Mexican Lowlands El Bajío | |
|---|---|
Region | |
       .jpg) Templo Expiatorio (León), panoramic ofQuerétaro City, panoramic ofGuanajuato,Aguascalientes capitol, Colonial town ofLagos de Moreno, Public library of the College of St. Nicholas (Morelia), panoramic ofGuadalajara, downtownZacatecas | |
 El Bajío outlined in red | |
 | |
| Coordinates:20°28′24″N101°12′02″W / 20.473335°N 101.200562°W /20.473335; -101.200562 | |
| Country | Mexico |
| States | Guanajuato,Aguascalientes, parts ofQuerétaro,Jalisco,Zacatecas,San Luis Potosí,Michoacan |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
• Total | 18,293,446 |
| Largest city | León |
TheBajío (theLowlands) is a cultural and geographical region within thecentral Mexican plateau which roughly spans from northwest ofMexico City to the main silver mines in the northern-central part of the country. This includes (from south to north) the states ofQuerétaro,Guanajuato, parts ofJalisco (Centro,Los Altos de Jalisco),Aguascalientes and parts ofZacatecas,San Luis Potosí andMichoacán.
Located at the border betweenMesoamerica andAridoamerica, El Bajío saw relatively few permanent settlements and big civilizations duringPre-Columbian history, being mostly inhabited by theOtomi and semi-nomadic tribes known to theAztecs as the "Chichimeca" peoples (poorly attested conglomerate ofUto-Nahua groups, from whom theToltec and the Aztecs were probably descended). The tribes that inhabited the Bajío proved to be some of the hardest to conquer for the Spanish—peace was ultimately achieved via truce and negotiation—but due to its strategic location in theSilver Route, it also drew prominent attention from Europe, and some of the flagship Mexican colonial cities were built there, such asZacatecas andGuanajuato. Abundant mineral wealth and favorable farming conditions would soon turn the region into the wealthiest of New Spain. At the beginning of the 19th century, El Bajío was also the place of the ignition of the MexicanWar of Independence, and saw most of its battles during the initial phase of the war, including theCry of Dolores, thestorming of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas and theBattle of Calderón Bridge.
Nowadays, the region features one of the strongest economies in Mexico and Latin America, drawing both domestic investment from the adjacent, industry-heavyState of Mexico, as well as foreign companies seeking cheap specialized labor and decent infrastructure[2] (mostly American, Japanese and to some extent, European vehicle and electronics companies).[3][4][5][6] The largest cities of the Bajío areGuadalajara,León,Santiago de Querétaro, andAguascalientes.[7]
The Bajío rose to world prominence during the three centuries of colonial rule, providing much of the mineral and agricultural wealth of theSpanish Empire.[8] As such, it was also the birthplace of theMexican War of Independence, during whichcriollo elites long established in the Bajío gathered the masses to revolt againstNapoleonic rule in Spain, seen as a threat to the established order in America.
Recent archeological studies have discovered an extensive historic cultural tradition that is unique to the region, particularly along the flood plains of theLerma and theLaja Rivers. The Bajío Culture flourished from 300 to 650CE, with cultural centers ranging fromEl Cóporo in the far north of Guanajuato toPlazuelas in the far southwest.[9] More than 1,400 sites have been discovered throughout the state of Guanajuato, with only the sites ofCañada de la Virgen,El Cóporo,Peralta, andPlazuelas having received extensive study.
