Ruiz is a municipality

Municipalities of Mexico

Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...

 and the municipal seat of the same located in the north of the Mexican

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...

 state of Nayarit

Nayarit

Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...

.

Origin of the name

The name was given to honor General Mariano Ruiz Montañés (1846–1932), soldier of the Mexican Revolution and last political leader of the territory of Tepic

Tepic

Tepic is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Nayarit.It is located in the central part of the state, at.It stands at an altitude above sea level of some 915 meters, on the banks of the Río Mololoa and the Río Tepic, approximately 225 kilometers north-west of Guadalajara, Jalisco....

, who lived in and supplied the settlement until 1910.

Population and location

The population of the municipality, according to the census of 1995, was 25, 591. The municipal seat itself had 12,266 inhabitants in 1995. The total area of the municipality was 900 square kilometers.
http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/nayarit/index.html
Ruiz has boundaries in the north with the municipalities of Rosamorada

Rosamorada

Rosamorada is a municipality of the state of Nayarit in Mexico. It is located in the extreme north of the state. The area of the municipality is 2,073 km² and the population was 32, 217 in 2005, showing a significant decrease from 1980 when it was 34,695...

 and El Nayar

El Nayar

El Nayar is a municipality in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The population was 30,551 in 2005 in a total area of 5,100 km². The municipal seat of Jesús María had a population of 1,520 in 2005. El Nayar is the home of the Huichol and the Cora Indians....

; in the south with the municipalities of El Nayar

El Nayar

El Nayar is a municipality in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The population was 30,551 in 2005 in a total area of 5,100 km². The municipal seat of Jesús María had a population of 1,520 in 2005. El Nayar is the home of the Huichol and the Cora Indians....

 and Santiago Ixcuintla

Santiago Ixcuintla

Santiago de Ixcuintla is a municipality and a municipal seat in the western Mexican state of Nayarit. The municipal population was 84,314 inhabitants with the municipal seat having 18,269. The area of the municipality was 1,831.92 square kilometers...

; in the west with the municipalities of Santiago Ixcuintla

Santiago Ixcuintla

Santiago de Ixcuintla is a municipality and a municipal seat in the western Mexican state of Nayarit. The municipal population was 84,314 inhabitants with the municipal seat having 18,269. The area of the municipality was 1,831.92 square kilometers...

, Tuxpan

Tuxpan, Nayarit

Tuxpan, is a both a municipality and municipal seat in the Mexican state of Nayarit. It is located in the west of the state and has boundaries with the municipalities of Rosamorada in the north, Santiago Ixcuintla in the south and west, and Ruiz in the east....

 and Rosamorada

Rosamorada

Rosamorada is a municipality of the state of Nayarit in Mexico. It is located in the extreme north of the state. The area of the municipality is 2,073 km² and the population was 32, 217 in 2005, showing a significant decrease from 1980 when it was 34,695...

, and in the east with the municipality of El Nayar

El Nayar

El Nayar is a municipality in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The population was 30,551 in 2005 in a total area of 5,100 km². The municipal seat of Jesús María had a population of 1,520 in 2005. El Nayar is the home of the Huichol and the Cora Indians....

. See detailed map at http://www.maps-of-mexico.com/nayarit-state-mexico/nayarit-state-mexico-map-b1.shtml

The land

The area of the municipality extends from the western lowlands to the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental. About 70% of its surface is made up of rugged lands. The municipal seat is located on the coastal plain at an elevation of 30 meters above sea level. It is here where the agricultural lands are found, especially near the San Pedro River. In the mountains peaks reach as high as 1,640 meters, the case of Los Coquitos.

The climate

The climate is mild rainy and subhumid, with the rains falling from June to September. The area is free of frost and moderate winds are of little intensity.

Indigenous population

There is a relatively large indigenous population that lives in the mountains. According to the 1995 census it consisted of 1,866 people, or 9.8% of the population. The most numerous ethnic groups are the Cora

Cora

Cora may refer to:* Cora people, an indigenous ethnic group of Western Central Mexico** Cora languagePeople:* Cat Cora, an Iron Chef on Food Network's Iron Chef America* Tom Cora, American cellist...

 and the Huichol. These Indians can often be seen in the main population center selling their traditional crafts and stocking up on provisions.

Economic activity

The economy is based on agriculture with the main crops being: coffee, maize, sorghum, beans, pineapple, watermelon, tobacco, and chile. There is also significant cattle raising with around 20,000 head of cattle.