Sahuayo

Geography

Location

Sahuayo is located to the northwest of the state, at the coordinates 20º03' north latitude and 102º44' west longitude, 1,530 meters above sea level. To the north of the Sahuayo border one finds Venustiano Carranza Michoacán (also known as San Pedro), to the east Villamar, to the south Jiquilpan, and Cojumatlán de Régules to the northwest. Its distance to the State Capital, Morelia.

Etymology

The name Sahuayo comes from the Nahuatl language and is interpreted in many ways. According to Dr. Antonio Peñafiel, the word is made up of two elements: tzacuātl and ayotl, where tzacuātl (pot) is a vase formed by one half of a coconut and "ayotl," which translates into "turtle"; hence vessel turtle or vessel that has the aspect of a turtle.

Seal

On the seal of Sahuayo, there is a turtle on the stone in the first field, which represents the foundation of Sahuayo in 1530. In the background are three hills, which symbolize the three towns that gave origin to Sahuayo, in the second half of the 16th century. These hills can also be considered to represent the three governments: federal, state, and municipal. In the third field, a plumed serpent or Quetzalcoatl god fights with the cross, symbolizing the conquest of Sahuayo by Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán. In the fourth field of the municipal shield is a tree and a star. “Patria, Justicia y Progreso” (Nation, Justice, and Progress) are written in the contour of the shield.

Notable people

• Hector Fajardo – Ex-Major League Baseball player
• Lilia Prado – actress
• Saint José "Joselito" Sánchez del Río – martyr of the Cristero War, canonized by Pope Francis on 16 October 2016

Sister City

• USA Santa Ana, California, United States

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Michoacán Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

References

1. "Reseña Histórica de Sahuayo – Sitio Oficial del Gobierno de Sahuayo Michoacán".
2. "Sahuayo: Economy, employment, equity, quality of life, education, health and public safety".
3. "Santa Ana establishes sister city partnership with Sahuayo, Mexico - City of Santa Ana".