Nuevo León
Encyclopedia
Nuevo León (ˈnweβo leˈon, officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nuevo León (Free and Sovereign State of New Leon) is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District
, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico
. It is divided in 51 municipalities
and its capital city is Monterrey
.
It is located in Northeastern Mexico
. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas
to the north and east, San Luis Potosí
to the south, and Coahuila
to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer (9 mi) stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S. state
of Texas
.
The state was named after the New Kingdom of León
, an administrative territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
Besides its capital, other important cities are Guadalupe
, Santa Catarina
, San Nicolás de los Garza
, and San Pedro Garza García
, all of which are part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area
.
Nuevo León was originally founded by Alberto del Canto
, although frequent raids by Chichimeca
s, the natives of the north, prevented the establishment of almost any permanent settlements. Subsequent to the failure of del Canto to populate Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva, at the head of Portuguese and Spanish settlers, requested permission from the Spanish King to attempt to repopulate the area which would be called the New Kingdom of León
, it eventually became (along with the provinces of Coahuila
, Nuevo Santander
and Texas
) one of the Eastern Internal Provinces in Northern New Spain.
In the 19th century, Nuevo León was in a growth spurt and the bargain land deals attracted immigrants of German
, Slavic
, French
, Italian
, Jewish and Anglo-American origin.
The capital of Nuevo León is Monterrey
, the third largest city in Mexico with over four million residents. Monterrey is a modern and affluent city, and Nuevo León has long been one of Mexico
's most industrialized states.
mountain range affects in an important way the lay of the land forming the Galeana and Doctor Arroyo plateaus, the Iguana, Picachos, Papagayos, and Santa Clara mountain ranges, and the Pilón, Ascensión, and Río Blanco valleys. As for hydrography, the San Juan River
supplies the El Cuchillo dam, which provides water for Monterrey
and the metropolitan area. There are also the Cerro Prieto, La Boca, Vaquerías, Nogalitos, and Agualeguas dams. Laguna de Labradores is a major lake in Nuevo León, and Pozo del Gavilán is a natural well. Both are located in the Galeana
municipality. The flora of the region includes brush and pastures in the low regions, and pine and oak trees in the mountains. The fauna includes black bear
s, mountain lions, javelinas
, prairie dog
s, fox
es, coyote
s, and white-tailed deer
, along with smaller species.
As of 2005, Nuevo León's population was about 4.1 million. Nearly 80% of the state's population resides within the Monterrey Metropolitan area.
Life expectancy is high, reaching 73 years for men and no less than 79 years of age for women. On the other hand, 94% of the total population occupy urban areas, one million of which are home-owners, and 98% of which enjoy the full utilities of running water, sewer systems and electric power.
Following the nation's tendency, a majority of the population identifies as being Roman Catholic
.
The high quality of life that prevails across the state is reflected on statistical rates such as education, as the entity reports an almost perfect record for finished secondary education, and 13 in 100 inhabitants earn a professional degree. In the same line, illiteracy rates for the state are within the lowest in the nation at 2,8%, just behind the Distrito Federal
which still leads the country in this regard.
Institutions of higher education include:
One of its municipalities, San Pedro Garza García
, is among the richest in the country in terms of per capita income. It is also home of powerful conglomerates, such as Cemex
(one of the largest construction materials firms in the world), Bimbo (bakery and pastry), Maseca
(food and grains), Banorte
(the only high-street bank in Mexico wholly owned by Mexicans), ALFA
(Sigma, Alestra, Nemak, Alpek and Hylsa (recently bought by Ternium), i-service (HelpDesk), Vitro SA (glass), FEMSA
(Coca-Cola in Latin America), and Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma (brewers of Sol, Tecate, XX, Bohemia, Indio and Nochebuena).
Nuevo León also boasts a rich agricultural core, called the "orange belt", which comprises the municipalities of Allende, Montemorelos
, Hualahuises
, General Terán
and Linares
. Small but productive investments have been transforming traditional harvests (mainly based on orange and cereals) into agroindustrial developments that are producing increasing revenues for the local economy.
In contrast with the relative wealth of industrial Nuevo León and the orange belt, the Southern part of the state (municipalities of Galeana, Aramberri
, Zaragoza
, Doctor Arroyo and Mier y Noriega) remains rural and less productive. Most of The South of the state is at the mercy of a very dry weather that represents a major hurdle for agriculture and livestock.
