Zacatecas
—  State  —
Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas
Seal
Motto: Labor Vincit Omnia (Work Conquers All)
Anthem: Marcha de Zacatecas
State of Zacatecas within Mexico
Coordinates: 23°17′34″N 102°42′02″W / 23.29278°N 102.70056°W / 23.29278; -102.70056Coordinates: 23°17′34″N 102°42′02″W / 23.29278°N 102.70056°W / 23.29278; -102.70056
Country	Mexico
Capital	Zacatecas
Largest City	Zacatecas
Municipalities	58
Admission	December 23, 1823[1]
Order	10th
Government
• Governor	Miguel Alonso Reyes
• Senators[2]	Tomás Torres Mercado Antonio Mejía Haro José Trejo Reyes
• Deputies[3]	Federal Deputies • Luis Enrique Mercado • Arturo Ramírez Bucio • Claudia Edith Anaya Mota • Samuel Herrera Chávez • Ramón Jiménez Fuentes • Gerardo Leyva Hernández • José Narro Céspedes • Gerardo Verver y Vargas
Area[4]
• Total	75,539 km2 (29,166 sq mi)
	Ranked 8th
Highest elevation[5]	3,200 m (10,500 ft)
Population (2010)[6]
• Total	1,490,668
• Rank	25th
• Density	20/km2 (51/sq mi)
• Density rank	25th
Demonym	Zacatecano (a)
Time zone	CST (UTC−6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC−5)
Postal code	98, 99
Area code	Area codes 1 and 2 • 346 • 433 • 437 • 457 • 458 • 463 • 467 • 478 • 492 • 493 • 494 • 496 • 498 • 499
ISO 3166 code	MX-ZAC
HDI	0.805 high Ranked 24th
GDP	US$ 5,171,913.8 th[a]
Website	Official Web Site
^ a. The state's GDP was 66,200,496 thousand of pesos in 2008,[6] amount corresponding to 5,171,913.8 thousand of dollars, being a dollar worth 12.80 pesos (value of June 3, 2010).[7]

Zacatecas (Spanish pronunciation: [sakaˈtekas]), officially Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas), is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas.

It is located in North-Central Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Durango to the northwest, Coahuila to the north, Nayarit to the west, San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León to the east, and Jalisco, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes to the south.

The state of Zacatecas is best known for its rich deposits of silver and other minerals, its colonial architecture and its importance during the Mexican revolution. Its main economic activities are mining, agriculture and tourism.

Etymology and founding[link]

"Zacatecas" is the Nahuatl-derived name for one of the indigenous peoples who inhabited the region before the arrival of the Spanish. The name ultimately derives from the Nahuatl word for a type of grass common in the region, zacatl. The region where this grass grew was originally called Zacatlan, and its inhabitants, Zacateca, pluralized in Mexican Spanish to Zacatecas.

Besides the Zacatecas, the Caxcan, Guachichil, and Tepehuan were also reported by the Spanish to be inhabiting the region which comprises the modern state of Zacatecas.

On September 8, 1546, with the discovery of its mines, the present city of Zacatecas was founded. It was originally baptized "Minas de los Zacatecas" or "Mines of the Zacatecas". Its rich mineral wealth gave the Spanish Crown a great amount of income (the silver mines in Zacatecas and Potosi, Bolivia, were the Spanish crown's largest sources of income during colonialism), which gave the city of Zacatecas the title of "Ciudad de Nuestra Señora de los Zacatecas".

Geography[link]

Nopal in northwestern Zacatecas.

Zacatecas is the eighth largest Mexican state with an area of 75,539 km² (29,166 sq mi). Occupying about 3.9% of the total land area of the nation.^[8] It is a bit larger than the country of Panama but smaller than the Czech Republic. It is located in the north-central region of Mexico and is bordered by the states of Durango to the northwest, Coahuila to the north, Nayarit to the west, San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León to the east, and Jalisco, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes to the south.

