Tuxtla Martínez

This article is about the city in Zapatista. For other uses, see Tuxtla Martínez (disambiguation).

Tuxtla Martínez Ծիփդադ Իմպերիալ դե Տփխտլա Մարտձնեզ յ դել Ոբիսպո Սան Իգնածիո Ciudad Imperial de Tuxtla Martínez y del Obispo San Ignacio
Municipality and viceroyal capital
Imperial City of Tuxtla Martínez and Bishop Saint Ignacio
Panoramic view of Tuxtla Martínez's Zona del Río Cathedral of San Ignacio Victory Arc Imperial Palace Zaragoza Frí Monument
A vertical tricolor of black, gold, and white with the letters "TXM" in the Creeperian script below the Imperial Crown of Creeperopolis in the center stripe Flag A shield divided into vertical thirds of black, gold, and white superimposed by the letters "TXM" in the Creeperian script all below the Imperial Crown of Creeperopolis Coat of arms
Etymology: "Royal Martínez" (see § "tuxtla")
Nicknames:  City of the Emperor, TXM
Motto(s):  Լա'Ծոնքփիստա դե Ադոլֆո / La'Conquista de Adolfo ("The Conquest of Adolfo")
Tuxtla Martínez is located in Creeperopolis Tuxtla Martínez Tuxtla Martínez (Creeperopolis)
Country	Creeperopolis
Viceroyalty	Zapatista
Province	Tuxtla
Founded	17 October 1377
Zapatista capital	1 July 1602
Municipal status	13 January 1888
Founded by	Adolfo I of Creeperopolis
Named for	House of Martínez Saint Ignatius
Government
• Type	Strong mayor–ayuntamiento
• Mayor	Leonel Ussía Burgueño (IC)
Area
• Total	1,332.47 sq mi (3,451.1 km2)
• Land	1,305.12 sq mi (3,380.2 km2)
• Water	27.35 sq mi (70.8 km2)  2.1%
Elevation (Zona del Río)	1,476 ft (450 m)
Highest elevation (Cerro San Ignacio)	2,348 ft (716 m)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	4,219,420
• Estimate  (2024)	4,329,125
• Rank	6th in Creeperopolis 1st in Zapatista
• Density	3,200/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Demonyms	Tuxtlero, Tuxtlamartineño
Time zone	TMB–3:30 (TSS)
Area code(s)	30101–30155
ISO 3166 code	CR-TXM
Website	txm.gob.cr

Tuxtla Martínez, officially the Imperial City of Tuxtla Martínez and Bishop Saint Ignacio, and nicknamed the City of the Emperor or TXM, is the capital and largest city of the Creeperian viceroyalty of Zapatista. Tuxtla Martínez functions both as a city and as a wider municipality. Tuxtla Martínez has a population of approximately 4.3 million people as of 2024. Located along the Lunáchan River in central Zapatista west of its twin city Panachor, Tuxtla Martínez is a part of the wider Tuxtla Martínez–Panachor metropolitan area that has a combined population of over 8 million people.

Creeperian king Adolfo I founded Tuxtla Martínez in 1377 as a resupply city for military campaigns against the Old Kingdom of Senvar. Over the following centuries, the city grew to become one of the most important cities in southern Creeperopolis due to its central position between Lake San Salvador to the north and the Senvarian Sea to the south.

Tuxtla Martínez is governed by a viceroyal-appointed mayor and an ayuntamiento (equivalent of a city council). Leonel Ussía Burgueño of the Creeperian Initiative has served as the mayor of Tuxtla Martínez since 2021. The seat of the Tuxtla Martínez municipal government is located in the Zapatista Viceroyal Palace. The government is often labeled by independent analysts as experiencing widespread corruption and high crime rates, with several international travel advisories advising their citizens to avoid the city due to increase risks of robbery, kidnapping, and murder.

Toponymy

The official name of Tuxtla Martínez is "Imperial City of Tuxtla Martínez and Bishop Saint Ignacio". The name honors the House of Martínez, the ruling imperial family of Creeperopolis, and Saint Ignatius (rendered as "Ignacio" in the Creeperian language), a 1st century Christian martyr whose feast day (17 October) the city was founded on.

