Lab # 3 Neogeography

View Ixtlan Del Rio, Nayarit, Mexico in a larger map

Historic Sites in Ixtlan del Rio, Nayarit, Mexico

The theme of my map is historic sites in the city of Ixtlan del Rio, Nayarit in the country of Mexico. History plays an important part in the everyday lives of the citizens as well as in special celebrations. Los Toriles ruins which lie on the outskirts of the city were built in 900-1300 CE by a mesoamerican civilization possibly influenced by the Toltecs. The ruins contain mostly burial grounds; the main attraction in the ruins is the round-shaped temple built for the god of the wind, Quetzalcoatl. The topography of the site of the ruins is flat and is surrounded by mountains and rivers. The mount of Cristo Rey (Jesus Christ) is also historically and religiously important in the city. At the top of the mount, there is the Cristo Rey statue which is as tall as a three-floor building. This site was inaugurated on October 30, 1949 and every year, it is the focal point of religious celebrations which take place every October. The city is separated into headquarters which correspond to each of the churches in the city. The route to the mount of Cristo Rey on the map is taken by one of the headquarters from the church "Nuestra Senora del Carmen" to the mount; religious songs and prayers are offered by the people to Cristo Rey.
Another historic site is the presidency of Ixtlan del Rio, a place where the celebration of the independence of Mexico has taken place for many years and continues to take plce every fifteenth of September; the celebration is called "El Grito de la Independencia". It consists of the citizens coming together at the "Plaza de Armas" (which is adjacent to the presidency)to take act in traditions such as firework shows, dancing, and breaking eggs filled with confetti on other citizens. The central act of the night is to hear the president of the city yell "Viva Mexico" in commemoration of Mexico's independence. The significance of the title "Plaza de Armas" has to do with war; this parade ground was the main focus of the opponent attacking the city because once he reached it, it meant he conquered the city. These historic sites make up the present customs and traditions of the citizens of Ixtlan del Rio. Neogeography allows for this type of evaluation of a specific place and the making of it into a map. A potential problem with this aspect of neogeography might be that the experience of the person making the map is most likely not the experience of everyone else with the specific site. Therefore, other neogeographers may disagree or see someone else's map as erroneous. Neogeography however is very useful when pointing out specific features of a place to someone who has never been there. As an example, my map provided specific customs and traditions of a town which can inform an outsider in order for him/her to transition easily into this new place.