Saltillo, Coahuila

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Saltillo
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nickname = The Athens of Mexico
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image_caption = The skyview of Saltillo, Coahuila


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mapsize = 150px
map_caption = Location of Saltillo within Coahuila

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mapsize1 =
map_caption1 = Location of Coahuila within mexico
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|Mexico
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = flag|Coahuila
subdivision_type2 = Municipality
subdivision_name2 = Saltillo
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leader_title =Mayor
leader_name =Jorge Torres Lopez
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established_title = Founded
established_date = 1577 (Alberto del Canto)
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population_as_of =2005
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population_total =648929
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population_blank1_title =Demonym
population_blank1 =Saltillense
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timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
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latd=25 |latm=23 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=101 |longm=59 |longs= |longEW=W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 1600
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postal_code_type = Postal code
postal_code =25000
area_code =844
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website = [http://www.saltillo.gob.mx www.saltillo.gob.mx]
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Saltillo is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located at 400km south of the U.S. state of Texas, and 90km west of Monterrey, Nuevo León.

As of the 2005 census, Saltillo had a population of 633,667 people, rising to 725,259 if the full Metropolitan Area is considered, making it the 20th biggest metro area in the country. The metro area comprises the municipalities of Saltillo, Ramos Arizpe, and Arteaga. The municipality of Saltillo had a population of 648,929.The Gross Domestic Product "per capita" in the Metropolitan Zone of Saltillo is one of the highest in Mexico with $13,936 USD. According to the ranking of the Inversionista magazine of 2006, Saltillo is the best city to live in Mexico, chosen from more than 53 Mexican cities.

Geography

El Cerro del Pueblo (The People's Hill) and its convert|4|m|ft|0 cross overlook the city. The city's elevation is convert|1600|m|ft|-2, making it cooler and windier than its neighbor city, Monterrey. Saltillo lies near the city of Arteaga and near the Chihuahan Desert.

Government

The city of Saltillo is the municipal seat of the municipality of Saltillo. The current municipal president is Fernando de las Fuentes from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who will remain in office until 2009.

History

Founded in 1577 by Spanish colonists, Saltillo is the oldest post-conquest settlement in northern Mexico. Fourteen years later in 1591 the Spanish resettled a community of their Tlaxcaltec allies in a separate nearby village (San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala), in order to cultivate the land and aid colonization efforts that had stalled in the face of local hostility to the Spanish presence. [cite encyclopedia |year=2005 |title=Saltillo, Coahuila |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/coahuila/mpios/05030a.htm |author=INAFED (Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal) |publisher=Secretaría de Gobernación |edition=online version at E-Local |accessdate=2008-03-28 es icon. The Tlaxcaltec community remained legally separate until the 19th century.]

In 1824, Saltillo was made the capital of the State of Coahuila and included the area which is now the US State of Texas until the war of Texas Independence and the founding of the independent Texas Republic.

The city is flanked by the Zapalinamé mountains, which are part of the Sierra Madre Oriental. By looking at the relief of the mountains, one can see, according to local legend, the relief of Zapaliname, chieftain of the Huachicil tribe.

Economy

Saltillo's most famous exports are Saltillo tile and the locally woven multi-coloured "sarapes". There is a General Motors assembly plant and Chrysler's Saltillo Truck Assembly plant, two engine facilities and a car transmissions plant. 37.4% of cars and 62.6% of trucks produced in Mexico are assembled in Saltillo. [cite web|url=http://www.plataformafinancierajz.com/notas.php?IDNOTA=2305&IDSECCION=La%20Maquila&IDREPORTERO=El%20Financiero|title= COAHUILA, PRIMER LUGAR NACIONAL EN PRODUCCIÓN AUTOMOTRIZ|accessdate=2007-12-01] Saltillo is home to the Grupo Industrial Saltillo, an important manufacturing conglomerate that makes home appliances, silverware, and auto parts. Some criticism has been made of this new urbanization and the lack of conservation and planning.

