Los Altos de Jalisco, or the Jaliscan Highlands, is a

geographic Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

and

cultural region In anthropology and geography, a cultural region, cultural sphere, cultural area or culture area refers to a geography with one relatively homogeneous human activity or complex of activities (culture). Such activities are often associated ...

in the eastern part of the Mexican

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

of Jalisco, famed as a bastion of

Mexican culture Mexican culture is primarily influenced by its Indigenous inhabitants and the culture of Spain. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both western and native American civilizations. Other minor influences include those from other regio ...

, cradling traditions from

Tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...

production to ''

Charrería Charrería () is a sport and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the haciendas of old Mexico. Evolving from the traditions brought from Spain, most specifically the municipality of Salamanca in the 1 ...

'' equestrianism. Los Altos are part of the greater Bajío (The Lowlands) region of Mexico. Los Altos is primarily a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...

or semi-rural region, known for its towns of historic Mexican colonial architecture, deep

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

and numerous Mexican traditions such as equestrianism,

mariachi music Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...

tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...

production, and traditional Mexican dances and festivals. A significant portion of the population consists of

Mexicans of European descent White Mexicans ( es, Mexicanos blancos) are Mexicans who are considered or identify as white, typically due to their physical appearance and/or self-identification with their European ancestry. While the Mexican government does conduct ethnic ...

, primarily descended from the

criollos In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of Spanish descent born in the colonies. In different Latin American countries the word has come to have different meanings, sometimes referring to the local-born majo ...

of Castillian, Extremaduran, Galician,

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

, and Andalusian origin, but also from early

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

settlers and later French,

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, Dutch, Slavic and Greek immigrants, among others.

History

The region's native inhabitants, the

Chichimeca Chichimeca () is the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples who were established in present-day Bajio region of Mexico. Chichimeca carried the meaning as the Roman term "barbarian" that d ...

people, were conquered in the 16th century by Spanish conquistadors led by Captains Hernando Martel and Pedro de Anda in the

Chichimeca War The Chichimeca War (1550–90) was a military conflict between the Spanish Empire and the Chichimeca Confederation established in the territories today known as the Central Mexican Plateau, called by the Conquistadores La Gran Chichimeca. Th ...

. The first peoples that inhabited the region were the Chichimeca nations, a name given by the Mexicas to a group of indigenous peoples who lived in the center and north of the country. The casualties that the Spanish conquerors incurred in the region due to the Chichimeca attacks led them to answer with a warlike genocidal tactic. They took to the Altos de Jalisco, rural Castilian militiamen, who have the great majority of French descent who arrived in Castile, Spain during early of Middle Ages to repopulate the center of Spain. However, there were also Portuguese, Basques, Italians and Flemishs (natives of Flanders), who had previously fought against Turks and Moors during the

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

. In this way, among Europeans and Indians, the crucible of races so uncharacteristic of this region was formed. There is also some evidence of Sephardic Jewish settlement in the region during colonial times. After the French intervention in Mexico within the early 1860s, the French forces were expelled from México under the order of General Eulogio Parra in 1866. However, some French communities stayed in the obscured areas of Los Altos and its surroundings, increasing the proportion of European-looking people in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes. Los Altos was one of the main scenarios of the

Cristero War The Cristero War ( es, Guerra Cristera), also known as the Cristero Rebellion or es, La Cristiada, label=none, italics=no , was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico from 1 August 1926 to 21 June 1929 in response to the implementa ...

during the early 20th century, which confronted Catholic peasants and elites against the anti-clerical government of President Plutarco Calles.

Culture

Tequila

Los Altos is one of the two main

producing regions in the state of Jalisco, the other being the municipality of

Tequila, Jalisco Santiago de Tequila (; nah, Tequillan, Tecuila "place of tribute") is a Mexican town and municipality located in the state of Jalisco about 60 km from the city of Guadalajara. Tequila is best known as being the birthplace of the drink that b ...

. The main tequila producing center in the region is Arandas and the second region is Atotonilco El Alto.Gobierno Municipal de Atotonilco El Alto
Official website

Charro

Jalisco's charro tradition is particularly strong in the Los Altos region. In Spain, a charro is a native of the

province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valladolid, Ávila, and Cáceres, and on the west by Portugal. It has ...

, especially in the area of

Alba de Tormes Alba de Tormes is a municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. The town is on the River Tormes upstream from the city of Salamanca. Alba gave its name to one of Spain's most i ...

, Vitigudino,

Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right ban ...

and Ledesma.
charro
' in the '' Diccionario de la Real Academia Española''. It's likely that the Mexican charro tradition derived from Spanish horsemen who came from Salamanca and settled in Los Altos de Jalisco.

