Everything about Guadalajara Jalisco totally explained
» This article is about the Mexican city of Guadalajara. For other meanings, see Guadalajara.
Guadalajara (;
Spanish [ɡwað̞alaˈxaɾa]) is the capital city of the
Mexican state of
Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of the state and in the western-Pacific area of
Mexico. With a population of 1,600,940 it's Mexico's second most populous municipality. The
Guadalajara Metropolitan Area includes other adjacent municipalities and has a population of 4,112,332 inhabitants, making it the second most populous
metropolitan area in Mexico, behind
Mexico City, and the 23rd largest metropolitan area of the Americas. The municipality is the most
densely populated in Mexico after the
Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl in the
State of Mexico..
Guadalajara is situated at an altitude of, favouring it with a mild, spring-like climate.
Guadalajara is one of the main centers of culture, economy, history, industry and religion in the country and exerts significant influence on the rest of Mexico.
The city is named after the
Spanish city of Guadalajara, whose name originates from the
Arabic phrase (وادي الحجرة)
Wādī al-Ḥijārah, meaning "valley of stones" or "river than runs among stones".
The city has hosted several international events such as the first Cumbre Iberoamericana in 1991, the Cumbre América Latina, El Caribe-Unión Europea in 2004, the Encuentro Internacional de Promotores y Gestores Culturales in 2005 and will be the city host of the 2011
Panamerican Games, also was named the
American Capital of Culture in 2005, Ciudad Educadora (Educator City) in 2006 and the first Smart City in Mexico due to the use of technology as a main factor of development.
According to
FDi magazine, Guadalajara is ranked "city of the future" over all other major Mexican cities, has the second strongest economic potential of any major North American city behind
Chicago, and was among the top five most business-friendly Latin American cities in 2007.
History
The town of Guadalajara was founded in 1531 by
Spanish explorer
Cristóbal de Oñate, who was commissioned by the
conquistador Nuño de Guzmán. It consisted of 42 inhabitants settled on the
Mesa del Cerro, near the border with
Nochistlán in the province of
Teúl, known today as
San Juan. The name Guadalajara was taken from the birthplace of Nuño de Guzmán in Spain.
Guzmán and Cristóbal de Oñate decided to relocate to a place with more
water, fewer
dust storms and better
transportation. They began the project on
May 19,
1533, and by
August 8,
1533 they'd moved the town to its second location, near
Tonalá. Two years later, in March 1535, they again moved the town to a new location.
On
November 8,
1539 the emperor
Charles V granted a
coat of arms and the title of City to Guadalajara.
After a large attack by natives on
September 28,
1541 during the
War of the Mixtón, it was decided once more to relocate the city and re-establish it again in the Atemajac Valley.
Today's city of Guadalajara was founded at this site by Crístobal de Oñate on
February 14 1542, by Royal decree of King
Charles V.
During the
Colonial era, Guadalajara became the capital of
Nueva Galicia and prior to the
War of Independence it was the capital of the
Intendencia of Guadalajara.
20th century
The beginning of the 20th century brought the end of the
Porfiriato as the Mexican revolution unfolded. Guadalajara emerged from the revolution relatively unscathed. After the
Cristero War, peace returned to Guadalajara. For a long period the city prospered and developed in various areas. Medium and large companies emerged, and the areas around the residential nucleus began to grow out from the center. New architectural concepts were introduced which decorated the city with various building styles from 1920 to 1980. The city underwent multiple urban planning cycles during every government administration. New zones and commercial areas were born, and the creation of transnational companies and the arrival of international industries made the city prosperous. The first shopping centers appeared, which also were among the first being constructed in the country and in Latin America. The city expanded quickly, eventually merging with the municipality of Zapopan. Many important developments occurred during this period: Expo Guadalajara, light rail, shopping centers, hotels, the expansion of streets and avenues, and the development of road infrastructure, services, tourism, and industrial infrastructure. This accelerated development was stopped by the gas explosions of
April 22,
1992; hundreds of houses, avenues, streets, companies and infrastructure were seriously damaged, leaving losses calculated at a one billion dollars in one of the most tragic events in the history of Guadalajara. This event, combined with the economic crisis of 1994, resulted in the loss of industrial power for Guadalajara; the investigation lasted more than 11 years without finding sufficient evidence to name a guilty party. The investigations are now closed and the events were deemed accidental.
