Mante, formally Ciudad Mante, is a city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city is the municipal seat of El Mante municipality in extreme southern Tamaulipas, and lies in the northwestern portion of the municipality. It had a 2005 census population of 81,884 inhabitants, or about 73 percent of El Mante's total of 112,061. The city is the state's ninth-largest community in population. El Mante has an area of 1,699.98 km2 (656.37 sq mi), and includes smaller outlying communities such as Celaya, El Limón, El Abra, Nueva Apolonia, and El Naranjo. Ciudad Mante is served by the Ciudad Mante National Airport. Mante's official slogan is Donde el Azucar es mas Dulce que la Miel. ("Where sugar is sweeter than honey.") History The region known today as Mante is taken from the Huastecan Indian name, "cinco potreros de Tamatán", or the five pasture grounds, and in the "Tenek" or Huastecan language a word that means, "the embarkation of canoes." According to various documents, it was a very unsanitary place due to the flooding that the land suffered when the regional rivers overflowed, and more so due to the Mante River whose waters stagnated for months without any exit causing caused the formation of large lime deposits that afterwards became a breeding ground for mosquitos and horse-flies whose sting was very painful. Due to these insupportable and unsanitary conditions the Spanish could not colonize the region permanently, although due to the rich and fertile capability of the ground they did farm the area. According to several studies there were several Indian tribes of "collectors-hunters" that inhabited the area with the Parnes, Chichimecas and Janambres as the predominant tribes in the area. The Janambres represented a formidable danger to those who attempted colonization as they attacked all who tried to settle in the "Tamatán" area. There are many stories that the Janambres were constantly hostile towards the colonists and when these fought to repel the attacks, the Indians withdrew to the hills. On the other hand, there are indications that early in the conquest of Mexico the region of Mante was visited by several Augustinian missionaries, among them Friar Juan de Mesa, Friar Nicolas de San Paulo (last name Witte); Friar Comel de Bye and Friar Antonio de Roa, who ministered in several areas such as Tamezin (Tamesi, Tanchipa) and Tanguachin. These facts are taken from Doctor Patricia Osante in her book