La Malinche, also known as Matlalcueye or Malintzin, is an active volcano (dormant for the last 3,100 years) located in the states of Tlaxcala and Puebla in Mexico. Officially, its summit reaches above sea level, though it is generally considered to be closer to , using GPS measurements. It is the highest peak in Tlaxcala, the fifth-highest in Puebla, the sixth-highest in Mexico, the 23rd-highest in North America, and the 252nd-highest in the world. Its height above nearby cities varies from above Huamantla, above Villa Vicente Guerrero, above Tlaxcala, to above Puebla. The summit is from Tlaxcala, from Puebla, and from Mexico City. The climate is cold near the summit and mild on the lower slopes. The Tlaxcaltecs named the peak Matlalcueitl, which translates to "[Lady of the] Blue Skirt", a goddess of rain and song, believed to be the local equivalent of Chalchiuhtlicue. The Spanish named it simply Sierra de Tlaxcala ("Tlaxcalan Range"). The current name, Malinche or Malintzin, became popular during the 17th century, and honors the woman who helped Hernán Cortés as an interpreter during the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Location Located within the Parque Nacional La Malinche at the border of Tlaxcala and Puebla states, this volcano is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The park is the fifth largest of the 85 peaks in México. It covers an area of , of which roughly two thirds belong to Tlaxcala and one third to Puebla. The diameter of the park is approximately . Formation La Malinche is an active stratovolcano which began to form in the middle of the Paleogene period, 30–35 million years ago. Since that time it has grown through eruptions, the last of which is believed to have occurred ca. 3,100 years ago. It is not a typical volcanic cone, but instead has a number of side peaks like Tlachichihuatzi or La Chichita (), Xaltonalli () and Chicomecanoa (); as well as two of the most dramatically steep slopes in Mexico: Barranca Axaltzintle to the northeast (which is believed to be the former crater) and Barranca Axal to the south-southeast. La Malinche is mostly isolated from the surrounding ranges; some nearby mountains and hills are El Pinal (), El Tintero (), Cuatlapanga (), Huintitépetl () and Xalapasco (). On lower slopes are farmlands which grow mostly field "dent" corn and forests which transition from alders and various types of oak to Montezuma