The Bajio from pre-Columbian times is best remembered from theChichimeca nations, the name given by theMexicas to a group of indigenous chiefdoms without clear states, boundaries or dwelling places, who inhabited the center and north of the country,[10][8] such asGuachichiles,Guamares,Pames,Tecuexes, among others.[11]
By 1536 the Spanish and theOtomí leaderConín had founded the multi-ethnic city ofSantiago de Querétaro. On the dawn of European expansion with the expedition ofNuño de Guzmán and the Spanish acquisition of thePurepecha Empire after 1530, the region north of the limits ofMesoamerican civilization was also known as the GreatChichimeca, and was the epicenter of theChichimeca War in the 16th century. The Chichimeca War confronted theHoly Roman Empire andHabsburg Europe at large underCharles V against the native chiefdoms of theCaxcans, theZacatecs, theGuamares and other nomadicUto-Nahuan peoples, with the goal of conquering their lands andexploiting silver discovered between 1540 and 1590. The resulting economic activity would quickly become the economic engine of theKingdom of New Galicia, and theViceroyalty of New Spain at large, serving as a pivotal hub for world commerce between Europe and Asia (seeGlobal silver trade from the 16th to 19th centuries).[8][12]
Valladolid (today Morelia),Guadalajara, among other cities were often founded with the goal to contain the "barbarian" tribes and protect Spanish families. The discovery of the mines of Zacatecas and Guanajuato, on the other hand, caused a high arrival of Spanish andTlaxcaltec people to the area, which led to the founding of towns such asSan Miguel el Grande (1542),Celaya (1571),Zamora (1574)Aguascalientes (1575) andLeón (1576),Durango,Chihuahua,Santa Fe Nuevo México: the so-calledSilver Route of the Spanish treasure fleet.[11] Meanwhile, king Philip II of Spain orchestrated most of theCounter-Reformation in Europe and theFourth Ottoman–Venetian War in large part with the wealth provided by settlers, indigenous people and African slaves from the American colonial enterprise centered at the Bajío andPotosí, Bolivia. For much of the 16th century, the Bajío was characterized by its coming and going of cattle fromQuerétaro andLake Chapala, by the ongoing silver rush and by the "warlike spirit" arising from the Chichimeca War,[11]which culminated with severe reductions in Chichimeca populations due to war andsmallpox. The Chichimecas were reduced to a few settlements in the highlands or immersed in the new order.[8]
Throughout the 17th century, cities such asIrapuato,Salamanca andSalvatierra were founded, which, together with the large cities of the Bajío (Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Valladolid or Nueva Michoacán), experienced little population growth. It was not until the 18th century that there was a rise in population throughout New Spain, especially in the Bajío, which came hand in hand with high urban development.[11] However, the greatest boom occurred in the economic sphere.[8] It was the Bajío that provided meat, grains and manufacturing to the mining areas of the West, North Central, North Mexico and, later, toMexico City itself.[11]
Duringthe Enlightenment, the prosperity of the Bajío was produced through a distinguished institutional format (such as thehacienda, slavery, peonage, etc.),[11] an institutional format also very present in cities and towns in the Bajío in the form of schools, colleges and seminaries (seeList of colonial universities in Hispanic America).[11] TheCollege of Saint Nicholas (1540), theUniversity of Guanajuato (1732) and theUniversity of Guadalajara (1792) can be traced back to this era.
Thewar that led to the independence of New Spain has roots in its academic life, mainly in the classrooms of theJesuits andOratorians of the Bajío.[11] In urban centers since the end of the 18th century, conspiracies were organized, and from 1810 onwards insurgents emerged who supported the independence cause; earning the Bajío the title of cradle of the Mexican Independence.[11]Miguel Hidalgo,Ignacio Allende, theAldama brothers,Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez,José María Morelos among other figures of the early phase ofMexican Independence were born and lived in the Bajío. On September 13 1810,Epigmenio González was taken prisoner, who had an arsenal of weapons destined for the insurgency. On the 15th, the corregidor of Querétaro,Miguel Domínguez, and his wife,Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, were arrested. Some historians claim that she managed to send a message to CaptainIgnacio Allende andMiguel Hidalgo, through Ignacio Pérez, a member of her militia who rode to San Miguel el Grande (todaySan Miguel de Allende) to inform those who would start the Mexican War of Independence that the conspiracy had been discovered. The most remembered event occurred in the early morning of September 16, 1810. In a small town called Dolores (todayDolores Hidalgo), father Miguel Hidalgo (born inPénjamo) and his fellow insurgents rose up in arms against the viceregal regime, launching the famousCry of Dolores.
