History The state name derives from the name of its capital, Zacatecas. This word is derived from Nahuatl and means “where there is abundant zacate (grass)”. The state seal depicts the Cerro de la Bufa, a landmark of the capital, surrounded by...
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History Pre-Columbian era The origin of the first settlements has not been scientifically confirmed, although the presence of first humans in the area dates from the late Pleistoceneor ice age (about 10,000–12,000 years), according to the...
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History The Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva, along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo, first arrived in 1518 at the island later known as San Juan de Ulúa. The Spanish gave it that name because they landed on the Christian feast of John the Baptist...
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History The area known as Tlaxcala has officially been a number of different entities, from an indigenous kingdom during the Pre-Columbian era, a district of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain, a territory of the Republic of Mexico, and...
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History The area known as Tamaulipas has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years. Several different cultures (north coastal, south coastal, lowlands, and mountains) have come and gone during that period. Tamaulipas was originally populated by the...
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History Pre-Columbian period The origin of the name Tabasco is not definitively known, with a number of theories debated among linguists. The name appears in the chronicles of Bernal Díaz del Castillo during the conquest era, who says it comes...
Read moreState of Mexico (Origin and etymology, history, Spanish Colonial period, Independence, Mexican Revolution to present)
Origin and etymology Mēxihco was originally the Nahuatl name for the Valley of Mexico where in the cities of the Mexica (the proper name for the Aztec Triple Alliance) were located. As such, the district that became Mexico City was properly known...
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History Pre-Hispanic period Evidence of human existence in the state dates back over 10,000 years, with some of the best-known remains at the San Dieguito Complex in the El Pinacate Desert. The first humans were nomadic hunter gatherers who used...
Read moreSinaloa
History Prior to the coming of the Spaniards, much of Sinaloa was inhabited by the Cáhita peoples. In 1531, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán with a force of over 10,000 men, defeated a force of 30,000 Cáhita warriors at the site of Culiacán. Beltrán de...
Read moreSan Luis Potosí
History In pre-Columbian times the territory now occupied by the state of San Luis Potosí contained the cultural areas of Mesoamerica and Aridoamerica. Its northern and western-central areas were inhabited by the Otomi and Chichimeca tribes...
Read moreQuintana Roo
History The area that makes up modern Quintana Roo was long part of Yucatán, sharing its history. With the Caste War of Yucatán, which started in the 1840s, all non-natives were driven from the region. The independent Maya nation of Chan Santa...
Read moreQuerétaro
History Agricultural settlements dated to about 500 BCE have been found in the San Juan del Río and Huimilpan areas, which was during the Teotihuacan era. The ancient city had interest and influence in the area because of its agriculture, but did...
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