Salamanca, Guanajuato

Salamanca(Otomi:Xidoo"Place ofTepetate") is a city and municipality in theMexican stateofGuanajuato.
The city was founded on January 1, 1603, as 'Villa de Salamanca' by the ViceroyGaspar de Zúñiga, fifth Count of Monterrey, who was originally fromSalamanca(Spain). The town was founded in the lands of theBajío, after cattle ranchers and poor farmers, a few Spaniards, and small groups ofOtomiswho formerly occupied a village named Xidoo, already lived in the area.
In recent years, many refineries have opened, and Salamanca has grown rapidly to become an important site for manufacturing and service industry in the region. Also, the University of Guanajuato has made many scientific contributions to develop agricultural and industrial technologies, giving a boost to the local and regional industries.
The city reported a 2020 census population of 160,682. The fourth largest city in the state (behindLeón,Irapuato, andCelaya), it is also the largest of four places called "Salamanca" in Mexico.
Salamanca's cuisine is very diverse because, thanks to the oil refinery, it is a city that has people from all over the country, from cities such asVeracruz,OaxacaandMexico City. Each of these cities has its own variety of food, so one can findenchiladas, wheat gorditas,pambazo,hamburgers, its famouscarnitas(pulled pork),arrachera, cabrito (goat),birria, barbecue,cecina, and pizza.  There are food stands on virtually every street corner. Many types of locally madeice pops&ice creamare also popular in the city.
Thepetrochemical industryis the primary one in the city, giving rise to numerous companies and bus transport services available for employees. The strategy was to boost the creation and development of the so-called "industrial corridor" of the Bajio.
The largestPemexrefinery in Mexico is located in Salamanca, and it is the 11th largest crude oil refinery in the world.
Also noteworthy is CFE Thermoelectric, a source of significant employment in the municipality.
In February 2014,Mazdaopened its North American plant outside of Salamanca. At full production, the plant is expected to produce up to 240,000 vehicles per year and employ over 4,600 workers. About 30 percent of the vehicles sold in the United States will be sourced from this factory.
It is possible to get to Salamanca byFederal Highway 45, which links the cities of Querétaro, Celaya, Irapuato, Silao and León; as well asMexico CitythroughFederal Highway 57.Federal Highway 43also provides links south to the cities ofMoreliaandLázaro Cárdenasin Michoacán.
While the city itself doesn't have an airport, it can be served by theBajío International Airport(BJX), which serves the entire state of Guanajuato; the airport itself is about 50 kilometers away.
Mexicohasn't had any long-distance rail passenger service since 2000 (except for a tourist line in the northwest), however there are plans to build a statewide Interurban Railway linking the same cities currently linked by Highway 45, in addition to the state's capital. However, this project has been stalled for at least 10 years.
There are four available AM radio stations in the city:XEMAS,XEEMM,XEZH,XESAG, as well as one local TV channel available to local cable subscribers.
The city has a richcraftindustry, especially statues of wax, bronze, and pewter, and is also the location of the headquarters of the Center for the Arts of Guanajuato.
The former convent of San Juan de Sahagún and its church (with 12 monumental altarpieces artistically carved with 24 carat gold-plated sheet), and the former parish of St. Bartolomé Apostle are located within the city.
Salamanca offers several :
Salamanca currently had a soccer team namedPetroleros de Salamanca C.F.C.(known as the Oilers) playing in Liga Premier.