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Toluca
Map
Country Mexico
StateState of Mexico
MunicipalityToluca
FoundedMay 19, 1522
Government
 • MayorJuan Rodolfo Sánchez Gómez
Elevation
2,667 m (8,750 ft)
Population
 (2005)
 • City
747,512
 • Metro
1,610,786
 • Demonym
Toluqueño(a)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
Postal code
50000-
Area code722
Websitehttp://www.toluca.gob.mx/
This article is about a city in Mexico. For the football club, see Club Toluca. For the village in the U.S. state of Illinois, see Toluca, Illinois.

Toluca (formally: Toluca de Lerdo) is the state capital of the State of Mexico in central Mexico. It is a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located Template:Km to mi west-southwest of Mexico City and only 30 minutes by car from its fast-growing suburb Santa Fe. Toluca is a very successful industrial center, commercial, and touristic city in Mexico.

File:Palace of the state government.JPG
The palace of state government is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city.

Geography

The county of Toluca, which has a geographical extent of 420.14 km2 (162.2 sq mi), includes numerous communities other than Toluca de Lerdo, the largest of which are the municipalities of San Pablo Autopan and San José Guadalupe Otzacatipan.

Toluca is surrounded by:

  • North: The counties of Almoloya de Juárez, Temoaya, Otzolotepec and Xonacatlán.
  • East:The counties of Xonacatlán, Lerma, San Mateo Atenco and Metepec.
  • South: The counties of Metepec, Calimaya, Tenango del Valle, Villa Guerrero and Zinacantepec.
  • West: The counties of Zinacantepec and Almoloya de Juárez.[1]
File:Volcan 003.jpg
Nevado de Toluca.

Geographical features

In Toluca there is one river called The Lerma River, and it comes from lake Almoloya del Río. It goes from the center of the city towards the west. Along its path it flows into lake Chapala. From this point westward the river takes the name of Santiago River. And it goes from this lake to the Pacific Ocean in the State of Nayarit. The river is about Template:Km to mi long; about 60% of it is known as Lerma River and 40% as Santiago River.[2]

File:Nevado & Toluca.jpg
Aerial photo of the Nevado de Toluca as viewed from the northeast.

The Nevado de Toluca or Xinantécatl is Template:Km to mi southwest of the city. It is a place of increasing sporting activity, such as mountain biking, climbing, or high altitude running. There have been proposals to turn this mountain into a ski hill because of its accessibility and the low temperatures that exist on the mountain throughout the year, but recent reports on global warming have raised fears that the snow cap on the mountain will disappear completely within a few decades. It is the only volcano in Mexico that has two lagoons and can be reached by automobile.

The god Tolo (see etymology section) was supposed to have had his principal temple in the volcano: Xinantécatl (“naked man” in nahuatl) now known as the Nevado de Toluca, because the volcano's form suggests a sleeping god.

Sierra Morelos Park is about Template:Km to mi away from the center of Toluca city. This is a reforested area with a small artificial lake. And it also has a picnic area and playground.[3]

Climate

Toluca
Climate chart (explanation)
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15
 
 
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65
 
 
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12
 
 
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [1]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.6
 
 
66
34
 
 
0.4
 
 
68
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0.5
 
 
72
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1
 
 
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68
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5
 
 
70
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3.8
 
 
70
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2.1
 
 
70
45
 
 
0.5
 
 
68
39
 
 
0.3
 
 
66
36
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

The climate is warm and humid with higher humidity and greater rainfall in the summer. It can also experience cool weather.[1] The climate is the coolest of any large Mexican city due to its high altitude of 2,680 metres (8,793 ft) above sea level. Despite its southerly latitude, on winter nights temperatures can drop well below 0 °C (32 °F) and even in the summer it can cool down to 5 °C (41 °F) or less, while maximum temperatures rarely exceed 27 °C (81 °F) on the hottest days. The climate is prone to extended dry periods particularly in the winter. Precipitation during the winter usually falls as snow in the highlands in areas such as El Nevado de Toluca and its surroundings. Rain and hail fall in the summer months. Cool, wet conditions are common during the rainy season wich extends from June until October.

