Guanajuato

Mexican State

Area: 30,575sq.km/11,805sq.mi

Population: 4,406,600

Guanajuato State, the heartland of Mexico during the colonial period, is bounded on the north by the state of San Luis Potosí, in the west by Jalisco, on the south by Michoacán and on the east by Querétaro. Predominantly mountainous, with fertile valleys and plains, it is part of the Bajío, the granary of the central Mexican plateau. In addition to its capital, Guanajuato, the state boasts several handsome colonial towns which together with its beautiful scenery and numerous health resorts make it a popular tourist region. The population includes Indians of the Otomí and Chichimeco-Jonaz tribes as well as Tarascans. Archaeological Sites

There are some smallish archaeological sites in Ibarilla near León, Agua Espinoza near Dolores Hidalgo, Cañada de la Virgen near San Miguel de Allende and Oduña near Comonfort.

History

At an early stage the Otomí mingled with the Chichimecs in this region; then in the 15th c. Tarascans (Purépecha) and Aztecs (Mexica) moved in and eventually became dominant. After the fall of the Aztec empire the first Spaniards, led by Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, arrived c. 1526 in what is now the state of Guanajuato (Tarascan: "Cuanax-huato", "hilly place of the frogs"). Simultaneously with the first discoveries of minerals, areas of fertile land were granted to Spanish settlers as ecomiendas. The subsequent history of the region during the colonial period and after Independence is substantially that of the larger towns in the state. Until 1824 Guanajuato was joined with Querétaro as an administrative unit under Spanish control.

Economy

The state has a well-developed system of communications by road and rail. Guanajuato once had the most productive silver-mines in the world, now largely worked out. Other minerals worked include gold, tin, lead, copper, mercury and opals. Industry is mainly concerned with the processing of wheat, cotton, and sheep's wool; there are also some smelting works and pottery production. León is the shoe manufacturing centre of Mexico. In the fertile southern part of the state productive agriculture (maize, wheat, tobacco) and livestock-farming both contribute to the economy. The area around Irapuato is one of the largest strawberry-growing regions in the world. Tourism now also plays an important part.

Sights

In addition to the capital, Guanajuato, the state has numerous other places of interest to the tourist, including San Miguel de Allende together with Atotonilco and Dolores Hidalgo, Celaya, Yuriria (a suburb of Celaya), Salamanca, Irapuato (a suburb of Salamanca) and León.