Population
The Municipality of Guadalajara has the largest population of any city in the state of
Jalisco with 1,600,940 inhabitants, according to the 2005 Census. However, the
Guadalajara Metropolitan Area also includes the municipalities of
Zapopan,
Tlaquepaque,
Tonalá,
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, and
El Salto, which together totaled 3,967,252 inhabitants in 2005. Guadalajara is the
second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico after
Mexico City. People from Guadalajara are known by the
Mexican Spanish colloquial name
tapatío.
Guadalajara's ethnic composition is primarily made up of
Criollos (people of European descent), and
Mestizos (mixed people, mainly of
Amerindian and European descent). There is also a small population of
Amerindians (mainly from neighboring states).
The state of Jalisco (particularly Guadalajara and areas to the east) is one of the states of Mexico with a large European descended population, while cultural
Amerindians form a small percentage of the population.
Economy
The geographical location of the city and its communications infrastructure make it very favorable for commerce with the rest of the country, and the city attracts investors and commerce worldwide. In 1987, the Expo Guadalajara Convention Center was opened. Guadalajara has more than 25,000 lodging rooms.
The Metropolitan Zone of Guadalajara has several shopping malls; the city is the national leader in development and investment in shopping malls. Many shopping centers have been built, such as Plaza Galerias, one of the largest shopping centers in Latin America.
Guadalajara is experiencing fast-growing development, including the construction of new buildings like Torrena that will be the tallest building in Latin America by 2009.
Puerta de Hierro has become one of the most important districts in Guadalajara with construction of buildings including Aura Altitude, a project of 42 floors that will be completed in 2008. The construction of
Andares, a shopping complex, has begun. More building are on the way in Puerta de Hierro district, like Torre G, Torre Zapopan and Pleyades. Providencia Country has many scheduled apartment projects.
In its 2007 survey entitled "Cities of the Future",
FDi magazine ranked Guadalajara highest among major Mexican cities, and designated Guadalajara as having the second strongest economic potential of any major North American city behind
Chicago. FDI Magazine also ranked the city as the most business-friendly Latin American city in 2007.
Industry
Secondary activities consist of industrial production of textiles and metalwork. During the 1990s the city's industrial sector experienced a decline, but it has since regained its position as the industrial capital of western Mexico.
The nutrition industry exports most of its products (juice, tinned fruits, sweet products, sauces, canned food and food products in general). Of these products 60% are exported to national destinations while 40% are sent to the United States. In fact, Guadalajaran products are leaders in the Latin market in the United States. In the pharmaceutical industry, Guadalajara and Mexico City together play the most important role in national production. At the moment, Guadalajara is known as the "the Mexican Silicon Valley," due to its electronics industry. The city is the main software producer in the country, and also is a leading producer of electronic and digital components. Such high-technology companies as
General Electric,
IBM,
Intel,
Hitachi,
Hewlett Packard,
Siemens,
Flextronics and
Solectron have facilities in the city or its suburbs.
Beyond technology, the city also has a thriving textile industry that exports products throughout Mexico. The fashion industry is another growing sector; designers, photographers, agencies, coordinators, models, and people associated with this sector are supported by the Chamber of the Industry of Clothing (CAINVE) and the Chamber the Industry of Calzado (CAIC). Other dynamic and important productive sectors are the footwear industry and leather production.
Tourism
The tertiary activities of Guadalajara are based on tourism: the academic, entertainment, sport and cultural tourism. With an expectation for high growth within the next five years, tourism is now one of the most important sectors in the Guadalajaran economy. It is an important tourist destination center in itself and serves as an axis of an array of nearby tourist destinations (Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Mazatlan).
