Capital of the state of
Jalisco and 2nd largest metropolis in
México (population ~4 million). Located in west central
México.
Guadalajara was founded in
1531 and was relocated on several occasions in the following decade, under pressure from the
indigenous peoples in the area. During the 16th century the city was the center for Indian
slave hunting. In 1810 it was occupied briefly by Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla, who initiated the
independence movement and decreed the
abolition of slavery in
México.
Since
1940 Guadalajara has become a major
industrial producer, in addition to its
traditional functions as
political capital and commercial
entrepôt for an extensive
agricultural region (devoted primarily to corn
maize growing and livestock raising). It produces
textiles,
shoes,
chemicals, building materials,
tobacco products, and
soft drinks. There are many
ultramodern industrial and
commercial buildings, and modern
residential suburbs have attracted members of the
upper classes and of the rapidly expanding
middle classes from the older parts of the city.
Its
cathedral, completed in
1618, is richly decorated. Many of the city's more than 50 churches also date from the colonial period. The governor's palace, begun in
1743, is one of the finest examples of Spanish architecture in
México. The city has two universities: the
University of
Guadalajara (
1792) and the
Autonomous University of
Guadalajara (
1935).
Guadalajara was the home of the
painter José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) and houses many of his finest works.
Guadalajara is connected by
railroad and
highway with Nogales, AZ, on the
US border, to the northwest, and with
Mexico City, to the east-southeast. Roads also lead to communities on the central and Pan-American highways. National and international airlines serve
Guadalajara. Lake Chapala, a popular resort and retirement centre for
US citizens (some 5,000 in the late 1970s), is 23 miles south of the city.