OAXACA (wah-hah'ka) or OAJACA (officially OAXACA DE JUAREZ), a southern State of Mexico, including the southern and larger part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Pop. (1900) 948,633, (1910) 1,040.398, (193o) 1,082,191, a large majority of whom are Indians. The State has an area of 35,382sq.m. broken by mountain ranges into numerous broad fertile valleys, chiefly lying in the tierra tentplada region. The isthmus districts, how ever, have lower elevations and are distinctly tropical. The coast line is 329m. long; behind it is a narrow strip of lowlands lying within the tierras calientes. In places this strip nearly disappears, the sierras rising almost immediately from the seashore. The highest points are Zempoaltepetl (ii,145ft.), San Felipe del Agua (Io,253ft.), and the Cerro del Leone, the highest summit in the Sierra Madre del Sur. The only ports on the coast open to foreign trade are Salina Cruz and Puerto Mexico—the first, the Pacific terminus of the Tehuantepec railway, with a spacious artificial harbour, and the second a deep but narrow natural harbour, the coast terminus of the Tehuantepec National railway. The greater
part of the State has a sub-tropical climate, with high sun tempera tures, moderate rainfall and mild, healthful conditions. The less healthful regions include the isthmus districts, the coastal zone on the Pacific and the low country near Vera Cruz. The chief products are Indian corn, wheat, coffee, sugar, rubber, cotton, cacao, tobacco, indigo and a great variety of tropical fruits. Among the manufactured products are cotton, woollen and "pita" fibre fabrics, sugar, rum, mescal, beer, furniture, pottery, soap, candles, leather, matches, chocolate, flour and cigarettes. Two important railway lines traverse the State—the Tehuantepec Na tional (trans-isthmus) and the Mexican Southern line (narrow gauge) from Puebla to Oaxaca. Two progressive Indian races, the Zapotecas and Mixtecas, descendants of those who built the remarkable cities of Mitla and Monte Alban (see CENTRAL AMERICA : Archaeology) form the greater part of the population.