The Tlaxcaltecs, or Tlaxcalteca, are a Nahua people that formed in the Puebla–Tlaxcala Valley, in the present-day territory of Mexico, during the postclassic period in Mesoamerica. One of their most distinctive characteristics was their government, which set them apart from many of their contemporaries including their Mexica rivals because theocratic monarchies were more common in the region. The Tlaxcaltecs established a confederation called Tlaxcallan made up of four altepetl called Tepeticpac, Ocotelulco, Tizatlán, and Quiahuiztlán. The Confederacy was composed of a council leading to it sometimes being called a "republic" by scholars.