Xoconochco was the distant region near modern Guatemala that became an Aztec tribute province. The name refers to Soconusco, a coastal region in what is now southern Chiapas, Mexico, extending toward Guatemala along the Pacific side of Mesoamerica.
The area was far from the political center at Tenochtitlan but was strategically and economically valuable. Its humid climate, fertile volcanic soils, and trade connections supported production of cacao, cotton textiles, feathers, and other prized goods. Cacao in particular was an important regional product and a frequent tribute item.
Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl conquered Xoconochco in 1486. The province was required to send cotton clothing, bird feathers, jaguar skins, and cacao to the empire. Rebellions continued, however, and Moctezuma II sent troops to restore control in 1502 and 1505. Xoconochco is easy to confuse with Tlaxcala or Cholula, but those were central Mexican regions with very different political relationships to the Aztecs.