Suchiate River
| Suchiate River | |
|---|---|
 Suchiate River from the border bridge between Ciudad Hidalgo and Ciudad Tecun Uman | |
| Native name | (río Suchiate) |
| Country | Guatemala, Mexico |
| Basin | |
| Main source |
Guatemala (San Marcos) 3,000 m (9,800 ft) 15°09′47″N 91°57′22″W / 15.163187°N 91.956081°W |
| River mouth |
Pacific Ocean 0 m (0 ft) |
| Basin size | 1,400 km2 (540 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 161 km (100 mi) |
The Suchiate River (Spanish: Río Suchiate, Spanish pronunciation: [suˈtʃjate]) is a river that marks the southwesternmost part of the border between Mexico (state of Chiapas) and Guatemala (department of San Marcos). From its sources on the southern slopes of the Tacaná volcano in the Sierra Madre range of Guatemala, the river flows in a south-southwesterly direction to the border with Mexico at Unión Juárez (15°04′14″N 92°03′35″W / 15.070549°N 92.059722°W), past the border towns Talismán and El Carmen, and then Ciudad Tecún Umán and Ciudad Hidalgo (Chiapas) further downstream, where the Puente Rodolfo Robles and a railway bridge cross the river, and on to the Pacific Ocean. Its name comes from the Nahuatl name Xochiatl meaning "flower-water".
The pre-Columbian archaeological site of Izapa lies along the river.
