Querétaro
A small, geographically diverse state in north-central Mexico.
Querétaro, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro, is one of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is located in north-central Mexico, in a region known as Bajío, and is bordered by the states of San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, México, and Michoacán. Its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro. The state is one of the smallest in Mexico but one of the most heterogeneous geographically, with ecosystems ranging from deserts to tropical rainforest, particularly in the Sierra Gorda. Historically, the area lay on the northern edge of Mesoamerica, with small city-states and seminomadic peoples, and Spanish conquest focused on the establishment of Santiago de Querétaro, which still dominates the state culturally, economically, and educationally.
- type
- Federal entity of Mexico
- capital
- Santiago de Querétaro
- municipalities
- 18
- region
- Bajío, north-central Mexico
- geographic_zones
- Mesa del Centro, Sierra Madre Oriental, Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
- major_river_basins
- Lerma/Santiago and Pánuco
- biosphere_reserve
- Sierra Gorda (designated 1997)
Lore & Background
Querétaro is divided into 18 municipalities: Amealco de Bonfil, Arroyo Seco, Cadereyta de Montes, Colón, Corregidora, El Marqués, Ezequiel Montes, Huimilpan, Jalpan de Serra, Landa de Matamoros, Pedro Escobedo Municipality, Peñamiller, Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro, San Joaquín, San Juan del Río, Tequisquiapan, and Tolimán. Three of Mexico's geographic zones cover parts of the state: the Mesa del Centro, the Sierra Madre Oriental, and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The state is further divided into five geographical regions: the Sierra Gorda, El Semidesierto Queretano, Los Valles Centrales, El Bajío Queretano, and La Sierra Queretana. Most of the state is dry, with the exception of the north, which is temperate and rainy; the average temperature is 18 °C (64 °F). The state's ecosystems have 18 different classifications, from tropical rainforest to arid scrub brush. The Cerro del Cimatario has been declared a national park and biosphere reserve due to its forests.
Reader's Guide
Querétaro's significance lies in its geographical and ecological diversity despite its small size. It is one of the 32 federal entities of Mexico, and its capital, Santiago de Querétaro, remains the cultural, economic, and educational center of the state. The state's location in north-central Mexico, at the intersection of the Mesa del Centro, Sierra Madre Oriental, and Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, gives it a wide range of climates and ecosystems, from near-desert conditions to tropical rainforests. Historically, the area was on the northern edge of Mesoamerica, with influence from the Purépecha and Aztec empires only in the extreme south, and was home to small city-states and seminomadic peoples before Spanish conquest. Its legacy includes its role as a region of ecological contrast and its administrative division into 18 municipalities, each contributing to the state's heterogeneous character.
Did You Know?
- Querétaro is divided into 18 municipalities, including Amealco de Bonfil, Jalpan de Serra, and San Juan del Río.
- The Cerro del Cimatario has been declared a national park and biosphere reserve due to its forests.
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