Santiago de Querétaro

style="margin-left: inherit; font-size: larger;" | **Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico**

Coat of Arms

Latitude 20.36° N Longitude 100.23° W Municipal president Armando Rivera (PAN) Surface 759.9km² (city)
1530km² (metropolitan area) Population 841,386 (city)
1,016,481 (metropolitan area) HDI (2000) 0.8560 Time zone (UTC) -6 UTC CST GDP (per capita) (2000) States dollar >US$" target="_blank" >^*14.479,00 GDP (total) US$13,103,190,000.00

Official website: http://www.mqro.gob.mx

Santiago de Querétaro is the capital city of the Mexican state of Querétaro. It was founded in 1531. Its historic centre is a World Heritage Site.

History

According to tradition, Querétaro was founded on 25 July 1531. On this date Spanish Conquistador Hernán Pérez Bocanegra y Córdoba arrived with Otomí Indian Conín, the chief Jilotepec, to found the town of Querétaro. He is said to have won without resorting to arms after seeing a vision of the Cross and Saint James the Great ("Santiago"), after whom the city was named.

In 1656 the city was re-named "The Noble and Loyal City of Santiago of Querétaro", by Viceroy the Duke of Alburquerque. The title was confirmed in 1712 by King Philip V of Spain.

In 1726 an aqueduct was constructed which furnished the city's water until 1970.

On 13 September 1810, Epigmenio González was taken prisoner after starting an insurrection against the oppressive Corregidor Don Miguel Domínguez and his wife Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez and for conspiring against the Viceregal government. This is considered to be one of the earliest actions of the Mexican independence movement.

In 1847 Querétaro was made capital of the Republic during the United States of America's invasion in the Mexican-American War.

On 30 May 1848, the two nations exchanged their ratifications of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in Querétaro, whereby Mexico ceded to the United States its territories of Alta California and Nuevo México (today the US states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico).

In 1867, during the French intervention in Mexico, the city was the last capital of Emperor Maximilian I of the Mexican Empire. The Liberal Republicans defeated the Imperial Conservative forces here, and on 19 June Maximilian was executed by a firing squad on the Hill of Bells ("Cerro de las Campanas") together with his Generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía.

Santiago de Querétaro was named capital of the Republic for the third time on 5 February 1917, as the Proclamation of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States was established by President Venustiano Carranza at the Congressional Congress in the city's Teatro de la República.

In 1997, after some 70 years of Partido Revolucionario Institucional domination, the city and state government passed to the control of the Partido Acción Nacional.

Since the 1980s, the city has received a lot of migration from other states and cities, and has changed from a medium city to become one of the wealthiest and cleanest cities of Mexico.

The city is known for its high life quality, having one of the highest per capita incomes of Mexico and Latin America, and in the mid 1990s the city was declared by UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Boroughs

The municipality of Querétaro is divided into seven boroughs, called delegaciones:

Centro Histórico: it includes downtown and nearby areas, it is surrounded by the city's main thoroughfares (Blvd. Bernardo Quintana, Av. 5 de Febrero and Autopista México - Querétaro). Most of the city's monuments are located here, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site designated areas, and the Cerro de las Campanas where Maximilian of Habsburg was executed. The north western corner is home to industrial establishments, mainly food related (Gerber, Nestlé, Pilgrim's Pride).(pop. 230,000; area 18 km²)
Santa Rosa Jáuregui: it consists mainly of rural areas, where the production of eggs, poultry and livestock are important. However, the borough includes larger towns such as Santa Rosa Jáuregui and Juriquilla. It is home to the largest water reservoir in the municipality, the Presa de Santa Catarina. A relatively new state of the art industrial park has been built here (Samsung). (pop. 76,000)
Felix Osores Sotomayor: most of the recent growth in the city has taken place here, the population growth rate estimated at 6%. The largest industrial area of Querétaro is located here, where lots of multinational companies have operations (Michelin, Philips). The beautiful neighborhood of Jurica is comprised in this borough.(pop. 145,000; area 40 km²)
Epigmenio González: a mostly residential zone on hilly terrain. The former airport will become the third campus of the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. (pop. 125,000; area 68 km²)
Josefa Vergara y Hernández: on the slopes of the Cerro del Cimatario, its easternmost area is known as Centro Sur, where the Stadium, Bus Station and City Hall are located. (pop. 200,000; area 33 km²)
Felipe Carrillo Puerto: the western part consists mainly of rural areas, where the town of Tlacote is located, famous for its allegedly miraculous water springs. The eastern area is urban and integrated with the rest of the city, with industrial zones (Kellogg's) and military facilities.
Cayetano Rubio: residential area, it includes the town of Hercules, a pictoresque village-like area, nestled between steep slopes along the riverway of the Río Querétaro.