As of 2010, Nuevo León’s economy represents 11.4% of Mexico’s total gross domestic product
or 165 billion USD. Nuevo León's economy has a strong focus on export oriented manufacturing (i.e. maquiladora
/ INMEX). As of 2005, 431,551 people are employed in the manufacturing sector. Foreign direct investment in Nuevo León was 1,213.1 million USD for 2005.
In recent years, the state government has been making efforts in attracting significant investments in aeronautics
, biotechnology
, mechatronics
, information and communication technologies
fields with the creation of the Research and Technology Innovation Park PIIT (Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica), a technology park oriented in the development, innovation and research of sciences. The project is one of the key strategies within the Monterrey, international City of Knowledge program. The park is located in the municipality of Apodaca
, part of Greater Monterrey at the 10 km of the highway to Monterrey’s International Airport. It consists of a total surface area of 70 Ha
(172 acres), half of it already committed to R&D centers. The other 35 Ha (86 acres) are available for research and development centers, and for businesses that meet the Park’s objectives.
Official name: Estado Libre y Soberano de Nuevo León (Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León).
Official motto: Latin: Semper Ascendens (Always Ascending).
Type of government: Republic
an and representative according to 30th article of the local constitution
.
Executive: In 6 July 2003 gubernatorial
election, Alianza Ciudadana – an electoral alliance between the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI) and the Green Ecological Party of Mexico (PVEM) – regained control of the state from President Fox
's party National Action Party
(PAN). The new governor, Natividad González Parás
of the PRI, was sworn in on 4 October 2003 for a period of six years.
Cabinet: Chosen directly by the Governor except for the General Comptroller and the State General Attorney, which are elected by Congress from a list of names provided by the Governor.
Legislative: The State has a unicameral chamber. The LXXI Congress of Nuevo León
is composed of 42 deputies
, 26 of them chosen by first-past-the-post electoral districts and 16 of them by proportional representation
on a party-list basis. The parties represented are the PRI with 15 deputies, the PAN with 22 deputies, the Partido del Trabajo (PT) with two deputies, the Party of the Democratic Revolution
(PRD) with one, and the New Alliance party (PANAL) with two deputies.
Judiciary: Judicial power rests in the Superior Court of Justice of Nuevo León
, led by Minister Gustavo Adolfo Guerrero Gutiérrez.
Political parties: Official recognition is given by the State Electoral Commission to those parties getting more than 1.5% of the votes in the last election (Art.40 of the State Electoral Law), which are the ones represented in Congress.
). See municipalities of Nuevo León
.
s, which is why it has different climates. Some areas in the mountains are very cold in winter and temperate in summer. In the northern part of the state the climate is arid
as a result of the proximity to the Chihuahuan desert
. Extreme high temperatures of 47 °C or more occur on the desert areas while winters are short and mild. In Monterrey
the climate is semi-arid
with extreme hot summers and mild winters. There is very little rainfall throughout the year, usually about 500 mm or less.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, comprise the 32 Federal Entities 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...
. It is divided in 51 municipalities
Municipalities of Nuevo León
The Mexican state of Nuevo León is divided into 51 municipalities, which take their names from their municipal seats. The most populous one is Monterrey, which also serves as the capital of the state...
and its capital city is Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
.
It is located in Northeastern Mexico
Northeastern Mexico
Northeastern Mexico, is a geographic region of Mexico, composed of the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. The Northeast is one of the wealthiest and most industrialized regions of Mexico; with Nuevo León having the highest GDP per capita among the Mexican states, closely followed by...
. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
to the north and east, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
to the south, and Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer (9 mi) stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
The state was named after the New Kingdom of León
New Kingdom of León
The New Kingdom of León , was an administrative territory of the Spanish Empire, politically ruled by the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was located in an area corresponding generally to the present-day northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León.-Origins:...
, an administrative territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
Besides its capital, other important cities are Guadalupe
Guadalupe, Nuevo León
Guadalupe is a city and surrounding municipality located in the state of Nuevo León, in northern Mexico. It is part of the Greater Monterrey Metropolitan area....
, Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina, Nuevo León
Santa Catarina is a city and municipality in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area.-History:The name of this city comes from the Catholic Saint Catherine of Alexandria....
, San Nicolás de los Garza
San Nicolás de los Garza
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 primarily a city for residencies and family houses, although it still has several factories that...
, and San Pedro Garza García
San Pedro Garza García
San Pedro Garza García is a city-municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León and is part of Monterrey's Metropolitan Area, based on the suburban North American model...
