Tonalá (Jalisco)

Tonalá
Coordinates: 20 ° 27 ′  N , 103 ° 14 ′  W Tonalá​ Tonalá on the map of Jalisco
Basic data
Country	Mexico
State	Jalisco
Municipio	Tonalá
Residents	463,400  (2019)
City insignia
Detailed data
surface	120 km 2
Population density	3,862 inhabitants / km 2
height	1540  m
Time zone	UTC −6

Tonalá is a city in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco in Mexico . It forms the capital of the Municipio Tonalá . With 463,400 inhabitants (2019) it is the fourth largest city in the state. The other three are the other major metropolitan areas: Guadalajara, Zapopan, and Tlaquepaque .

The name of the city comes from the Nahuatl word Tonallán. The meaning is place where the sun rises .

Location and climate

The city is located in the eastern part of the state at an average altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. The climate is semi-arid with the driest months being winter and spring. It is semi-warm without a pronounced winter with around six days a year with temperatures below or at the freezing point. Most of the annual precipitation (900 mm) falls between July and October. The prevailing winds come from the east.

history

When Nuño de Guzmán and the Spaniards arrived in 1530, the city was the capital of a small state ruled by a woman named Cihualpilli Tzapotzinco . The leaders of the state disagreed on how to respond to the foreigners. Cihualpilli did not want to defend itself because of the Spanish overwhelming power, but the local leaders, especially those from Coyolan, Ichcatán, Tzalatitán and Tetlán, wanted to resist. Cihualpilli sent gifts to Guzmán, who not only demanded more, but also demanded loyalty to the Spanish king. About 3,000 dissidents then gathered and attacked the Spaniards. This ended after a battle lasting several hours with a Spanish victory on March 25, 1530. Cihualpilli was baptized in the name of Juana Bautista. The area was renamed Nueva Galicia and the city Santiago de Tonalá.

The new province was originally ruled by Diego Vazquez Buendia and remained the main settlement in the region until Guadalajara was founded in 1535. The evangelization was built by the Franciscans and Augustinians carried out until the beginning of the 17th century.

In 1824 the Tonalá officially became a city and then subordinated to Zapotlanejo that same year .

economy

The most visible economic activity is handicrafts , especially pottery . Along with Tlaquepaque, the city is an important center for these industries in Jalisco. The city has been a ceramic center since pre-Hispanic times. It has a Thursday and Sunday handicraft market.

Unlike Tlaquepaque, the town of Tonalá is not geared towards tourists with the hotels, restaurants and quaint streets associated with it. Even so, it had thousands of visitors each week, most of whom were drawn to the street market, or “tianguis,” which is held every Thursday and Sunday.

Culture

One of the most important folk festivals is the Fiestas de Sol (Sun Festival), which takes place in the first half of April. It features handicrafts from all over Jalisco as well as traditional dancing, food, parades, queen elections, cultural and musical events, and much more. The Santa Cruz Festival takes place in May and is marked by processions in the neighborhoods where crosses are carried. The St. James , the patron saint of the city, is celebrated on 25 July. This event is marked by the dance of the Matachinen and the Tastoanes, which only takes place here. The Tastoanes dance symbolized the battles between the indigenous people and the conquerors in the 16th century.

In 2013, the local government opened an exhibition hall and museum in the building called Tonalá Puebla-Museo to promote local crafts, arts and culture.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jalisco (Mexico): State & Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather, and Web Information. Retrieved February 3, 2020 . 
2. ↑ Tonalá | Gobierno del Estado de Jalisco. Retrieved February 3, 2020 . 
3. ^ Mariana Jaime: Será Tonalá Pueblo-Museo . In: Mural , September 12, 2013, p. 5.