Totolapan is a municipality in the north of the Mexican state of Morelos, surrounded by the State of Mexico to the north; to the south with Tlayacapan and Atlatlahucan; to the east and southeast with Atlatlahucan; and to the west with Tlalnepantla.
The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality, with which it shares a name. The municipality reported 11,992 inhabitants in the 2015 census.
The toponym Totolapan comes from a Nahuatl name and means "birds on water". The full name is Totolapan de Montes de Oca. Fernando Montes de Oca was a cadet who died at the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican–American War in 1847.
History
The Chichimecas were the first settlers, who called the land Totalapan. Between 1150 and 1350 the Xochimilcas entered the territory, and later by Moctezuma I. Totolapan belonged to the Aztec tributary province of Huaxtepec, and was ruled by a lord who was assisted by four judges selected by him, as well as multiple tequitlatos who governed the calpulli of the town. Maguey was a local product.
Hernan Cortés sent Gonzalo de Sandoval to Huaxtepec (Oaxtepec), also taking Totolapan in 1519, at the beginning of the Spanish Conquest. One of his priorities is to reestablish law enforcement, as several communities have established self-defense leagues, and he wants to prevent lynchings, like the recent one in Tetela del Volcan.
The Indigenous community of Hueyapan became self-governing on January 1, 2018.
The state of Morelos reported 209 cases and 28 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico as of April 27, 2020; one case was reported in Totalapan. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On July 2, Totalapán reported 50 infections and four deaths from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Totolapan reported 22 cases, 10 recuperations, and four deaths from the virus as of August 31. Twenty-eight cases were reported on December 27, 2020.
Localities
The town of Totalapan is composed of the four traditional barrios: La Purísima, Barrio San Agustín, Barrio San Marcos, and Barrio San Sebastián. There are three preschools; four public elementary schools, grades 1–6, (one for adults); and one middle school, grades 7–9. Totolapan is northeast of Cuernavaca and south of Mexico City.
In addition to the main town, there are other localities within the municipality: Ahuatlan (altitude 1,960 meters, population 510), Ampliacion San Sebastián, El Fuerte, San Sebastian (La Cañada), Nepopualco (altitude 2,040 meters population 1,957), Villa Nicolás Zapata, and Santa Bárbara.
The communities of Totalapan are primarily agricultural. Corn, beans, and oats are the primary crops, along with peaches, pears, apples, tejocote (a yellow fruit), and capulín (a type of cherry). Ranching includes cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and horses; beekeeping is also significant. Nearly half the population are involved in construction and manufacturing. The hill of Santa Barbara is an excellent option for quiet walks during the day. This provides an excellent view of the town and was used as a lookout post during the Revolution. The hill of el Aljibe, which means "place where water is stored", is interred in the mountain. When people decide to visit this second hill, they can see ravines and fields. This involves a 40-minute walk to a cave which includes a cave with a cistern. A ceremony is held here every May 3. The most important mountain peaks are El Coaltepec (), el Huitzomayor (), el Partido (), and el Citlaltépetl (). Other peaks are Cerro del Loreto, Volcán del Aire, Cerro del Tezoyoc, Tepemapa, Santa Bárbara, Cerro del Texquistle, and Cerro Partido. Mountainous areas cover approximately 7.41% of the surface; the semi-flat areas 74.62%; plants cover 17.95%. The mountainous zones are mainly in the north and northeast of the municipality, although the south is also somewhat hilly. The foothills of the Sierra Chichinautzin and the Ajusco are semi-plains, whereas the center and south of the municipality have valleys and plains. There are sand mines in Colonias (neighborhoods) Lomas de Carril and Alta Palmira.