The mayor of each borough is appointed by the mayor of the city, and there have been attempts to make these posts popularly elected.

Metropolitan Area

The metropolitan area of Querétaro also includes the municipalities of Corregidora, El Marqués, and Huimilpan. According to data from the National Population Council, Querétaro is the 11th largest metro area in Mexico.

Economy

Querétaro has always been an important economic outpost in Mexico, since it is conveniently located on the main trade routes from Mexico City to the United States (Federal Higway 57), and to Central and Western Mexico.

One of the wealthiest cities in Mexico and Latin America, it ranks 11th in human development and 6th in income level compared to the rest of municipalities in the country. Querétaro has grown tremendously since the 70s, when industry first arrived. At the beginning, most companies were in the food processing industry, due to the important agricultural output of nearby regions. Most were foreign firms, such as Gerber, Nestlé, Pilgrim's Pride, and Kellogg's.

The automobile industry followed suit, and although no assembly plant is located within the State of Querétaro, large numbers of suppliers to this industry are. Home appliance manufacturers have also been attracted to the city, most notably Daewoo, Samsung, and in the previous century Singer.

This large and diversified industrial base has provided a fertile ground for the development of retail and services. New shopping centers have begun to be constructed, and some corporations have decided to move their headquarters or some of their functions in, such as Kellogg's, Telcel, Michelin, and Santander Serfin.

The city now pretends to transform its economy into a more value-added one. The arrival of Canadian Bombardier is expected to create the main aircraft cluster in Mexico. Other industries trying to be lured into the city are call centers, software manufacturers and R&D.

Tourism is also important to the economy. The large number of international companies have spurred the need to offer high quality services for business tourists. Since growth stagnated from the late XIX to the late XX centuries, downtown has been incredibly preserved. As well, Queretaro is the gateway to nearby cities in Guanajuato, and to regions and towns in the state of Querétaro such as the Sierra Gorda, La Peña de Bernal, and Tequisquiapan.

Transportation

Querétaro is the crossroads of Mexico. Federal Highway 57, which runs from Mexico City to Laredo, crosses Queretaro. Federal Highway 45 leaves Querétaro eastbound, towards Guanajuato. The railway line that connects Mexico City with western Mexico bisects the city.

There are intercity buses that serve most of Mexico. The bus station is considered one of the best designed in the country.

A new airport was opened in November 2004. It was built to replace the smaller one that was too close to the city. It is located some 30 kilometers east of the city. There are frequent flights to Mexico City, Monterrey and Houston.

Downtown Querétaro follows a chessboard pattern, except for the areas around the Convent of the Holy Cross, which are more irregular. This responds to the latter quarter being built as an Indian town, while the new areas where specifically designed to house the Spanish populace.

The part of Federal Highway 57 that crosses the city is called Blvd. Bernardo Quintana, and this is the main road of the city, stretching from its southernmost part near City Hall, to the new industrial areas northwest of downtown. Federal Highway 45 crosses the city, south of downtown. Avenida Cinco de Febrero joins them in a north – south route. The three of them form a sort of ring road around downtown, which makes driving around the city particularly easy.