Tuxtla Martínez is nicknamed the City of the Emperor (Creeperian: Ծիփդադ դել Եմպերադոր / Ciudad del Emperador) as it was named in honor of the ruling family. Prior to 1778, the city was nicknamed the City of the King, the title of the monarch of Creeperopolis before 1778. Since the late 1950s, the municipal government of Tuxtla Martínez has promoted the use of the abbreviation TXM (ՏխՄ) to refer to Tuxtla Martínez to promote tourism.

Tuxtla

The word tuxtla originates in the dead Xichútepan language. The city was named "Tuxtla Martínez" as, at the time of the city's establishment, Creeperian historians believed that the word tuxtla meant "royal". Due to this, the city's founders named it "Tuxtla Martínez" with the intended meaning of "Royal Martínez", however, 19th century advances in understanding the Xichútepan language found that tuxtla actually translated as "place of rabbits". Linguistics believe that the confusion originated as a misinterpretation of a now-lost relief of Tlacomihua I (reigned 1199–1150 BC) that mentioned the city of Tuxtla Kualualtsi, reportedly known for its beauty and high status in the Kingdom of Cuscatlán. They theorize that the word tuxtla may have been misinterpreted as being an adjective meaning "royal" instead of as part of the city's name of "Tuxtla Kualualtsi".

Since the discovery of the erroneous etymology of tuxtla, some politicians have supported renaming Tuxtla Martínez to "Tlanau Martínez" as tlanau was the Xichútepan word that meant "royal". Support for this change was at its height during the late reign of Creeperian emperor Adolfo III (reigned 1833–1887) as it reflected his policy of Creeperianization that sought to promote Creeperopolis' ancient origins in the pre-Craeperian era. The name was never changed, however, and after Adolfo III's death and the gradual abandonment of Creeperianization, the name "Tuxtla Martínez" continued to be used. The Creeperian government continues to officially consider the city's etymology to mean "Royal Martínez".

History

Establishment

A 19th century oil painting of Creeperian king Adolfo I

Creeperian king Adolfo I, the founder of Tuxtla Martínez

Humans have inhabited the area around Tuxtla Martínez since at least 18,000 BC. Archeological evidence has found that from the late 300s BC to the early 200s AD, a settlement referred to as Antiguo Tuxtla was located within the extent of modern Tuxtla Martínez. Some historians believe that Antiguo Tuxtla was inhabited by the Southern Peoples or another group of proto-Senvarians.

In the 1330s, the Old Kingdom of Senvar established the Panachor military outpost along the Lunauchsan River (now known as the Lunáchan River) as the rump states of the defunct Deltinian Caliphate lost power and land to the expanding Kingdom of Creeperopolis. In the mid 1370s, Creeperian king Adolfo I invaded Senvarian territories in modern-day Zapatista to eliminate the Senvarian presence near Deltino's former territories. On 17 October 1377, he conquered Panachor and established the city of Tuxtla Martínez del Obispo San Ignacio to the west of Panachor to celebrate his military victory.

Adolfo I intended for the new city to serve as a launching point for future Creeperian incursions west into Senvar, and Tuxtla Martínez did serve this purpose on several occassions such as during the Volcano War and the Three Years' War. For decades after Tuxtla Martínez's establishment, its residents gradually demolished Panachor to support construction projects in Tuxtla Martínez, and by the mid 1400s, Panachor ceased to exist. Among the construction projects undertaken during this time was the building of the Old Cathedral of San Ignacio. The cathedral's construction led to the city growing in population as many laborers came to contribute to the project, and it was completed in 1528.

Early modern growth

During the 15th and 16th centuries, Tuxtla Martínez became a center for trade as it was positioned in a central location between Lake San Salvador to the north, the Senvarian Sea to the south, and the Atlántidan Channel and San Pedro Channel to the east. The city's growth during this period led to Creeperian king Miguel V ordering the construction of the Tuxtla Martínez Royal Palace (now the Tuxtla Martínez Imperial Palace) on the outskirts of the city in 1530 to serve as a residence for the Creeperian monarchy while visiting southern Creeperopolis. The palace was completed in 1588.

