Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and biggest city of the same-named Mexican state. It is situated in the Centro District in the state’s Central Valleys area, near the base of the Sierra Madre’s Cerro del Fortn and extending to the banks of the Atoyac River. This city is primarily reliant on tourism, which is fueled by the city’s abundance of colonial-era monuments, as well as indigenous Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations and archaeological sites. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, together with the archeological site of Monte Albán. It is also the site of the month-long “Guelaguetza” cultural event, which involves Oaxacan dance from the seven regions, music, and an indigenous women’s beauty competition.
It is known as “la Verde Antequera” (the green Antequera) owing to its previous name (Nueva Antequera) and the diversity of constructions constructed entirely of natural green stone. Oaxaca derives from the Nahuatl word Huaxyacac, which was Hispanicized to Guajaca and then written Oaxaca. The suffix “de Juárez” was added in recognition of Benito Juárez, a native of this state. The municipality’s coat of arms depicts a severed Donaji, an indigenous princess during the years shortly after the Conquest.