The Libramiento Sur-Poniente is a new ring road under construction, though parts of it already exist. When completed, it will join Bernardo Quintana on its southeastern part, go around the city in its southwestern and western parts, and reach the northern suburb of Santa Rosa Jauregui. Currently, there is work in progress that aims to extend Bernardo Quintana on its northwestern end to this ring road.

Another freeway is under construction. Named after missionary Junipero Serra who founded the Missions of the Sierra Gorda, this road will create another ring road. It will go from northeast Querétaro around the old airport, reach the northern suburb of Juriquilla and go southwards down to the Libramiento Sur-Poniente.

Education and research

The city is home to some of the most important universities in Mexico. A campus of the prestigious Tecnológico de Monterrey, the first outside Monterrey and one of the largest by student population, is located here. The Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro and the Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro are public universities that rank among the best in the country.

The UAQ originally founded in 1625 with the name of "Colegio de San Ignacio" and "Colegio de San Francisco Javier" and until 1951 was renamed as UAQ. It has two main campii, one in the slopes of the Cerro de las Campanas, and the other in Juriquilla, and it owns the Patio Barroco, a former convent in downtown where some of its majors are offered. The university is renowned for its science related majors, but it has faculties in many parts of the city and state.

Other private universities include the Universidad del Valle de México, Universidad Contemporánea and Universidad Cuauhtemoc.

Querétaro is one of the leading research and development clusters in Mexico. The two main national universities, UNAM and IPN, have set campii where important research is done.

Many private companies have set up their R&D centers in Querétaro.

Parks

There are two National Parks within or nearby the city. The Cerro de las Campanas is completely surrounded by the city, and its importance is more of historical nature. The Cerro del Cimatario is located south of the city, and is home to a semialpine environment.

There are other three nature protection areas. Peña Colorada, northeast of downtown, was the proposed site of the 2010 World Exhibition, and will now be a preserved. El Tángano is right next to the Bus station, and will host the City of Arts. The Joya - La Barreta is located near the northwestern limits of the municipality.

Sister Cities

Main sights

The city has become a good place for tourists to visit, mainly because of the beauty of the historic center. A walk at night in its narrow streets and alleys is a beautiful experience that makes people remember the long fight for the Mexican independence that began here, as well as the ancient legends that have spread generation after generation by its very proud inhabitants.

Mansión of "La Corregidora" (Government palace)
Government Palace of the City
Aqueduct
Historic Center Gardens
Museum of the City
State Regional Museum
Art Museum
Theater "El Corral de Comedias"
Theater "Cómicos de la Lengua"
Cineteatro (cinema and theater) "Rosario Solano"
Church of Santa Clara
Church of Santa Rosa de Viterbo
Mansion of Ecala
Cultural Center "Manuel Gómez Morín"

Local festivities

Fiestas de Santiago de Querétaro (anniversary of the foundation of the city) 23 to 30 July.
Fiesta de la Virgen del Pueblito (festivity of Our Lady of El Pueblito)
Jolgorio (cultural fair)
Feria de Navidad de Querétaro (Christmas Fair) 1 to 15 December

Important events

National Anthem: the Mexican national anthem was played for the first time in the "Teatro de la República" in the city.
National Constitution: the Mexican constitution was written and signed also in the "Teatro de la República".
Mexico-US War: the ratifications of the peace treaty were exchanged in the city

Sports

The city has one of the most beautiful stadiums in Mexico, the Estadio Corregidora, built for the FIFA World Cup celebrated in 1986. The Queretaro FC in the Primera División de México plays there.

There is also a basketball team, Cometas, that plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. Its home is the Auditorio Arteaga, in dowtown.

One of the most popular sports in the city is bullfighting. There are two bullrings, Santa María, and Juriquilla. Santa María was inaugurated on December 22, 1963 and it has a capacity for 13,000 spectators. Juriquilla is much smaller, yet it offers high quality corridas.

Golf is also quite popular, with numerous beautiful courses including: Juriquilla, Campestre, Balvanera, and El Campanario. San Gil and Tequisquiapan are located near to the city itself.