Population

According to the 2005 census the city of Toluca has a population of 467,713, and the municipality has a population of 747,512. The city is the eighth largest in the State of Mexico in population, whereas the municipality is the fourth largest. Twelve municipalities make up the metropolitan population of 1,610,786[4] as of 2005, making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in Mexico and the largest entirely within the State of México.

History

Prehistoric

Many fossils founded in Toluca’s valley show that in the past huge animals common to the continent were settled in the county. These huge animals called Mamutes possibly lived in this area along with the “Tepexpan Man", whose fossils were found in Texcoco, a county close to Toluca.[5]

Pre-Columbian era

Toluca was founded in 1120 by the Matlatzincas and built in the last colony of Macpatxóchitl. In 1477, the Aztecs occupied all of the Matlatzinca’s territory including Toluca.

There is a hill called Tolochi, which is in the North of the City and used to divide the state in 2 parts. The tree of “ Las Manitas Rojas”, which literally means: little red hands, was founded after several years in what is now the convent of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and it shows that Toluca was a little metropolis because Náhuatl people only created botanical gardens in important places.[6]

Colonial Period

In 1521 the Spanish conquered the Toluca Valley. Leading the troops was Gonzalo de Sandoval, one of Cortes' many sergeants. Toluca’s first governor was Pedro Cortés Coyotzin. The valley of Toluca and what is now the city of Toluca were included in the concession made by King Carlos V of Spain to Hernán Cortés as its marquis.

In 1524, the evangelization process started in Toluca. The most notable figure of this effort is Fray Andrés Castro, by making a great number of improvements to the city and being the first one to learn the native Matlazincan language.

A Spanish community was established in 1530, but it was not until 1677 that Toluca was categorized as a city. In 1793 the construction of a road to Mexico Citywas started. In 1799, Toluca was officially named a city by the king of Spain Carlos IV on September 12th.[5]

Independence and post-independence

In 1810, at the beginning of the independence movement, Miguel Hidalgo stayed in Toluca for a few days on his way to Monte de las Cruces. In 1811, a group of “indígenas” (indigenous natives of Mexico) was shot and killed by “peninsulares” (Spanish colonials from the Iberian peninsula). In memorial to those who were killed in this incident, the place where this occurred was named “Plaza of the Martyre”. In 1812 the first city council was installed. In 1821, Independence was proclaimed by the local authorities.

In 1830, Toluca was elevated to be the Constitutional Capital of the State of Mexico. In 1832 the building of “Los Portales” was started in Toluca’s downtown. In 1836 because of the centralization of the Mexican government, all branches of government were relocated to Mexico City after being in Toluca for several years.

In 1847, thanks to Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante” the Institute of Literature opened. In 1851 the "Teatro Principal" built by González Arratia, was inaugurated. Mariano Riva Palacio was named governor of the state and he started the most important modernization process of the city of the XIX century. In 1881, The Industrial Union was founded, the railroad was opened and the Bank of State of Mexico created the first bills in the country. In 1882 the "Normal de Profesores" was founded. In 1910, people celebrated a century of Independence, and the “Plaza España” was inaugurated.[5]

Etymology

When Toluca was founded by the Matlazincas, its original name was Nepintahihui (land of corn). The current name is based on the Nahuatl name for the area when it was renamed by the Aztecs in 1473. The Toluca name has its origin in the word tollocan that comes from the name of the god Tolo (or Tolo + tzin (honorific)). Tollocan means place of Tolo.[7] The name Toluca de Lerdo was adopted in 1861 in honor of the Mexican President Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada.[8]

Economy

Airport

Toluca is served by Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport.The airport has a 4200 m road and it is located in the central part of the state of Mexico, 15 km away from Toluca and 60 km away from the country’s capital serving as an airport of Mexico city.[5] This airport has started a development process impulse by the Federal and State Government, as well as the private sector, wich provided an investment of almost 3,200 million dollars in the last 2 years. This airport has created 4,500 jobs and has contributed to the increase of commercial activity, also it has attracted many airline passengers who live in Mexico city that now prefer to come to the Toluca airport, which represents migration in potential consumers of 2.2 millions of passengers in 2007 expecting for 2008 5 millions, this will take Toluca Airport as the 4th most important in the country.

Industrial Zone

In 1944, many industries have settled in Toluca rather than in other cities.In 1965, some industries settled in the industrial zone of Toluca-Lerma-Tianguistenco, that is located on the north side of Toluca. Toluca is located in the economic zone of the center of Mexico. Toluca has become an important economic city because of its industries and infrastructure that produce drinks, food, textiles, cars, electric products and such.

