Los Altos de Jalisco
Los Altos de Jalisco, or the Jaliscan Highlands, are 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. Los Altos is 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 descended from the criollos of Castillian, Extremaduran, Galician, Basque, and Andalusian origin, but also from early Portuguese settlers and later French, Irish, and Italian, German, Dutch, Slavic and Greek immigrants, among others. History. The region's native inhabitants, the Chichimeca people, were conquered in the 16th century by Spanish conquistadors led by Captains Hernando Martel and Pedro de Anda in the Chichimeca War. The first peoples that inhabited the region were the Chichimeca nations, a name given by the Mexicas to a group of indigenous peoples who lived in the center and  north of the country. The casualties that the Spanish conquerors incurred in the region due to the Chichimeca attacks led them to answer with a warlike genocidal tactic. They took to the Altos de Jalisco, rural Castilian militiamen, who have the great majority of French descent who arrived in Castile, Spain during early of Middle Ages to repopulate the center of Spain. However, there were also Portuguese, Basques, Italians and Flemishs (natives of Flanders), who had previously fought against Turks and Moors during the Reconquista. In this way, among Europeans and Indians, the crucible of races so uncharacteristic of this  region was formed. There is also some evidence of Sephardic Jewish settlement in the region during colonial times. After the French intervention in Mexico within the early 1860s, the French forces were expelled from México under the order of General Eulogio Parra in 1866. However, some French communities 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. Los Altos was one of the main scenarios of the Cristero War during the early 20th century, which confronted Catholic peasants and elites against the anti -clerical government of President Plutarco Calles. Culture. Tequila. Los Altos is 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. Charro. Jalisco's charro tradition is particularly strong in the Los Altos region. 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. Architecture of Los Altos. Many of Los Altos's older architectural structures, including entire sections of Pre-Hispanic and colonial, have been designated World Heritage sites and Pueblo Mágico for their historical, cultural, artistic significance. Lagos de Moreno is only one city in Los Altos de Jalisco on the lists of Pueblo Magico out of 121. The architecture in Los Altos are heavy influenced by European architects during the Spanish Colonial to early WWI era. Pilgrimage. 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: Administration. 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"). North Highlands. 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. South Highlands. 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.