1: Research
2: Civil Registration
3: Archives and Libraries
4: Church and Cemetery Records
5: Emigration and Immigration
6: Military Records
7: Maps and Gazetteers
8: Newspapers
9: Geo/Culture/History
10: Get Help
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Goal 7: Learn about Mexico maps and gazetteers.
Choices
ALearn about Mexico maps and gazetteers.
- Maps: Learn about Mexico maps in this FamilySearch Wiki article.
FS—Wiki: Mexico Maps - See an
interactive map for Mexico states. - Gazetteers: Learn about Mexico gazetteers in this FamilySearch Wiki article.
FS—Wiki: Mexico Gazetteers - Explore FamilySearch Places to learn about place names in Mexico.
- Explore municipalities in Mexico on the Wikipedia site.
Gazetteer Practice |
You found a document about Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit, Mexico that mentions your ancestor comes from that area. The document is old and faded, and the handwriting is hard to read. The place name appears to be "A....tilla". Use the Family Search Wiki Mexico Gazetteers link above, and in the Online Gazetteers section, select the one authored by Antonio Garcia Cubas to answer these questions:
- What is the correct name of the place, and what type of place is it?
- Bonus: How far is the place from Santiago Ixcuintla, and in what direction?
- Click the QUIKLink mentioned above.
- The place name starts with "A" so you will need to search in "Tomo I". Open the first PDF file that covers "AA-ACO". Search for a place that starts and ends "A...tilla" located close to Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit.
- Instead of reading each entry, you can press Ctrl+F and a search box will open. Input "Santiago" and press Enter to move from one result to another until you find an entry that mentions a place with the terms listed on the instructions. It is the 6th result if you use the Ctrl+F option. It is found on page 15 out of 32.
- You can use Google Maps to find additional location information.
- The correct name is "Acaponetilla" and the gazetteer explains it is a small ranch on the outskirts of what was then the municipality of Tepic.
- Acaponetilla is 20km to the northeast of Santiago Ixcuintla.
(Contributed by Maribel Medina )
B Explore Mexican map resources.
- Explore the David Rumsey collection of Mexico maps.
- Explore the MapsOfWorld site for maps of Mexico and its provinces.
- Explore the Old Maps Online site for Mexico maps.
- Explore the Atlas of Mexico on the Wikipedia site.
- Explore the Old Maps of Mexico on the Wikipedia site.
- Explore maps from the 1900 Collection.
- Explore a directory of Mexico cities, towns, and regions in the Falling Rain site.
Historical Maps Practice |
Mexico's boundaries have changed over time. Use the link for "Old Maps of Mexico" on the Wikipedia site, listed above, to find the Mexico/United States boundaries in 1846. Can you name the U.S. states today that were once part of the Mexican Territory?
- Click the QUIKLink mentioned above.
- Scroll down to Media and find "Old maps of Mexico."
- Look for a colorful map titled "Map of the United States of Mexico (Tanner, 1846)". Open it and zoom in. Pay attention to the northern and southern boundaries of Mexico in 1846.
- California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas used to the part of the Mexican territory in 1846. If you are looking for your ancestors located in these areas, you may want to explore the Catholic Church data bases under the Mexican Diocese jurisdiction.
(Contributed by Maribel Medina )
Mexico States
Name = FamilySearch; IM = Indigenous Mexico site