Saltillo is the capital city of the northeastern
MexicanThe 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...
state of
CoahuilaCoahuila, 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...
and the municipal seat of the
municipality of the same nameSaltillo is a one of the 38 municipalities of Coahuila, in north-eastern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Saltillo. The municipality covers an area of 6837 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 648,929....
. The city is located about 400 km south of the U.S. state of
TexasTexas 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...
, and 90 km west of
MonterreyMonterrey , 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...
,
Nuevo LeónNuevo León 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 stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
.
As of the 2005 census, Saltillo had a population of 725,095 people. 823,098 people reside within the
metropolitan areaThe term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
, making it the 20th biggest metro area in the country. The metro area comprises the
municipalitiesMunicipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
of Saltillo,
Ramos ArizpeRamos Arizpe is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. Ramos Arizpe is located 11 km from the state capital of Saltillo. It is part of the Saltillo metropolitan area. The city reported a population of 48,228 in the 2005 census; the...
, and Arteaga. The municipality of Saltillo had a population of 648,929.
The per capita gross domestic product the Metropolitan Zone of Saltillo is $13,936 USD. According to a 2006 ranking of 53 Mexican cities by
Inversionista magazine, Saltillo is the best Mexican city to live in.
Geography
El Cerro del Pueblo (The People's Hill) and its 4 metres (13.1 ft) cross overlook the city. The city's elevation, at 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft), makes it cooler and windier than the neighboring city of
MonterreyMonterrey , 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...
. Saltillo lies near the city of
ArteagaArteaga is a city in the Mexican state of Coahuila.It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name.Arteaga is located at , at a height of above sea level. It stands some east of state capital Saltillo, on Federal Highways 57 and 54.The municipality covers...
and in the
Chihuahuan desertThe 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...
. The city is flanked by the Zapalinamé mountains, which are part of the
Sierra Madre OrientalThe 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...
. By looking at the relief of the mountains, one can see, according to local legend, the relief of
ZapalinaméZapalinamé was the leader of the Huachichil tribe that along with other leaders such as Maquisaco, Maquemachichihuac and Cilavan fought against the Spaniard invasion in the 16th century in what now is the metropolitan area of Saltillo, Mexico....
, chieftain of the Huachichil tribe.
Climate
Saltillo has an arid climate (
Koppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BWh). Saltillo is located in the
Chihuahuan desertThe 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...
but temperatures are cooler than other desert cities in
MexicoThe 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...
because it is located in an altitude of 1,600 meters. Summers are slightly hot with cool nights and winters are sunny but cool. Rainfall is scarce but more prominent in summer.
Government
The city of Saltillo is the municipal seat of the
municipality of SaltilloSaltillo is a one of the 38 municipalities of Coahuila, in north-eastern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Saltillo. The municipality covers an area of 6837 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 648,929....
. The current
MayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
is Jerico Abramo Masso from the
Institutional Revolutionary PartyThe 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) whose term ends in 2013.
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
TlaxcaltecTlaxcala was a pre-Columbian city state of central Mexico.Tlaxcala was a confederation of four altepetl — Ocotelolco, Quiahuiztlan, Tepeticpac and Tizatlan — which each took turns providing a ruler for Tlaxcala as a whole.-History:Tlaxcala was never conquered by the Aztec empire, but was...
allies in a separate nearby village (
San Esteban de Nueva TlaxcalaSan Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala was a Tlaxcalan municipality in what is now the Mexican state of Coahuila. San Esteban was the northernmost of the six Tlaxcalan colonies established in 1591 at the behest of viceroy Luis de Velasco; its founders came from Tizatlan....
), in order to cultivate the land and aid colonization efforts that had stalled in the face of local hostility to the Spanish presence.
In 1824, Saltillo was made the capital of the State of
Coahuila y TejasCoahuila y Tejas was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.It had two capitals: first Saltillo, and then Monclova...
and included the area which is now the US State of Texas until the Texas War of Independence and the founding of the independent Texas Republic.
On 23 October 1840 the Battle of Saltillo took place when 110 Texans crossed the
Rio GrandeThe Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and attacked the city, which was defended by 1000 Mexicans. The Texans killed about 400 of them before retreating.
Saltillo became the site of the first
same-sex civil union in MexicoIn Mexico, only civil marriages are recognized by the law and all its proceedings fall under local state legislation. Same-sex marriages are legally performed in Mexico City and same-sex civil unions are legally performed in Mexico City and the northern state of Coahuila , whose legal residents...
on 31 January 2007.
Economy
Saltillo's most famous exports are
Saltillo tileSaltillo tile is a type of terra-cotta tile that originates in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. It is one of the two most famous products of the city, the other being multi-coloured woven sarapes so typical of the region...
and the locally woven multi-coloured
sarapes.
