Western Mexico
[[File:Occidente de Mexico.PNG|thumb|350px|{{legend|#006400|border=solid 1px black|Western Mexico.}}]]
The '''Western Mexico''' ({{lang-es|Occidente de México}}) is a region of [[United Mexican States]], formed by the states of [[Jalisco]], [[Nayarit]], [[Colima]] and [[Michoacan]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Folia Etimologica Mexicana. |url=http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/pdf/424/42444304.pdf |publisher=Sociedad Mexicana de Entomologia A.C.|accessdate=October 1, 2010}}</ref> also includes the [[Revillagigedo Islands]], [[Marías Islands]] and several smaller islands. The region extends from the coastal plain of the Pacific Ocean, the [[Sierra Madre Occidental]], the Volcanic axis, the basin of [[Balsas River]], the [[Sierra Madre del Sur]] and the southwest of the [[Mexican plateau]].
== Description ==
=== Pre-Columbian Era ===
[[Image:Mexico.Mich.Tzintzuntzan.01.jpg|thumb|lright|250px|The archaeological site of [[Tzintzuntzan]], capital of the Tarascan Empire]]
Early [[archaeologists]] who wrote about the Western Mexico pointed that this region was somehow connected with [[Mesoamerica]]; then, other researchers felt that the archeology of the western area belonged to the Mesoamerican studies, and finally the more recent authors argue that the area should be incorporated into a redefined Mesoamerica.<ref>{{cite web |title=El Antiguo Occidente de México: Un Área Cultural Mesoamericana. |url=http://www.famsi.org/spanish/research/williams/ |publisher=FAMSI|accessdate=October 1, 2010}}</ref> There is very little information about early human occupation of the area, the earliest evidence is a camp established on the basis of a volcanic mountain in the Bay of [[Matanchén]], Nayarit,which is a likely date from 2200 to 1730 [[Anno Domini|b.c.]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Los Primeros Habitantes del Occidente. |url=http://www.famsi.org/spanish/research/williams/wm_inhabitants.html |publisher=FAMSI|accessdate=October 1, 2010}}</ref> Part of the area was under the dominion of the [[Tarascan state|Tarascan Empire]]
=== New Kingdom of Galicia ===
The [[Nueva Galicia|New Kingdom of Galicia]] ({{lang-es|Nuevo Reino de Galicia}}) was one of only two autonomous kingdoms in the [[Viceroyalty of New Spain]]. The conquest of territory was accomplished by [[Nuño de Guzmán]] and named as '''Conquista del Espíritu Santo de la Mayor España''' ({{lang-en|Conquest of the Holy Spirit of Spain Mayor}}). However, queen [[Joanna of Castile]] (Joanna the Mad ), mother of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], did not agree with the name given to the conquered territory, and by Royal Decree, on January 25, 1531, ordered to call the conquered territory as '''Reino de la Nueva Galicia''' and was founded a city named [[Compostela, Nayarit|Santiago de Galicia de Compostela]] as capital city.<ref>[http://omega.ilce.edu.mx Fondo de cultura económica]</ref>
Nueva Galicia was home to many Mexican national heroes, the most important are [[Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez]], [[José María Morelos]] and [[Agustín de Iturbide]], all born in Valladolid, now [[Morelia]], Michoacán. It was also the birthplace of [[President of Mexico|presidents]] [[José Justo Corro]] and [[Valentín Gómez Farías]] both born in [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]], Jalisco.