Guadalajara is well connected by modern highways to Mexico City, to the Northwest and to the major beach resorts of Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Guadalajara's airport is the third most active of the country (after Mexico City and
Cancún) with direct flights to many Mexican and American cities. It also has a lively and distinctive network of car-free streets.
Commerce
Commerce is another of the most dynamic activities of the city. National product transactions, growth and investment in commercial centers, commercial expositions and fairs, transportation, and communications have all contributed to the growth of commerce in Guadalajara. The geographical location of the city makes it strategic for commerce. Services in the city are of all types: financiers, professionals, communal, social, personal technicians, maintenance, and tourism.
Airport
The city is served by the
Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport, also known as
Guadalajara International Airport (GDL). It is located 16 kilometers south of downtown Guadalajara on the highway to Chapala.
Opened in 1966, the airport is the third busiest in Mexico, after
Mexico City International Airport and
Cancún International Airport.
Guadalajara's International Airport is composed of two runways and two terminals. It is a major airport for connections, acting as a hub for Mexicana and Aerolitoral, and as a secondary hub for Aeroméxico. Flights are offered to several destinations within
Mexico, the
United States,
Canada, and South America, with connections to Europe.
Along with Mexico's main carriers, AeroMexico, Mexicana and Aviacsa, the airport is also served by most U.S. airlines, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Frontier and U.S. Airways. Numerous discount airlines also use the airport, flying to Mexican destinations. The newly-launched carriers serving Guadalajara include Avolar, Interjet, Alma de Mexico and Volaris.
Education
Guadalajara is a very important center of universities and educational centers with national and worldwide prestige, such as
Universidad Panamericana,
ITESO,
Universidad de Guadalajara,
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and the
Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (U.A.G.), among others.
The
Universidad de Guadalajara, the state's public university, has its main campuses and administrative offices here. This University is the second largest in Mexico and ranks among the largest in the world.
Guadalajara is also home to ITESO, a Jesuit university, and has campuses of several private schools such as Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM),
ITESO, Tec de Monterrey (
ITESM),
Universidad Panamericana (UP), and Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA), as well as the
Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), which was founded in 1935 and is the oldest private university in Mexico. In addition, the city hosts one of the most prestigious schools in Mexico:
The American School Foundation of Guadalajara (ASFG). ASFG has 1420 students in pre-school through twelfth grade; it's the only US-accredited school in Guadalajara.
ASFG has the best (and only) British library in Guadalajara and the second largest collection of books published in English among the private schools in Mexico.
Culture
Its cultural wealth has taken on an important role in the tourist sector; the city hosts many of the main cultural events in the country and is a main destination for people who visit Mexico. Guadalajara hosts an important community of artists and people interested in art and culture. Recognizing culture as a key factor in the development of Guadalajara, the
Guggenheim foundation has approved the construction of what will be the sixth Guggenheim museum in the world, which when finished in the early 2010s will be the tallest structure in Latin America. The city will also host the 2011 Pan-American Games.
Guadalajara has recently released information about the Guggenheim Museum which is currently under construction. This and the majority of the other projects that are currently under construction in Guadalajara are meant to give priority to the cultural wave that's sweeping the city and will transform Guadalajara into the new cultural icon of Latin America for years to come.
Guadalajara hosts music festivals and open-air art and photography shows on Chapultepec Avenue. Guadalajara is one of the three cities -Mexico city & Monterrey- with the many number of contemporary artists in the country;in dance, theater, music, photography, cinema, design, architecture, etc.; it also has pioneers in the experimental arts. The University Center of Art, Architecture and Design (
CUAAD) is one of the academic institutions with the most endorsement and international reputation in the arts, being the
University of Guadalajara. The federal government represents and supports the cultural movement, but the young people are a very important point in the diffusion, creation, support and consumption of the culture in Guadalajara, becoming a whole lifestyle for tapatío young people.
