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Guadalajara (Spanish pronunciation 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 this state and in the western-Pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,600,940 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality.. The Metropolitan area of Guadalajara includes other adjacent municipalities and has a population of 4.1 million inhabitants, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico as well. The city is situated at an altitude of 1600 meters (5200 feet), favoring it with a mild, springlike climate. Guadalajara is one of the principal centers of culture, economy, history, industry and religion in the country and exerts significant influence on the rest of Mexico. Guadalajara is known as La Perla Tapatia ("Pearl of the West") and Ciudad de las Rosas ("City of the Roses") for its architecture and environment.
The city is named after the Spanish city of Guadalajara, whose name originates from the Arabic ( وادي الحجرة) wadii al-Hajara, which may mean "river of stones", "valley of stones", or "valley of the fortress".
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.
Guadalajara’s youthful population, low unemployment and large number of recent foreign investment deals are good indicators that Mexico’s second largest city has a bright future.
History
Early History
The original town of Guadalajara was founded on January 5, 1532 by Crístobal de Oñate, who had been commissioned by 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.
The laura lasted for only a short time at this site of Gualadajara. Guzmán, Crístobal 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 had 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, they decided once more to relocate the city and founded it again on Atemajac Valley.
The current 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 became the capital of the Intendencia of Guadalajara.
Guadalajara in the 20th century
The Porfiriato was finished and Mexican revolution exploded. Guadalajara was calm at last (because the conflict was running more towards the capital). After the cristero conflict peace returned to Guadalajara. For a long period the city bloomed and it was developed in diverse points, the medium and big companies emerged and the areas around the residential nucleus that began to grow from the colony were born and therefore the new architectonic concepts which would decorate the city with styles from 1920 to 1980. The city passed through several structural plans during every government period, where new zones and commercial areas were born, and the creation of transnational companies as well as the arrival of international industries came to the city. The first commercial centers appeared, which also were among the first being constructed in the country and Latin America. The city began to expand quickly until finding the territorial union with the municipality of Zapopan. The most important developments were created during this period: Expo Guadalajara, Light Train, commercial centers, hotels, the expansion of streets and avenues, and the birth and development of the road infrastructure, services, tourist and industrial infrastructure. Guadalajara was growing quickly until it became the industrial, tourist and commerce headquarter of the country, and the second city in Mexico after the national capital (Mexico City). This development so accelerated was stopped by events like the explosions of April 22 of 1992, where hundreds of houses, avenues, streets, companies and infrastructure were damaged seriously, leaving losses calculated in a 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 of the facts lasted more than 11 years without finding sufficient evidence to name a guilty party, the investigations now are closed attributing the events to an accident. These events led Guadalajara to explore new visions in the development, being the sector of services the key of the economic reactivation.
Guadalajara in the 21st century
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 also attracts investors and commerce worldwide. In 1987, the Expo Guadalajara Convention Center was opened. Guadalajara has more than 25,000 total lodging rooms. Guadalajara is a very important center of universities and educational centers with national and worldwide prestige, such as [[Universidad Panamericana Sede México|
, ITESO, Universidad de Guadalajara, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (U.A.G.), among others. The Metropolitan Zone of Guadalajara has several shopping malls; the city is the national leader in development and investment in shopping malls. The city is home of one of the greatest malls in Latin America: Galerias Guadalajara 360. The current boom in construction and development is one of the most significant periods of business activity in the history of the city. 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 is sweeping the city and will transform Guadalajara into the new cultural icon of Latin America for years to come.
Also, Guadalajara has many other large structures under construction, such as Torrena, which when completed will be the tallest skyscraper in Latin America and the tenth tallest worldwide.
21st century city Development
Guadalajara has fast growing development, including buildings like Torrena that will become the largest building in Latin America. Many shopping centers have been built, such as (for example) Plaza Galerias, one of the largest shopping centers in Latin America. Puerta de Hierro has become one of the most important districts in Guadalajara with high development of buildings that include Aura Altitude a project of 42 floors that will be completed in 2008.. Also the construction of Andares has started that will be a shopping complex of the greatest line including Palacio de Hierro, Valentino, Lacoste and more.. More building are in the way in Puerta de Hierro district like Torre G, Torre Zapopan, Pleyades and more. Providencia Country is also underway with many scheduled apartment projects.