Transportation

Toluca has a infrastructure of highways that connect the city with the main cities of the country, Toluca’s International Airport, Bus Station and many industrial Parks, in which there are many important companies, such as Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola Femsa, Bimbo, Nissan, and Nestle.[9]

Education

File:Tec explanada.jpg
ITESM school (highschool building)

Since Toluca is the capital of the state of Mexico, there are several diverse and important educational centers such as the state-funded Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, the Dirección General de Educación, and the Servicios Educativos Integrados al Estado. It also is home to major private universities, including campuses of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) and the Universidad del Valle de México.

There are currently 574 schools in Toluca, with about 8,320 teachers. The illiteracy rate is 7.33%, which is considered high.

City features

File:IMG 1870.JPG
Central Toluca.

Some attractive tourist spots include the Zócalo, also known as Plaza de los Mártires, which includes buildings such as the Palace of the State Government and the Justice Palace (Palacio de Justicia). To the northeast of the Zócalo is the Cosmovitral, which is a botanical garden where people can look at a great variety of different species of plants. There are many colonial-era churches in the centre of Toluca, the most famous being the Church of the Santa Veracruz (True Cross) and the Church of Our Lady of Carmen.

Temple of La Merced

The Temple of La Merced is one of the most ancient convents still preserved and one of the most important founded by Spaniards. It is a beautiful building of a religious order called mercenarios, and it shows architectural styles from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Its principal facade has 3 naves and was constructed ithe 18th century on the remains of the old Temple of San Francisco. The interior of the temple exhibits neoclassical style with gold-leaf. It features oil paintings from the aforementioned times, such as the “Birth of San Pedro Nolasco”, founder of the Mercenarios order. The temple became a hospice for orphans and beggars. Baroque construction style can be seen in the pilasters, niches and the order's shield. Inside, you can see paintings of Felipe Gutierrez, a Mexican painter who graduated from the San Carlos Academy. It is located in downtown Toluca on Jose Ma. Morelos street.

Los Portales

Los Portales

Los Portales represent the social and commercial life of the city. They are formed by 3 large corridors full of arches; two sections were built by Jose Maria Gonzalez Arratia, partially finished on February 6th 1832, and completely finished in 1917 by C. Eduardo Gonzales y Pichardo and General Agustin Millan.

The last time the whole city was redesigned, more arches were built on the posterior side of the plaza. Here the harmony between the modern architectural style of the new portals and the old Baroque style of the cathedral and the Santa Veracruz temple is highly visible.

The Cathedral

A recently constructed building, the Cathedral's construction was begun March 12, 1867 in what in ancient times was a Franciscan convent of the 16th Century. The initial project was headed by architect Ramon Rodriguez Arangoity, but due to a series of setbacks and modifications, the construction was abandoned. Years later, the work was restarted by architect Vicente Mendiola, who finished construction in 1978.

The temple has no style homogeneity, as all its elements are different. The facade presents neoclassical elements with a baroque disposition; its first body has a series of double columns with sculptures, and its second a central figure of Jesus Christ's ascent to Heaven. It also has double columns; it ends in a triangular front and a balustrade much like the city of Mexico Cathedral.[10]

The Cosmovitral

The Cosmovitral entrance.

The Cosmovitral is located in a stone and ironwork building in the center of Toluca built in 1910 by engineer Manuel Arratia in order to accommodate the “16 de Septiembre” market. It was constructed in Art Nouveau and Neoclassical style, with an area of 5,000 square meters. It is now a botanical garden with more than 400 species of plants from all over the world. It also features a series of stained glass windows that are considered the largest in the world. These windows were created and designed by a Mexican artist named Leopoldo Flores. Cosmovitral was inaugurated in 1980 and completed in 1990. The stained glass ceiling represents the Milky Way and joins the “Hombre Sol” (Sun Man) with the Galaxy of Andromeda. It is a monumental piece measuring 3,200 square meters with more than 30 thousand pieces and half a million glass pieces of 28 different colors coming from many different parts of the world such as Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Japan, Canada and United States. It has a series of scenes that symbolize man's search of the light, the good and the wisdom to elevate his spirit to liberate him from the shadows of evil and the ignorance in an epic tale without beginning or end. At the spring equinox, the solar disc crosses the heart of "El hombre Sol" (the sun man), causing an explosion of light.[11]

