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 , image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg , map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type ...

. The name ''Yahualica'' is thought to be derived from the

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

roots of the

Nahuas The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica (Aztecs) were of Nahua ethnicity, a ...

. It may be from "ayahuitl" meaning fog and "calli" meaning house, making Yahualica "the house of fog." Another proposed translation of ''Ayahuitl'' is "place surrounded by water" or "the round place".

History

1165: The region's inhabitants were the

Tecuexe The Tecuexe were an indigenous peoples of Mexico, who lived in the eastern part of present-day Guadalajara. History It is believed that the Tecuexe derived from the dispersion of Zacateco groups from La Quemada. Like the Zacatecos, the Tecuexe ...

s, who later fought the

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

s for control of the territory. 1530s : The Spanish, led by

Cristóbal de Oñate Cristóbal de Oñate (1504, Spain—October 6, 1567, Pánuco, Zacatecas) was a Spanish Basque explorer, conquistador and colonial official in New Spain. He is considered the founder of the contemporary city of Guadalajara in 1531, as well as o ...

, conquered the region. 1824: Yahualica was constituted a municipality .

Transportation

Yahualica is served by bus and taxi services, as well as highways leading into and out of Yahualica and throughout the city. The highway transit system includes Fed 71 and Jal 225 ( Jal 225) which run entirely in the municipality. Fed 78, southbound, leads to

Tepatitlán 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 Guadalajara. ...

Cuquío Cuquío is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 252 square miles (653 km²). It limits to the North with the municipality of Yahualica and the State of Zacatecas; to the South, ...

and northbound to

Nochistlán Nochistlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, on December 3, 1531, hired Cristóbal de Oñate to establish a village in Nochistlán; the village would be named Guadalajara to honor Guzmán for having b ...

/ Aguascalientes. Jal 225 runs east towards the ranchos of Huisquilco, El Durazno, San Isidro, and Pastores. The closest airports to Yahualica are Aguascalientes International Airport ( away) and

Guadalajara International Airport Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla) or simply Guadalajara International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara) , is the main airport ...

( away), each about a two-hour drive.

Economy

Stockbreeding: Cattle, horses, and pigs are raised. Gastronomy: Yahualica's traditions include ''

birria Birria () \ ˈbir-ē-ˌä \is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. The dish is a meat stew or soup traditionally made from goat meat, but occasionally made from beef, lamb, mutton or chicken. The meat is marinated in an adobo made of vi ...

'', spicy salsa, '' tostadas'', and candy from that region.

'' Chile de Arbol:'' The producers of this chile pepper say that Yahualica has the best one in the world because of its taste and spice. This chile is possible thanks to the soil in this region, the climate, and the techniques the producers in the area have been practicing for years.

The economy of around 300 families in this municipality depend on the production of ''chile de arbol.'' Other than that, there are more than one dozen industries that produce hot sauces that are utilized in many ways in Mexican households.

Agriculture: Includes corn, sorghum, oats, chili, beans, and peaches. Commerce: Establishments dedicated to the sale of products of necessity and mixed businesses that sell diverse goods Industry: The main activity is technology and manufacturing Services: Many are provided: professional, financial, administrative, technical, social, tourist, personal, and maintenance Forestry: Oak plants Mining: Deposits of manganese exist Fishing: Carp and tilapia are captured.

Cultural and tourist attractions

Architecture
Main square plaza
* Toledo hotel * Benito Juárez theater * Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel Catholic church (pictured to the right)

Restaurants

* Sushido
La HierbaBuena
* Gabacho's Pizzeria Yahualica * NUS * La Pequeña Italia
Stella-Maris
* El Herradero Waterpark
Sun and Water Resort
This resort complex, which opened in 2011, offers recreational areas with slides, a water boat, an event terrace and a snack area. The resort's ''Hotel Sun and Water'' is walking distance from the waterpark. The resort's restaurant, ''La Gran Laguna'' serves meats and fresh seafood in a variety of plates, and offers a view of the entire resort.

Sports

Yahualica has a soccer/futbol team in the Third Division of Mexico, Club Deportivo De Los Altos. ''El Club Deportivo Gallos'' is the soccer team that represents the municipality in Third Division of Mexico, local and state tournaments.

People from Yahualica

* José González Gallo, politician *

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 ...

, Roman Catholic cardinal * Antonio Martínez, footballer *

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 ...

, footballer

Yahualica in fiction

Yahualica is the setting for the novel ''Al filo del agua'', written by

Agustín Yáñez Agustín Yáñez Delgadillo (May 4, 1904 in Guadalajara, Jalisco – January 17, 1980 in Mexico City) was a Mexican writer and politician who served as Governor of Jalisco and Secretary of Public Education during Gustavo Díaz Ordaz's preside ...

Government

Municipal presidents

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yahualica de Gonzalez Gallo Municipalities of Jalisco