In 1847 the city ofQuerétaro was named the capital of Mexico after Mexico City wasinvaded by the United States.[13] On May 30, 1848, theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, forcing Mexico to lose the northern half of its territory in exchange for ending the occupation of Mexico City and the main Mexican ports such asVeracruz.
In 1867, two battles were fought between the Republican armies ofBenito Juárez andFrench-Imperial armies atCerro de las Campanas, during theSiege of Querétaro.Maximilian of Austria (emperor of Mexico) was captured, tried and sentenced, being shot on June 19 at Cerro de las Campanas, along with the Mexican generalsMiguel Miramón andTomás Mejía.
In the Bajío in April 1915, during theMexican Revolution, GeneralÁlvaro Obregón provoked decisive battles againstPancho Villa, whose troops lost in June that year outside the city ofCelaya, in theState of Guanajuato.
TheAguascalientes Convention was a meeting that took place during the Mexican Revolution, convened on October 1, 1914 byVenustiano Carranza, first head of theConstitutionalist Army, under the name of "Great Convention of Military Chiefs in Command of Forces and Governors of the States", and whose initial sessions took place in theChamber of Deputies in Mexico City. Although, later, they were moved toAguascalientes, after which the convention is named, and was held from October 10 to November 9, 1914. TheZapatistas did not enter the Convention from the beginning.
On February 2 of 1916 the third and currentConstitution of Mexico was signed at theTheater of the Republic, inQuerétaro. The city was again named provisional capital of the country, this time by PresidentVenustiano Carranza, and for the duration of the Constitutional Convention.[14]
TheCristero War was fought mainly in the Bajío, in areas of the states of Michoacán, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Querétaro and Aguascalientes. The leadership of the movement, close to theCatholic Church, believed that a military solution to the conflict was viable. In January 1927, the stockpiling of weapons began. The first guerrillas were made up of peasants. Support for the armed groups grew. More and more people joined the proclamations of "Long live Christ the King!" and "Long live Saint Mary of Guadalupe!". The origin of the noun Cristero is disputed. There are those who believe that it was the Cristeros themselves who first used the name to identify themselves. But there are researchers of the phenomenon, such as Jean Meyer, who believe that, in its origins, it was a derogatory expression, used by agents of the federal government. The Cristeros were able to quickly articulate a series of local rebellions against the "Sonora Group", a name created after the Sonoran presidentsAdolfo de la Huerta,Álvaro Obregón andPlutarco Elías Calles.
The Bajío region lies in the basins of theRio Lerma andRío Grande de Santiago. The valleys of theLerma-Chapala basin are the result of volcanic activity during thePliocene geological period and theQuaternary period, which at one time produced large inland lakes due to the obstruction of the outflow of their waters.[15]
With an area over 50 000 km2, and a moderately variable topology, distinct subregions within the Bajío can offer microclimates ranging from thetemperate to thehumid subtropical or drysteppes. The highest peak in the Bajío isSiete Cruces, in thestate of Guanajuato, with an elevation of 3053 m.
In general the region is usually associated with the States of Guanajuato and Querétaro, even though those two states form only a part of the Bajío. It is now characterized by its highly mechanized agriculture, with mean precipitation in the order of 700 millimeters (28 in) per annum (one of the highest in the country). During theViceroyalty of New Spain, the area was known as the breadbasket of the territory. As of 2014, the region producessorghum,wheat andmaize as its main crops.
| State | Aguascalientes | Guanajuato | Jalisco | Michoacan | Querétaro |
| Seal |  |  |  |  |  |
| Capital | Aguascalientes | Guanajuato | Guadalajara | Morelia | Querétaro |
Secondary states sometimes considered as partly contributing to El Bajío or enclosing it:Michoacán,Zacatecas,San Luis Potosí andEstado de México (State of Mexico).
