Aguascalientes
Encyclopedia
Aguascalientes (ˌaɣwaskaˈljentes) is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. It is divided in 11 municipalities
Municipalities of Aguascalientes
The Mexican state of Aguascalientes is subdivided into 11 municipalities :- External links :...

 and its capital city is Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
The city of Aguascalientes is the capital of the state of Aguascalientes in western central Mexico. It stands on the banks of the Río Aguascalientes, 1880 meters above sea level, at...

.

It is located in the Center-north Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially 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....

 to the north and Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...

 to the south. Its name means "hot waters" in Spanish and originated from the abundance of hot springs in the area, the corresponding demonym for the state and its inhabitants is hidrocálido.

Geography

The state is located about 480 km (298.3 mi) from Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

.

It covers 5471 square kilometres (2,112.4 sq mi) and has a little more than one million inhabitants. Most of its inhabitants live in the densely populated metropolitan area of its capital city.

The state as it is now was created on October 27, 1857 when it was separated from Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially 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 bears the name Aguascalientes taken from its largest city and capital also called Aguascalientes.

Demographics

More than two thirds of the local population of Aguascalientes is 68% European descent (mostly Spanish, but also French, Italian, Russian, Polish, German, Swedish, Greek, and Romanian) 29% mestizo (mixed Amerindian-European) 2% Asian (mostly Japanese [because of the largest Nissan plant in Mexico].
  • Inhabitants: 1,184,996
  • Age Average: 24 years
  • Annual Population Growth: 2.2%
  • Population at the Capital: 722,250
  • Population that speaks a native tongue: 2,436
  • Population that does not speak Spanish: 4

Age Structure
Age Groups Total Male Female
0–4 years 121,557 61,941 59,616
5–9 years 128,874 65,572 63,302
10–14 years 123,806 62,615 61,191
15–19 years 121,428 60,636 60,792
20–24 years 106,305 51,431 54,874
25–29 years 93,604 44,568 49,036
30–34 years 88,726 41,962 46,764
35–39 years 86,254 40,569 45,685
40–44 years 73,084 34,381 38,703
45–49 years 60,198 28,420 31,778
50–54 years 49,980 23,436 26,544
55–59 years 37,543 17,960 19,583
60–64 years 29,258 13,686 15,572
65–69 years 21,004 9,895 11,109
70–74 years 15,254 6,967 8,287
75–79 years 10,673 4,862 5,811
80–84 years 7,228 3,094 4,134
85–89 years 4,061 1,780 2,281
90–94 years 1,467 605 862
95–99 years 551 229 322
100 years and over 109 45 64
Unspecified 4,032

Economy and industry

This state originated around the times of colonial Spanish influence. It is located in the middle of the country and is now beginning to make a name for itself as an industrial power within Mexico. The state was once a major silver miner and a major source of railroad transportation, the latter due to its strategic location, midway between the three most populous areas, namely Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...

, and Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

.

In the rural area, Aguascalientes was once the largest national producer of grapes and wines. This tradition ceased gradually due to the Spanish Royalty's wishes that grape and wine production be limited to the mother country. Thanks to the influx of immigrants into Mexico, the wineries and vineyards remain and flourish. Guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...

s are also produced in the state.

There are several projects for economic development such as : the Financial District Rio San Pedro, a monorail, a suburban train, the construction of the newest and most modern WTC in Mexico, over four shopping malls, two theme parks, two Executive Hotels and one whose qualification is five stars, eight bridges for the next five years, a Financial District around the Airport, A Texas Instruments Assembly-Test Plant, A Nissan Assembly plant, a Toyota assembly plant and several others projects place Aguascalientes as the third most competitive state in Mexico with more than US$12,000,000 in foreign direct investment per year (around 8 percent of Mexico's FDI) even though its population is just about 1.03 percent of the country.

However, recently it has also benefited from heavier tourism, since the capital city has gained prestige and status as a national destination for its colonial beauty and cleanliness. In addition, the haciendas and baths
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....

 around the state have historic and recreational importance.

Tourism


Although this state is not often billed as a tourist center, international visitors, as well as citizens from all over Mexico, are attracted to the San Marcos Fair, which is considered the national fair of Mexico and contributes much to Mexico's economy.

Recently, its capital city has gained the reputation as a great destination for its superb colonial architecture visible in the colonial centre, as well as the modernity and dynamism in the outskirts.

The city is home to Lic. Jesús Terán Peredo International Airport
Lic. Jesús Terán Peredo International Airport
Lic. Jesús Terán Peredo International Airport , also known as Aguascalientes International Airport, is an international airport located in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic of the city of Aguascalientes...

, where 9 flights per day depart to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...

, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.

The city also hosts many conventions every year. It benefits from its excellent central location. The city is also famed for its environment of relaxation, and for its safety and cleanliness, as it is often described by people when traveling to this part of the country for conventions or tourism.