The State stretches from the Sierra Madre Oriental in the northeast, through the Central Plateau which makes up the most part of the state, to the Sierra Madre Oriental in the southwest.^[9] There is also a small portion of the state in the extreme southeast that is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.^[10] The average elevation is 2,100 meters with the highest points being: Sierra El Astillero at 3,200 m, Sierra de Sombrerete at 3,100 m, and Sierra Fria at 3,030 m. The Cañón del Río Juchipila is the lowest point in the state at 840 m.^[11]

Bolaños river.

There are two river basins in the state, the one that empties at the Pacific and the interior basin that lacks an exit to the sea and instead flows north towards the state of Coahuila.^[12] Some of the most important rivers include the Aguanaval, Juchipila, Atengo-San Andrés, Jerez, Valparaiso, Tlatenango, San Francisco, Villanueva, Palomas, and Bolaños.^[13]

There are forest of pines and evergreens in the sierras; in the valleys and plains there is a great abundance of mesquite, maguey, cactus, agave, pastures, huisache, and many other semi-desertic plants. An interesting tree that occurs in Zacatecas is the Elephant tree, Bursera microphylla.^[14]

In the sierras there are many wild boar, white-tailed deer and hares; in the valleys and plains it is common to find coyote, badgers, quails and ducks. The extreme northern part of the state is the southern fringe of the Chihuahuan Desert and as such is rich and diverse in biology. This desert is home to a large amount of cacti and is one of the most ecologically diverse deserts on earth.^[15]

The average temperature in the state is 17°C (62.6°F) with the maximum average around 30°C (86°F) being reached in may and the lowest at 3°C (37.4°F) in January.^[16]

History[link]

After Miguel Hidalgo issued his call to rebellion against colonial authorities in 1810, his insurgent followers marched through Zacatecas; they would return the following year, during a hasty retreat into the northern deserts after being routed by a Royalist army near Mexico City. Mexico gained independence in 1821, and Zacatecas was incorporated as a federal state three years later. Zacatecas was far removed from the capital, and the local mining barons sought to preserve their autonomy. During the civil wars between federalists and centralists in the first decade of the republic, Zacatecas and its lucrative mines were Federalist strongholds. In May 1835, the citizens of Zacatecas joined the other northern Mexican states by revolting against Antonio López de Santa Anna, who had suspended the federalist constitution and established a dictatorship the previous year. Except for Texas, Santa Anna crushed most of these rebellions, rewarding his soldiers with two days of pillage in Zacatecas, in which up to 2,000 people died. Santa Anna detached the prosperous city of Aguascalientes from Zacatecas and made it the capital of a separate state (reputedly, as a reward for a kiss from the beautiful wife of a local politician). The state was a battleground in the War of Reform, and Zacatecas, Zacatecas changed hands several times until, finally, in 1859 being captured by Liberal Gen. Jesus Gonzalez Ortega, who expelled most of the cities' clergy. During the War of the French Intervention, French soldiers briefly occupied the city.

Painting of the Toma de Zacatecas

In 1884, the Mexico Central Railway linked Zacatecas with Mexico City and Ciudad Juarez. Due to its location between northern and central Mexico, Zacatecas was a major beneficiary of newfound stability and economic modernization that came during the reign of Porfirio Diaz. With Mexico's second largest mint and many of its largest silver mines, Zacatecas played an important role in Mexico's economic growth. Its strategic and economic importance made it an important front in the Mexican Revolution. The Toma de Zacatecas by Pancho Villa's Division del Norte in July 1914 was the decisive battle of the Constitutionalist rebellion against the counter-revolution of Gen. Victoriano Huerta.

Economy[link]

The agricultural products are cereals, sugar and maguey, the first being dependent on the rainfall, often failing altogether, the second on irrigation in the lower valleys, and the latter doing best in a dry climate on a calcareous soil with water not far beneath the surface. There is also a considerable production of peaches, apricots and grapes, the last being made into wine. A few cattle are raised, and considerable attention is given to the rearing of sheep, goats and swine. A natural product is guayule, a shrub from which rubber is extracted.

The chief industry of Zacatecas, however, is mining for silver, gold, mercury, copper, iron, zinc, lead, bismuth, antimony and salt. Its mineral wealth was discovered soon after the conquest, and some of its mines are among the most famous of Mexico, dating from 1546. One of the most productive of its silver mines, the Alvarado, has records which show a production of nearly $800,000,000 in silver between 1548 and 1867.

