Aguascalientes (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌaɣwaskaˈljentes] is the capital of the state of Aguascalientes and is its most populous city, with a metropolitan population of 1,000,000. It is one of the safest and most prosperous cities in Mexico. It is located in North-Central Mexico. It was part of the kingdom of Nueva Galicia. In 1835 Aguascalientes became the capital of the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes. Aguascalientes has been called the cleanest city in Latin America. Aguascalientes is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalization process. Aguascalientes has a population which includes Japanese, Koreans, and Germans.
It stands on the banks of the Aguascalientes River, 1880 meters above sea level, at 21°51′N 102°18′W. It is the municipal seat for the Aguascalientes Municipality. The Aguascalientes metropolitan area includes the municipality of Jesús María and San Francisco de los Romo. It was a Chichimeca Indian territory. It later blossomed as a strategic link between Mexico City and the mines of Zacatecas, while prosperous agriculture and ranching helped feed Spain’s emerging New World cities.
OECD has recognized Aguascalientes as having a good business climate.[8] It is a strong business and economic center in the Bajío region. Its strategic location and infrastructure have made it a regional hub and a location for international headquarters. Also home to two of Nissan’s largest and most important manufacturing plants in Latin America. Other important companies located in Aguascalientes include Jatco, Coca-Cola, Flextronics, Texas Instruments, Donaldson, and Calsonic Kansei.
Because of its services and hotel industry, Aguascalientes is one of the most important centers in Mexico for entertainment, gastronomy, leisure activities, arts and recreation.
The city of Aguascalientes was founded on October 22, 1575, by Juan de Montoro as a postal service rest stop between the cities of Zacatecas and Mexico City, though it is known that the site already featured a small population by the time it was granted an official status. Although its founders did not envision it becoming a major city, it became the capital of the newly formed state of the same name when its territory separated from the adjacent state of Zacatecas in 1835. When the state separated from Zacatecas, Aguascalientes raced ahead in its development, while the state of Zacatecas remained behind in comparison.