Nevado de Toluca National Park

Nevado de Toluca National Parkn was declared as a National Park in January 1936. It is about 1.517 km2 in area.[12] Its original name was “Chignahualtecatl” which means “Nine Mountains”. But now it has a new name: “Xinantecatl” which means “Naked Man”. The park has forest land, especially of pines and obeto trees. The prevalent animals are camp rats, teporingos, squirrels, tlacuaches, lizards, snakes, and eagles.

On the low part of this mountain there are picnic tables and BBQ grills. In the higher part of the volcano (inside) there are two lagoons in which visitors can practice scuba-diving and fishing. This volcano is unique in Mexico in that one can enter the crater by car.[3]

Art and culture

Museums

Toluca, being the capital of the State of Mexico, is home of several important museums. It's second only to Mexico City in number of museums. Some of them honor important Mexican artists such as José María Velasco Gómez, Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez, and Luis Nishizawa, among others.

These museums are the following:

  • The Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) was found in 1945 by the ex-governor Isidro Fabela. It is the oldest museum of Toluca. It displays art by José Juarez, Cristobal de Villalpando, Miguel Cabrera, etc.
  • The Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Museum of Natural Sciences) is located in Matlatzinca’s Park since 1971. It was found by the ex-governor Carlos Hank González. It presents expositions related to natural sciences. Also it holds Luis Camarena González’s collections of butterflies, insects, mammals and crustaceans.
  • The Museo de la Estampa (Stamp Museum) was dedicate in 1987 to graphic art. It exposes lithographic, xylographic, chalcographic, serigraphic, offset and neographic art from Manuel Manilla, José Guadalupe Posada, Carlos Alvarado Lang, Alfredo Zalce, Rufino Tamayo, etc. It has 7 display rooms and an embossing workshop.
  • The Museo de la Acuarela (Watercolor Museum) was found in 1993. It has rooms dedicated to Mexican watercolorist artists like Pastor Velázquez, Vicente Mendiola, Edgardo Coghlan, Ignacio Barrios and Ángel Mauro. It also has a Estado de México room which holds the national contest's watercolor pieces.
  • The Museo de la Numismática (Coin Museum) was found in 1987 by the state's government in order to show Mexican history’s evolution through coins. It is one of a kind in Latin America. The collection of bills is very important because of its antiquity.
  • The Museo José María Velasco (José María Velasco Museum) was found in honor of the most famous artist of the XIX century. At holds about 40 pieces from the artist José María Velasco as well as drawings and oil paintings. It has a library and a central patio where cultural events take place.
  • The Museo Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez (Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez Museum) shares a room of Mexican paintings from the XIX century with José María Velasco’s museum. It has a set of 225 oil paintings, watercolors and drawings which reflects Gutiérrez’s evolution as an artist.
  • The Museo-Taller Luis Nishizawa (Luis Nishizawa Workshop-Museum) was found in honor of the great artist, Luis Nishizawa in 1992. It has 7 halls; a library specializing in art and an information center.
  • The Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art). It holds a great collection of Mexican paintings of the XX and XXI centuries. The pieces come from other museums like Bellas Artes as well as from artist and institution’s donations. Some of the artists are Gilberto Navarro, José Luis Cuevas, Siqueiros, Leopoldo Flores, etc.
  • The Museo de Culturas Populares (Museum of Popular Cultures) displays a large collection of crafts. For example there are: wood, textiles, bones, regional candy, glass, seeds, etc. It also has a room of popular art where regional candies, traditional cuisine, popular toys, etc are presented.
  • The Museo de Antropología e Historia (Museum of Antropology and Histrory). It has a set of more than 1000 pieces, an introductory room, five archeological rooms, seven ethnographic rooms and one history room. Its theme is Mexican society’s presence through out historic and geographic evolution, as well as the geopolitical and strategic importance of the state of Mexico.[13]

Toluca boasts a high cultural and folkloric diversity which can be appreciated in each one of its traditional festivities such as the typical solemn "silent procession" that takes place every Holy Friday when the Catholic congregation from Toluca and its surroundings get together in the centre of the city to express their respect and devotion for Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Easter and Lent are celebrated in a similar way.