, all of which are part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area
Monterrey Metropolitan area
The Monterrey metropolitan area refers to the surrounding urban agglomeration of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Officially called Area Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Monterrey or AMM, the metropolitan area is the 3rd-largest such area in Mexico....
.
History
Alberto del Canto
Alberto del Canto was a Portuguese soldier and explorer. He was born Alberto do Canto, on Terceira Island, Azores. During the colonization of America, Canto explored the northeastern part of Mexico, and founded several cities, such as Saltillo, of which he was the first mayor...
, although frequent raids by Chichimeca
Chichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
s, the natives of the north, prevented the establishment of almost any permanent settlements. Subsequent to the failure of del Canto to populate Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva, at the head of Portuguese and Spanish settlers, requested permission from the Spanish King to attempt to repopulate the area which would be called the New Kingdom of León
New Kingdom of León
The New Kingdom of León , was an administrative territory of the Spanish Empire, politically ruled by the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was located in an area corresponding generally to the present-day northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León.-Origins:...
, it eventually became (along with the provinces of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Nuevo Santander
Nuevo Santander
Nuevo Santander was a region of the Virreinato de Nueva España, corresponding generally to the modern Mexican state of Tamaulipas and southern Texas. Nuevo Santander was named after Santander, Spain, and settled by Spanish American colonists in a concerted settlement campaign peaking in 1748-1750...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) one of the Eastern Internal Provinces in Northern New Spain.
In the 19th century, Nuevo León was in a growth spurt and the bargain land deals attracted immigrants of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, Jewish and Anglo-American origin.
The capital of Nuevo León is Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, the third largest city in Mexico with over four million residents. Monterrey is a modern and affluent city, and Nuevo León has long been one 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...
's most industrialized states.
Geography
Nuevo León has an extreme climate, and there is very little rainfall throughout the year. The territory covers 64220 square kilometres (24,795.5 sq mi), and can be divided into three regions: a hot, dry region in the north, a temperate region in the mountains, and a semi-arid region in the south. The Sierra Madre OrientalSierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
mountain range affects in an important way the lay of the land forming the Galeana and Doctor Arroyo plateaus, the Iguana, Picachos, Papagayos, and Santa Clara mountain ranges, and the Pilón, Ascensión, and Río Blanco valleys. As for hydrography, the San Juan River
San Juan River (Tamaulipas)
The San Juan River is the largest and most important river in the Mexican state of Nuevo León. The river feeds the El Cuchillo Dam, which provides the city of Monterrey with water. The San Juan River basin has a total surface area of . The San Juan River is a contributor to the Rio Grande...
supplies the El Cuchillo dam, which provides water for Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and the metropolitan area. There are also the Cerro Prieto, La Boca, Vaquerías, Nogalitos, and Agualeguas dams. Laguna de Labradores is a major lake in Nuevo León, and Pozo del Gavilán is a natural well. Both are located in the Galeana
Galeana, Nuevo León
Galeana is both a municipality and a city in the Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is named after Hermenegildo Galeana, a lieutenant involved in the country's movement towards independence...
municipality. The flora of the region includes brush and pastures in the low regions, and pine and oak trees in the mountains. The fauna includes black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s, mountain lions, javelinas
Peccary
A peccary is a medium-sized mammal of the family Tayassuidae, or New World Pigs. Peccaries are members of the artiodactyl suborder Suina, as are the pig family and possibly the hippopotamus family...
, prairie dog
Prairie dog
Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. There are five different species of prairie dogs: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
s, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s, and white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, along with smaller species.
Demography
Life expectancy is high, reaching 73 years for men and no less than 79 years of age for women. On the other hand, 94% of the total population occupy urban areas, one million of which are home-owners, and 98% of which enjoy the full utilities of running water, sewer systems and electric power.
Following the nation's tendency, a majority of the population identifies as being Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Major communities
- ApodacaApodacaApodaca is a city and its surrounding municipality that is part of Monterrey Metropolitan area. It lies in the northeastern part of the metropolitan area. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 393,195 and the municipality had a population of 418,784. The municipality has an area of...
- Cadereyta JiménezCadereyta JiménezCadereyta Jiménez is both the name of a city as well as of a municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León.The municipality of Cadereyta Jiménez is located in the central part of the state, 360 meters above sea level, at 25' 36" N latitude and 100' 00" W longitude. The municipality has a...
