| Iztaccíhuatl | |
|---|---|
 Iztaccíhuatl fromAmecameca | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,230 m (17,160 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,530 m (5,020 ft)[2] |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 19°10′44″N98°38′30″W / 19.17889°N 98.64167°W /19.17889; -98.64167[1] |
| Geography | |
  Iztaccíhuatl Location in Mexico Show map of Mexico Iztaccíhuatl Iztaccíhuatl (North America) Show map of North America | |
| Location | México andPuebla,Mexico |
| Geology | |
| Volcanicarc/belt | Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt |
| Last eruption | Holocene[1] |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1889 by James de Salis |
| Easiest route | rock/snow climb |
Iztaccíhuatl orIxtaccíhuatl (both forms also spelled without the accent) (Nahuatl pronunciation:[istakˈsiwat͡ɬ]ⓘ or, as spelled with thex,[iʃtakˈsiwat͡ɬ]) is a 5,230 m (17,160 ft)[1] dormant volcanic mountain inMexico located on the border between theState of Mexico andPuebla withinIzta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park. It is the nation's third highest, afterPico de Orizaba at 5,636 m (18,491 ft), andPopocatépetl at 5,426 m (17,802 ft).
The name "Iztaccíhuatl" isNahuatl for "White (like salt) woman", reflecting the four individual snow-capped peaks which depict the head, chest, knees and feet of a sleeping female when seen from east or west. Iztaccíhuatl is to the north of itstwinPopocatépetl, to which it is connected by the high altitudePaso de Cortés. Depending on atmospheric conditions Iztaccíhuatl is visible much of the year fromMexico City some 70 km (43 mi) to the northwest. The first recorded ascent was made in 1889, though archaeological evidence suggests theMexica and previous cultures climbed it previously. It is the lowest peak containing permanentsnow andglaciers in Mexico.
The summit ridge of the massive 450 km3 (110 cu mi) volcano is a series of overlapping cones constructed along a NNW-SSE line to the south of thePleistoceneLlano Grande caldera. There have beenandesitic anddaciticPleistocene andHolocene eruptions from vents at or near the summit. Areas near the El Pecho summit vent are covered in flows andtuff beds post-datingglaciation, approximately 11,000 years ago. The most recent vents are at El Pecho and a depression at 5,100 m (16,700 ft) along the summit ridge midway between El Pecho and Los Pies.[1]
InTlaxcaltecan mythology,Iztaccíhuatl was a princess who fell in love with one of her father's warriors,Popocatépetl. The emperor sent Popocatépetl to war inOaxaca, promising him Iztaccíhuatl as his wife when he returned (which Iztaccíhuatl's father presumed he would not). Iztaccíhuatl was falsely told that Popocatépetl had died in battle, and believing the news, she died of grief. When Popocatépetl returned to find his love dead, he took her body to a spot outsideTenochtitlan and knelt by her grave. The gods covered them with snow and changed them into mountains. Iztaccíhuatl's mountain is called "White Woman" (from Nahuatliztāc "white" andcihuātl "woman") because it resembles a woman lying on her back, and is often covered with snow — the peak is sometimes nicknamedLa Mujer Dormida, "The Sleeping Woman". Popocatépetl became an active volcano, raining fire on Earth in blind rage at the loss of his beloved.[3]
Iztaccihuatl is usually listed at 5,286 m (17,343 ft), butSRTM data and the Mexican national mapping survey assert that a range of 5,220 to 5,230 m (17,130 to 17,160 ft) is more accurate.[4][5] TheGlobal Volcanism Program cites 5,230 m (17,160 ft).[1]
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