Population
The Municipality of Guadalajara has the largest population of any city in the state of Jalisco with 1,600,940 inhabitants. However, The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area also includes the municipalities of Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, Tonalá, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, and Ixtlahuacán del Río, which together totaled 4,100,000 inhabitants in 2005. Guadalajara is the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico after Mexico City.
People
Most people from Guadalajara are known as tapatíos. Most of the population is Criollo (people from direct Euro-Spanish origin), and Mestizo (mixed Native American and Spaniards). However, there is a large amount of people of German, Slavic, and French ancestry. During the French intervention (1863-1867) these different cultures were mixed, and today the vast majority of the population possesses both Criollo and Mestizo characteristics. Guadalajara is known as a place where many "Güeros" reside. Throughout the years Guadalajara has attracted more European, US American, Canadian, Argentinean, Brazilian, Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, Japanese, and Chinese people who have settled in the former Chinese neighborhood located in the center of the city (the Mexicaltzingo and San Juan de Dios areas). Only a low percentage of the people are of pure indigenous ancestry, the majority of which are of Nahuatl, Hñähñu and Huichol (Wixrarika) origin. There is an important US American community in nearby Ajijic, 20 miles (32 km) South, on the Northern shore of Lake Chapala (Laguna de Chapala). A relatively important international pseudo-Christian sect (Iglesia de la Luz del Mundo) has its headquarters in the city, it caters almost exclusively to people in poor neighborhoods. With so many Catholic schools, most people in Guadalajara are Catholic, but tolerance of a diversity of beliefs and religious preferences is increasing.
Notable Natives
Economy
Guadalajara was the highest ranking major Mexican city for fdi magazine in the "cities of the future" 2007 research,
also had the second strongest economic potential of any major North American city
and only Chicago scored higher for sheer economic potential.
It is also the highest ranked business friendly latinamerican city in 2007.
The economy of Guadalajara is active in the three economic sectors (Secondary and Tertiary activities economic) that are the Primary ones. The primary activities are based on the transit and commerce of Bovine, Pig cattle, Ovicaprino, Goat, Equino, Bird-raising.
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 in the West of Mexico .
The nutritional 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 U.S.). 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 electronic industry. The city is the main software producer in the country, and also is a leading producer of eletronic and digitnal 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 is based on the tourism, the academic, entertainment, sport and cultural tourism (which one of the most significant growth within next the 5 years is expected), the tourism is one of the sectors with more importance in Guadalajara. The commerce is another one of the most dynamic activities of the city, is made the national product transaction and mattered, growth and investment in commercial centers, comervial expositions and fairs, transport and communications The services are of all type: financiers, professionals, communal, social, personal technicians, of maintenance and tourist.
Guadalajara is also a trade of transport and communication. The geographical location of the city makes it strategic for commerce. 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.
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, ATA, 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
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. Also one of the most prestige schools in Mexico: The American School Foundation of Guadalajara (ASFG] is a school of 1420 students in pre-school through twelfth grade, it is 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
The present day cultural movement in Guadalajara is amongst the strongest in Latin-America, where the whole city participates, as seen in the music festivals and open-air showcasing of art and photography held in Chapultepec Avenue. Guadalajara is the city with greater number of contemporary artists in the country; in dance, theater, music, photographs, cinema, design, architecture, etc., and it also has pioneers in the experimental arts. The University Center of Art, Architecture and Design (CUAAD) is one of the academic institutions with more endorsement and international reputation in the arts, being the University of Guadalajara along with the federal government which represents and supports this big cultural movement, where 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 "tapatios" 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 world wide important festivals like the Guadalajara International Film Festival which has helped the Mexican cinema in these last twenty years to have a strong international presence. The cinema is one of the expressions with more support by industralists and institutes in the city who have collaborated in the support of several contemporary films. Also the Guadalajara International Book Fair (Feria Internacional de Libro or FIL) is celebrated in November and is considered the most important Spanish language book fair in the world, and the second world-wide in importance after the Book Fair of Frankfurt Germany. Every year has a special guest, or a country or a region who go to this fair to show its culture in general. This 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, many of which after concluding the process of eight years that takes in the BCJ, 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 being one of the cities with the most artists and fans of this music genre. The city has been named "Electronic Capital of Mexico" in honor to its important 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 art, such as: Jose Clemente Orozco, Jesus Reyes Ferrerira, Jose Vizcarra, Doctor Atl (Gerardo Murillo), Roberto Montenegro, Jose Luis Figueroa, Carlos Orozco Romero, Luis Barragán, Jorge González Camarena, Raul Anguiano, Juan Soriano, Alejandro Colunga, Enrique Guzmán and Javier Campos Cabello; 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.
