San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- San Luis Potosí is the name of both a state in Mexico and the capital city of that state. This article is about the city. For the state, see: San Luis Potosí.
| San Luis Potosí | |||
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| Nickname(s): La Ciudad de los Jardínes (The City of Gardens) |
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| Country | Mexico | ||
| State | San Luis Potosí | ||
| Founded | 3 November 1592 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Jorge Lozano Armengol (PAN) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 385 km2 (148.6 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 1,850 m (6,070 ft) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - City | 685,934 | ||
| - Metro | 957,753 | ||
| Time zone | Central Standard Time (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Central Daylight Time (UTC-5) | ||
| Website | http://www.ayuntamientoslp.gob.mx | ||
San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in, the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters (6,070 feet).
San Luis Potosí is located in the west-central part of the state of San Luis Potosí, at 22.16°N, 100.98°W. In the census of 2005 the city had a population of 685,934, while the municipality had a population of 730,950. The metropolitan area of Greater San Luis Potosí, which includes the neighboring municipality of Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, had a population of 957,753. The municipality has an area of 1,443.14 km² (557.2 sq mi).
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[edit] Etymology
The city is named after Louis IX of France (also known in Mexico as San Luis Rey de Francia, Saint Louis, King of France), its patron saint. The Potosí was added in reference to the fabulously rich mines of Potosí, Bolivia, discovered some forty years before the city was founded. The city is known for its European influenced architecture. Architecturally, downtown San Luis is very similar to cities in Spain.
[edit] Generalities and History
A Franciscan mission was established in the city in 1583, nine years before the city's founding in 1592. San Luis grew rapidly thanks to the region's rich gold and silver mines, a source of the Mexican treasures that filled the Manila galleons[citation needed].
For a time in 1863 during the French invasion of gross, San Luis Potosí served as the capital of the republican government under President Benito Juárez.
The Plan of San Luis Potosí, issued November 20, 1910, was the opening shot of Mexico's revolution against the dictator Porfirio Díaz. The Mexican presidential election of 1910 was stolen when Díaz had his opponent Francisco I. Madero arrested and imprisoned. Madero fled and issued the Plan of San Luis Potosí, declaring the election void and calling upon Mexicans to take up arms against the government.
Today, the downtown is one of plazas and colonial architecture. The "Plaza de Armas" is home to a cathedral and governor's palace (1770), and chatting couples and families enjoying popsicles can be seen around the city at times. The nearby "Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen," with its colorful tiled domes and famous altars, is considered among Mexico's finest churches. In addition, San Luis is home to the bullring Plaza de Toros Fermin Rivera.
Outside the city center, a modern industrial city has begun to grow.
The Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (UASLP) is in the city. Based on a Jesuit College founded in 1624, the Instituto Científico y Literario was raised to the category of a university in 1923, and is recognized as one of Latin America's best universities.
[edit] Climate
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[edit] Sister cities
Tulsa, United States- St. Louis, United States
- Pharr, United States
Santander, Spain- San Juan de las Abadesas, Spain
Potosí, Bolivia
Guadalajara, Mexico- Aguascalientes, Mexico
[edit] Local cuisine
Potosinos (as residents of the city are referred to) are proud of their bright orange enchiladas potosinas, often served fried with refried beans and guacamole.
The nearby town of Santa María del Río provides the state with its sparkling mineral water, Agua de Lourdes. The water fills both store shelves and the cocktails of Potosinos, who claim the water can cure a hangover.
[edit] The city today
San Luis Potosí, with a population of approximately one million inhabitants, is the tenth-largest metropolitan area in Mexico. The city is a major commercial and industrial center. It lies in an economically-advantageous area at the heart of the "triangle" formed by the three largest cities in Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. In recent years, the city has attracted the attention of European and American investors; its political, social, and economic stability has convinced large multinational companies to assume a presence there IN FACT Euroean companies bought land in the outskirts of the city.
Recently, according to a survey conducted by the magazine The Investor, San Luis Potosi and its metropolitan area was the third-best place to live in Mexico.
[edit] Important buildings
Besides having hundreds of classically designed buildings, the city is also home to some of the most modern and interesting buildings in Mexico.
