Jalisco

Jalisco is a state in western Mexico that is the cradle of many of the country's most famous cultural icons, including tequila, mariachi music and charreria, the Mexican rodeo. Its capital, Guadalajara, is Mexico's second-largest city. Vibrant and proud, Jalisco is seen by many as the most quintessentially Mexican state.

Jalisco stretches from the Pacific coast, including Puerto Vallarta, up to the highlands around Guadalajara and Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. The terrain includes agave fields, mountains and beaches. The climate ranges from tropical coast to temperate highland.

Jalisco gave the world tequila, mariachi and charreria, and its culture is a touchstone of Mexican identity. Guadalajara is a hub of business, technology and the arts, and the agave landscapes around the town of Tequila are world-renowned.

A center of western Mexican civilisation and Spanish colonisation, Jalisco grew rich on agriculture and trade through Guadalajara. It became a state in 1824 and remains an economic and cultural powerhouse.