Most tourists go to the capital. A few tourists explore the former mining towns in the north of the state (in the municipalities of Asientos
Asientos
Asientos is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at .The city of Asientos serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality reported 45,492 inhabitants in the 2010 Census....

 and Tepezalá
Tepezalá
Tepezalá is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at . Its municipal seat is the town of Tepezalá.The municipality reported 19,668 inhabitants in the 2010 census....

), which are now almost ghost cities. The haciendas, hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...

, and baths
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....

 scattered around the state are also of historical and recreational relevance.

The municipality of Calvillo
Calvillo
Calvillo is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. The town serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Calvillo. Calvillo is the second most populated city in the state, surpassed in importance only by the capital city. It is located to the western part of the state, at...

 has a semi-tropical climate, The largest producer of guavas in Mexico, it attracts some fans of watersports to its reservoirs.

The state has a Natural Protected Reserve in the higher mountains called Sierra Fría. Located at a height of 2500 to 3000 m (8,202.1 to 9,842.5 ft) above sea level, it comprises oak and pine forests. Its attractions include observing exuberant landscape and wide ravines, in which, there are pumas, lynxes, boar, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, raccoons and many other animals. There are steep-sided cycle paths, camping and picnic areas as well as several hunting clubs. It is the mountain climate and fauna that attracts locals for camping activities. In winter, the temperature sometimes falls to -4.44 °C when the weather is poor. Usually, Sierra Fria is the only part of the state that gets snow during winter.

In the city of Aguascalientes one of the best sunsets in the world can be seen in the Cerro del Muerto; the hill resembles the shape of a man lying down. The city of Aguascalientes is called "el corazón" which means "the heart" of Mexico because it lies in the middle of the country. This city is often considered, by its locals, to be one of the safest and cleanest in Mexico. Also, the city of Aguascalientes is known as "the land of the good people".

Sports

At present, the state has one football team in the Mexican Premiere League, (Club Necaxa) and one professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 team (Las Panteras The Panthers).

Necaxa recently (December 2009) won the first half season of the Second-Division tournament, if they win the second half also they will be automatically promoted to the First-Division, if not, they will have a playoff (Home and Away) with the team who wins the second half to see who is promoted.

Municipalities

Aguascalientes is subdivided into 11 municipios ("municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

").



{|class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#d8edff;"
!INEGI code
!Municipality
!Municipal Seat
|-
| 001|| Aguascalientes ||Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
The city of Aguascalientes is the capital of the state of Aguascalientes in western central Mexico. It stands on the banks of the Río Aguascalientes, 1880 meters above sea level, at...


|-
| 002|| Asientos || Asientos
|-
| 003|| Calvillo || Calvillo
|-
| 004|| Cosío || Cosío
Cosío, Aguascalientes
Cosío is a town in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes, located at .It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Cosío. It reported a 2005 Census population of 4,609....


|-
| 005|| Jesús María || Jesús María
Jesús María, Aguascalientes
Jesús María is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at and serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Jesús María....


|-
| 006|| Pabellón de Arteaga || Pabellón de Arteaga
Pabellón de Arteaga
Pabellón de Arteaga is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at in the central part of the state. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Pabellón de Arteaga...


|-
| 007|| Rincón de Romos ||Rincón de Romos
Rincón de Romos
Rincón de Romos is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. Located at in the northern part of the state, it serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Rincón de Romos....


|-
| 008|| San José de Gracia || San José de Gracia
San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
San José de Gracia is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at .Its municipal seat is the town of San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes.-External links:*http://www.aguascalientes.gob.mx/estado/m_sjg.html...


|-
| 009|| Tepezalá ||Tepezalá
Tepezalá
Tepezalá is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at . Its municipal seat is the town of Tepezalá.The municipality reported 19,668 inhabitants in the 2010 census....


|-
| 010|| El Llano || Palo Alto
|-
| 011|| San Francisco de los Romo  || San Francisco de los Romo
San Francisco de los Romo
San Francisco de los Romo is a town in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of San Francisco de los Romo....

  
|}

Major communities

  • Aguascalientes
    Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
    The city of Aguascalientes is the capital of the state of Aguascalientes in western central Mexico. It stands on the banks of the Río Aguascalientes, 1880 meters above sea level, at...

  • Asientos
    Asientos
    Asientos is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at .The city of Asientos serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality reported 45,492 inhabitants in the 2010 Census....

  • Calvillo
    Calvillo
    Calvillo is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. The town serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Calvillo. Calvillo is the second most populated city in the state, surpassed in importance only by the capital city. It is located to the western part of the state, at...

  • Jesús María
    Jesús María, Aguascalientes
    Jesús María is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at and serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Jesús María....

  • Pabellón de Arteaga
    Pabellón de Arteaga
    Pabellón de Arteaga is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at in the central part of the state. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Pabellón de Arteaga...


