Jalisco

=__The Mexican State of Jalisco__ =  Cecily Devoto

 The state of Jalisco is located in the central/western region in Mexico. Its capital city is Guadalajara The western part of the state borders the Pacific Ocean, the south with Colima, the north with Nayarit, Zacatecas, and Aguascalientes, and the east with the states Michoacan and Guanajuato. In the south part of Jalisco, there are two Volcanos – Volcan Nevada de Colima and the Colima Volcano. Jalisco also has many mountains that peak over the areas surrounding. To the west, Jalisco is part of the Pacific hydrological basin, which includes many rivers. Jalisco also contains the largest lagoon in Mexico – La Laguna de Chapala. Because of the different altitudes that are present in Jalisco, the climate is also quite varied. This varied climate allows the different regions of Jalisco to thrive in their own way. In the sierras region, there are lush forests. On the Pacific coast, palm trees dominate, and in the central region of Jalisco the plant agave thrives. (Jalisco, Geography).  ** Historical: ** In Jalisco, there existed many Mexican Indians during pre-hispanic times. However, because there was a large displacement of the indigenous peoples in Jalisco around the beginning of the 1500’s, it is hard to say much about the indigenous peoples who lived in the Jalisco region. There were many instances in which the Mexican Indians tried to drive out the Spaniards, but they did not prevail; the Spaniards drove many of the Mexican Indians into slavery. There were four main reasons for the displacement of the Indigenous peoples in Jalisco: 1) From 1529-1530 Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán campaigned throughout Jalisco trying to scare the Indigenous into not revolting. Often Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán and his troops would kill, enslave, and torture. 2) From 1541-1542 there was an indigenous uprising called the Mixtón Rebellion. It was an attempt to get all of the Spaniards out of Nueva Galicia (Jalisco). 3) The Spaniards tried to form alliances with the indigenous groups of Jalisco, thus weakening the population of indigenous. 4) Disease (smallpox) ran through the region, and none of the indigenous peoples were immune to it. However, most of the Spaniards were. (Schmal).
 *  Geography: **

Many different things have originated in Jalisco. The area is culture-rich and people from Jalisco are very proud of their roots. One of the most popular drinks in the world comes from Jalisco, Tequila. No doubt, Tequila is the national drink of Mexico and it is a source of national pride. Tequila can only be made in Jalisco, and that makes it special to the area. Another thing that has originated from Jalisco is the Mariachi bands and music. The origins of the name Mariachi and the music itself are very hard to trace. The indigenous people from Jalisco did make instruments, but there is no direct correlation between the indigenous and the music. In Jalisco there are many popular dances as well that originate from the area. One such dance is the Jarabe Tapatio, the national dance of Mexico, is always present in the northern region of Jalisco. (Collins). 
 *  Cultural: **

 Sources: "Jalisco Geography." __Jalisco __. 1996. Department of Public Education. 1 Dec 2008 < http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/explora/html/jalisco/geografia.html >. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 70%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Schmal, John. "History of Mexico - Indigenous Jalisco." __Houston Institute for Culture__. 2004. John P. Schmal. 5 Dec 2008 <http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/jalisco_indig.html>. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">Collins, Camille. "History of Mariachi." __<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mexico Connect __<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">. 2004. 2 Dec 2008 < <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/guadalajara/marhis.html <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">>.