Zapopan

Zapopan
Coat of Arms
Location
Location in the State of Jalisco
Administration
Country	Mexico
State	Jalisco
Region	Región Centro
Metropolitan Area	Guadalajara Metropolitan Area
Municipality • Neighborhoods	Zapopan 399
Mayor	Hector Vielma Ordoñez
Political party	PRI
Geography
City Area	893.15 km²
Metro Area	500 km²
Elevation	2015 Mts
Coordinates :	20°43′N 103°24′W / 20.717°N 103.4°W / 20.717; -103.4
Population
City Population (2005)	1,026,492 city; 1,155,790 (Rank 9)
Metro Population (2005)	4,095,853 (Rank 2)
City Density	1,035 /km²
Metro Density	8,200/km²
General Information
Founded	1541
Demonym	Zapopano(a)
Time Zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal Code	45010 - 45239
Area Code	+52 (Mexico) / +33 (Jalisco)
Website - H. Ayuntamiento de Zapopan

Zapopan is a city and (municipio) in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and is part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. As of the 2005 census the population of the city was 1,026,492 inhabitants, that of its municipality 1,155,790. The municipality, which has an area of 893.15 km² (344.85 sq mi), lies adjacent to the northwest side of Guadalajara and includes such smaller outlying communities as Nuevo México and Tesistán. The city and the municipality both rank second in population in the state, behind only the city and municipality of Guadalajara itself.

The city is a commercial center for the region, with most city malls within its limits, and is popular among tourists (see below).

History

The actual area of Zapopan was populated before the 12th century by the Totonac, Otomi, Zapotec and Tarascan cultures. Later, the area was covered by hordes coming from the North, mainly groups from Uto-Aztecan origin, speaking languages related to the Nahuatl stem. Some of these groups were identified as Cazcans, Cocans and Tecuexes. Actually, the name "Zapopan" has Nahuatl origin, and it means "On the field of tzapotli" (from tzapotl, Diospyros digyna, a typical fruit from central and southern Mexico).

Between 1526 and 1540 the territory fell under control of the Spanish colonizers, who were aided by their Tlaxcaltec allies. In 1530 it passed officially to the New Galicia (Nueva Galicia) administration. Nevertheless, the human settlements almost disappeared to this date. The Spanish refoundation of the place took place on December 8, 1541. In 1824, Zapopan was converted into one of the 26 departments making the former division of the Jalisco state.

During the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) many people from Zapopan defended the Mexican flag in the battles around Monterrey, Saltillo, San Luis Potosí, Churubusco and Chapultepec. Zapopans also collaborated defending Jalisco against Mexican conservative powers and the French army during the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1867). Later, the place saw minor military operations during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917), but had a notorious participation during the Cristero War (1926-1928).

It has been considered an important place for the history of Mexican modern political parties, specially for the Catholic-right winged PAN (Partido Acción Nacional).

Religion

As most of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Zapopan is featured by a strong tradition in Roman Catholic practices. Several catholic churches were built during the Spanish colonial rule, from the 16th to the beginning of the 19th century. Zapopan's Nuestra Señora de Zapopan Basilica (Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan) is one of the most visited sanctuaries in Western Mexico, and it preserves a wooden Virgin that is considered a valuable relic of medieval origin, which came from Spain to New Galicia in the 16th century.

Some people born in Zapopan had also relevance in history of Roman Catholicism in Mexico. Among them we find Pascual Díaz y Barreto (1876-1936), archbishop of México; María Guadalupe García Zavala (1878-1963), nun; Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo (1886-1927), priest; and Eva Briseño (1860-1941) and Soledad Orozco García de Ávila Camacho (1904-1996), women recognized by their Catholic, humanistic labour.

Some religious minorities also have social and/or economical significance. There is a local Jewish population, Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelists and other groups which, compose less than the 5% of the religious preferences in the city. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the Guadalajara México Temple here in 2001, and it serves 60,000 Latter-day Saints in Guadalajara, the state of Jalisco, and other parts of Western Mexico

Culture and education

Zapopan is the seat of the Jalisco College (Colegio de Jalisco), an academic institution with official subsidy that develops a main role in historic and humanistic research in Jalisco state.

The city also holds campuses of the Universidad de Guadalajara (U de G), the TEC (Tecnológico de Monterrey), and the Universidad Panamericana (UP), as well as the main facilities of the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) and the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA), these last three very orientated to Catholic profiled education. ITESO. Technology Institute Of Superior Education Of the Occident. University Of Valle de Mexico (UVM) a Laureate International Universities.

Among the people born in Zapopan, with notorious work in the artistic and intellectual fields, we find Cruz de la Mora Ramírez, sculptor; and Gabriel Pareyon, composer. The famous film director Felipe Cazals (1937) was born in Guethary (France), but his birth was registered in Zapopan, where he grew up.

Economy and business

The first industries in Zapopan were located in the Atemajac and La Experiencia eastern districts, where French businessmen built fiber and textile factories around 1885. During the first half of the 20th century, the area won industrial and commercial leadership thanks to the work of entrepreneurs like Pedro Velarde González (1892-1993), that proposed economic development within a humanistic frame.

Nowadays Zapopan holds important local and International industries like Empresas Tajín, which produces the popular Tajín fruit seasoning. Flextronics Corporation and Jabil Electronics also has a large industrial park located in Zapopan. IBM one of the First Industries in Zapopan. The municipality is famous for corn production, but it's quickly becoming home to a large number of housing developments.

Sports

The city has one football club, Estudiantes Tecos. They play in Estadio 3 de Marzo. In July 2008, the club CD Guadalajara will be playing in their new stadium, Estadio Chivas, which will be located in Zapopan. Opennig in Winter 2009

Professional wrestler and superstar Bubba "The Citizen" X was born in Zapopan in 1989.

Tourism

Attractions in the surroundings include ecological areas like the Primavera oak forest and spas, the Santiago River canyon located in the limits with Huentitán municipality, and the tequila maguey plantations distributed to the western outskirts of the urban area. In addition to tourists, many pilgrims visit Zapopan's Basilica. [1], [2]

The eastern half of the city is filled with large office buildings and some of the most important shopping malls in the state, including Plaza del Sol, Plaza Milenium Centro Magno, Plaza Andares Living Style, Shopping Center and Bussisnes Center. Espectacular Architec Design. Promerade Design Opennig Dec 2008, Plaza Ciudadela Life Style and Shoping Center Open Fall 2010 . Next to Plaza del Sol lies the construction site of a planned communications antenna/observation tower, the Torrena, a shopping mall and cultural center that has faced multiple delays in construction.

Other landmarks are:

• Minerva Roundabout (1959), a monument to Roman goddess Minerva (Greek Athena), protecting the Arcos de Guadalajara, the entrance to the neighboring city.
• Arcos del Milenio (2001- ), an unfinished monument commemorating the millennium.
• Expo Guadalajara (1997), the largest convention center in Latin America, owned by the Universidad de Guadalajara, home to the yearly Feria Internacional del Libro (FIL), the world's second biggest book fair, after the Frankfurt Book Fair.
• The Torrena (2007- ), a 336 meter tall tower currently under construction near the Expo Guadalajara conventions center.
• The Cable-stayed bridges (under Construction) Finish 2012.

Sister cities

• Rosemead, California, United States
• Saginaw, Michigan, United States
• Columbus, Ohio, United States

Zapopan is in the process of becoming a sister city to Grand Rapids, Michigan.^[1]

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Jalisco Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

External links

• Municipio de Zapopan Official website

Coordinates: 20°43′N 103°24′W / 20.717°N 103.4°W / 20.717; -103.4

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