- Ciudad Benito Juárez
- Doctor Arroyo
- General EscobedoGeneral EscobedoGeneral Escobedo, or simply Escobedo, is a city and municipality in Nuevo León, Mexico that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area. As of the census of 2005, the population was 295,131 in the city and 299,364 in the municipality...
- GuadalupeGuadalupe, Nuevo LeónGuadalupe is a city and surrounding municipality located in the state of Nuevo León, in northern Mexico. It is part of the Greater Monterrey Metropolitan area....
- LinaresLinares, Nuevo LeónLinares is a small city in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. The city serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name and it is the largest urban centre of the so called "orange belt" region. The city had a 2005 census population of 56,065, while the...
- MonterreyMonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
- Sabinas Hidalgo
- San Nicolás de los GarzaSan Nicolás de los GarzaSan 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 primarily a city for residencies and family houses, although it still has several factories that...
- San Pedro Garza GarcíaSan Pedro Garza GarcíaSan Pedro Garza García is a city-municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León and is part of Monterrey's Metropolitan Area, based on the suburban North American model...
- Santa CatarinaSanta Catarina, Nuevo LeónSanta Catarina is a city and municipality in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area.-History:The name of this city comes from the Catholic Saint Catherine of Alexandria....
Education
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
which still leads the country in this regard.
Institutions of higher education include:
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo LeónUniversidad Autónoma de Nuevo LeónThe Autonomous University of Nuevo León is a public university with seven campuses across the Northern state of Nuevo León, Mexico. Founded as University of Nuevo León on 25 September 1933, it is the oldest and largest university in the state in terms of student population and it is currently...
(UANL) - Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM)
- TecMilenio UniversityTecMilenio UniversityThe Universidad TecMilenio is a private institution of higher education is part of Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Tec Milenio University ITESM System, an educational system with national and international levels, through 40 campus and a campus in line with a unique and...
(UTM) - Universidad de MontemorelosUniversity of MontemorelosThe University of Montemorelos is a private coeducational Seventh-day Adventist university located in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico...
- Universidad RegiomontanaUniversidad RegiomontanaThe Universidad Regiomontana is a institution of higher education in Monterrey, México. This university has origin in the Instituto Modelo de Educación, this was converted in the UR by the Eduardo Elizondo . In 1974 a group of entrepreneurs bought the university...
(UR) - Universidad de MonterreyUniversidad de MonterreyThe University of Monterrey is a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located in Monterrey, Mexico....
(UDEM) - Centro de Estudios Superiores de Diseño de Monterrey (CEDIM)
Economy
Highly industralized, Nuevo León possesses a standard of living similar to that of countries such as Croatia, Slovakia or Poland. In 2007, the per capita GDP of the state was similar to that of the Asian Tiger of South Korea and even higher than that of some European Union states such as Slovakia and Hungary. At $26,658, it was the highest GDP per capita (PPP) of any Mexican state (not counting the Federal District), and was therefore higher than the Mexican national average (2007 GDP per capita (PPP) national average was $14,119).One of its municipalities, San Pedro Garza García
San Pedro Garza García
San Pedro Garza García is a city-municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León and is part of Monterrey's Metropolitan Area, based on the suburban North American model...
, is among the richest in the country in terms of per capita income. It is also home of powerful conglomerates, such as Cemex
Cemex
CEMEX is the world's largest building materials supplier and third largest cement producer. Founded in Mexico in 1906, the company is based in Monterrey, Mexico...
(one of the largest construction materials firms in the world), Bimbo (bakery and pastry), Maseca
Gruma
Gruma is the largest manufacturer of corn flour and tortillas in the world. Its brand names include Mission , Maseca, and Guerrero. Founded in 1949 as "Molinos Azteca, S.A.", the company is now based in Monterrey, Mexico and has subsidiaries in the United States, China, England, Central America,...
(food and grains), Banorte
Banorte
Banorte is a major bank in Mexico, based in Monterrey. Banorte is ranked in the 84th place out of 100 in the 2007 Great Place to Work List for Mexico.-History:...
(the only high-street bank in Mexico wholly owned by Mexicans), ALFA
ALFA (Mexico)
ALFA is a Mexican conglomerate composed of four business groups: Alpek , Nemak , Sigma Alimentos and Alestra ....
