Nayarit
A Mexican state with Pacific coast, indigenous heritage, and agricultural economy.
Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic. Bordered by Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, and Jalisco, Nayarit has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean, including the islands of Marías and Marietas. The state is named after the Cora people's self-designation, Náayerite, commemorating Nayar, a resistance leader.
- Capital
- Tepic
- Population Density
- 39/km2
- Number of Municipalities
- 20
- Highest Mountains
- San Juan, Sanguangüey, El Ceboruco, Cumbre de Pajaritos, Picachos
Lore & Background
Home to Uto-Aztecan indigenous peoples such as the Huichol and Cora, the region was exposed to the conquistadores Hernán Cortés and Nuño de Guzmán in the 16th century. Spanish governance was made difficult by indigenous rebellions and by the inhospitable terrain of the Sierra del Nayar.
Reader's Guide
The port of San Blas was a major Pacific trade port before Acapulco rose. In the 19th century, Comanche Indians attacked Tepic, and the population revolted demanding land. Today, Nayarit's economy is based on agriculture, fishing, and tourism, particularly the beaches of San Blas and the Riviera Nayarit. It is one of two states where the tarantula species Brachypelma klaasi is found. The state's environment ranges from tropical dry forests and mangroves to pine–oak forests and rainforest, hosting diverse wildlife including white-tailed deer, puma, and jaguarundi, though the Mexican grizzly bear is now extinct and the Mexican wolf and jaguar survive only in fragmented locations.
Did You Know?
- Nayarit is named after the Cora people's self-designation Náayerite, commemorating resistance leader Nayar.
- The Islas Marías were designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2010.
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