The city is home to several cultural festivals, like the May Cultural Festival, Fiestas de Octubre, Zapopum!, the Guadalajara Municipal Fair Book, Fair of Mariachi and Charreria, Guadalajara Contemporary Dance festival, CHROMA, Fotoseptiembre, Independient Film Festival and international festivals like the
Guadalajara International Film Festival, which has helped Mexican cinema to develop a strong international presence over the past 20 years. The cinema is supported by industrialists and institutes in the city who have collaborated in the support of several contemporary films. Also, the Guadalajara International Book Fair is celebrated in November and is considered the most important Spanish-language book fair in the world, and the second most important book fair in the world after the Book Fair of
Frankfurt Germany. Every year, the fair has a special guest, or a country or a region, who goes to this fair to show its culture. The fair also organizes the children's book fair Papirolas.
The city is also host to several dance and ballet companies, like the Chamber Ballet of Jalisco, Folkloric Ballet of the University of Guadalajara, and University of Guadalajara Contemporary Ballet. After concluding the eight years of ballet instruction, many have emigrated to companies like the National Company of Dance, the Ballet of Chicago or the Ballet of Boston.
Contemporary music has been an important factor within the new cultural movement. Guadalajara has many artists and fans of this music genre. The city has been named "Electronic Capital of Mexico" in honor of its representation in Mexico and the world with its practitioners of electronic music, and for being host of the principal electronic music events.
This city has been the cradle and dwelling of distinguished poets, writers, painters, actors, film directors and representatives of the arts, such as:
Jose Clemente Orozco, Jesus Reyes Ferrerira, Jose Vizcarra,
Doctor Atl (Gerardo Murillo), Roberto Montenegro, Jorge Esquinca, Jose Luis Figueroa, Carlos Orozco Romero,
Luis Barragán, Jorge González Camarena, Raul Anguiano,
Juan Soriano, Alejandro Colunga, Enrique Guzmán and Javier Campos Cabello and the freeplay guitarist and music composer for the movies El Mariachi and The Legend of Zorro, Paco Renteria; important exponents of Literature such as:
Juan Rulfo, Francisco Rojas,
Agustín Yañez, Emmanuel Carballo, Jorge Souza, among others; classic repertoire composers like Gonzalo Curiel,
José Pablo Moncayo, Antonio Navarro, Ricardo Zohn, Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez and
Gabriel Pareyon; film directors like
Felipe Cazals, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo,
Guillermo del Toro and actors like
Katy Jurado, Enrique Alvarez Felix and actual exponents like
Gael García Bernal and Fernanda Guerra Gaspar de Alba. Cultural tourism is one of the most important economic activities.
At the present time, the construction of a
Guggenheim museum with a seat in Guadalajara is being constructed. Its construction has attracted attention from around the world; it and other projects have led to the cultural sector being given a high priority. Guadalajara was the
American Capital of Culture for 2005.
Architecture
The city has a rich variety of architectural styles, ranging from the baroque to the modern. The city's colonial architecture is a product of French and Spanish trends that were current in Europe at the time of Guadalajara's initial settlement. The historic downtown district contains several examples of neoclassical architecture such as the
Metropolitan Cathedral, the Degollado theater and surrounding buildings, as well as the large residential houses of the Lafayette district (many of which have since been converted to boutiques or restaurants). During Porfirio Diaz's presidency the French style of architecture invaded the city due to the passion of then president Porfirio Dìaz for the currents of French style. Also, Italian architects were the ones in charge to giving form to the gothic structures that rise in the city. The passage of time has shaped the diversity of the city's architecture, from baroque to the churrigueresco, neogothic and neoclassic, to the Art Deco and lines of the postmodernistas.
Guadalajara is formed by 1,500 colonies (city areas); the first area of the city contains mostly houses of 2 levels, with architectural styles from the churrigueresco, baroque and European concepts of the 19th century. The first area of the city contains the centric zones and their environs, like the district of the Sanctuary, Mezquitan, Analco, San Juan de Dios and the Centro area (downtown).
