Chontalpa

Chontalpa is a region in the northwest of the Mexican state of Tabasco, consisting of four municipalities. Although the name refers to the state's Chontal Maya population, modern Chontalpa is a subregion of the Grijalva Region that surrounds the Grijalva River, with boundaries defined by economic concerns. A large percentage of the state's Chontal Maya population does live in the region, with the municipality of Nacajuca having the largest concentration of Chontal Maya indigenous individuals, while the next largest concentration is found just east of the region, in the Villahermosa area. The Chontalpa economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, especially livestock, as well as on its oil industry. The reliance on these sectors has prompted conflict since the 20th century, as the environmental effects of the oil industry have caused concerns of effects on agriculture. Chontalpa is also home to Tabasco's two main archeological sites, La Venta and Comalcalco, along with numerous smaller sites.

Chontalpa is officially a subregion of Grijalva, which is defined as lands in Tabasco reliant on the Grijalva River and related surface water. It consists of the municipalities of Huimanguillo, Cárdenas, Comalcalco and Paraíso, with its capital as the city of Comalcalco. It is the second largest of Tabasco's subregions with an area of 7,482.12km², representing 31.08% of the state. Chontalpa borders the Gulf of Mexico to the north, the state of Chiapas to the south, the state of Veracruz to the west and the municipalities of Centla, Centro (Villahermosa) and Jalpa de Méndez to the east.

Like the rest of Tabasco, the Chontalpa region is a mostly flat floodplain with a small area of highlands along the border with Chiapas. The floodplain only has an average elevation of ten meters above sea level with some areas being below sea level. Elevations generally do not exceed forty meters, but the highest point is Mono Pelado at 970 meters above sea level.

The climate is hot and humid with most precipitation occurring during summer and fall. The average annual rainfall is about 2000 mm. The region is subject to numerous storms and even hurricanes arriving from the Gulf of Mexico. These storms are unimpeded by the low flat plain, with the elevations near the Chiapas border the first barrier. The rain that falls here feeds much of the area's rivers, especially the Amatan and Oxlotan, with rainfalls up to 4,000 mm per year. Other important rivers in the flat areas include the Samaría, Mezcalpa, Tonalá and Santana. This means that large quantities of fresh water flows towards the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to rivers, this also produces large areas of lakes, marshes and other wetlands and lagoons around estuaries such as the Mecoacán Lagoon. It also means that the flat areas of the region are highly susceptible to flooding, including the 2007 Tabasco flood. These were caused by unusually heavy rain in October of that year brought in by multiple cold fronts, bringing in a record of 1,054mm of rain to the region in only three days. However, significant flooding is relatively frequent with major events occurring in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, the Blasillo River caused major flooding affecting 4,500 families.

Wild vegetation is that associated with wetlands both on land and aquatic. This includes Thalia geniculata, kapoks (Ceiba petandra), palo mulato (Bursera simaruba), zapote (Pachira aquatic), maculis (Tebebuia rosea) and royal palm (Royestonea regia) . Rainforest used to cover much of the area but now are only found in about four percent of the entire state. Wetlands with reeds and mangroves are still common. The mangrove forests of the region are home to over 100 species and are a main source of oxygenation. They also work to prevent erosion and to control pollution. However, deforestation of mature mangroves in the area continues to be a serious problem despite government efforts to replant. The problem is the cutting of the plants for wood by local residents. Most of the deforestation of the region has occurred as a result of the Chontalpa Plan, which began in the 1960s to drain areas of wetlands to convert them into farm and pasture land. Wildlife has been seriously harmed by the activities of man but still include iguanas and other lizards, various species of birds and other reptiles such as freshwater turtles although a number of these are in danger of extinction.

Attempts to preserve what is left of the area's wild vegetation include a number of wildlife reserves. The Parque Estatal de la Sierra or Sierra State Park is located in the municipalities of Tacotalpa and Teapa. It also includes the village of Oxolotan, which is a traditional indigenous community and Tapijulapa, a Pueblo Mágico . The Villa Luz Ecological Reserve extends over forty hectares, with eighty percent covered in dense vegetation and in all there are various streams both fresh water and sulfur laced liquid which rise from springs in the earth. The Oxolotan River also passes through with several waterfalls, as well as the Sardinas Cave which has almost 1500 meters of explored area. The Kolem Jaa Ecological Ranch is a reserve of rainforest and springs with sulfur water. It is part of a reforestation effort in the higher elevations of the region. It contains a botanical garden with a large collection of orchids. The La Chontalpa Ecological Reserve is a state protected area on the Colegio de Postgraduado-Campus Tabasco campus founded in 1995 with 277 hectares. It is one of the last remains of the medium growth evergreen rainforest of Tabasco dominated by a tree called "canacoite" (Bravaisia integerrima). The reserve has 247 species of plants with some in danger of extinction. Other plants include cachimbo (Platymiscium yucatanum), tinco (Vatairea lundelii) and zapote prieto (Diospyros digyna). Wildlife includes mammals (20.2%), birds (61.3%), reptiles (10.9%) and amphibians (7.6%). It is located just off the Cárdenas-Coatzacoalco highway.

It has a population of 593,668 with about 41% living in urban areas and the rest in rural areas.

Much of the state's Chontal Maya population is located in the region, especially in the Nacajuca municipality. The name "chontal" comes from Nahuatl and means "foreigner" but their name for themselves is yoko yinikob (true men) and yoko ixikob (true women). They are not related to groups in Guerrero and Oaxaca which are also called Chontals. The name "Chontalpa" is derived from the Nahuatl meaning "land of foreigners." However, the modern region is not defined by the presence of the Chontal Maya but rather by economic considerations. Over seventy percent of the state's Chontal Maya population is divided between the municipalities of Nacajuaca which is in the region and Centro (Villahermosa), which is just outside it. Nacajuca has the largest percentage of indigenous population in the state, with about 37% of the population of Nacajuca speaking Chontal. Estimates of the indigenous population is inexact because the official census only counts speakers of indigenous language and since it is not known how the Chontal Maya define themselves and who is a member of the ethnicity.