This state has the highest concentration of native people, mainly Maya, in Mexico. Each village has its particular color and design for clothes, and market days in San Cristóbal can be quite colorful. The poverty of not only the natives but also the Mexicans does not seem to be a priority for the governments, both federal and state. Similar complaints can be heard in the U. S. and Canada about their governments. Within Chiapas, there is a tendency for a class distinction between the Mexicans and the Maya. Any bonds between the two cultures are mainly economic – buying and selling of products. There is also discontent among native villages, based mostly on political ideology and religious preference. Therefore, when any of the villagers accept another denominational belief, there is trouble, with some ultimately paying for their lives. Here, as anywhere in the world, there is no tolerance for individual thinking; and each religious denomination vies for supremacy at the expense of the people. Politics is directly related to religious preferences.
The Zapatista uprising supposedly came about because of a lack of concern for Mayan poverty and land rights. Although there was a siege for five days in 1994 in San Cristóbal, the media have not been entirely accurate or fair in their reporting.
Chiapas produces roughly 30% of the electricity in Mexico and is the third leading producer of petroleum and natural gas. However, there is much untapped mineral wealth in the state. There are few really good roads in Chiapas. There are many archaeological sites, with only a few, such as Palenque, easily accessible by road.
