Altos de Jalisco

The Altos de Jalisco, or the Jaliscan Highlands, is a geographic and cultural region in the eastern part of the Mexican state of Jalisco, famed as a bastion of Mexican culture, cradling traditions from Tequila production to Charrería equestrianism. Los Altos are part of the greater Bajío (The Lowlands) region of Mexico.
The Altos are primarily a rural or semi-rural region, known for its towns of historic Mexican colonial architecture, deep Catholic conservatism and numerous Mexican traditions such as equestrianism, mariachi music, tequila production, and traditional Mexican dances and festivals. A significant portion of the population consists of Mexicans of European descent, primarily from the criollos of Castillian, Extremaduran, Galician, Basque, and Andalusian origin, but also from early Portuguese and Sephardic Jews settlers and later immigrants from other parts of Europe.
The region's native inhabitants, the many Chichimeca nations, were gradually eliminated or accepted in peace accords during the 16th century by Spanish conquistadors led by Captains Hernando Martel and Pedro de Anda, in what is known as the Chichimeca War.
Most of the towns of the Altos were founded by Spanish families during the 16th and 17th centuries. The population today still retains those early indigenous and Spanish roots, and it is intriguing among other things for its increased European appearance due to the strong early Iberian presence and alleged later European migrations, although the latter aren't as strongly supported by historical evidence.
The big Spanish casualties due to the strong Chichimeca response during the Mixtón War led the Spanish to implement a stronger genocidal tactic, together with the fact that the land was a strategic region between the recently discovered silver mines of Zacatecas and Guanajuato. It's said that they took to the Altos de Jalisco experimented European militias who had fought in the Iberian reconquest, as well as soldiers from the greater Holy Roman Empire, which together with the greater Holy League was at war with the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe. Their descendants allegedly still inhabit El Bajío intermixed with the remaining Chichimeca and migrating natives from other parts of Mexico (e.g. the Tlaxcaltec and the Totonac) who also helped the Spanish in their campaigns.
Other sources also theorize that the Altos de Jalisco originated as a Sephardic Jewish community in the region during colonial times. Others claim that at the end of the French invasion of Mexico during the 1860s some French forces stayed in the obscured areas of Los Altos and its surroundings, increasing the proportion of European-looking people in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes. It should also be noted that the direct surroundings (the state of Guanajuato, the city of Guadalajara, etc.) are known to have received Spanish, Occitan and Polish immigrants during events such as the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
Los Altos was one of the main scenarios of the Cristero War during the early 20th century, which confronted Catholic peasants and Catholic elites against the anti-clerical government of President Plutarco Calles. The confrontation still is strongly remembered and plays an important role for the cultural identity of Los Altos.
The Altos are one of the two main tequila producing regions in the state of Jalisco, the other being the municipality of Tequila, Jalisco. The main tequila producing center in the region is Arandas and the second region is Atotonilco El Alto.
Jalisco's charro tradition is particularly strong in Los Altos. In Spain, a charro is a native of the province of Salamanca, especially in the area of Alba de Tormes, Vitigudino, Ciudad Rodrigo and Ledesma. It's likely that the Mexican charro tradition derived from Spanish horsemen who came from Salamanca and settled in Los Altos de Jalisco.
Some of Los Altos’ older architectural structures, both Pre-Hispanic and colonial, have been designated Pueblo Mágico or National Patrimony protected by Mexico's INAH for their historical, cultural or artistic significance. Lagos de Moreno is only one city in Los Altos de Jalisco on the lists of Pueblo Mágicos. The architecture in Los Altos is heavy influenced by European architects during the Spanish Colonial to early WWI era.
Los Altos have many shrines. San Juan de los Lagos is the second most visited pilgrimage shrine in Mexico, after the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City . The numerous shrines are important tourist attractions for the state of Jalisco:
Zapotlanejo
Since 1996, Los Altos has been organized administratively by the state of Jalisco into two regions, the North Highlands (Altos Norte) and the South Highlands (Altos Sur).
The North Highlands (Altos Norte) region covers 8,882 km², which represents 11% of the state's territory. The municipalities in the region are the following:
Lagos de Moreno is the municipality seat of the North Highlands. In this region, factories develop clothing, furniture, footwear, metal goods, sweets and jams. Some of the municipalities in this region have a very important livestock activity mainly in the production of dairy products.
The South Highlands (Altos Sur) region has 6,667 km², which is 5% of the state's surface. The municipalities of this region are the following:
Tepatitlán de Morelos is the municipality seat of the South Highlands. In this region is the most recent municipality of the State, San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, which was separated from Arandas. Traditionally Atotonilco el Alto, Ayotlán, Tototlán and Degollado belong to this southern zone of Los Altos. In general, the region has the production of tequila and the development of livestock, clothing, and various crafts.