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 The Popocatepetl Volcano south side, as viewed from Paso de Cortés, Mexico by Jakub Hejtmánek and used under GNU Free Documentation License The Popocatepetl is the second highest mountain in Mexico, after Pico de Orizaba (5,636m). Popocatepetl is an active volcano and derives its name from two Nahuatl words, popoca meaning "it smokes" and tepetl meaning "mountain". A mountain pass called Paso de Cortés connects Popocatepetl to the Iztaccíhuatl volcano in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. Popocatepetl has had over 20 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spaniards, making it one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. Lying just 70 km to the southeast of Mexico City, Popocatepetl can be seen from the metropolis on a clear day. Its last major eruption took place in 1947. In December of 1994, gas and ash from the volcano were carried over a distance of 25 km, prompting the evacuation of nearby towns. Another evacuation took place in December 2000, when the volcano made a mighty display. At a height of 5,426m (17,802) Popocatepetl is snow clad for most of the year, and is just one of three peaks in Mexico to have a glacier (the other two being Iztaccíhuatl and Pico de Orizaba). The first group of people to climb to the top of Popocatepetl was an expedition led by Diego de Ordaz in 1519. The fourteen 16th century monasteries sitting on the slope of the mountain were inscribed in 1994 as a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Popocatepetl at sunrise by Lavintzin and used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 | |||
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