(Sigma, Alestra, Nemak, Alpek and Hylsa (recently bought by Ternium), i-service (HelpDesk), Vitro SA (glass), FEMSA
FEMSA
FEMSA is the largest beverage company in Mexico and in Latin America and as of September 2011 also the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the world. FEMSA originated as the Cuauhtémoc Brewery in 1890, which, through debt management, was restructured as FEMSA in 1988...
(Coca-Cola in Latin America), and Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma (brewers of Sol, Tecate, XX, Bohemia, Indio and Nochebuena).
Montemorelos
Montemorelos is a city and surrounding municipality of 53,854 inhabitants located in the Northern Mexican state of Nuevo León, in the valley of the Pilon River...
, Hualahuises
Hualahuises
Hualahuises is a small town in the state of Nuevo León, in northern Mexico. It serves as the administrative seat for the surrounding municipality, with which it shares a name....
, General Terán
General Terán
General Terán is a Mexico municipality located in Nuevo León. It was given its name in honour of General Manuel Mier y Terán.It has a 2,465 km² territorial extension...
and Linares
Linares, Nuevo León
Linares is a small city in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. The city serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name and it is the largest urban centre of the so called "orange belt" region. The city had a 2005 census population of 56,065, while the...
. Small but productive investments have been transforming traditional harvests (mainly based on orange and cereals) into agroindustrial developments that are producing increasing revenues for the local economy.
In contrast with the relative wealth of industrial Nuevo León and the orange belt, the Southern part of the state (municipalities of Galeana, Aramberri
Aramberri, Nuevo León
Aramberri, is a municipality in the Northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León, it is located at southeastern corner of the state. Originally founded as Santa María de los Angeles de Río Blanco Mission in 1626 within the jurisdiction of Río Blanco, in the former New Kingdom of León. Its current name...
, Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, Doctor Arroyo and Mier y Noriega) remains rural and less productive. Most of The South of the state is at the mercy of a very dry weather that represents a major hurdle for agriculture and livestock.
As of 2010, Nuevo León’s economy represents 11.4% of Mexico’s total gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
or 165 billion USD. Nuevo León's economy has a strong focus on export oriented manufacturing (i.e. maquiladora
Maquiladora
A maquiladora or maquila is a concept often referred to as an operation that involves manufacturing in a country that is not the client's and as such has an interesting duty or tariff treatment...
/ INMEX). As of 2005, 431,551 people are employed in the manufacturing sector. Foreign direct investment in Nuevo León was 1,213.1 million USD for 2005.
In recent years, the state government has been making efforts in attracting significant investments in aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
, biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, mechatronics
Mechatronics
Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, control engineering, and systems design engineering in order to design, and manufacture useful products. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering, that is...
, information and communication technologies
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
fields with the creation of the Research and Technology Innovation Park PIIT (Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica), a technology park oriented in the development, innovation and research of sciences. The project is one of the key strategies within the Monterrey, international City of Knowledge program. The park is located in the municipality of Apodaca
Apodaca
Apodaca is a city and its surrounding municipality that is part of Monterrey Metropolitan area. It lies in the northeastern part of the metropolitan area. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 393,195 and the municipality had a population of 418,784. The municipality has an area of...
, part of Greater Monterrey at the 10 km of the highway to Monterrey’s International Airport. It consists of a total surface area of 70 Ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
(172 acres), half of it already committed to R&D centers. The other 35 Ha (86 acres) are available for research and development centers, and for businesses that meet the Park’s objectives.
Government
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Official name: Estado Libre y Soberano de Nuevo León (Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León).
Official motto: Latin: Semper Ascendens (Always Ascending).
Type of government: Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an and representative according to 30th article of the local constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
.
Executive: In 6 July 2003 gubernatorial
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
election, Alianza Ciudadana – an electoral alliance between the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI) and the Green Ecological Party of Mexico (PVEM) – regained control of the state from President Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
's party National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
(PAN). The new governor, Natividad González Parás
Natividad González Parás
José Natividad González Parás is a Mexican politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party. He is a former federal deputy and former governor of Nuevo León He is also married to Cristina Maiz...
of the PRI, was sworn in on 4 October 2003 for a period of six years.
Cabinet: Chosen directly by the Governor except for the General Comptroller and the State General Attorney, which are elected by Congress from a list of names provided by the Governor.