During the early 20th Century, Saltillo was called the Athens of Mexico because of its number of famous intellectuals. Nowadays, it is considered the Detroit of Mexico because of the importance of its automotive industry, including the huge Chrysler, General Motors, and Delphi plants.

The General Motors plant, the Complejo Industrial Ramos Arizpe (The Ramos Arizpe Industrial Complex) exports vehicles to Japan, Canada, and Central America. In this plant, the following vehicles are assembled: Chevy C2, Monza and Chevrolet Captiva for Mexican and South American markets. Saturn Vue hybrid and HHR are exported to many nations. In addition, 2010 Saab 9-4X and the Cadillac BRX, will be built at the GM plant in Ramos Arizpe. [http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/latest_news_reviews/2008_saab_9_3_turbo_x_is_nearly_sold_out_car_news]

Points of interest

Alameda Zaragoza is the largest park in the city and has an artificial lake in the shape of the Mexican Republic. The park is located just west of the downtown plaza.

The Colonial Center of the city is built in pink marble, giving Saltillo's architecture a distinctive flavour. Prominent buildings are the cathedral(built from 1745-1800), the Palacio de Gobierno (state government building), the Ateneo Fuente and the Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo. The large cathedral is the best example of colonial religious architecture in northeastern Mexico; its facade is mainly Spanish Baroque, with less exuberant areas. The Centro Cultural Vito Alessio Robles (Vito Alessio Cultural Center) is an 18th Century repository of antiquities and documents from historians Vito Alessio Robles and Oscar Davila. The repository is also a temporal museum. The Casa Purcell (Purcell Mannor) is a Victorian style mansion built in the 19th Century by Irish merchant William Purcell. Today it is a cultural center.

The city has two world-class museums. The Museo de las Aves de México (Bird Museum), [cite web|url=http://www.museodelasaves.org|title= Museo de las Aves de México|accessdate=2007-12-01] featuring a collection of bird specimens from all over Mexico in realistic displays. The Museo del Desierto (Desert Museum) [cite web|url=http://www.museodeldesierto.org|title= Museo del Desierto|accessdate=2007-12-01] focuses on the geography, geology, paleontology (with dinosaur fossils) and biodiversity of the Chihuahuan desert, and the history and culture of the local people through time. It includes a cactus greenhouse and exhibits, with dozens of species.

The Mirador is an amazing place to observe a panaromic view of the city.

Education

Saltillo's main universities are the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, the Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo, the Tec de Monterrey Saltillo Campus, El Instituto de Filologia Hispanica, and the Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro. Other universities include Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV Saltillo), Universidad Interamericana del Norte (Tec Sierra Madre [http://www.uin.com.mx/] , Universidad Autonoma del Noreste, Universidad Pedagogica Nacional, Universidad del Valle de Mexico, Escuela Normal de Coahuila [http://www.benc.sepc.edu.mx/] , and many others.

Transportation

Saltillo Metropolitan Area air traffic is served by Plan de Guadalupe International Airport. It takes 15 minutes to get from downtown Saltillo to the airport. It has several flights per day to Mexico City and a daily flight to Houston, Texas. There is a comprehensive bus system in Saltillo along with many taxis.

ister cities

The following are sister cities of Saltillo: [http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Americas/Mexico/index]

* Austin, United States
* Lansing, United States
* Windsor, Canada
* Holguín, Cuba

People

*Fernando Soler (1896 - 1979) Film actor and director

Trivia

*Saltillo has underground tunnels, starting in the Catedral de Santiago and ending at the city's limits.

Notes

References

* [http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/sistemas/conteo2005/localidad/iter/ Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005] INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática.

External links

* [http://www.saltillo.gob.mx/ Ayuntamiento de Saltillo] Official website
* [http://www.tourbymexico.com/coahuila/saltillo/saltillo.htm] Tourist information site (English)