It is home to many traditions and products most identified with Mexico. Tequila comes from the state of Jalisco, as does Mariachi music and many classic Mexican dishes. Mexico's ornately dressed horsemen who perform a Mexican-style rodeo known as charreadas. The city's friendly residents, referred to as Tapatios, are known for their civic pride and hospitality. The city rests on a highland plateau in west central Mexico at an altitude of 5,200 feet.
Days are warm and sunny, humidity is low and evenings are cool and clear.
Afternoon rainfall is common from June through September, when the area's countryside is carpeted with velvet green pastures. Many sections of this large metropolis have the atmosphere and pace of a small town. Parks, fountains, plazas, and wide tree-lined boulevards are sprinkled about the city. Unlike Mexico City, the area did not have a developed native population when the Spanish finally settled the area in 1542. It first developed as an outpost for exploration of Mexico's vast western region, and later became the capital of the province of Nueva Galicia.