It covers the southern part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the shortest route between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean before the Panama Canal was opened.

[2] It is an area of significant ecological importance, including the largest intact tropical cloud forest in Central America.

Crops include sesame, coffee, rice, sorghum, pineapple, banana, coconut, melon, and sugarcane.

Other plans include creating coffee plantations and cattle corridors; expanding production of beans, maize, and chili; and exploiting the bio-genetic resources of native medicinal plants.

It measured 8.2 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) and occurred approximately 87 kilometres (54 mi) south of Pijijiapan off the Chiapas coast in the Gulf of Tehuantepec.