  • Rincón de Romos
    Rincón de Romos
    Rincón de Romos is a city in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. Located at in the northern part of the state, it serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Rincón de Romos....

  • San Francisco de los Romo
    San Francisco de los Romo
    San Francisco de los Romo is a town in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of San Francisco de los Romo....

  • San Jose de Gracia
    San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
    San José de Gracia is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at .Its municipal seat is the town of San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes.-External links:*http://www.aguascalientes.gob.mx/estado/m_sjg.html...

  • Tepezala
    Tepezalá
    Tepezalá is a municipality in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. It stands at . Its municipal seat is the town of Tepezalá.The municipality reported 19,668 inhabitants in the 2010 census....

  • Cosio
    Cosío, Aguascalientes
    Cosío is a town in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes, located at .It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Cosío. It reported a 2005 Census population of 4,609....



Famous Hidrocálidos

See also articles in the category People from Aguascalientes

  • Karina González
    Karina González
    Laura Karina González Muñoz is a Mexican model and the 2011 Nuestra Belleza México titleholder.-Pageantry:González was crowned Nuestra Belleza Aguascalientes the night of July 7, 2011, and subsequently represented her state in the national competition, held in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, where she...

    , Model and Nuestra Belleza México 2011
    Nuestra Belleza México 2011
    The 18th annual Nuestra Belleza Mexico pageant, was held at the Centro Internacional de Convenciones of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico on August 20, 2011, Thirty-four contestants competed for the national title, which was won by Karina González of Aguascalientes who will compete in Miss Universe...

  • Gabriela Palacio
    Gabriela Palacio
    Gabriela Palacio Díaz de León is a Mexican beauty pageant titleholder who obtained the 2010 Nuestra Belleza Internacional México title....

    , model and Nuestra Belleza Mundo México 2010
    Nuestra Belleza México 2010
    The 17th annual Nuestra Belleza Mexico pageant, was held at the Auditorio of Parque Las Maravillas in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico on September 25, 2010. The State of Jalisco, won for the third consecutive year with Karin Ontiveros, who later competed in Miss Universe 2011. Ontiveros was crowned by...

    .
  • José María Bocanegra
    José María Bocanegra
    José María Bocanegra was a Mexican lawyer and politician who was briefly interim president of Mexico in 1829....

    , third President of Mexico
    President of Mexico
    The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...

  • Saturnino Herrán
    Saturnino Herrán
    Saturnino Herrán Guinchard was a Mexican painter. His mother's name was Josefa Guinchard. In 1897 he took private drawing lessons in his native city and in 1901 entered the Aguascalientes Academy of Science. He took classes with José Inés Tovilla and Severo Amador, who taught him drawing and...

    , artist
  • Manuel M. Ponce, musician, (born in neighbor state Zacatecas, but family moved to Aguascalientes a few days later).
  • Yadira Carrillo,actress
  • José Guadalupe Posada
    José Guadalupe Posada
    Jose Guadalupe Posada: was a Mexican cartoonist illustrator and artist whose work has influenced many Latin American artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and political engagement....

    , artist
  • Jesús F. Contreras, artist
  • Sesashi Guerrero Pérez, Rhythmic Gymnast, Contemporary dancer, Gymnastics Trainer,
  • Violeta Retamoza
    Violeta Retamoza
    Violeta Retamoza is a Mexican professional golfer who formerly played on the Futures Tour and on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career highlights:Born and raised in Aguascalientes, Retamoza began playing golf at age eight....

    , professional golfer
  • José Antonio Zapata
    Jose Antonio Zapata Cabral
    Jose Antonio Zapata Cabral is a Mexican journalist in the Mexican city of Aguascalientes. He is the former CEO of the news web site Cu4tro.com, Metroaguascalientes.com and Oigo.com.mx. Currently is CEO at the journalistic news site [elreportero.com.mx] and reporter in El Heraldo de Aguascalientes...

    , journalist
  • Iyérida Mogollón Martin, Elite Gymnast
  • Luz Helisabet Delgado, Wife of Joshua Ingraham
  • Monica Del Real, Tae Kwon Do medalist
  • Jose Maria Napoleon
    José María Napoleón
    José María Napoleón is a Mexican singer and composer. He arrived from Aguascalientes to Mexico City in 1966. He sang at the OTI Festival in 1977...

    , singer from late seventies to early eighties
  • David Reynoso
    David Reynoso
    David Reynoso was a Mexican actor. He appeared in over 170 films and television shows between 1955 and 1994.-Selected filmography:* Ash Wednesday * Ánimas Trujano * Black Wind...

    , actor
  • Manuel Lavin de la Riva, University of Nebraska Golfer
  • Casandra Calderón, Actress

See also

External links

Aguascalientes state government
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