Towards the west of the first area rise the larger houses of the 19th century; these take into account distinguished personalities in the city's history, neoclassic structures, and the large houses of the Porfiriato era. This area includes neighborhoods like Lafayette,
Jardines del Bosque, Americana, Moderna, and Arcos de Vallarta, in which their respective expansions correspond to constructions of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. A second area features the blossoming of the new architectural tendencies of the 1960s and 1970s, and includes the track of colonies like Providencia, Vallarta San Jorge, etc. Between the two is an area of postmodernist architecture, the Art Deco, followed by styles reflecting the architectural legacy of one of the worldwide icons of the Mexican architecture,
Luis Barragán, who was born and raised in Guadalajara.
The city has many prestigious residential developments and private communities;
Puerta de hierro, Colinas de San Javier, Bugambilias City, las Cañadas, el Palomar, Santa Anita, Valle Real, Country Club, etc. Limits of the city are formed by middle-class colonies and habitational developments constructed like a part of governmental plans. The western part of the city includes the middle class and upper-income neighborhoods and the eastern part the working class areas. The city extends towards the west in neighborhoods like Pine of the Calm, Las Fuentes, La Estancia, Colli Urbano, annexing its metropolitan zone to the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zuñiga. It is anticipated that approximately five hundred more colonies in the ZMG will be created by the year 2010.
Cuisine
Guadalajara has many traditional dishes, such as
pozole,
tamales,
sopes,
enchiladas,
tacos, Valentina Chicken, and a variety of "Mexican Antojitos". Another common dish is "
"Tortas Ahogadas" & Carne en su Jugo", which is a part of tapatío culture. Guadalajara has a large variety of restaurants, from American restaurant franchises to more traditional Mexican fare. The Vallarta and Colonia Americana neighborhoods are known for their restaurants and nightclubs situated in former mansions from the 1940s.
Sports
Football is the most popular recreational sport in the city of Guadalajara. There are three major football clubs;
Club Deportivo Guadalajara,
CF Atlas and
UAG Tecos. Atlas and Guadalajara share the
Estadio Jalisco, while
Estadio Tres de Marzo in Zapopan is the home of the
UAG Tecos.
Another popular sport is
Charreada or charreria, which is the typical sport, and is recognized nationwide as one of the national sports in Mexico.
The people of the city also practice golf, tennis, volleyball, basketball and many other sports and disciplines. The state of Jalisco, where the city is located, is the National Olympic Games champion, winning the national championship 6 consecutive times in all disciplines. The main training center, the CODE complex, is in the city of Guadalajara.
The city also holds the National championship in basketball, American football and ice hockey. The city will host the
2011 Pan American Games.
Guadalajara is the home of
Lorena Ochoa, ranked no.1 female golfer in the world since 2007 by the
LPGA.
1992 explosion
Guadalajara is also known for the great disaster of,
1992, which took place in the downtown district of Analco. Numerous explosions originated in the sewer system, which was inexplicably saturated with gasoline fumes and gasoline. During a period of four hours, several explosions destroyed kilometers of streets. In particular, Gante Street was severely damaged. The force of the explosion was such that some newspaper pictures showed a bus on top a two-storied building's rooftop. Officially, 206 people were killed, nearly 500 injured and 15,000 were left homeless. The affected area can be recognized by the more modern architecture, in stark contrast with the surrounding area's much older buildings. To date,
Pemex, the state-owned oil company, hasn't accepted any responsibility for the enormous amount of gasoline found in the
sewage system, although it has agreed to create a fund to compensate the families affected by this catastrophe.
Sister cities
- Alajuela, Costa Rica
- Albuquerque, United States
- Caracas, Venezuela
- Cebu, Philippines
- Cigales, Spain
- Cleveland, United States
- Curitiba, Brazil
- Daejeon, South Korea
- Downey, United States
- Guadalajara, Spain
- Hagåtña, Guam
- Kansas City, United States
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Krakow, Poland
- Kyoto, Japan
- Lansing, United States
- Lima, Peru
|
Magdalena de Kino, Mexico
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Milan, Italy
Nochistlán, Mexico
Oñati, Spain
Panama City, Panama
Portland, United States
St. Louis, United States
San Antonio, United States
San José, Costa Rica
San Salvador, El Salvador
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Seville, Spain
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Tucson, United States
Wroclaw, Poland
Xiamen, PRC
|
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