Guadalajara, Jalisco

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This article is about the Mexican city of Guadalajara. For other meanings, see Guadalajara

Guadalajara is a large city in the Western-Pacific region of Mexico, located at 20°67′ N 103°35′ W. Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco.

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It is the second most populous city in Mexico, with an estimated population of 4,640,000 people in 2004. The Guadalajara metropolitan area also includes the municipalities of Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, Tonalá, Tlajomulco, and Ixtlahuacán. The estimated population of the metropolitan area was 8.9 million in 2004.

Guadalajara is known as La Perla del Occidente (Spanish for "Pearl of the West"), la Perla Tapatía ("tapatío" is an informal adjective of origin for people and things from Guadalajara) and, Ciudad de las Rosas. The city is also the birthplace of mariachi music and charreadas. The name of the city originates from the Arabic Wad-al-hidjara, meaning "River Running Between Rocks". The city refers to itself as the Silicon Valley of Mexico. Such high-technology companies as General Electric, IBM, Hitachi, and Hewlett Packard have facilities in the city or its suburbs.

The Universidad de Guadalajara, the state's public university, has its headquarters here. Guadalajara is home to three popular soccer teams: Chivas, Atlas and Tecos.

Guadalajara is served by Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport.

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Contents

American Capital of Culture

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On 28 October 2004 it was announced that Guadalajara was to be the American Capital of Culture for 2005.

Megaproyects

There are four megaproyect currently under development in Guadalajara:

The Guggenheim Museum: Has a location decided and was ok'd by the local government.

Torrena: The largest cultural and economical center in the city, currently under construction.

JVC Center: A huge complex of cultural-oriented buildings and malls. Only a proyect as of now.

Universidad de Guadalajara: The university is divided into 6 theme oriented campus spread all over the city:

CUCS (Health: Medicine, Psychology...)

CUCEI (Sciences: Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanics...)

CUCEA (Economics: Business, Economics, International Commerce...)

CUCSH (Social Studies: Law, Philosophy, Sociology...)

CUAAD (Arts: Music, Architecture, Interior Design, Graphic Design...)

CUCBA (Natural Sciences: Biology, Veterinary) and 5 other campus located across the state.

The proyect is to gather the 6 CU's and locate them in only one mega-complex created from scratch, so it will be a huge tast to move ALL the buildings of 6 campus and adding new buildings like housing facilities (non-existent as of now).

Disaster

Guadalajara is also famous for the great disaster of April 22, 1992, which took place in the downtown district of Analco. Numerous gas explosions in the sewer system during a period of four hours destroyed kilometers of the streets, in particular, Gante street was the most damaged.

The first cause of the disaster was pipeline plated with zinc that was occluding in a humid environment with a steel gasoline pipeline. Both of them corroded, and gasoline leaked through the holes, right into the main sewer.

The second cause of the disaster was a U-shaped siphon in the sewer needed to duck under a recently built underground railway. The design allowed fluids to pass through, but also blocked the fumes. There should have been a siphon for the fumes passing over the underground railway.

Inhabitants were complaining for several days about a heavy gasoline smell, but despite the measurements and the imminent threat of explosion, the authorities refused to evacuate.

Officially 206 people were killed, nearly 500 injured and 15,000 were left homeless. The affected area can even be recognized by the more modern architecture, in sheer contrast with the surrounding area, with much older buildings.

Guadalajara is a site of major seismological activity with a high-scale earthquake occurring about every 80 years.

Cultural centers and Icons

Guadalajara is the second oldest "city" on México (Charles V gave Guadalajara that title after being founded), therefore is filled with ancient buildings.

Catedral Metropolitana de Guadalajara: It's located on Avenida Alcalde (the main Street), it's the most important icon of the city, and head of the Catholic Church in the State.

Plaza de Armas: (Arms Square) On the south side of the Cathedral, is the main square and served as a scenery for many important moments in Mexican History. On the center is a beautiful Art Deco Kiosk bought in France for the centenial of the Mexican War of Independence, the pillars are semi-nude women carrying musical instruments, and on the base of each one is written the inscription: Voltaire St. 5-D Paris, France.

On each corner of the square there's a statue representing one of the four seasons.

The Square, as most of the city, went through a mayor overhaul when it hosted the "Summit of State Heads of Latin America and the Carribean".

Rotonda de los hombres Ilustres: Located on the Noth side of the Cathedral, serves as a mausoleum for the most important politics, writers, artists and teachers born in the city.

Plaza de La Liberación: (Freedoom Square) On the East side of the Cathedral, serves as a multipurpouse scenery for outdoor shows, political campaigns and all sorts of cultural events. receives it's name over the fact that Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla abolished slavery while he was on the Palacio de Gobierno on the South side of the square. It's surrounded by the Teatro Degollado, Palacio de Gobierno, Catedral, The school of Music, The Church of Saint Agustin and the Supreme Court.

Teatro Degollado: (Degollado Theater) Named after the Governor who ordered it's construction, it's the most important cultural reference on the city, build during the government of President Porfirio Díaz because of the lack of a proper city Theater, it hosted some of the most important events and parties of the pre-revolutionary Guadalajara, during the Mexican Belle-Epoque.

Plaza Fundadores: (Founder's Square) Behind the Teatro Degollado, is the spot where the spanish gathered to found a new city they called "Guadalajara", nowadays it serves as a reminder of the city's spanish heritage.

Teatro Diana: (Diana's Theater) Formerly known as "Cine Diana" (Movietheater: Diana), the Movietheater fell out of business in the 70's and was left abandoned until in 2000 the Universidad de Guadalajara bought it and rebuilt it to create the largest Theater in the city.

Expo Guadalajara: Another building owned by the University, it is the largest and most modern multipurpouse area which every year in november hosts the FIL (International Book Fair), and in april Papirolas (a children-oriented fair). It's located a few blocks from Plaza del Sol, the Guadalajara's World Trade Center and across the street from the Guadalajara Expo Hilton.

Plaza del Sol: (Sun's Plaza) The largest outdoor Mall in the city, it's located on one of the main economic centers of the city.

Torrena: Located next to Plaza del Sol, it will open in 2007 as the largest comercial and cultural center in the city.

The Minerva: A monument on the center of a fountain, with an oversized calendar made out of flowers, it welcomes tourists coming from Zapopan, and guards the Arcos de Guadalajara, one of the main entrances to the city, located on Avenida Vallarta. The main figure is a giant representation of Minerva with a full armor on, holding a spear and a shield with Medusa's Head.

Galerias Guadalajara: Finished in 2004, it's the largest, most modern and most elitist mall for the snobs in the city. Considered by some to be the local symbol of capitalism (that and, unnecesary shopping), it emulates american shopping malls by holding only the most expensive and exclusive brands of clothing, food and home accesories.

See also

External links

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