| Rank | City | State | Population (2020) | Metro Area (2020) | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | Jalisco | 1,460,148 | 5,268,642 |  |
| 2 | León | Guanajuato | 1,721,199 | 2,140,354 |  |
| 3 | Santiago de Querétaro | Querétaro | 1,049,777 | 1,594,212 |  |
| 4 | San Luis Potosí | San Luis Potosí | 845,941 | 1,243,980 | .jpg) |
| 5 | Aguascalientes | Aguascalientes | 863,893 | 1,140,916 |  |
| 6 | Morelia | Michoacan | 849,053 | 1,060,708 |  |
| 7 | Celaya | Guanajuato | 378,143 | 767,104 | .jpg) |
| 8 | Irapuato | Guanajuato | 452,090 | 529,979 |  |
| 9 | Zacatecas | Zacatecas | 138,444 | 405,285 |  |
| 10 | San Juan del Río | Querétaro | 177,719 | 402,112 |  |
| 11 | Zamora | Michoacán | 154,546 | 273,641 |  |
| 12 | Salamanca | Guanajuato | 160,682 | 273,417 |  |
| 13 | Guanajuato | Guanajuato | 73,237 | 194,500 |  |
| 14 | Tepatitlán de Morelos | Jalisco | 98,842 | 150,190 |  |
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.[16][17][18] The region has had an outstanding industrial and economic development in the last 15 years. The cities of El Bajío have one of the highest income per capita figures in Mexico.[19]
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El Bajio has long been a hub for the national industrial market, because it naturally sits between Mexico's three main cities:Mexico City to the southeast,Guadalajara to the west andMonterrey to the northeast.[20] The region has attracted foreign companies due to its relative proximity to the United States, second only in American manufacturing plants to the Mexico-US border. Faster access to port cities such asManzanillo,Tampico andVeracruz compared to border cities is also attractive for Asian and European markets. The main investor was Japan, although the United States, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy and Spain also have important presence in the area.[20][21] It is estimated that, by 2016, Asianforeign direct investment totaled over 1.5 billion dollars.Guanajuato (León-Silao andCelaya) hostsGeneral Motors,Pirelli,Honda,Toyota,Mazda,Denso,Mitsubishi, andSumitomo plants.Aguascalientes hostsNissan,Renault,Mercedes,Yazaki andJatco plants.Querétaro hostsMitsubishi,Samsung,Bombardier andSafran plants.San Luis Potosí hostsBMW andYazaki.[20] TheState of Mexico (Cuautitlán Izcalli) hosts aFord plant.
Bajío Shimbun is a monthly, Japanese-language newspaper founded in June 2015.[22] The first Japanese consulate was inaugurated in January 2016 inLeón to serve the Bajío region.[23] As of 2017 there were 1143 Japanese, 294 United-Statesians and 200 Spanish legal immigrants in Aguascalientes according to the immigration authorities, although the total number of immigrants is thought to be much higher.[24] In 2015, authorities reported a total of 6230 legally-registered immigrants in the state ofQuerétaro, most of them from the United States, Spain, Colombia, South Korea, Germany, Cuba, France, Canada, Japan and Venezuela.[25]
Now archetypal in the development plans of the local governments, these business partnerships with multinational corporations have been criticized for exploiting Mexico's weak labor laws and low wages,[26][27] lacking long-term potential of benefiting the local population and for outsourcing jobs out of their countries of origin.[28]
Due to its colonial heritage, the Bajío is home to around eightUNESCO World Heritage Sites (depending on how its limits are defined):
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(May 2025) |
The Bajío is known for being the cradle ofMexican independence from theSpanish Empire, and for being one of the conservative bastions ofMexican Catholicism.
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