On 1 July 1602, King Carlos I separated the Captaincy General of Zapatista from the Captaincy General of San Salvador and assigned Tuxtla Martínez as its capital. Pedro Virájo Sánchez, the first captain general of Zapatista, oversaw construction on the Zapatista Captaincy Palace (now the Zapatista Viceroyal Palace) in central Tuxtla Martínez from where he administered the captaincy general's affairs. He appointed Rodrigo Álvarez Luna as the first mayor of Tuxtla Martínez to oversee the city's administration. The city continued to grow throughout the 17th century. During the Republican War, the Liberals attempted to capture Tuxtla Martínez to threaten the Conservative stronghold of San Salvador and symbolically capture the city that bore the ruling family's name, but throughout the war, Liberal forces were never able to reach the city. During the war, the city earned the nickname "City of the King" as it was perceived to be a monarchist stronghold.

Parliamentary and civil war eras

During the Creeperian Civil War, both the Catholic Imperial Restoration Council (Imperial Council) and the National Council for Peace and Order (National Council) fought for the control of Tuxtla Martínez. In February 1933, the National Council proclaimed the renaming of Tuxtla Martínez to Ciudad Cazalla Beldad in honor of Édgar Cazalla Beldad, an assassinated prime minister of Creeperopolis and leader of the Creeperian Socialist Party (PSC); the Imperial Council never recognized this name change and it was abandoned after the National Council's defeat in 1949.

Geography

Cityscape

Aerial view of Zona del Río

Topology

Cerro San Ignacio, the tallest point in Tuxtla Martínez

The Lunáchan River that runs through Tuxtla Martínez

Tuxtla Martínez is located in central Zapatista, approximately 120 miles (190 km) south of San Salvador, the capital city of Creeperopolis. Tuxtla Martínez is the largest city of the region of southern Creeperopolis. Tuxtla Martínez's city limits cover a total area of 1,332.47 square miles (3,451.1 km²), 2.1 percent of which is water. The city's highest point, Cerro San Ignacio, reaches an elevation of 2,348 feet (716 m); the city's downtown has an elevation of 1,476 feet (450 m).

Tuxtla Martínez was established along the banks of the intermittent Lunáchan River. The city centered around the river as it expanded on both sides. During the early 1900s, the municipal government of Tuxtla Martínez built a concrete channel along the path of the river to control flooding during the region's wet season. The channel was heavily damaged during the civil war and subsequently rebuilt during the 1950s. The Lunáchan River, previously the primary source for the city's fresh water, has since become polluted by urban runoff and improper waste disposal.

Climate

Tuxtla Martínez is located within a cold subtropical highland climate (Cwc) zone. The city experiences a wet summer and dry winter, averaging 68.4 inches (1,740 mm) of precipitation per year. Most precipitation falls during monsoon season from November through March. The year-round daily mean temperature is 61.1 °F (16.2 °C); the highest recorded temperature, 102.3 °F (39.1 °C), occurred on 15 January 1926, and the coldest recorded temperature, 17.7 °F (−7.9 °C), occurred on 26 June 1975.

Several dissipating hurricanes have hit Tuxtla Martínez from the south and east. The deadliest such storm to hit the city, Hurricane Porfirio, resulted in 6 deaths in February 1991.

Climate data for Tuxtla Martínez (Casa de Martínez International Airport), 1990–2020 normals, extremes 1875−present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	102.3 (39.1)	98.6 (37.0)	95.2 (35.1)	93.4 (34.1)	87.6 (30.9)	84.7 (29.3)	82.2 (27.9)	88.4 (31.3)	91.8 (33.2)	94.2 (34.6)	98.3 (36.8)	100.5 (38.1)	102.3 (39.1)
Average high °F (°C)	82.2 (27.9)	78.4 (25.8)	76.2 (24.6)	72.6 (22.6)	69.2 (20.7)	64.3 (17.9)	65.5 (18.6)	68.4 (20.2)	72.8 (22.7)	77.2 (25.1)	78.5 (25.8)	80.7 (27.1)	73.8 (23.3)
Daily mean °F (°C)	69.4 (20.8)	65.9 (18.8)	63.7 (17.6)	60.7 (15.9)	56.6 (13.7)	51.8 (11.0)	52.6 (11.4)	55.0 (12.8)	58.6 (14.8)	65.0 (18.3)	65.4 (18.6)	67.9 (19.9)	61.1 (16.1)
Average low °F (°C)	56.5 (13.6)	53.3 (11.8)	51.1 (10.6)	48.7 (9.3)	43.9 (6.6)	39.2 (4.0)	39.6 (4.2)	41.5 (5.3)	44.3 (6.8)	50.8 (10.4)	52.3 (11.3)	55.0 (12.8)	48.0 (8.9)
Record low °F (°C)	36.0 (2.2)	35.5 (1.9)	30.2 (−1.0)	26.5 (−3.1)	22.9 (−5.1)	17.7 (−7.9)	19.7 (−6.8)	21.3 (−5.9)	20.5 (−6.4)	27.6 (−2.4)	33.7 (0.9)	36.8 (2.7)	17.7 (−7.9)
Average rainfall inches (mm)	11.5 (290)	10.4 (260)	9.5 (240)	4.9 (120)	2.5 (64)	1.9 (48)	2.1 (53)	1.7 (43)	2.7 (69)	3.7 (94)	7.8 (200)	9.7 (250)	68.4 (1,731)
Average rainy days	10.5	9.9	9.5	5.7	1.9	1.1	1.3	1.5	2.3	4.6	7.9	10.3	66.5
Average relative humidity (%)	68	66	67	65	64	64	63	65	67	66	68	69	66
Mean monthly sunshine hours	215	221	237	257	285	302	313	300	284	240	232	220	3,106
Source: Bureau of Meteorology and Weather