The state is traversed by the Mexican Central and the Mexican National railways. Its manufactures are limited chiefly to the reduction of mineral ores, the extraction of rubber from guayule, the making of sugar, rum, mezcal, pulque, woollen and cotton fabrics, and some minor industries of the capital.

Demographics[link]

The state of Zacatecas has a population of 1,490,668 (2010 census) inhabitants. The three largest municipios (a municipio is equivalent to a county in the United States) are Fresnillo at 213,139; Guadalupe at 159,991 and Zacatecas, 138,176. Of the state's total population,18,139 individuals were born in foreign countries. Zacatecas has more than tripled in a century, in 1900 its population was 462,190. In the year 2008, Zacatecas had the smallest indigenous population percentage-wise in Mexico: 0.3%. Only the state of Aguascalientes has a smaller number of indigenous people, numbering 3,472; Zacatecas has 4,039 indigenous people.^[17][18] It is estimated that half of the people from Zacatecas do not reside in the state. Mexico's National Population Council estimates that 600,000 natives of Zacatecas now live in the United States, a figure that is equivalent to 40 percent of the state's resident population of 1.5 million. If the base population is supplemented by the number of children and grandchildren who have been born on the Other Side, the total number of Mexicans and Mexican Americans of "zacatecano" origin living in the United States exceeds the number of people who have stayed behind.^[19] [1]

Cities[link]

According to the 2010 census the largest municipio (county) in terms of population in the state of Zacatecas is Fresnillo, with a population of 213,139 (2010). It is followed by the municipio of Guadalupe at 159,991, then the state capital of Zacatecas with a population of 138,176.

Tourist destinations[link]

The state has touristic cites like:

• Zacatecas: The colonial center of this city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and features elaborately decorated buildings, cobblestone streets, and wrought-iron lanterns.
• Sombrerete: Colonial city established in 1555 as a village, actually is a small city, is the fifth most important in the state, and considered the second most beautiful city in the state. The city features old and beautiful churches built in the New Spain Era, with decorated, old buildings. The municipality has touristic forests, and Sierra de Organos, world famous for filming of western movies.
• Jerez de Garcia Salinas: A "Pueblo Mágico" near the capital city of Zacatecas (Zacatecas City), has colonial buildings and the Santuario and Parroquial Churches, made known internationally by Lopez Velarde, a writer born in that city. It also has beautiful colonial buildings some of which are now lighted at night. Jérez was designated as a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2007 because of its customs, traditions, cuisine and its people. More than 20 years in the past (1988) it had already been designated as a National Monument.
• The Rafael Coronel museum is unique in that it holds a collection of over 5,000 masks. It is one of the largest mask collections in Mexico, with pieces from throughout the country.^[20]

Government[link]

The current governor of Zacatecas is Miguel Alonso Reyes (PRI). The state is represented by three representatives in the Mexican senate: Mejía Haro Antonio (PRD), Tomás Torres Mercado (PRD) and José Isabel Trejo Reyes (PAN). Zacatecas also has 9 representatives in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies: 9 of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, 3 of the National Action Party and 1 of the Ecologist Green Party.

Municipalities[link]

Zacatecas is subdivided into 58 municipios (equivalent to a county or a parish in the USA). Mazapil by far is the largest municipality in the state, occupying about 16% of the area of the state. The Municipality of Momax is the smallest one in area with only 164.5 square kilometres (63.5 sq mi).

