of city.
Some sources indicate that the word Actopan comes from the Otomi language, the INAFED in the Encyclopedia of the Municipalities and Delegations of Mexico in its page on Actopan, Hidalgo indicates the etymology of the word comes from Otomi; but in the page of Actopan, Veracruz it indicates that the etymology comes from Nahuatl. Enrique Rivas Paniagua, in the book Lo que el viento nos dejó: hojas del turruño hidalguense, points out that the name of no municipality in Hidalgo has roots in Otomi.
The word Actopan is of Nahuatl origin, derived from atoctli, which means 'thick, humid and/or fertile land', and pan, which means 'in' or 'on', so the translation would be as follows: "on thick, humid and fertile land". Another meaning is that it comes from ac root of the word (atl) that means water, to (' toktok) that means buriedf and pan that means locative, on, in; so its meaning would be "on buried water".
It has also been pointed out that the name of the locality could be Atocpan, which due to a certain modification of the language suffered a change in its structure; Otocpan, cited in the "Archivo Español de Arte y Arqueología del Obispado de México"; and Atecpan, of Nahuatl origin and meaning "in the pond".
The name of the settlement of the Hñähñu people before the Conquest of Mexico in the Otomi language was: Ma'ñuts'i, Mañutzi, or Mañutshí. An etymological meaning given is that it comes from the possessive ma, which means 'my', un, which means 'road', and itzi, which is diminutive, so it would translate as "my little road". According to the linguists, Ethel Emilia Wallis and Yolanda Lastra, another meaning is that it comes from ñuts'i, which means to light or incense (to perfume with incense) and the possessive ma, so it would translate as "Place of lighting or incensing".
The city is located north of Mexico City, from which it is 120 km away, and only 37 km from the city of Pachuca de Soto, the capital of the state of Hidalgo. It is located within the geographical region known as Mezquital Valley. According to the results of the 2020 Population and Housing Census of INEGI, the town has a population of 32,276 inhabitants, which represents 52.91% of the municipal population.
The city was a settlement of the Otomi people. In 1117 it was conquered by Chichimeca groups and became a dependency of Acolhuacan in 1120. It was conquered by the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco at the end of the 14th century. The Mexica conquest took place in 1427 during the reign of Itzcoatl. After the Conquest of Mexico, an encomienda was established in Actopan. According to the Universal Dictionary of History and Geography, the city was founded on July 16, 1546; although the date on which the anniversary of its founding is celebrated corresponds to July 8. In 1575 Actopan was elevated to the category of village.
It was elevated to Alcaldía Mayor in 1568; Actopan was the head and the towns around it were then República de Indios (Republic of Indigenous People). Later it became Subdelegation in the period of the Bourbon reforms; and it acquired the character of City Hall and head of party, dependent on the district of Tula, on August 6, 1824. On April 26, 1847, by decree of the Congress of the State of Mexico, Actopan was elevated to the category of town.
On October 15, 1861, Actopan was declared a district of the State of Mexico. On June 7, 1862, it became part of the military canton number 3 of the Second Military District of the State of Mexico, created to confront the French intervention in Mexico. At the beginning, Actopan was temporarily the capital of the district, but it was changed to Pachuca. During the Second Mexican Empire, Actopan became part of the department of Tula. In 1869, the decree of establishment of the state of Hidalgo confirmed the character of District head of the new entity.
The Constitution of Hidalgo of 1870 recognized Actopan as the 1st district, category that would be confirmed in the 1st article of the electoral laws of 1880 and 1894. In the 3rd article of the Constitution of Hidalgo of October 1, 1920 it appears in the list as municipal seat, and in it is included as municipal seat of the municipality number 3 of Hidalgo. When commemorating the fourth centennial of the foundation of Actopan, on July 8, 1946, the XXXVIII Legislature of the Congress of the state of Hidalgo, gave it the category of city.
Some sources indicate that the word Actopan comes from the Otomi language, the INAFED in the Encyclopedia of the Municipalities and Delegations of Mexico in its page on Actopan, Hidalgo indicates the etymology of the word comes from Otomi; but in the page of Actopan, Veracruz it indicates that the etymology comes from Nahuatl. Enrique Rivas Paniagua, in the book Lo que el viento nos dejó: hojas del turruño hidalguense, points out that the name of no municipality in Hidalgo has roots in Otomi.
The word Actopan is of Nahuatl origin, derived from atoctli, which means 'thick, humid and/or fertile land', and pan, which means 'in' or 'on', so the translation would be as follows: "on thick, humid and fertile land". Another meaning is that it comes from ac root of the word (atl) that means water, to (' toktok) that means buriedf and pan that means locative, on, in; so its meaning would be "on buried water".
It has also been pointed out that the name of the locality could be Atocpan, which due to a certain modification of the language suffered a change in its structure; Otocpan, cited in the "Archivo Español de Arte y Arqueología del Obispado de México"; and Atecpan, of Nahuatl origin and meaning "in the pond".
The name of the settlement of the Hñähñu people before the Conquest of Mexico in the Otomi language was: Ma'ñuts'i, Mañutzi, or Mañutshí. An etymological meaning given is that it comes from the possessive ma, which means 'my', un, which means 'road', and itzi, which is diminutive, so it would translate as "my little road". According to the linguists, Ethel Emilia Wallis and Yolanda Lastra, another meaning is that it comes from ñuts'i, which means to light or incense (to perfume with incense) and the possessive ma, so it would translate as "Place of lighting or incensing".
Map - Actopan (Actopan)
Map
Country - Mexico
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MXV | Mexican Unidad de Inversion | 2 | |
| MXN | Mexican peso | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| ES | Spanish language |