Uriangato
Uriangato is a city and one of 46 municipalities of Guanajuato, located just north of the border between the states of Guanajuato and Michoacán in west central Mexico. Uriangato city is geographically united with Moroleon city and Yuriria city, these three cities form a metropolitan area. Since October 2010, this metropolitan area is the 75th biggest city of Mexico and the 5th biggest in Guanajuato. It is smallest of the 56 metropolitan areas in Mexico.
According to the United Nations/PNUD, in 2005 Uriangato was a municipality of High Human Development, with an index of 0.8147. This puts Uriangato at 432nd place in the country and 8th in all Guanajuato state, in terms of quality of life.
An average person in Uriangato earned $8,607 US dollars during one year, which puts Uriangato in 365th place in the country and 12th place in Guanajuato state.
Uriangato, like all of Guanajuato state, is considered by CONAPO to be a High Migration Municipality, because more than 10% of its families receive money from their relatives in the United States. This situation has improved the quality of life in Uriangato, most of whose emigrants live in California, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New York.
Toponymy
Uriangato is the Spanish version of a Purepecha word that means "the place where the sunset occurs on top" or anapu-nani-hima-huriata-hari-jatzhicuni-anandini in Purepecha.History
Uriangato's land belonged to several native groups of Tarascos since the end of the 14th century. In 1597 Juan Ignacio Córcoles began to administer the Royal Certificate. Uriangato became part of Spain on February 20, 1604, by mandate of King Felipe III, who bestowed on it the official name of San Miguel de Uriangato. On November 19, 1845, the state congress of Guanajuato designated it as a Town, and in 1951 the local Congress granted it the title City of Uriangato.Pre-Hispanic age
In pre-Hispanic times Uriangato was inhabited by native Purhépechas. At the beginning of the 15th century Uriangato and its environs were a territory between the Chichimecas and Purépechas whose opposing three kingdoms were located in what is today the State of Michoacán. The territory of Uriangato comprised the North border of the three Señoríos Tarascos; the "Great Chichimeca," named by the Spanish conquerors, began to the north of the Lerma River. The Spanish conquest of the New World left an indelible mark with the establishment of an indigenous population in the region.Settlement
San Miguel Uriangato was founded in 1549 with the aim of improving natives' quality of life under the guidance of Fray Diego de Chávez.On June 3, 1701 the Spanish Virrey granted protection to the Mayor and the settlers of San Miguel Uriangato. In 1790 construction began on the Church's “two Towers,” where the Sanctuary of Lady of Guadalupe is located today. In 1804 Mayor Jose Dionisio Vallejo, as well as Juan Vallejo Bautista, asked the government for 600 varas for each cardinal point, the equivalent of the municipality of Yuriria today. Subsequently, new lands were annexed when the citizens of Yuriria observed the advantages of belonging to nearby San Miguel Uriangato. Land was similarly annexed by Moroleón's first inhabitants from Uriangato to form Moroleón's new municipality.
From Independence to Mexican Revolution (1810-1910)
In 1810 an insurgent army commanded by the priest Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla arrived at Uriangato, on the road to Valladolid—now known as Morelia—comprising the so-called Route of Independence—today route 2010.Early 20th century
On December 10, 1908 the town of Uriangato officially became a Villa, by Decree Number 6 of XXIII, the Congress of the State. On November 9, 1951, the XLI Legislature of Guanajuato state's Congress declared Uriangato a City. By the end of 1908 the Kiosco of the Main Garden was constructed, and a year later street cars linked the Towns of Uriangato and Moroleón. Up until that time Uriangato's perimeter consisted of the following streets: 16 of September, Insurgente Olivares, Salvador Urrutia and Lerdo.On June 24, 1918 the Heroic Defense of Uriangato was carried out against the notorious local bandit J. Inés Chávez García. García was typical of many Post-Revolutionary bandits who assaulted Mexican towns at that time. In 1919 a clock was added to the tower of San Miguel Arcángel church, whose construction was completed on November 10, 1923.
Textile industry beginnings
The production of rebozos energized the textile industry by the middle of the 20th century in Uriangato and Moroleón. Little by little people took to producing handmade artesanal sweaters, blouses and shirts woven with a hook needle. The 1960s saw Uriangato's first clothing factories. Many textiles produced in Uriangato were sold in other Mexican cities. Nevertheless, due to the great demand for Uriangato-made clothing, the first street market was installed by the 1980s. The tianguis characterizes Uriangato all over México and elsewhere. It has contributed greatly to the progress and improvement of Uriangatenses' quality of life. Nearly sixty-percent of Uriangatenses work in the clothing business.21st century
In 2003 the Congress of the State issued Decree 204, which ordered that Moroleón return to Uriangato of land located from the present borderline to the community of "El Salto." This decree was vetoed on August 7, 2003 by the Governor of Guanajuato Juan Carlos Romero Hicks with the aim of avoiding social unrest.In 2004 the construction of the Aldama vestibule and the remodeling of Uriangato's historical downtown were completed, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Uriangato's legal foundation. The festivities were accompanied by a light and sound show, as well as a folkloric ballet presentation directed by Amalia Hernandez.
