Introduction
Municipality in Chiapas, MexicoCopainaláMunicipalityMunicipality of Frontera Hidalgo in ChiapasCopainaláLocation in MexicoCoordinates: 17°5′N 93°12′W / 17.083°N 93.200°W / 17.083; -93.200Country MexicoStateChiapasArea • Total127.6 sq mi (330.4 km2)Population (2010) • Total21,050 Copainalá is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. It covers an area of 330.4 km2. In 2023, Copainalá was designated a Pueblo Mágico by the Mexican government, recognizing its cultural and historical importance. As of 2010, the municipality had a total population of 21,050, up from 19,298 as of 2005. As of 2010, the town of Copainalá had a population of 6,550. Other than the town of Copainalá, the municipality had 174 localities, the largest of which (with 2010 populations in parentheses) were: Ángel Albino Corzo (Guadalupe) (1,469), and Benito Juárez (1,153), classified as rural. The Copainalá Zoque dialect is spoken, in addition to Spanish. Its name derives from the Nahuatl Koa-Painal, which means "place of the snakes that ran". Copainalá was founded in the sixteenth century with Zoque inhabitants, who came from scattered villages and who during the first years of the Colony had been evangelized by Dominican missionaries. The town is a splendid set of vernacular architecture, and is considered one of the most authentic and rich in Chiapas. It is located at 400 m above sea level and always has a pleasant temperature. At all times, a sweet aroma comes from the citrus trees, which abound in this region and are found in practically every backyard.