San Nicolás de los Garza

Infobox City
official_name = San Nicolás de los Garza
native_name =
nickname = San Nicolás
motto = In Unum Progedientet


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image_shield = Escudo San Nicolas.jpg

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mapsize = 220px
map_caption = Location of San Nicolás de los Garza in northern Mexico
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Mexico
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Nuevo León
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Zeferino Salgado (PAN)
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
leader_title2 =
leader_name2 =
leader_title3 =
leader_name3 =
established_title = Founded
established_date = 5 February 1597
established_title2 =
established_date2 =
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 86.8
area_total_sq_mi =
area_land_km2 =
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area_water_km2 =
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area_urban_km2 =
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area_metro_km2 =
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population_as_of = 2005
population_note =
population_total = 476,761
population_density_km2 = 5493
population_density_sq_mi =
population_metro = 3,664,331
population_density_metro_km2 =
population_density_metro_sq_mi =
population_urban =
timezone = Central Standard Time
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = Central Daylight Time
utc_offset_DST = -5
latd = 25| latm=45 | lats= | latNS=N
longd = 100 | longm=17 | longs= | longEW=W
elevation_m = 512
elevation_ft =
postal_code_type =
postal_code = 66400 (Center)
website = http://www.sanicolas.gob.mx
footnotes =

San Nicolás de los Garza, sometimes known only as San Nicolás, is a city and coextensive municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area. It has become basically a city for residencies and family houses, although it still has several factories that tend to relocate to the periphery of the metropolitan area. It is the third-largest city in the state, behind Monterrey and Guadalupe.

It houses the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Autonomous University of Nuevo León), one of the most prestigious public schools in Mexico and Latin America.

According to Mexico's national development index, people that live in San Nicolás are among the happiest in the country, and have the greatest quality of life standard in the nation. San Nicolás, although less populated than Monterrey, has the higher population density.

History

San Nicolás de los Garza was founded on 5 February 1597 and given the name of Estancia de Pedro de la Garza (Pedro de la Garza's Establishment), then Estancia de San Nicolás (Saint Nicholas' Establishment), and finally Estancia de San Nicolás de los Garza. The first people that inhabited the terrain were natives, mostly nomads. They were the Alazapas, the Ayalas and the Alincheños.

San Nicolás was founded right after Monterrey, when Diego de Montemayor granted permission to inhabit the area to his secretary, Diego Díaz de Berlanga; Pedro de Iñigo; Domingo Manuel; and Don Pedro de la Garza. The members of these families are considered the first settlers of the city.

Diego Díaz de Berlanga was the person that redacted Monterrey's Foundation Act, and authorized the first land permissions to its first settlers.

In 1830 the area was declared to the category of village, with the name of San Nicolás de los Garza, in honor of the patron saint of the town. On 12 May 1970 it was declared a city.

Government

San Nicolás de los Garza is a municipality governed by a democratically elected "Presidente Municipal" (Municipal President or Mayor) for a period of 3 years with no right to reelection. The political environment is one of civility. Since the decade of the 80's, the PAN has remained in office.

The City Council of San Nicolás de los Garza ("Cabildo de San Nicolás de los Garza") is an organ integrated by the Mayor, the "Regidores" and the "Síndicos". The Mayor is the executor of the determinations of the City Council and the person directly in charge of the public municipal administration. The "Regidores" represent the community and their mission is to collectively define the city policies in all the subjects affecting it. The "Síndicos" are in charge of watching and legally defend the city interests, as well as in charge of watching the City Treasury status and the municipal patrimony.

The current Mayor of San Nicolás is Zeferino Salgado (PAN), who was elected in the past municipal election on July 2, 2006 and will remain in office until 2009.

The political parties with representation in the city are the Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI, the National Action Party or PAN, the Party of the Democratic Revolution or PRD, the Labor Party or PT, the Green Party, Convergence, Socialdemocratic Party and Nueva Alianza.

Economy

In the first part of the 20th century, several important Mexican companies built factories in the municipality, making San Nicolás primarily an industrial center. Companies like Cemex (concrete), Vitro (glass), Peñoles and Hylsa (steel) were known for their large facilities in the city.

In the 70's, San Nicolás increased its reputation as a good place to live, and the municipality experienced a tide of house construction. This house construction boom was possible due to the fact that there were a lot of lands available within the territory of the city. In the 80's several industrial facilities moved to other municipalities, mainly to Apodaca, which is still within the Monterrey Metropolitan Area, but farther from downtown.

At the end of the 80's and beginning of the 90's, huge commercial centers or malls were constructed to serve the large population. The first economic activity became commerce instead of industrial production. The most important malls are La Fe (east), Las Plazas Outlet (northwest), Sendero (North) and Universidad Avenue.

Education

[UANL Website "Location of UANL" [http://www.uanl.mx/acerca/ubicacion] ] . The UANL system comprises 26 colleges (faculties), 22 post-graduate divisions, 24 high schools (throughout the metropolitan area of Monterrey), 1 center of bilingual education and 3 technical high schools.

Famous people

* Alicia Villarreal, singer
* Grupo Pesado
* Édgar González pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks

ports

San Nicolás de los Garza is also the home of the University's First Division professional soccer team, the UANL Tigres. Their main rivals are the neighboring Club de Fútbol Monterrey.

ister cities

San Nicolás de los Garza has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc (SCI): [cite web| url=http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Americas/Mexico/index | title=Sister Cities International: Online Directory: Mexico, Americas | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ]
* Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
* Denton, Texas, United States
* Seguin, Texas, United States
* Kansas City, Missouri, United States

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
* [http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/EMM_nuevoleon Nuevo León] Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

External links

* [http://www.sanicolas.gob.mx/ Gobierno Municipal de San Nicolás de los Garza] Official website