Zacatecas

Zacatecas is one of Mexico’s 31 states, officially called the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas. It sits in the north-central part of the country and shares borders with Durango to the west, Coahuila to the north, Nuevo León to the northeast, San Luis Potosí to the east, Guanajuato to the southeast, Jalisco and Aguascalientes to the south, and Nayarit to the southwest. The state is divided into 58 municipalities, and its capital city is also named Zacatecas. It is famous for its large silver and mineral deposits, its colonial-era buildings, and its role in the Mexican Revolution. The economy relies mainly on mining, farming, and tourism.

Geography covers an area of 75,284 square kilometers, making it the tenth-largest state in Mexico. It has 58 municipalities and 4,882 towns, cities, and other communities. The average elevation is 2,230 meters above sea level, with the capital at 2,496 meters. Three main geographical regions exist: the Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, the Mexican Plateau, and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Most of the state lies in the Sierra Madre Occidental, with rugged peaks over 2,500 meters. The southeastern and northeastern mountains are lower, but contain large valleys like Juchipila and Tlaltenango. Much of the land consists of small mesas and flat areas. In the center, the Sierra de Fresnillo mountain chain holds much of the state’s mineral wealth. In the far northwest, the Sierra de Sombrerete chain includes a peak called Sombreretillo, also rich in minerals, and nearby is the Sierra de Órganos.

No major rivers cross the state; most waterways flow only during the rainy season. The southeast belongs to the Lerma River basin, which drains into the Pacific Ocean, and includes rivers such as the San Pedro, Juchipila, Jerez, and Tlaltenango. The other basin is smaller and endorheic, meaning it does not reach any ocean. There are eighty dams with a total capacity of 595,337 million cubic meters; the largest are Leobardo Reynoso in Fresnillo, Miguel Alemán in Tepechitlán, and El Chique in Tabasco. Much of the water comes from underground, divided into twenty hydraulic zones and accessed by over 5,800 wells, mostly for farming. Most of the territory has a cool, dry climate, though southern areas are wetter, with rain mainly from June to September. The driest and coldest part is the northeast, called the Salado because of its saltwater lakes. About 75% of the state is arid or semi-arid, 14% is arable, and 79% is suitable for livestock grazing. The average annual temperature is 16°C, with most of the state temperate. The coldest months are November to January, when frost is common, and the warmest is June. Average rainfall is 400 millimeters per year, mostly in summer, with the warmest and wettest area along the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Ecosystems vary with relief, soil, and temperature, producing forests, scrub, and grasslands. Arid areas are dominated by cactus species. In the far south, deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter and spring. Common trees statewide include mesquite, ironwood, and palo verde (Parkinsonia). At the highest altitudes near the Jalisco border, mixed forests of pine and holm oak grow, with holm oak dominating along the Durango border and some along the San Luis Potosí border. An unusual tree found in Zacatecas is the elephant tree (Bursera microphylla). In the sierras, wild boar, white-tailed deer, and hares are common; in valleys and plains, coyotes, badgers, quails, and ducks appear. The extreme north is the southern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, which is rich and diverse in biology, home to many cacti and considered one of the most ecologically varied deserts on Earth.

The state’s name comes from its capital, Zacatecas, which in Nahuatl means “where there is abundant zacate (grass).” The state seal shows the Cerro de la Bufa, a capital landmark, surrounded by weapons of the original inhabitants, with the Latin motto *Labor omnia vincit* (“Work conquers all”) below. Before the Spanish arrived, dominant ethnic groups included the Caxcans, Zacatecos, and Guachichils, who were probably rivals. Their early history is unclear, and the date of the first settlements is unknown. Between the fourth and tenth centuries CE, large settlements like Altavista, Chalchihuites, and La Quemada developed, considered part of Greater Mesoamerica. Northern areas without major settlements belonged to Aridoamerica, where people lived by hunting and gathering. The first major population centers emerged along the Suchil, Graceros, and Guadiana Rivers. Today’s archaeological sites are all ceremonial centers or observatories at the heart of ancient metropolises. The first Spanish settlement within the state’s current borders was in what is now Nochistlán in 1531, originally called Guadalajara; it was later moved to its current location in Jalisco due to water shortages and indigenous attacks. Zacatecas city was founded in 1546 by Juan de Tolosa, with support from Cristóbal de Oñate and Pedro Alméndez Chirinos, after the discovery of silver.