== States ==
{| align=center | class="wikitable sortable"
! State
! Official Name
''Estado Libre y Soberano de'':
! Flag
! Capital
! Largest city
! Area<ref>{{cite news |url= http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/default.aspx?tema=me|title= INEGI}}</ref>
! Population (2010)<ref>[http://www.conapo.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&Itemid=234 CONAPO]</ref>
! Order of Admission<br />to Federation
! Date of Admission<br />to Federation
|-
| [[Colima]]
| align=center | ''Colima''
| [[File:Flag of Colima.svg|border|100px]]
| align=center | [[Colima (Colima)|Colima]]
| align=center | [[Manzanillo (Colima)|Manzanillo]]
| align=right | <span style="display:none">005625</span>{{convert|5625|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| align=right | <span style="display:none">0</span>650,129
| align=center | <span style="display:none">0</span>{{nts|23}}
| <span style="display:none">18561209</span>09-12-1856<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.bajacalifornia.gob.mx/portal/nuestro_estado/historia/efemerides/en-diciembre.jsp|title= Portal Ciudadano de Baja California}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://elcomentario.ucol.mx/Noticia.php?id=1260333428|title= Universidad de Colima}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jalisco]]
| align=center | ''Jalisco''
| [[File:Flag of Jalisco.svg|border|100px]]
| align=center | [[Guadalajara (Jalisco)|Guadalajara]]
| align=center | [[Guadalajara (Jalisco)|Guadalajara]]
| align=right | <span style="display:none">078599</span>{{convert|78599|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| align=right | <span style="display:none">0</span>7,350,355
| align=center | <span style="display:none">0</span>{{nts|9}}
| <span style="display:none">18231223</span>23-12-1823<ref name=googlebooks/>
|-
| [[Michoacán]]
| align=center | ''Michoacán de Ocampo''
| [[File:Flag of Michoacan.svg|border|100px]]
| align=center | [[Morelia]]
| align=center | [[Morelia]]
| align=right | <span style="display:none">058643</span>{{convert|58643|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| align=right | <span style="display:none">0</span>4,348,485
| align=center | <span style="display:none">0</span>{{nts|5}}
| <span style="display:none">18231222</span>22-12-1823<ref name=googlebooks>{{cite news |url= http://books.google.com.mx/books?id=i_GK_-6deKIC&lpg=PA227&ots=eyvDzsrMIz&dq=22%20De%20Mayo%20De%201824%20durango&pg=PA227#v=onepage&q=&f=false|title= La Diputación Provincial y El Federalismo Mexicano}}</ref>
|-
| [[Nayarit]]
| align=center | ''Nayarit''
| [[File:Flag of Nayarit.svg|border|100px]]
| align=center | [[Tepic]]
| align=center | [[Tepic]]
| align=right | <span style="display:none">027815</span>{{convert|27815|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| align=right | <span style="display:none">0</span>1,084,957
| align=center | <span style="display:none">0</span>{{nts|28}}
| <span style="display:none">19170126</span>26-01-1917<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.tlaxcala.gob.mx/tlaxcala/enero-febrero.html|title= Gobierno del Estado de Tlaxcala}}</ref>
|-
|}
== Major Cities ==
<div align=center>
{| class="toc" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2 width=800px style="float:center; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.5e
|colspan=2 style="background:#4b6791; color:white; font-size:120%" align=center|'''Major Cities of Colima'''
|-
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:PasilloColima.png|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Valladolid Mexico Cathedral.jpg|125px]]
|-
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Colima, Colima|Colima]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Manzanillo, Colima|Manzanillo]]
|-
|}
</div>
<div align=center>
{| class="toc" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2 width=800px style="float:center; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.5e
|colspan=5 style="background:#4b6791; color:white; font-size:120%" align=center|'''Major Cities of Jalisco'''
|-
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Catedral y kiosco.jpg|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Basilica de Zapopan atrio.jpg|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:StreetinTequilaJAL.JPG|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Puerto vallarta at night.jpg|125px]]
|-
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Zapopan, Jalisco|Zapopan]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Tequila, Jalisco|Tequila]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Puerto Vallarta]]
|-
|}
</div>
<div align=center>
{| class="toc" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2 width=800px style="float:center; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.5e
|colspan=5 style="background:#4b6791; color:white; font-size:120%" align=center|'''Major Cities of Michoacán'''
|-
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:MoreliaAvMadero.JPG|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Alto horno Siderúrgica Lázaro Cárdenas.JPG|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Centro regional zam.jpg|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Typical Patzcuaro Street.jpg|125px]]
|-
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Morelia]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán|Lázaro Cárdenas]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Zamora, Michoacán|Zamora]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Pátzcuaro]]
|-
|}
</div>
<div align=center>
{| class="toc" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=2 width=800px style="float:center; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.5e
|colspan=5 style="background:#4b6791; color:white; font-size:120%" align=center|'''Major Cities of Nayarit'''
|-
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Tepic plaza.jpg|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:Nuevo Vallarta 2.JPG|125px]]
|align=center valign=center bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|[[File:San Blas (Mexico).JPG|125px]]
|-
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Tepic]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[Bahía de Banderas]]
|style="background:#e5ebf2;" align=center|[[San Blas, Nayarit|San Blas]]
|-
|}
</div>
== See also ==
* [[Eastern Mexico]]
* [[North-Central Mexico]]
* [[Northeastern Mexico]]
* [[Northwestern Mexico]]
* [[South-Central Mexico]]
* [[Southeastern Mexico]]
* [[Southwestern Mexico]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.sectur.gob.mx Secretaría de Turismo]
* [http://www.visitmexico.com Consejo de Promoción Turística de México]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Regions of Mexico]]
[[Category:Flora of Central Mexico| ]]
[[es:Occidente de México]]