- In full:
- Michoacán de Ocampo
Michoacán
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Where is Michoacán located?
Michoacán is a state in west-central Mexico. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on its southwest side, and the states of Colima and Jalisco to the west, Guanajuato to the north, Querétaro to the northeast, México to the east, and Guerrero to the south. The state's capital is Morelia. The Tarasco people have lived in the region for centuries and were well established by the 12th century. Michoacán became a state in 1824.
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What is the capital city of Michoacán?
The capital of Michoacán, a state in west-central Mexico, is Morelia. Morelia was founded by the Spanish in 1541 on the site of a Tarascan Indian settlement. It replaced Pátzcuaro as the capital of Michoacán in 1582. The city was renamed Morelia in 1828 to honor José María Morelos y Pavón, a locally born leader of the independence movement. Today, Morelia has a mixed economy based on manufacturing and services like retail, government, education, and tourism.
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What is Michoacán known for?
Michoacán, a state in west-central Mexico, is known for its diverse geography, from coastal plains to the Sierra Madre del Sur, an area marked by volcanic activity. The state is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Morelia, a city with over 200 historic colonial-era buildings.
Other points of interest:
* Tarasco Culture The Tarasco people have lived in the region for centuries and are known for traditional crafts in the Lake Pátzcuaro area.
* Monarch Butterflies Each year, monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the United States to a forested biosphere reserve in the eastern part of the state.
* Day of the Dead Michoacán is one of the states in Mexico where the Day of the Dead is celebrated.5 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some important geographical features of Michoacán?
Michoacán, located in west-central Mexico, features a diverse geography ranging from a narrow, hot, and humid coastal plain to the cooler, semiarid Sierra Madre del Sur, a zone marked by significant volcanic activity.
Volcanoes such as Jorullo, which emerged in 1759, and Paricutín, which began erupting in 1943, have shaped the landscape. The state is drained by the Lerma, Balsas, and Tepalcatepec rivers, though their flows have been reduced due to irrigation projects.
Popular destinations include Lake Pátzcuaro, known for its unique fishing methods, and Lake Cuitzeo. The state also has a forested biosphere reserve that serves as a wintering spot for monarch butterflies.
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Which cultures or indigenous groups are associated with Michoacán?
Michoacán is home to several cultures and indigenous groups, most prominently the Tarasco, also known as the Purépecha. They have been in the region for centuries, with a strong presence by the 12th century. The Tarasco still produce traditional crafts in the Lake Pátzcuaro area.
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How does the economy of Michoacán impact Mexico as a whole?
Michoacán's economy, while not a dominant force, plays a notable role within Mexico. Agriculture and mining are primary employment sources, with the Tarasco Indians and mestizos cultivating crops like corn, tropical fruits, and sugarcane. Petroleum is also important to the state's economy, along with the mining of sulfur, gold, silver, iron, copper, and zinc. Manufacturing focuses on forest products and light industry. The service sector, including retail, government, and tourism, substantially contributes to employment and income.
While agriculture employs a significant portion of Michoacán's population, it contributes only a limited share to the state's income.
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Michoacán, estado (state), west-central Mexico. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the southwest and by the states of Colima and Jalisco to the west, Guanajuato to the north, Querétaro to the northeast, México to the east, and Guerrero to the south. The capital is Morelia.
The state’s relief rises from a narrow coastal plain, where conditions are hot and humid, to the cool and semiarid Sierra Madre del Sur, an area of great volcanic activity. The volcano Jorullo arose during an eruption in 1759, and in 1943 Paricutín suddenly developed in a field northwest of the city of Uruapan; its eruptions continued through 1952 and buried the village of San Juan. The chief rivers are the Lerma, which drains into Lake Chapala in the northwest, and the Balsas and Tepalcatepec, which merge at the southern frontier; the flows of all have been depleted by large-scale irrigation projects. In addition to national parks in the highlands, popular tourist destinations include Lake Pátzcuaro, where fishers use lightweight, gracefully framed nets, and Lake Cuitzeo, northeast of Morelia. Lake Chapala, which is largely within Jalisco state, has been shrinking because of the diversion of its source waters. Monarch butterflies migrate annually from Canada and the United States to a forested biosphere reserve in the eastern part of the state; however, they are endangered by industrial and automotive air pollution from the adjacent Valley of Mexico.
Agriculture and mining constitute one of the largest sources of employment but contribute only a limited share of state income. Most of Michoacán’s farmers are Tarasco Indians and mestizos who grow corn (maize), tropical fruits, legumes, coffee, and sugarcane. Petroleum is important, and sulfur, gold, silver, iron, copper, and zinc are mined. Manufacturing is based on forest products and other light industry. The service sector, including retail trade, government, banking, and tourism, provides a substantial portion of employment and income. The state is well served by highway, air, and rail routes.
The Tarasco have lived in the region for centuries and were well established there by the 12th century. Later to arrive were the Chichimec. After the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Vasco de Quiroga established the first enduring missions among the Tarasco in the 1530s, around Lake Pátzcuaro.
Michoacán became a state in 1824. State government is headed by a governor, who is elected to a single term of six years. Members of the unicameral legislature, the State Congress, are elected to three-year terms. Michoacán is divided into several local governmental units called municipios (municipalities), each of which is headquartered in a prominent city, town, or village.
Morelia, which includes more than 200 historic buildings in its colonial centre, was designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in 1991. Cultural institutions in the state include the Michoacan University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo (1917) and the Michoacán Museum (1886), in Morelia; a museum of arts and crafts (1935), featuring Tarascan art, in Pátzcuaro; and an ethnographic and archaeological museum (1944), in Tzintzuntzán, with Tarascan and Tzintzuntzán artifacts. The Tarasco still produce traditional crafts in the Lake Pátzcuaro area. Area 23,138 square miles (59,928 square km). Pop. (2020) 4,748,846.