Huanusco

The municipality of Huanusco is located in the southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Zacatecas. Its coordinaates are 21° 46' north latitude and 102° 58' west longitude. The average elevation of the municipality is 500 meters (1,625 feet) above sea level and the municipality covers an area of roughly 368 square kilometers (144 square miles). The municipality lies in a valley bordered west by the Sierra De Morones, south-east by the Sierra of Tlachichila, and north-east by the Sierra Fria.

The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Tabasco and General Joaquin Amaro, on the east by the municipality of Calvillo, Aguascalientes, on the south by the municipalities of Jalpa and on the west by the municipality of Tlaltenango De Sanchez Roman.

Population

According to the 2000 Census, the municipality of Huanusco had a population of 5,254 inhabitants, which represents 0.43% of the total population of the state of Zacatecas. Of that total, 2,447 were male and 2,807 were female. Its population density is 10.10 inhabitants per square kilometer (26 per square mile). The workforce is made up of approximately 337, mainly in the agricultural sector. There is a high rate of emigration to the United States because of lack of jobs and financial hardship, causing most towns to be abandoned. The majority of the people have emigrated to the town of McFarland, California; others reside in San Antonio, Texas. The birth rate is 2% while the death rate is 0.5%.

Religion

Catholicism predominates with 98%, followed by Jehovah's Witnesses with 1.5% and 0.5% in other denominations; with no weekly rituals.

History

Huanusco was originally an indigenous settlement inhabited by Cascan farmers, who were ethnically Chichimeca. The arrival of the Spanish brought Franciscan missionaries who Christianized the local indigenous population and designated Huanusco the third Cofradia to Villanueva and given the title of "La Purisima" ("the Purest")under the bishop Don Diego Camacho. The word Huanusco came from two men. The First was "Huanol," the first missionary that came to the community. The second, "Huanuch," the leader of the community.

Ranchos

Huanusco consists of a few "Ranchos". The most common ones are Guatimala, San Pedro Apostol, Rancho Nuevo, Arellanos, El Yerbanis, Loma Larga, La Luz, La Higuera, Los Soyates, and El Grillo. Huanusco is the head municipality of these Ranchos.