Mercedes-BenzMercedes Benz Mexico S.A. de C.V. is a subsidiary of Daimler AG headquartered in Mexico City. It's commercial vehicle branches, Daimler Vehiculos Comerciales, S. de R.L. de C.V.; Freightliner Vehiculos Comerciales, S. de R.L. de C.V and International Vehiculos Comerciales, S. de R.L. de C.V. are...
and General Motors both have assembly plants here and
Chrysler Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
operates a truck assembly plant, a sedan 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. Saltillo is home to the Grupo Industrial Saltillo, an important manufacturing conglomerate that makes home appliances, silverware, and auto parts.
During the early 20th Century, Saltillo was called the
AthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
of Mexico because of its number of famous intellectuals. At that time, Saltillo was inhabited by a large number of expatriates from Europe, particularly Great Britain and Ireland. It is currently considered the Detroit of Mexico because of the importance of its
automotive industryThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, including the huge
Chrysler Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
,
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, and Delphi plants.
The General Motors plant, the Complejo Industrial
Ramos ArizpeRamos Arizpe is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. Ramos Arizpe is located 11 km from the state capital of Saltillo. It is part of the Saltillo metropolitan area. The city reported a population of 48,228 in the 2005 census; the...
(Ramos Arizpe Industrial Complex) manufactures vehicles for export to Japan, Canada, and Central America as well as for domestic purchase. It builds the
Chevrolet C2The front-wheel drive Opel Corsa was first launched in September 1982 to replace the Opel Kadett C City, and to fill the gap vacated as the Kadett grew in size and price. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door...
,
Chevrolet MonzaThe Chevrolet Monza is a subcompact, four-passenger automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1975–1980 model years. The Monza is based on the Chevrolet Vega, sharing its wheelbase, width and 140 CID inline-4 engine...
,
Chevrolet Captiva- 2006–2011 :Designated C100 by Daewoo and CG in Holden's terminology, the Captiva was launched in 2006. Styling of the Captiva was inspired by the 2004 Chevrolet S3X concept car. The S3X concept was developed by GM Daewoo's design center in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon and is based on the GM Theta...
,
Chevrolet HHRThe Chevrolet HHR was a retro-styled station wagon launched by the Chevrolet division of American automaker General Motors at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show as a 2006 model — and designed by Bryan Nesbitt. Smaller than the Equinox, the HHR shared the GM Delta platform with the Chevrolet...
,
Saturn VueThe Saturn Vue is a compact crossover SUV that was sold by General Motors' Saturn marque, and at one time was Saturn's best-selling model. It was the first vehicle to use the GM Theta platform when it was introduced in 2002. A second generation model was launched in 2007 for the 2008 model as a...
hybrid,
Saab 9-4XThe Saab 9-4X is a mid-size crossover SUV introduced by Swedish automaker Saab Automobile at the LA Auto Show 2010. It is based on the all-wheel drive GM Theta Premium platform. The 9-4X will begin production in 2011 and is scheduled to be built at Ramos Arizpe, Mexico...
and Cadillac BRX.
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 flavor. Prominent buildings are the
cathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
(built from 1745-1800), the Palacio de Gobierno (state government building), the Ateneo Fuente and the
Instituto Tecnológico de SaltilloThe Technological Institute of Saltillo , or ITS, is located in the city of Saltillo, state capital of Coahuila, Mexico. It is a college level technological institution. Though founded in July 1950 by Mexican President Miguel Alemán Valdez, it started operations on January 3, 1951.-History:Since...
. The large cathedral is the best example of colonial religious architecture in northeastern Mexico; its facade is mainly
Spanish BaroqueSpanish Baroque is a strand of Baroque architecture that evolved in Spain and its provinces and former colonies, notably Spanish America and Belgium....
, 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
VictorianThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
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), featuring a collection of bird specimens from all over Mexico in realistic displays. The Museo del Desierto (Desert Museum) focuses on the geography, geology, paleontology (with
dinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
fossils) and biodiversity of the
Chihuahuan desertThe 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...
, and the history and culture of the local people through time. It includes a
cactusA cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
greenhouse and exhibits, with dozens of species.
The Mirador is an amazing place to observe a panoramic view of the city. Underground tunnels start in the Catedral de Santiago and end at the city's limits.
Education
Saltillo's main universities are the
Universidad Autónoma de CoahuilaThe Autonomous University of Coahuila is a state university founded in 1957. It is located in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. The university system has three campuses — Saltillo, Torreón, and Norte — distributed among the most populated cities in the state...
, the
Instituto Tecnológico de SaltilloThe Technological Institute of Saltillo , or ITS, is located in the city of Saltillo, state capital of Coahuila, Mexico. It is a college level technological institution. Though founded in July 1950 by Mexican President Miguel Alemán Valdez, it started operations on January 3, 1951.-History:Since...