Demographics

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1970	3,079,530	—
1980	3,327,229	+8.0%
1990	3,500,227	+5.2%
2000	3,738,218	+6.8%
2010	3,957,449	+5.9%
2020	4,219,420	+6.6%
2024 (est.)	4,329,125	+2.6%

Tuxtla Martínez is the sixth most populous city in Creeperopolis with a population of 4,219,420 according to the 2020 census conducted by the Bureau of Demographics. As of 2024, the bureau estimates that the city has a population of 4,329,125, an increase of 2.6 percent since 2020.

Ethnic groups

Ethnic composition (2020)
Creeperian			89.14%
Illyrian			6.53%
Ferunian			2.49%
Senvarian			1.21%
Other			0.63%

Most residents of Tuxtla Martínez are ethnic Creeperans, however, there are notable minorities of Ferunians, Illyrians, and Senvarians in the city. Most Ferunians and Illyrians arrived during the 19th century fleeing ethnic and religious persecution in New Illyricum, while the Senvarians had lived in the area since the 14th century. There was also a significant Deltinian minority in the city until the 1950s when the city's Deltinian population was forcibly deported to the viceroyalty of San Juan.

Religion

The vast majority of residents in Tuxtla Martínez adhere to Creeperian Catholicism. The churches in the city are administered by the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Martínez led by Archbishop Pelayo Ureña Encarnación. The Cathedral of San Ignacio is the largest church in Tuxtla Martínez and it is named after the city's patron saint, San Ignacio. A significant minority of Tuxtlero residents adhere to Illyrian Catholicism, most of whom are ethnic Illyrians. The largest Illyrian Catholic church in Tuxtla Martínez, the Cathedral of San Adriano, is overseen by Bishop Roperto Guzmán-Zeffirettio. Ureña Encarnación and Guzmán-Zeffirettio often promote joint charity events sponsored by both churches.

Government and politics

Political system

The Zapatista Viceroyal Palace serves as the residency of the viceroy of Zapatista as well as the seat of government of the Zapatista viceroyal and Tuxtla Martínez municipal governments.

The Tuxtla Martínez municipal government is led by a strong mayor–ayuntamiento system. The mayor of Tuxtla Martínez is appointed by the viceroy of Zapatista, and the members of the city's ayuntamiento (equivalent of a city council) are recommended by the mayor and approved by the viceroy. The mayor oversees administrative and judicial affairs in Tuxtla Martínez. The ayuntamiento — composed of ten regidores — oversees legislative matters such as the approval of laws, regulating city commerce, and levying taxes. The ayuntamiento is headed by a president, and in the event that the mayor of Tuxtla Martínez dies in office, the president shall assume acting mayoral powers until the viceroy appoints a new mayor. Since 2021, Leonel Ussía Burgueño of the Creeperian Initiative has served as mayor of Tuxtla Martínez and Iván Fernández Guajira has served as the president of the ayuntamiento.

The Zapatista Viceroyal Palace serves as the seat of government for both Zapatista and Tuxtla Martínez; the residences of the viceroy of Zapatista and mayor of Tuxtla Martínez, as well as the meeting place of the municipal ayuntamiento, are both located in the palace. The physical proximity of both governments' seats has led to Zapatistan viceroyal affairs significantly influencing Tuxtlero municipal affairs.

