Bajío

The Bajío (lowlands) is a region of North-Central Mexico that includes parts of the states of Guanajuato, Querétaro, Aguascalientes and Los Altos in Jalisco.[1][2][3]

The Bajío has repeatedly been recognized as the region with the best quality of life and safest region in Mexico[4] also the most dynamic in Latin America.[5][6][7][8] Nowadays, the region is a vigorous services region that is experiencing an ongoing social and economic revitalization. It is a strong business and economic centre.[9][10][11] The largest cities of Bajio are León, Santiago de Querétaro and Aguascalientes.[12]

Pre-historic Bajío culture

Recent archaeological studies of the Bajío have discovered an extensive, pre-historic cultural tradition unique to the region, particularly along the flood plains of the Lerma and Laja rivers. The Bajío Culture flourished from 300 to 650CE, with cultural centers ranging from El Cóporo in the far north of Guanajuato to Plazuelas in the far south west. More than 1,400 sites have been discovered throughout the state of Guanajuato, with only the sites of Cañada de la Virgen, El Cóporo, Peralta, and Plazuelas having received extensive study.

Geography

In general usage, the region is usually associated with the States of Guanajuato and Querétaro, although it only forms a part of them. It is characterized by its highly mechanized agriculture, with mean precipitation in the order of 700 millimetres (28 in) per annum (one of the highest in the country). During the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the area was known as the breadbasket of the territory. As of 2014, the region produces sorghum, wheat and maize as its main crops.

The Bajío region lies in the basin of the Rio Lerma and Río Grande de Santiago.

States

Bajío in Jalisco

The free and sovereign states of the Bajío are:

Aguascalientes
Guanajuato
 Jalisco
 Querétaro
AguascalientesGuanajuatoGuadalajaraQuerétaro

State of Aguascalientes

State of Guanajuato

State of Jalisco

State of Querétaro

Bajio

Demography

Aguascalientes

Largest cities

Rank City State Population Metro Area
1 León Guanajuato 1,436,480 1,609,717
2 Aguascalientes Aguascalientes 934,424 1,225,432
3 Santiago de Querétaro Querétaro 801,940 1,097,025
4 Irapuato Guanajuato 380,941 529,979
5 Celaya Guanajuato 310,413 468,387
6 Salamanca Guanajuato 160,169 260,732
7 Lagos de Moreno Jalisco 153,817 164,212
8 San Juan del Río Querétaro 138,878 302,112
9 Tepatitlán de Morelos Jalisco 104,377 288,635
10 Silao Guanajuato 74,242 147,123

Economy

Today, the region is one of the fastest-growing in the country. This has caused the metropolitan areas to attract many migrants from other parts of Mexico.[13][14][15]

The region has had an outstanding industrial and economic development in the last 15 years. The cities of Bajío has one of the highest income per capita in Mexico.[16]

Asian community

As of early 2014, there are more than three thousand Japanese immigrants in the Bajio area, and it's claimed that this population is larger than the historical Japanese community in Mexico City.[17] The Guanajuato government believes that by 2016 there will be five thousand families installed in the area.[18] This immigration is being driven by foreign investment in the area, especially in the automotive sector.

The Japanese workers tend to look for housing in Aguascalientes and Querétaro, specifically because of the high standard of living.[18] By the end of 2014, it is expected that there will be 100 families settled in Querétaro. In the capital of Querétaro there are 50 Japanese restaurants, 15 of which opened in 2013, mainly in the area of Juriquilla and new shopping centers. There is also talks of the Liceo Mexicano Japonés opening a campus in Querétaro.[18]

There is also a Korean community in the area that is likewise growing as a result of foreign investment. It is currently more common to see Korean students in public schools than it is to see Japanese.[18]

High-speed rail in the Bajío

There are plans to build a high-speed rail Querétaro-Mexico City system, which would continue to Guadalajara. It would work as the main form of transportation in all the Bajío and its capital cities.[19]

Culture

The Bajío is known for being the cradle of Mexican Independence from Spanish Empire and one of the most conservative bastions of Mexican Catholicism.

The Bajío is where in April 1915, during the Mexican Revolution, General Álvaro Obregón provoked decisive battles against Pancho Villa. Villa's troops lost in June outside Celaya.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Entrada Group: at the heart of Mexico’s thriving manufacturing industry". European CEO. January 10, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ruiz Méndez, Karla (January 4, 2014). "Se afianza en el Bajío clúster de autopartes". Periódico AM (in Spanish). Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Caen 2.5% las remesas familiares en el Bajío". El Financiero (in Spanish). January 7, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  4. ↑ http://www.ags.itesm.mx/campus/historia_ciudad.htm
  5. ↑ http://noticieros.televisa.com/economia/1308/region-bajio-el-detroit-mexicano-le-figaro/
  6. ↑ http://t21.com.mx/opinion/bitacora/2013/08/16/bajio-nuevo-milagro-mexicano
  7. ↑ http://www.informador.com.mx/economia/2015/583574/6/estados-del-bajio-crecen-a-ritmo-asiatico-banamex.htm
  8. ↑ http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/economia/el-bajio-crece-a-ritmo-de-tigre-asiatico.html
  9. ↑ http://www.stratfor.com/sample/image/developing-mexicos-bajio-region
  10. ↑ http://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/mexico-new-manufacturing-heartland
  11. ↑ http://www.nearshoreamericas.com/mexico-commercial-real-estate-technology-investment/
  12. ↑ http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/north-america/mexico/baj%C3%ADo/
  13. ↑ "Junto Con El Crecimiento De La Ciudad, Crecen También Los Servicios Públicos Municipales Con Calidad En Beneficio De Los Habitantes Del Municipio" [Together with the growth of the city, grow also the municipal public services with quality to Benedit the inhabitants of the municipality] (in Spanish). Querétaro: Municipality of Querétaro. 2007-07-30. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  14. ↑ http://amqueretaro.com/2013/08/queretaro-emblema-de-mexico-le-figaro/.html
  15. ↑ http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2013/06/02/902058
  16. ↑ http://www.datacenterdynamics.es/focus/archive/2013/02/quer%C3%A9taro-atrae-los-centros-de-datos
  17. ↑ "3 mil japoneses en Querétaro". El Universal. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Querétaro, el nuevo territorio japonés". El Financiero. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  19. ↑ http://eleconomista.com.mx/estados/2014/02/11/confirman-que-tren-df-queretaro-llegara-hasta-guadalajara
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bajío.

Coordinates: 20°28′24″N 101°12′02″W / 20.473335°N 101.200562°W / 20.473335; -101.200562

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