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In recent years the city has faced a boom in the construction of buildings and museums. Among the most prominent are the Laberinto Museum of Science and Arts, which was an investment of more than $ 200 million pesos, in 9000 m2 of land, located in the Tangamanga I Park. The project was designed by architect Ricardo Legorreta and promoted by the governor of San Luis Potosi, Marcelo de los Santos Fraga. It is a museum of aesthetic proportions similar to that of the Papalote Museum of Children in Mexico City, with the addition that the materials used in its construction, especially the quarry, make it a real building manufacturing Potosino. The floor of the museum occupies a total of 6.5 hectares which have gardens with species endemic to the region and a central source. Its interior, divided in a total of six rooms arranged in galleries whose proportions will allow visitors to make an interactive tour that will switch themes of the art museum with samples of science and technology.
Currently the two tallest buildings in the capital are the Building EME built in 1988, the building measured 64 metres to the top floor, with my 75 spiral with the antenna 98 metres, has 17 floors, with 10 levels of parking at the street for a capacity of 1500 cars, this building houses offices mixed, it remains Building Muniz Werger 58 metres up the top floor, with the spiral 65 meters, with the antenna 80 metres and 15 storeys, with 2 elevators ( elevators) its construction began in 1991 and finished in 1993 is considered the most modern building in the city.
There are currently two buildings under construction and five buildings in the project, Corporate Tangamanga that measured 41 m will have 14 floors, its construction began in 2005 and will end in 2008, this building houses offices and mixed Star Medical Tower, 40 metres and will have 8 floors. The buildings that are planned are: the first is to be World Trade Center of San Luis Potosi to be 30 floors and its height is 130 m, its construction will begin in mid-2008. Also planned is the Marriot Hotel San Luis Potosi to be 17 floors and its height will be between 80 m 100 m, followed three residential towers in the area Sierra Azul a height of approximately 40 meters with a total of 30 floors, plus a building called residecial Vallarta, 8-story tower that is located at Avenida Carranza and other residential tower located in Lomas of about 7 floors.
[edit] Commercialism & Transportation
In the city, various supermarket chains operate, such as, H-E-B, Commercial Mexicana, Costco, Walmex (Wal-mart, Sam's Club, Superama, Vips, Bodega aurrera, y Suburbia),Carrefur, Chedraui, Gigante, Home Depot, to mention a few. The principal commercial centers of the city are Plaza Tangamanga, Plaza el Dorado, and Plaza Sendero. In the city, various banks also operate, such as, BBVA Bancomer, Banamex, HSBC, Banorte, Santander-Serfin, Scotiabank-Inverlat, and Banregio.
The city's transportation consists of a public system based on urban buses that move throughout the metropolitan area. Besides the public transportation, the city contains one of the highest concentrations of Taxis. Ponciano Arriaga International Airport is the city's main airway point. It is located around 17 km from the city's downtown, and it is the state's most important airway terminal.
[edit] Sports
San Luis is home to the aptly named San Luis F.C., a football club in Mexico's first division. The team's home stadium is the Estadio Alfonso Lastras, which has a capacity of 35,000 spectators.
The city also hosts the professional basketball team, Los Santos de San Luis which is one of the most important teams of the league.
[edit] Higher Education and Scientific Research
The institutions of higher education that offer degrees at the bachelor level are:
- El Colegio de San Luis Website
- Escuela de Educación Superior en Ciencias Históricas y Antropológicas Eduard Seler Website
- Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, A.C. (IPICYT)Website
- Instituto Tecnologico de San Luis Potosi (ITSLP) Website
- Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Campus San Luis (ITESM) Website
- Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi (UASLP) Website
- Universidad del Centro de Mexico (UCEM) Website
- Universidad Cuauhtemoc - Campus San Luis Potosi Website
- Universidad Interamericana del Norte - Campus San Luis Website
- Universidad Interamericana para el Desarrollo - Campus San Luis Website
- Universidad Marista - Campus San Luis Potosi Website
- Universidad Pedagogica Nacional - Campus San Luis Potosi Website
- Universidad Politécnica de San Luis Potosí (UPSLP) Website
- Universidad Potosina Website
- Universidad Tangamanga Website
- Universidad Tec Milenio Website
- Universidad Tecnológica de San Luis Potosí Website
IPICYT, UASLP and El Colegio de San Luis are also world class research institutions that offer Doctoral degrees.
[edit] Local news media
Newspapers. "El Sol de San Luis", Pulso, "El Heraldo de San Luis", "La Prensa", San Luis Hoy, "La Jornada San Luis" y Tribuna. Online journalism. Noticieros Cuarto Enfoque
[edit] References
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
- San Luis Potosí Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
[edit] External links
- State of San Luis Potosí English
- City of San Luis Potosí Spanish
- Plan of San Luis Potosí English
Coordinates: 22°09′04″N 100°58′34″W / 22.15111°N 100.97611°W
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