On July 17, 2008 the first mall in the region opened: Metropolitan Galleries, including a supermarket, a 7-part movie theater, a fast-food court, bank, and several stores providing a variety of services and merchandise—as well as a large parking lot.
Geography
Uriangato is located in the southern area of Guanajuato state. It has an elevation of above sea level, its coordinates are: north 20°12' N, south 20°02' N, East 101°05' W, west 101°13' W. Its area is which represents 0.41% of the area of Guanajuato state.Municipal subdivisions by locality
Uriangato has 19 localities; these are classified as 1 city, Uriangato, and 18 towns: The Derramadero, The Aguacate, the Rodriguez, the Zavala, the Lagunilla del rico, the Peonía, the Cinta, Portalitos, Buenavista, San Jóse Cuaracurío, Lagunilla del Encinal, the Comal, the Charco, Rancho del Cerro, Charándaro, the Presa, Cupuato and Huahuemba.Neighborhoods in Uriangato city
Uriangato city has several neighborhoods, the most important are: Downtown, Plan de Ayala, Lázaro Cárdenas, Las Aguilillas, La Joyita, Cuitzillo, Juárez, La deseada de Arriba, La deseada de abajo, the Missions, Emiliano Zapata, Deportiva, Lindavista, 24 de Junio, Loma Bonita, San Miguel, Loma Linda, Las Peñitas, Agrícola, Magisterial, Revolution, Loma Linda, Independencia, Francisco Villa, Rome, La Yacata, La Mesa, Los Laurels, Pedregal, La Manga del Pirul, La Venadita, La Mora, Los Pinos, Textil Bedolla, among others currently becoming urbanized.Limits
On the east and the north Uriangato shares borders with Yuriria, on the west with Moroleón, and on the south with the municipalities of Cuitzeo and Santa Ana Maya in Michoacán state. Uriangato is located midway between Cuitzeo's lake and Yuriria's lake.Metropolitan area Uriangato-Moroleón
The border between Uriangato and Moroleón begins at 24 de Junio and Lindavista behind the Sanctuary of Guadalupe. From there the border descends by Aquiles Serdán St. from the Sanctuary of Guadalupe to Jaime Nunó St. or Miguel Martinez St. ; both municipalities are separated by a single street with different names: Pípila or Alvaro Obregón in the central area that street are named 5 de Febrero or Nezahualcóyotl. The locally famous borderline between 16 de Septiembre St. or Colón St. continues with 16 de Septiembre St. or 12 de Octubre St. Further south Prolongación Madero St. becomes Dr. García de Alba St.. Elsewhere, borderlines are in dispute, mainly in the friendship zone turnaround, where Blvd. Morelos is also known as Blvd. Agustín Leon.Hydrography
Uriangato is within the Hydrologic region Lerma-Chapala-Santiago that includes eastern portions of Mexico state, northern areas of Michoacán, southern parts of Guanajuato and Nayarit as well as northern and eastern sections of Jalisco. The hydrologic river basin which Uriangato belongs to is Cuenca Lagos de Pátzcuaro-Cuitzeo-Yuriria. The main current is Huahuemba's river. The river issues forth from the confluence of two streams: Uriangato river which comes from Cuitzeo's lake and Moroleón river which comes from downtown Moroleón and crosses the Aurrerá's mall on 12 de Octubre St. Both rivers are united north of the Municipal Auditorium near Blvd. Juárez.Uriangato's underground water-bearing mantles are one of the biggest in Guanajuato state. The underground hydraulic resources belong to Sub-region Middle Lerma, which includes more of 80% of the municipality surface in Uriangato..
Orography
Uriangato is located in the southern region of the Bajío, a level area dotted with hills. The main hills are the "Cerro del Comal", the "Cerro del Capulín" and the "Cerro Prieto". The soil is mainly black chernozem with some chesnut-colored soil accompanying it. The soil is considered one of the richest for agriculture in all MexicoThe annual precipitation average is.
Climate
The weather is temperate pretty much all year, with moderate rains in summer and winter. Temperatures vary between. In 2008 a minimum temperature of was registered on January 4 and a maximum temperature of on May 4.Winds are light, fluctuating between 0 and. The maximum sustained winds registered in 2008 was on February 5, and maximum gusts were on February 4–6. Uriangato isn't affected by extreme meteorological phenomena because it is located between two mountain ranges. Source: Meteorological service Nacional/CNA.