Xochicoatlán

Xochicoatlán is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 159.3 km².

As of 2020, the municipality had a total population of 7,015.

Toponymy
The word Xochicoatlán comes from Náhuatl Xóchitl 'flower' and cuauhtl 'tree'; so its meaning is "Place of the viper flower".

Terrain and hydrology
Xochicoatlánis located within the province of Sierra Madre Oriental, within the Carso Huasteco subprovince. Its terrain is mountainous or hilly uplands (70.0%) and plateaux (30.0%).

Its geology corresponds to the Jurassic period (46.3%), Permian (16), Triassic (13.0%), Cretaceous (12.0%) and neogene (12.0%). With extrusive igneous type rocks: acid tuff (7.0%) and basalt (4.3%) Sedimentary: shale-sandstone (38.0%), limestone-shale ( 26.0%), sandstone-conglomerate (13.0%) and limestone (11.0%). Regarding pedology the dominant soil is leptosol (35.0%), luvisol (23.3%), umbrisol (30.5%), cambisol (7.5%) and regosol (3.0%).

Regarding hydrology it is positioned in the hydrological region of the Pánuco (3.0%); in the basins of the Moctezuma River; within the subbasin of the Los Hules River.

Climate
The municipality presents a variety of climates: Humid temperate with rain all year round (59.0%); humid temperate with abundant rains in summer (22.0%); humid semi-warm with rain all year round (16.0%); and temperate subhumid with rains in summer, with higher humidity (3.0%).It registers an average annual temperature of 19 °C and a rainfall of 1,890 millimeters per year, the rainy period is from June to December.

Ecology
In flora it has vegetation made up of broadleaf forest and medium-sized subevergreen forest. As for fauna there are wild boar, porcupine, hare duck, falcon and eagle.

Politics
It was erected as a municipality on February 15, 1826. The Honorable City Council is composed of: a Municipal President, a Syndic, eight Councilors, and 34 Municipal Delegates. According to the National Electoral Institute (INE) the municipality is made up of 9 electoral sections, from 1576 to 1584. For the election of federal deputies to the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico and local deputies to the Congress of Hidalgo, it is integrated into the I Federal Electoral District of Hidalgo and the II Local Electoral District of Hidalgo. A state administrative level belongs to Macroregion IV and Microregion III, as well as to Operational Region XII Molango.

Economy
In 2015 the municipality had an HDI of 0.684 Medium, so ranks 53rd at the state level; and in 2005 it presented a GDP of $315,651,036.00 Mexican pesos, and a GDP per capita of $45,391.00 (current prices of 2005). According to the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval), the municipality registers a Marginalization Index Medium. 39.4% of the population is in moderate poverty and 37.7% is in extreme poverty. In 2015, the municipality ranked 58th out of 84 municipalities in the state scale of social backwardness.

As of 2015, in terms of agriculture, corn, beans, coffee, oranges and piloncillo cane are grown. In livestock cattle are raised for milk and meat, sheep, pigs and goats, laying and fattening birds, as well as turkeys, also producing honey and beeswax.

In 2015, there were 49 economic units, which generated jobs for 98 people. As far as commerce is concerned, there is one tianguis, nine Diconsa stores and two Liconsa dairy shops. According to figures for the year 2015 presented in the Economic Censuses by INEGI, the Economically Active Population (EAP) of the municipality amounts to 2094 people, of which 1977 are employed and 117 are unemployed. 42.19% belong to the primary sector, 22.71% belong to the secondary sector, 34.45% belong to the tertiary sector and 0.65% did not specify.