, the Tec de Monterrey Saltillo Campus, El Instituto de Filologia Hispanica, and the
Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio NarroThe Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro is a public university in Mexico dedicated to the Agricultural, Silvicultural, animal, food and environmental sciences. It is located 6 kilometers south of Saltillo, in the Mexican state of Coahuila. There is also a campus in Torreón, Coahuila. It is...
. 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 AirportPlan de Guadalupe International Airport is an airport located at Ramos Arizpe in the state of Coahuila in Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic from the metropolitan area of Saltillo and Ramos Arizpe....
. It takes 15 minutes to get from downtown Saltillo to the airport. It has several flights per day to
Mexico CityMexico 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...
and a daily flight to Houston,
TexasTexas 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...
. There is a comprehensive bus system in Saltillo along with many
taxisA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
.
Sister cities
The following are sister cities of Saltillo:
AustinAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
LansingLansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
WindsorWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Holguín,
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
People
- Fernando Soler
Fernando Soler was a prolific Mexican film actor and film director.He appeared in over 100 films between 1915 and his death in 1979.- External links :...
(1896 - 1979), film actor and director
- Ruben Aguirre
Rubén Aguirre is a Mexican actor. He is best remembered for his characterization of in the Televisa's television show El Chavo del Ocho. Aguirre also participated in another well known television show of the era, El Chapulín Colorado, albeit less frequently.-Life and work:Rubén Aguirre was born...
, actor best remembered for his characterization of Professor Jirafales in the television show El Chavo del Ocho.
- Katie Barberi
Katie Barberi is a Mexican actress best known for her work in telenovelas.-Early life:Barberi was born in Saltillo, Coahuila, to a Mexican father of Italian descent and an American mother. Because of the nature of the careers of both her parents, Katie Barberi attended many different schools...
, actress best known for her work in telenovelas.
- Magda Guzman, actress with many film and TV credits 1941 to the present
- Roberto 'Flaco' Guzman, prolific film actor from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
- Brissia Mayagoitia
Brissia Daniela Mayagoitia Orta better known as Brissia is a Mexican singer and actress. She was a former member of Mexican pop band La Nueva Banda. Mayagoitia left the band to become a solo artist in 2008...
, singer, former member of a band called La Nueva Banda.
- Rosario Ybarra
Rosario Ybarra de la Piedra is an activist and prominent figure in the politics of Mexico. She has been a presidential candidate and is currently the president of Comité Eureka....
, activist and prominent figure in Mexican politics.
- Carlos Bee
Carlos Bee was a U.S. Representative from Texas, great-grandson of Thomas Bee.Born in Saltillo, Mexico, where his parents had moved after the collapse of the Confederacy, Bee returned with his parents to San Antonio, Texas, in 1874.He attended the public schools and the Agricultural and Mechanical...
, former U.S. Representative from Texas, great-grandson of Thomas Bee.
- Manuel Acuña
Manuel Acuña Narro was a 19th-century Mexican writer. He focused on poetry, but also wrote some novels and plays. Even though he was famous at an early time of his life, he decided to commit suicide...
, 19th-century Mexican writer. He focused on poetry, but also wrote some novels and plays.
- José Narro Robles
José Narro Robles is a Mexican researcher and academic. He is a former director of the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and was elected the 23rd Dean of that institution on November 20, 2007.Narro Robles graduated with a bachelor's degree in Medicine with...
, former director of the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
- Enrique Martínez y Martínez
Enrique Martinez y Martinez is a Mexican politician affiliated to the Revolutionary Institutional Party. He served as governor of Coahuila from 2 December 1999 to 1 December 2005....
, Mexican politician affiliated with the Revolutionary Institutional Party, former governor of Coahuila.
- Humberto Moreira Valdés
Humberto Moreira Valdés is a Mexican politician who serves as President of the Institutional Revolutionary Party , he took office on 4 March 2011...
, Governor of the Mexican State of Coahuila (2005-2011).
- Fernando de las Fuentes
Fernando de las Fuentes Hernández is a Mexican lawyer and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party who currently serves as President of the Congress of Coahuila....
, President of the Congress of Coahuila.
- Roque González Garza
Roque González Garza was a Mexican general and acting president of the Republic from January to June 1915....
, Mexican general and acting president of the Republic from January to June 1915.
- Julio Torri
Julio Torri Maynes was a Mexican writer and teacher who formed part of the Ateneo de la Juventud . He wrote principally in the essay form, although his limited production included short stories and scholarly works as well...
, Mexican writer and teacher who formed part of the Ateneo de la Juventud (1909-1914).
External links