Ixtacihuatl, << `ees` tah SEE waht uhl, >> is an inactive volcano about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City. The name is also spelled Iztaccihuatl, << ees tahk SEE waht uhl >> . Ixtacihuatl means white woman in the Aztec language. The volcano’s name comes from its broken, snow-covered crest (outline), which resembles the head, breasts, and feet of a sleeping woman covered by a white blanket.
Ixtacihuatl’s highest peak reaches an altitude of 17,343 feet (5,286 meters). A thick layer of hardened lava called andesite covers the volcano. The absence of basalt, another kind of lava, indicates that the volcano has long been inactive. Ixtacihuatl lies about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of the active volcano Popocatépetl.