Architecture of Los Altos

Many of Los Altos's older architectural structures, including entire sections of Pre-Hispanic and colonial, have been designated World Heritage sites and

Pueblo Mágico In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

for their historical, cultural, artistic significance. Lagos de Moreno is only one city in Los Altos de Jalisco on the lists of Pueblo Magico out of 121. The architecture in Los Altos are heavy influenced by European architects during the Spanish Colonial to early WWI era. Plaza principal

Pilgrimage

Los Altos have many shrines.

San Juan de los Lagos San Juan de los Lagos (Spanish for " Saint John of the Lakes") is a city and municipality located in the northeast corner of the state of Jalisco, Mexico, in a region known as Los Altos. It is best known as the home of a small image of the Virgi ...

is the second most visited pilgrimage shrine in Mexico, after the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City . The numerous shrines are important tourist attractions for the state of Jalisco: * Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, in

. *Our Lady of the Assumption, in Jalostotitlán. *Martyred Saint

Toribio Romo González Toribio Romo González, known as Saint Toribio Romo ( es, santo Toribio Romo, ; April 16, 1900 – February 25, 1928) was a Mexican Catholic priest and martyr who was killed during the anti-clerical persecutions of the Cristero War. Beatified an ...

, in Santa Ana de Guadalupe, municipal of Jalostotitlán. *Martyred Blessed

Anacleto González Flores Anacleto González Flores (July 13, 1888 – April 1, 1927) was a Mexican Catholic layman and lawyer who was tortured and executed during the persecution of the Catholic Church under Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles. González was beat ...

in Tepatitlan de Morelos. *Martyred Blessed Miguel Gomez Loza in San Francisco de Asis, municipal of Atotonilco el Alto. *Martyred Saint Julio Alvarez Mendoz in San Julian, Jalisco. *Martyred Saint Atilano Cruz-Alvarado in

Teocaltiche Teocaltiche ( nah, Teocaltillitzin "place near the temple") is a town and municipality in the central-western Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located in the northeastern highlands region of Jalisco, commonly referred to in Spanish as "Los Altos de ...

. *Venerable Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Atotonilco El Alto. *Martyred Saint Pedro Esqueda Ramírez in Teocaltitán, municipal of Jalostotitlán. *Martyred Saint Sabas Reyes Salazar in Tototlan. *Holy Child of the Little Peanut (Santo Niño del Cacahuatito) in Mezquitic de la Magdalena in municipal of

Administration

Since 1996, Los Altos has been organized administratively by the state of Jalisco into two regions, the North Highlands (''Altos Norte'') and the South Highlands (''Altos Sur'').

North Highlands

The North Highlands (''Altos Norte'') region covers 8,882 km², which represents 11% of the state's territory. The municipalities in the region are the following: Lagos de Moreno is the municipality seat of the North Highlands. In this region, factories develop clothing, furniture, footwear, metal goods, sweets and jams. Some of the municipalities in this region have a very important livestock activity mainly in the production of dairy products.

South Highlands

The South Highlands (''Altos Sur'') region has 6,667 km², which is 5% of the state's surface. The municipalities of this region are the following:

Tepatitlán de Morelos Tepatitlán de Morelos is a city and municipality founded in 1530, in the central Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located in the area known as Los Altos de Jalisco (the 'Highlands of Jalisco'), about 70 km east of state capital Guadalaja ...

is the municipality seat of the South Highlands. In this region is the most recent municipality of the State, San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, which was separated from Arandas. Traditionally Atotonilco el Alto,

Ayotlán Ayotlán Municipality is a municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 518.57 km. As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 35,150. Place Names Ayotlán comes from "Ayotl" (its forme ...

Tototlán Tototlán is a town and municipality in Jalisco in central-western Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It ...

and

Degollado Degollado () is a small town and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in the cultural region of Ciénega, just south of Los Altos. The municipality encompasses Huascato, Los Ranchitos, La Vibora, Buenos Aires, Las Limas, Altamir ...

belong to this southern zone of Los Altos. In general, the region has the production of

and the development of livestock, clothing, and various

crafts A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...

Notable ''Alteños''

Parroquia de San Francisco de Asis en Tepatitlan

Puente del Camino Real de Tierra Adentro de Ojuelos

Politics

* Luis Alfonso de Alba Góngora, Mexican under-secretary for Latin America in the Secretary of Foreign Relations, former Mexican Representative to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

( Lagos de Moreno) * Ramón Muñoz Gutiérrez, Senator of Jalisco in the Mexican Senate of the Republic ( Lagos de Moreno) *

Emilio González Márquez Emilio González Márquez (born 12 November 1960 in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco) is a Mexican politician affiliated with the National Action Party (PAN). He served as Governor of Jalisco. Political career González was an active member of the ...