Guadalajara produces the most important cultural magazine in the country. The cultural tourism is one of the most important economic activities.
At the present time the construction of a Guggenheim museum with seat in Guadalajara, has been reason for world-wide attention, this and most of the projects that at the moment are constructed in Guadalajara, they turn focused to give the priority to the cultural sector. On 28 October 2004 Guadalajara was declared 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 by the currents of French style, also Italian architects were the ones in charge to give form to the gothic structures that rise in the city. The passage of time I leave shaped diverse currents that happen from the baroque one, to the churrigueresco, neogothic and neoclassic but the pure one. Until the own architectonic lines of the decades of the ' 40, ' 50 and ' 60 the audacious Art Deco and lines of the posmodernistas architects of then.
Guadalajara is formed by 1,500 colonies (city areas) in which the Metropolitan Zone extends, the first area of the city conforms houses in their majority of but 2 levels with architectonic styles that go from the churrigueresco, baroque and European styles of century XIX, the first area of the city conforms the centric zones and their environs, like the district of the Sanctuary, Mezquitan, Analco, San Juan de Dios and the Colony Center (downtwon).
Towards the west of the first area the large houses of century XIX begin to rise, calls to account of distinguished personages in the history of the city, neoclassic structures and large houses of the Porfiriato, this picture conform colonies like Lafayette, American, Modern, Vallarta Arcs, in which their respective expansions correspond to constructions of years 1920.1930, 1940 and 1950. To Guadalajara environs expands in a second area where the blossoming of the new arquitectonicas tendencies of years 1960 and 1970 left the track of colonies like American, Vallarta the West, Modern, Providence, Vallarta San Jorge etc. Between which they are from the posmodernistas lines, the Art deco until the architectonic legacy of one of the world-wide 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 conformed by middle-class colonies and habitational developments constructed like part of governmental plans. The west of the city, is altogether the area that represents the highest economic level, whereas the east shows a low level. The city extends towards the west in colonies 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 exist in the 2010 year. The expansion of the city and the demographic demand forces the government to destine more domiciliary names and numbers every year and destining infrastructure resources as well for the plusvalic development of the city.
Notable Residents
Guadalajara honors many of its famous citizens with sculptures in the rotunda specifically built for this purpose located in the historic downtown district.
Cuisine
Guadalajara has many traditional dishes such as pozole, tamales, sopes, enchiladas, tacos, "Tortas Ahogadas", Valentina Chicken, and a variety of "Mexican Antojitos". Another common dish is "birria", which is a part of tapatio culture. Guadalajara has a large variety of restaurants, from American restaurant franchises to more traditional Mexican fare. The Vallarta and Colonia Americana neighborhoods are know for their restaurants and nightclubs situated in former mansions from the 1940s.
Sports
There are three major football clubs. The most important being: CD Guadalajara and, CF Atlas. CF Atlas and CD Guadalajara share the Estadio Jalisco, while Estadio Tres de Marzo in Zapopan is the home of the Tecos.
Another popular sport is Charreada or charreria, which is the typical sport, and is recognized nationwide as the national sport in Mexico.
The people of the city practice, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, 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 having the main training center the CODE complex in the city of Guadalajara.
The city is also the National champion in Basketball, American Football and Hockey on Ice and the birth place of one of the best golf players: Lorena Ochoa.
The city will be the 2011 Pan American Games host.
1992 explosion
Guadalajara is also known for the great disaster of April 22, 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 the most damaged. The force of the explosions was such that some newspaper pictures showed a bus atop 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 which has much older buildings. To date, Pemex, the state-owned oil company, has not 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.
Guadalajara is also the site of major seismological activity with a high-scale earthquake occurring about every 80 years.
Twin Cities
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See also
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