San Sebastián del Oeste
Encyclopedia
San Sebastián del Oeste is a town and municipality, located on the western part of Jalisco state, Mexico
, between 20°39’45’’ - 21°02’30’’ N and 104°35’00’’ - 104°51’00’’ W, at a height of 1,480 metres (4,856 ft).
to the north; and to the south, the municipality of Mascota
; to the east, the municipalities of Guachinango
and Mascota; and to the west, Puerto Vallarta
.
. Gold
, silver
and lead
were mined around the area. More than 25 mines and a number of foundries had been established by 1785. The town was declared a city in 1812 and reached a peak population of some 20,000 people by 1900. The prosperity of the city declined after the revolution of 1910
.
Some highlights:
The town is famous for its festivities of religious character: January 20 there is a fiesta in honor of Saint Sebastian and on the 15th of August, a festivity dedicated to the Virgin of the Asunción. On October 7th there is a festivity for the Virgin of the Rosary and on the 12th of December, as in all of Mexico
the Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated at a small town not far away from San sebastian del Oeste the towns name is Los Reyes,Jalisco and it belongs to this municipality.
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...
, between 20°39’45’’ - 21°02’30’’ N and 104°35’00’’ - 104°51’00’’ W, at a height of 1,480 metres (4,856 ft).
Borders
It meets the state of NayaritNayarit
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...
to the north; and to the south, the municipality of Mascota
Mascota
Mascota is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 1,591.63 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 14,045....
; to the east, the municipalities of Guachinango
Guachinango, Jalisco
Guachinango is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 483.19 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 4,138....
and Mascota; and to the west, Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
.
History
San Sebastián was founded as a mining town in 1605 during the Spanish colonial periodSpanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
were mined around the area. More than 25 mines and a number of foundries had been established by 1785. The town was declared a city in 1812 and reached a peak population of some 20,000 people by 1900. The prosperity of the city declined after the revolution of 1910
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
.
Population
At the start of the 21st century, it has a population of less than 1,000. It receives some tourist visits from nearby Puerto Vallarta, as it is served by an airfield and recent road improvements have cut the transit time by car from Puerto Vallarta to less than 2 hours.- The temple of Saint Sebastian, whose original construction dates from 1608, has details of roman and corinthian architecture.
- Many structures, built of rock and adobe, exceed 100 years of age, and have not been changed in that length of time. Some haciendas around the town have been purchased and restored recently.
The town is famous for its festivities of religious character: January 20 there is a fiesta in honor of Saint Sebastian and on the 15th of August, a festivity dedicated to the Virgin of the Asunción. On October 7th there is a festivity for the Virgin of the Rosary and on the 12th of December, as in all 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...
the Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated at a small town not far away from San sebastian del Oeste the towns name is Los Reyes,Jalisco and it belongs to this municipality.
External links