Chapala
| Chapala | ||
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Coordinates: 20 ° 17 ′ N , 103 ° 11 ′ W Chapala on the map of Jalisco
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| Basic data | ||
| Country | Mexico | |
| State | Jalisco | |
| Municipio | Chapala | |
| Residents | 21,596 (2010) | |
| City insignia | ||
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| Detailed data | ||
| height | 1539 m | |
| City Presidency | Joaquín Huerta Barrios | |
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Chapala is a city in the central Mexican state of Jalisco . It is located on the northern shore of Lake Chapala , Mexico's largest freshwater lake. At the 2010 census, the city had 21,596 inhabitants. Chapala, 45 km south-southeast of Guadalajara , is the largest town and administrative seat of a municipality of the same name .
history
There are several theories about the origin of the name Chapala. Most likely, the name is derived from Chapalac , the last chief of the Nahuatl- speaking indigenous people of the region. The Chapala settlement was given the title Villa de Chapala in 1824 , and an ayuntamiento was established in 1846 . In 1970 Chapala was declared a city.
Culture
Chapala has been attracting both Mexican and foreign tourists since the 1960s. The region is known for the mariachi music that comes from Jalisco.
tourism
Chapala and the lake of the same name are popular weekend getaway destinations for Guadalajara residents. Most of Chapala's foreign residents, especially US and Canadian retirees, do not live in the city itself, but in or near Ajijic , a village of around 10,000 people about 8 km west of Chapala. Many of them only spend the winter in the area and return to the north in the summer.
At the end of 2012 the Carretera Guadalajara - Jocotepec (kind of federal road) was completed. Since then, it has connected the metropolis of Jalisco (Guadalajara) with the city of Jocotepec (38,000 inhabitants) on Lake Chapala . The area around Jocotepec has now also become interesting for tourism thanks to the significantly reduced travel time of approx. 40 minutes. In addition to a waterfront promenade (Malecón), also newly built in 2012, large-scale residential complexes for weekend and long-term tourists are being built, the former coming from Guadalajara and the latter mainly from the USA, Canada but also from Europe.
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www3.inegi.org.mx/sistemas/iter/consultar_info.aspx
- ↑ Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México: Chapala (Spanish)
