Xalapa, sometimes spelled Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz. In the year 2000 census, it reported a population of 390,058.
The municipal seat of the municipality of Xalapa is the city of Xalapa de Enríquez; in everyday usage, however, the city is generally referred to by the shorter name Xalapa.
Its name comes from the Nahuatl roots "Xallapan" which means "spring in the sand." The Totonacas were the first peoples who established around "Macuiltepetl" hill. During the 14th century, four cultures established in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each of them build a small village: Xallitic (in the sand) founded by the Totonacas; Techacapan (river of waste) founded by the Chichimecas; at the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) founded by the Toltecas and Tlalnecapan founded by the Teochichimecas .
Eventually, the four villages grew and joined forming one big village which was given the name Xallapan.
Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, fifth Aztec Emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century; therefore all the land came to possession of the Aztec Empire until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores.
Jalapeño peppers are named after this city.
It has been a sister city of Covina, California, USA, since 1964.
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