Tehuantepec, Isthmus of

Narrow part of southern Mexico, with the Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico) to the north and the Pacific to the south; the land at the narrowest point is about 208 km/129 mi across. Tehuantepec isthmus is low-lying, with the land not rising above 250 m/820 ft. The climate is hot, with strong winds, and much of the land is covered by thick jungle. The small port of Salina Cruz on the Pacific is connected by road and rail with the port of Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of Mexico, near to which are important oilfields and refineries. The

The indigenous peoples living on the Tehuantepec isthmus were generally less influenced by the Spanish conquest than the inhabitants of other parts of Central America.