, former

Governor of Jalisco The following is a list of governors of the Mexican state of Jalisco from 1821. The current Constitution indicates a term six years in length, which cannot be renewed under any circumstances. It also stipulates the qualifications for becoming g ...

( Lagos de Moreno) * Pedro Moreno, general and father of the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

( Lagos de Moreno) *

Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos (June 9, 1760, Ciénega del Rincón, New Spain – October 4, 1808, Mexico City, New Spain) was a Novohispanic lawyer and politician and a proponent of Mexican independence from Spain. He was imprisoned by th ...

, 18th-century lawyer and politician of colonial New Spain ( Ojuelos de Jalisco) *

Victoriano Ramírez Victoriano Ramírez López (April 13, 1888 in San Miguel el Alto, Jalisco – March 17, 1929 in Tepatitlan, Jalisco), also known as "El Catorce" (The Fourteen), was a Mexican General of the Cristero War known for his excellent combat skills ...

, Mexican general of the Cristero War ( San Miguel el Alto). * José González Gallo, Mexican lawyer and politician who served as Governor of Jalisco (

Yahualica de González Gallo Yahualica is a town and municipality in the northeastern part of Jalisco, Mexico. It is one of the 125 municipalities that make up the state of Jalisco. Yahualica covers some 520.75 square kilometers and shares borders with the state of Zacatecas ...

). * Rita Pérez de Moreno, Mexican insurgent and heroine of the Mexican War of Independence (

Culture

* Lola Álvarez Bravo, famed photographer, prominent figure of the post- Mexican Revolution artistic renaissance * Juan Pablo Villalobos, author and entrepreneur * José Rosas Moreno, 19th-century writer, fableist, and poet * Mariano Azuela González, 19th/20th-century literary critic, novelist, and essayist *

Jorge González Camarena Jorge González Camarena (24 March 1908 – 24 May 1980) was a Mexican painter, muralist and sculptor. He is best known for his mural work, as part of the Mexican muralism movement, although his work is distinct from the main names associat ...

, Mexican painter, muralist and sculptor, his parents were originally from Arandas. *

Guillermo González Camarena Guillermo González Camarena (17 February 1917 – 18 April 1965) was a Mexican electrical engineer who was the inventor of a color-wheel type of color television. Early life González Camarena was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was the younge ...

, Mexican electrical engineer who was the inventor of a color-wheel type of color television, brother of

Jorge Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...

. *

Juan Sandoval Íñiguez Juan Sandoval Íñiguez (; born 28 March 1933 in Yahualica de González Gallo, Jalisco, Mexico) is a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and served as Archbishop of Guadalajara. Ecclesiastical career He is a son of Esteban Sandoval Ruiz an ...

, Mexican cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and served as Archbishop of Guadalajara. *

Alan Estrada Alan Estrada Gutiérrez (born December 23, 1980 in Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco, Mexico) is a Mexican actor, dancer and singer. His best known role was "Mario" in the Spanish musical '' Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar.'' He is also known for his Yo ...

, Mexican actor, dancer and singer.

Athletics

* Luis Fernando Macías, professional cyclist, silver medalist at the 2009 Pan-American Road and Track Championship * Armando Reynoso Gutiérrez, baseball player for the

Mexico national team The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF. Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...

, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame member * Isaác Brizuela Muñoz, Mexican-American footballer for

C.D. Guadalajara Club Deportivo Guadalajara (); often simply known as Guadalajara () and their nickname ''Chivas'' (), is a Mexican professional football club based in Zapopan, Jalisco. Guadalajara is one of the ten founding members of the Mexican First Divi ...

* Carmelo Reyes González, former professional wrestler *

J. Paco Gonzalez Juan Paco Gonzalez (born March 17, 1945 in Yahualica, Jalisco, Mexico) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. Life The fourth of six children, Paco Gonzalez grew up on a ranch near Guadalajara where his family owned Quarter horses. A ...

, Mexican-born American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. * Antonio Martínez, Mexican-born American professional football player. *

Martín Vásquez Martín Vásquez Gómez (born December 24, 1963) is an American former professional soccer player. The first of five players to have played for both the United States and Mexico, he has served as a coach since retiring. Playing career Youth a ...

, Mexican-American former professional football player and current coach. * Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Mexican

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player (Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers) * Martin Barragan, Professional Mexican footballer from

Tizapan el Alto Tizapán El Alto is a town and municipalities of Jalisco, municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 105.53 square miles (273.32 km²). As of 2020, the municipality had a total population of 22,758. ...

who currently plays for Necaxa.

History

Culture

Tequila

Charro

Architecture of Los Altos

Pilgrimage

Administration

North Highlands

South Highlands

Notable ''Alteños''

Politics

Culture

Athletics

See also

References

Further reading