Silao (), officially Silao de la Victoria, is a city in the west-central part of the state of
Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it the seventh-largest community in the state. Silao is a center of agricultural and industrial activity.
Airport
This city is served by the
Del Bajío International Airport. It functions as the central airport for the cities of Irapuato, Guanajuato, León, Salamanca and San Miguel de Allende.
Toponymy
In its original
Nahuatl, it was called ''Tzinacua'' by the
Otomi
The Otomi (; es, Otomí ) are an indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the central Mexican Plateau (Altiplano) region.
The Otomi are an indigenous people of Mexico who inhabit a discontinuous territory in central Mexico. They are linguisticall ...
and
Purépecha natives. ''Tzinacua'' loosely translates into 'place of dense fog', derived from the quantity of thermal waters surrounding the area. In the
Otomi language
Otomi (; ) is an Oto-Pamean language family spoken by approximately 240,000 indigenous Otomi people in the central ''altiplano'' region of Mexico. Otomi consists of several closely related languages, many of which are not mutually intelligib ...
its name is ''Tsinäkua'' that also means 'place of dense fog'.
History
In the place where Silao now sits, there was an
Otomí settlement that was conquered by the Purépecha tribe. It then received the name Tzinacua, that in English means "place of dense fog", because in the area of Comanjilla, there were columns of water vapor rising from thermal springs. The name evolved to 'Sinaua', 'Silagua' and finally 'Silao'.
Geography
Silao is located in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. It is situated 100° 25´ 59´´ longitude west of the Greenwich meridian and 20° 56' 24'' latitude north. Its altitude is 1,780 meters above sea level.
The municipality of Silao has an area of 531.41 km², equivalent to 1.76% of the total state area. The city of
Guanajuato lies to the east and north of Silao; to the south lies
Irapuato
Irapuato is a Mexican city (and municipality) located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of ...
; to the west is
Romita
Romita is a Mexican city (and Municipalities of Guanajuato, municipality) located in the Southwest region of the state of Guanajuato. The municipality has an area of 442.10 square kilometres (1.46% of the surface of the state) and is bordered to ...
; to the northwest is
León.
Geology
The territory of Silao is almost planar formed in by the
Bajío, between its few important elevations, one can find the 'Cerro del Cubilete' whose altitude is 2,570 meters above sea level and is considered the geographic center of the country.
Hydrography
The Silao River, crosses the major part of the municipal territory. It is fed by the Magueyes, Pascuales, Hondo, and Tigre streams, as well as the Gigante River, which is its major tributary. Within the municipality are some streams of importance, like those of the Agua Zarca, San Francisco, El Paraíso, Pabileros, and Aguas Buenas.
Climate
The climate of the city is semi-arid in the majority of the territory, with rains in the summer and an average annual temperature of 28 °C. Temperatures can rise as high as 34 °C in the month of June, and a minimum of 0 °C has been reached in the months of December and January. However, in the northeastern zone the climate varies to semi-dry with a temperature predominantly in excess of 28 °C. Precipitation varies between 600 and 800 millimeters per year.
Economy
Silao is a center of agricultural and industrial activity in the area, with a wide variety of farm crops, produce and dairy packing plants. A
General Motors truck and SUV assembly plant which as of 2016 makes one third
of Chevrolet and GMC Full-size Pickups.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
has an engine plant,
and Pirelli makes tires.
Population
According to the results presented by the second 'Conteo de Población y Vivienda' (census) of 2005, the municipality counts a total of 147,123 inhabitants.
Ethnic Groups
The indigenous population of Silao is limited to 203 inhabitants that represent 0.15% of the total municipal population. The principal native languages are
Mazahua and
Nahuatl.
According to the second 'Conteo de Población y Vivienda' (Census) of 2005, there are a total of 187 persons who speak some indigenous language.
The municipality has a
density
Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...
of 250 persons per square kilometer and an average population increase of 1.6%.
Religion
95.8% of the population of Silao (as of 2000) are Roman Catholic. Approximately 1.8% are Protestants and
Evangelicals, and 1.4% are other religions. The last 1% either stated they don't have a religion or it wasn't specified.
Historic Monuments
* Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol, construction was started in the end of the 17th century and ended in the year 1728. Its style is neo-classical.
* Templo del Santuario, constructed at the end of the 17th century.
* Templo de la Casa de Ejercicios, built in 1834.
* Palacio Municipal, formerly functioned as city jail and headquarters.
* Mercado González Ortega, main market in Silao.
* Monument to Cristo Rey (Christ the King), started construction on December 10, 1945, and completed on August 17, 1949. The monument itself stands 20 meters from foot to head and is in the 'cerro del Cubilete', which is considered the geographic center of the country of Mexico.
* Casa de Mauricio Ruiz, historic house, home of the Mexican artist Mauricio Ruiz Chávez
Tourist attractions
Some of the attractions in Silao are:
* Here one can find the Cerro del Cubilete, considered by some to be the geographic center of the country.
In the highest part of the mountain (at 2,500 meters) stands a monument to ''Cristo Rey'' or ''Christ the King''. It represents the unity of the people of
México
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatem ...
in the Catholic faith. The Bajio region was the center of the Catholic insurgency in 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 ...
, whose battle cry was "¡Viva Cristo el Rey!". Construction started on December 10, 1945, and was completed on August 17, 1949. The monument itself measures 20 meters from its feet to its head. Its location dominates the scenery of the 'Bajío' region surrounding Silao.
* Museum of the Chávez Morado Brothers (muralists and sculptors).
* Silao has 27 parochial churches and innumerable buildings rich in architecture and history.
* Building of the 'Casa de la Cultura' (House of Culture), previously the military quarters of Silao.
Silao is also central to other cities and towns of interest to tourists. The cities of
Guanajuato and
Romita
Romita is a Mexican city (and Municipalities of Guanajuato, municipality) located in the Southwest region of the state of Guanajuato. The municipality has an area of 442.10 square kilometres (1.46% of the surface of the state) and is bordered to ...
are approximately 25 minutes by highway.
León and
Irapuato
Irapuato is a Mexican city (and municipality) located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of ...
are about 35 minutes by highway.
Business district
This District is located at Guanajuato Puerto Interior
The business district is development at this time. This District is designed to lodge: hotels, financial and commercial buildings
References
External links
Official website of the commerce of Silao, Guanajuato(Español)
Ayuntamiento de SilaoOfficial website of the municipality of Silao (Español)
GuanajuatoEncyclopedia of the Municipalities of Mexico (Español)
Official website of the municipality of Silao, Guanajuato(Español)
Periodico de Sociales Gente&Stilo de Silao, Guanajuato(Español)
Órgano Colegiado de Educación Media Superior & Superior de Silao, Guanajuato(Español)
(Español)
{{Authority control
Populated places in Guanajuato
Populated places established in 1833
1833 establishments in Mexico