Major communities[link]

Notable natives and residents[link]

• Brandon Rios, Lightweight boxing Champ
• Abner Mares, Boxer, Family hails from Zacatecas
• Romel Beck, Basketball player for the Golden State Warriors
• Dominick Cruz, UFC Bantamweight champion, fathers side comes from Rio Grande, Zacatecas
• Gilbert Melendez, Strikeforce lightweight champion
• Anthony Pettis, UFC fighter, Mother's family hails from Zacatecas
• José Huizar, American elected official, Los Angeles city council member
• Mark Sanchez, NFL QB for New York Jets
• Alfonso Márquez, MLB umpire
• Antonio Aguilar, singer, actor
• Pepe Aguilar, singer
• Rebecca de Alba, model
• José María Cárdenas, soccer player
• Leonor Cortés Moctezuma, illegitimate daughter of Hernan Cortés, an early resident and grandmother of Juan de Oñate
• Efraín Flores, former soccer player and coach of Pachuca
• Benjamin Galindo, former soccer player and coach of Santos Laguna
• Susana González, actress
• Banda Jerez, music group
• Cynthia Klitbo, actress
• Marcelino Bautista Sifuentes, Master Paper Cutter (Papel Picado)
• Mateo Correa Magallanes, 1866–1927, saint and martyr
• Francisco Javier Gonzalez Medina, soccer player
• Florinda Meza, actress
• Don Juan de Oñate, Mexican-born conquistador of Spanish parents
• Manuel María Ponce, composer
• Sergio Santana, soccer player
• Los Temerarios, music group
• Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet of the 19th Century, poet of "La Suave Patria"

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	North America portal
	Latin America portal
	Mexico portal

Notes[link]

References[link]

• C. Michael Hogan (2009) Elephant Tree: Bursera microphylla, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
• Peter Katel (March 6, 2001). "The New Frontier". CNN. http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101010611/fvillage.html. Retrieved 2007-12-15. 
• John P. Schmal (2004). "The Hispanic Experience - Indigenous Identity in Mexico". http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/census.html. Retrieved 2007-12-15. 

External links[link]

Mexico portal

• Portal with News and Information about Zacatecas
• Zacatecas state government website
• Zacatecas travel guide from Wikitravel

v t e  State of Zacatecas Zacatecas, Zac. (capital) Municipalities and (municipal seats) Apozol (Apozol) Apulco (Apulco) Atolinga (Atolinga) Florencia de Benito Juárez Municipality (Florencia de Benito Juárez) Calera de Víctor Rosales Municipality (Víctor Rosales) Cañitas de Felipe Pescador (Cañitas de Felipe Pescador) Concepción del Oro (Concepción del Oro) Cuauhtémoc (San Pedro Piedra Gorda) Chalchihuites (Chalchihuites) El Plateado de Joaquín Amaro (El Plateado de Joaquín Amaro) El Salvador (El Salvador) Fresnillo (Fresnillo) Genaro Codina (Genaro Codina) General Enrique Estrada (General Enrique Estrada) General Francisco R Murguía (Nieves) General Pánfilo Natera (General Pánfilo Natera) Guadalupe (Guadalupe) Huanusco (Huanusco) Jalpa (Jalpa) Jerez de García Salinas (Jerez) Jiménez del Teul (Jiménez del Teul) Juan Aldama (Juan Aldama, Zacatecas) Juchipila (Juchipila) Loreto (Loreto) Luis Moya (Luis Moya, Zacatecas) Mazapil (Mazapil) Melchor Ocampo (Melchor Ocampo) Mezquital del Oro (Mezquital del Oro) Miguel Auza (Miguel Auza, Zacatecas) Momax (Momax) Monte Escobedo (Monte Escobedo) Morelos (Morelos) Moyahua de Estrada (Moyahua de Estrada) Nochistlán de Mejía (Nochistlán de Mejía) Noria de Ángeles (Noria de Ángeles) Ojocaliente (Ojocaliente) Pánuco (Pánuco) Pinos (Pinos) Río Grande (Río Grande) Santa María de la Paz (Santa María de la Paz) Saín Alto (Saín Alto) Sombrerete (Sombrerete) Susticacán (Susticacán) Tabasco (Tabasco) Tepechitlán (Tepechitlán) Tepetongo (Tepetongo) Teúl de González Ortega (Teúl de González Ortega) Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román Trancoso (Trancoso) Trinidad García de la Cadena (Trinidad García de la Cadena) (Valparaíso) (Vetagrande) (Villa de Cos) (Villa García) Villa González Ortega Municipality (Villa González Ortega) (Villa Hidalgo) (Villanueva) (Zacatecas)