A lake of west-central Mexico southeast of Guadalajara. It is the largest lake in the country and a popular resort area.
Chapala
Dictionary:
Cha·pa·la (chə-pä'lə)  |
| 5min Related Video: Chapala |
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Chapala |
Chapala (chäpä'lä) , lake, c.50 mi (80 km) long and 8 mi (12.8 km) wide, W Mexico, in Jalisco and Michoacán states. It is the largest lake in Mexico. Set in a depression on the central plateau, Lake Chapala is fed by the Lerma River, which flows into it from the east, and is drained by the Río Grande de Santiago, which flows out by the northeastern corner. It is a popular scenic resort. Fishing is a local occupation. Since the early 1950s the waters have been receding at an alarming rate and the lake is rapidly becoming choked with water hyacinths; studies have been initiated to determine an effective conservation program.
| Wikipedia: Chapala, Jalisco |
| Chapala, Jalisco | |||
| — Municipality and town — | |||
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  Chapala, Jalisco
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| Coordinates: 20°20′N 103°10′W / 20.333°N 103.167°W | |||
| Country |  Mexico |
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|---|---|---|---|
| State | Jalisco | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 385.58 km2 (148.9 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - Total | 43,345 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
Chapala is a city and municipality in the central Mexican state of Jalisco, located on the north shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake. According to the 2005 census, its population is 43,345 for the municipality.
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Geography
Chapala is 28 miles (45 km) south-southeast of Guadalajara, on Mexico Highway 44. It is located at 20°20' North, 103°10' West.
History
Although there are several theories as to the origin of the city's name, the most likely is that it comes from Chapalac, the name of the last chief of the Nahuatl-speaking indigenous people of the region. Chapala became an official municipality on September 10, 1864, by decree of the Jalisco State Congress.
Culture
Since the 1960s, Chapala has been frequented by both Mexican and international tourists. Among the area's cultural attractions is mariachi music, for which the state of Jalisco is particularly known. While many fine mariachi bands have been based in Chapala, the most famous groups are based in larger cities nearby. The most famous mariachi in Mexico is Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, founded in the late 1800s in the southern Jalisco city of Tecalitlán, Jalisco, but now based in Mexico City. Although mariachi music is believed to have originated in the town of Cocula, the greatest concentration of mariachis can be found in the city of Guadalajara, located about 30 miles north of Chapala; it is considered the city that most epitomizes the external concept of Mexico propagated by the international mass media (characterized by charros, tequila, sombreros, and mariachis). A worldwide mariachi festival is held there each fall, mariachis from throughout the world (including Europe and Asia) regularly participate.
Tourism
Chapala, along with its namesake lake, is well established as a weekend getaway destination primarily for inhabitants of the city of Guadalajara. Most of the area's expatriate population (originating primarily from the United States and Canada) reside not in the city proper but in and around Ajijic, a village of approximately 5,000 inhabitants located approximately 5 miles west of Chapala. Many of these residents, a large proportion of whom are retirees, spend only the winter in the Chapala area, returning north for the warmer months. See more information at www.lakechapala.info[1]
 A Chapala view |
 The Chapala beach viewed from the Malecon |
 Hotel by by the Chapala Malecon |
Coordinates: 20°20′N 103°11′W / 20.333°N 103.183°W
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 | Lo Mejor del Mariachi, Vol. 3 (1999 Album by Mariachi Garibaldi) |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Chapala, Jalisco". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Lo Mejor del Mariachi, Vol. 3 (1999 Album by Mariachi Garibaldi)
- Lerma (river, Mexico)
- John Whitney: Moon Drum (1991 Music Film)
- Jalisco (state, Mexico)
- Michoacán (state, Mexico)
- México en la Sangre: Añoranzas de Mi Pueblo [CD & DVD] (2004 Album by Various Artists)
- Pepe Guízar (Latin Artist)
- Real Turismo, S.A. de C.V.
- Lake Chapala
- Marcos Castellanos
- Ajijic, Jalisco
- Río Grande de Santiago
- Isla de los Alacranes
- Sri Jagannath (film)
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