Orchestras based in Toluca have become very famous because of their directors. Currently there are two official orchestras: a State one and a Municipal one. The one from the State is the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México. Higher education intitutions have marching bands, and in some towns there are wind bands.

The dancing instutitions include the Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura, the IMSS, and DIF. There are also schools of dance such as the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the UAEM.

There is also a Youth Marching Band of Toluca called "Eagles of Anahuac." This band was formed about 35 years ago and was the first youth marching band in the country.

Food and drinks

Mexican food mixes European and native elements. In Toluca the most famous dish is chorizo (a kind of sausage) made of ground pork prepared with a sauce made of tomatoes, pumpkin mole, pipian and other spices like salt, pepper, white wine, almons, potatoes, vinegar, garlic and chile. Even the word chorizo in Mexico is synonym of Tolucan. In Toluca, there are other popular dishes like “tacos of carnitas” (pork cocked meat), or “tacos de plaza” made of barbacoa, pork, chicharron(fried pork rind), papalo (a green vegetable used here in Mexico to bring a different falvor to the food), onion, cilantro, nopales, beans, “cueritos”, chili sauce, salt and lime.

Although Toluca is well known because of its meat foods, its population rarely eats meat (D' Angeli). The traditional cuisine includes also vegetables from the region such as “quelites”, “quintoniles”, “huazontles”, spinach, “verdolagas”, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes etc.

Toluca has a variety of traditional candies such as “alegrias”, “jamoncillos” (a candy bar with flavors such as lemon, pineapple, apple or chocolate), “lemons” (lemons decorated with coconut), “chilacayotes” (pumpkin in syrup), “cocadas” (mainly made with coconut), “palanquetas” (a nut bar covered with sugar).

Traditional drinks include “garapiñas” and “mosquito”. “garapiñas” is a non alcoholic pineapple drink and “mosquito” is an alcoholic drink obtained from the infusion of fruit in alcohol. “mosquito” can be also flavored with sugar, syrup or honey.[5]

Sport

File:DSC02625.JPG
Nemesio Diez stadium.

Toluca is also home of a popular Mexican First Division Soccer team, the "Diablos Rojos" (Red Devils) of Toluca.

Famous boxers often use Toluca as a training center. These have included Julio César Chávez and Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Vazquez, among others.

Former WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana was billed as hailing from Toluca throughout most of his career.

Sister cities

Toluca is a part of the Sister Cities International program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b INEGI (1994). "Estadísticas de Toluca". Cuaderno Estadístico Municipal (in Spanish). Estado de México. pp. 1, 9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ García de León, Porfirio (1998). Historia General del Estado de México Volumen 1 Geografía y Arqueología (in Spanish). Toluca México: Corporación Editorial Mac S.A. de C.V. p. 39. ISBN 970-669-001-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b INEGI (1997). “Estado de México” Guía Turística de México (in Spanish). Aguascalientes México: INEGI. pp. 175, 214. ISBN 970-13-1194-9.
  4. ^ "Consulta de datos del Conteo 2005". Conteo 2005. INEGI. 2005.
  5. ^ a b c d e Sanchez, Alfonso (1999). Toluca: Monografia municipal. Toluca, Estado de Mexico: Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura. ISBN 968-841-374-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Romero, Javier (1956). El Dios Tolotzin (in Spanish). México: Fondo Mexicano del Libro. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  7. ^ Romero, Javier (1956). El dios Tolotzin (in Spanish). México: Fondo Mexicano del Libro. pp. 105–115, 49. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  8. ^ In Encyclopædia Britannica. "Toluca". Retrieved 2007-10-04.
  9. ^ "Gobierno del Estado de Mexico". Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  10. ^ INEGI (2001). Guia Turistica del Estado de Mexico. INEGI. pp. 240–247. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Sanchez, Alfonso (1989). Vuelo De ángeles o demonios, parvada de prometeos… Cosmovitral de Toluca. Talleres de pliego impresores. ISBN 968-484-012-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  12. ^ "NP NEVADO DE TOLUCA". vivanatura. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  13. ^ Museos de Toluca. ISBN 208/2/024/03. {{cite book}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); External link in |authorlink= (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
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