Legislative: The State has a unicameral chamber. The LXXI Congress of Nuevo León
Congress of Nuevo León
The Congress of the State of Nuevo León is the legislative branch of the government of the Mexican state of Nuevo León. The congress is the governmental deliberative body of Nuevo León, which is equal to, and independent of, the executive...
is composed of 42 deputies
Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
, 26 of them chosen by first-past-the-post electoral districts and 16 of them by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
on a party-list basis. The parties represented are the PRI with 15 deputies, the PAN with 22 deputies, the Partido del Trabajo (PT) with two deputies, the Party of the Democratic Revolution
Party of the Democratic Revolution
The Party of the Democratic Revolution is a democratic socialist party in Mexico and one of 2 Mexican affiliates of the Socialist International...
(PRD) with one, and the New Alliance party (PANAL) with two deputies.
Judiciary: Judicial power rests in the Superior Court of Justice of Nuevo León
Superior Court of Justice of Nuevo León
The Superior Court of Justice of Nuevo León is the judicial branch of government of Nuevo Leon.Ministers of the Court are elected by the state congress from a list presented by the governor....
, led by Minister Gustavo Adolfo Guerrero Gutiérrez.
Political parties: Official recognition is given by the State Electoral Commission to those parties getting more than 1.5% of the votes in the last election (Art.40 of the State Electoral Law), which are the ones represented in Congress.
Municipalities
Nuevo León is divided into 51 municipalities (municipiosMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
). See municipalities of Nuevo León
Municipalities of Nuevo León
The Mexican state of Nuevo León is divided into 51 municipalities, which take their names from their municipal seats. The most populous one is Monterrey, which also serves as the capital of the state...
.
Largest cities
| City City Population | Metropolitan Population | Metropolitan area type |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | 1,135,550 | 4,080,329 | Municipality Municipality A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district... |
| Guadalupe Guadalupe, Nuevo León Guadalupe is a city and surrounding municipality located in the state of Nuevo León, in northern Mexico. It is part of the Greater Monterrey Metropolitan area.... |
678,006 | - | Part of Greater Monterrey |
| Apodaca | 523,270 | ||
| Part of Greater Monterrey | |||
| San Nicolás de los Garza San Nicolás de los Garza 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 primarily a city for residencies and family houses, although it still has several factories that... |
443,273 | - | Part of Greater Monterrey |
| General Escobedo General Escobedo General Escobedo, or simply Escobedo, is a city and municipality in Nuevo León, Mexico that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area. As of the census of 2005, the population was 295,131 in the city and 299,364 in the municipality... |
357,256 | - | Part of Greater Monterrey |
| Santa Catarina Santa Catarina, Nuevo León Santa Catarina is a city and municipality in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area.-History:The name of this city comes from the Catholic Saint Catherine of Alexandria.... |
270,790 | - | Part of Greater Monterrey |
| Juarez Juárez, Nuevo León Ciudad Benito Juárez, or simply Juárez, is the name of a city located in the eastern part of the Monterrey metropolitan area in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. Ciudad Benito Juárez had a 2005 census population of 78,644 persons and is the... |
256,454 | - | Part of Greater Monterrey |
| San Pedro Garza García San Pedro Garza García San Pedro Garza García is a city-municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León and is part of Monterrey's Metropolitan Area, based on the suburban North American model... |
119,017 | - | Part of Greater Monterrey |
Climate
Nuevo León has many biomeBiome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
s, which is why it has different climates. Some areas in the mountains are very cold in winter and temperate in summer. In the northern part of the state the climate is arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
as a result of the proximity to the Chihuahuan desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
. Extreme high temperatures of 47 °C or more occur on the desert areas while winters are short and mild. In Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
the climate is semi-arid
Semi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
with extreme hot summers and mild winters. There is very little rainfall throughout the year, usually about 500 mm or less.
See also
- Fiestas of Nuevo LeónFiestas of Nuevo LeónMost of the fiestas of the state of Nuevo León, Mexico are related to the anniversaries of the foundation of municipalities, the celebration of local Roman Catholic patron saints or exhibitions of the most popular produce of the particular region...
- History of Nuevo LeónHistory of Nuevo LeónThe Estado Libre y Soberano de Nuevo León was first colonized in the 16th century by immigrants from the Iberian Peninsula. The majority of these were conversos, ethnic Jews converted to Roman Catholicism. Later the state received more arrivals of other Europeans, some Asians and those from North...
Sources
- Human Development Report for Mexico 2002 Historia de Nuevo León by Israel Cavazos Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Comisión Estatal Electoral de Nuevo León Ley Estatal Electoral de Nuevo León, 1996