Crime and corruption

In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index report, Transparency International wrote that Tuxtla Martínez was among Creeperopolis' "largest centers of widespread corruption".

Education

The Casa de Martínez University, the largest educational institution in Tuxtla Martínez

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Casa de Martínez International Airport serves both Tuxtla Martínez and Panachor.

Buses in Tuxtla Martínez

Tuxtla Martínez's central position in southern Creeperopolis has made it become an important hub for various modes of transportation in the region. The city is the crossroads of several imperial highways such as routes 1, 3, and 7, as well as several Zapatista viceroyal highways. Tuxtla Martínez has one of the most expansive municipal highway networks in Creeperopolis.

Both Tuxtla Martínez and Panachor are serviced by the Casa de Martínez International Airport located near Zona del Río in Tuxtla Martínez. Since the mid 2000s, politicians in both cities have called for new airports to be constructed to individually serve Tuxtla Martínez and Panachor as the Casa de Martínez International Airport is operating near its maximum capacity, is located in a densely populated area, and is located at the border of a restricted airspace zone around the Tuxtla Martínez Imperial Palace. In 2012, Tuxtla Martínez mayor Mario Villanueva Madrid announced that the city would build a new airport northwest of the city and planned to close the Casa de Martínez International Airport by 2020, but his arrest and removal from office in 2015 stalled the project before construction could begin.

The Tuxtla Martínez municipal government operates some city bus routes, but the majority of bus routes are operated by private companies. Most bus routes are operated by minibuses, but some bus companies operate larger buses. Many bus services employ onboard private security. Railroad lines pass through the city that carries both freight and passenger operations. The Tuxtla Martínez Line from San Salvador to Yaykuna Senvar sees dozens of fright and passenger trains per day, and the Tuxtla Martínez municipal government has invested in rail yard facilities in the city to encourage rail companies to make stops in the city for maintenance and rests. The Creeperian imperial government operates Creeperian Passenger Railroad Service (SFPC) within Tuxtla Martínez. No ferry operations service Tuxtla Martínez as the varying water levels of the Lunáchan River make such a ferry service inoperable during parts of the year.

Utilities

Since the 2000s, Creeperian imperial government has considered construction a nuclear power plant near the Tuxtla Martínez–Panachor metropolitan area to provided electrical power to the southern Creeperopolis region, but no plans have been formalized to proceed with any construction.

Culture

Sports

CF Tuxtla Martínez (blue and white) playing against CF Citalá in 2013

Several sports teams are based in Tuxtla Martínez. The largest sports team in the city is CF Tuxtla Martínez, an association football club that plays in the Liga Imperial. CF Tuxtla Martínez has a rivalry with CF Panachor known as the Concurso Zapatero; this rivalry often results in violence between fans of both clubs. Association football is the most popular sport in Tuxtla Martínez, with other smaller and lower level clubs being based in the city such as CF Tuxtla Martínez Femenino, CF IZF, AD El Palacio, AD Los'Reales, and CD Ilírios. Other sports such as baseball, basketball, and pekau are popular in Tuxtla Martínez. The city is represented nationally in the Creeperian National Baseball Association (ABNC) by the Tuxtla Martínez Soldiers, the Creeperian Basketball League (LBC) by the Tuxtla Martínez Monarchists, and in the Creeperian Pekáu League (LPC) by the Tuxtla Martínez Royals.

The city owns and finances several sports venues for several different sports. Association football clubs play at venues such as the Casa de Martínez Stadium, Zaragoza Frí Stadium, and 17 October Stadium. Other venues in the city include the Royals Stadium, the Stadium of the Emperor, the CORNACA–Lunáchan Stadium, and the TXM Arena.

Twin towns and sister cities

Tuxtla Martínez is twinned with:

• Anadesa, Creeperopolis (1992)
• Anderkoste, Kivu (2010)
• Cork, Paleocacher (2004)
• El Mozote, El Salvador (1999)
• Fatqa, Zahle (2001)
• Nulistanidol, Sequoyah (2015)
• Panachor, Creeperopolis (1990)
• San Tomaso del Mare, Salisford (1998)
• Shangrao, Monsilva (2006)

See also

File:Flag of Creeperopolis.jpg Creeperopolis portal

• List of capitals in Creeperopolis
• People from Tuxtla Martínez

External links

• Municipal government website