Hidalgo Today
Industrial development has flourished in Hidalgo over the last few decades; textiles and cement products are currently the state’s primary exports. The state’s mines yield valuable metal ores such as manganese, zinc, iron, copper, gold and silver. Other useful minerals include gypsum, refractory clays and lime. Additional sources of revenue are derived from auto parts, metalworking and oil production, and the state is fast becoming one of Mexico’s leaders in the assembly of subway and railroad cars, heavy machinery, automobiles and trucks.
Another major crop is the maguey cactus, an agave plant also known as the American aloe–even though it is not related to true aloes. In arid and rocky areas where crops cannot be irrigated, maguey cultivation provides reliable income. A liquid called agua miel (honey water) is collected from the plant’s center and fermented to make the popular drink pulque.
Facts & Figures
- Capital: Pachuca
- Major Cities (population): Pachuca de Soto (275,578) Tulancingo de Bravo (129,935) Huejutla de Reyes (115,786) Tula de Allende (93,296) Ixmiquilpan (73,903)
- Size/Area: 8,036 square miles
- Population: 2,345,514 (2005 Census)
- Year of statehood: 1869
Fun Facts
- Set against a blue sky, the green mountains in the upper half of Hidalgo’s coat of arms symbolize the state’s rich natural resources. To the left is the Bell of Dolores, which rallied the state’s citizens to fight for independence in 1810; on the right is a red Phrygian cap with laurel branches, symbols of their victory in 1821. The lower half of the seal displays a round military box in remembrance of the country’s three greatest conflicts: Independence (1810-1821), Reform (1858-1861) and Revolution (1910-1917). The three holes in the field suggest the mouths of mines, the primary source of the state’s wealth. To the left of the shield flies the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe, used by Father Miguel Hidalgo in the movement for independence; to the right is Mexico’s national flag.
- About one-sixth of the state’s population speaks an indigenous language.
- Pachuca, Hidalgo, is referred to as La Bella Airosa (the beautiful windy city) due to the strong northeastern winds that can reach 75 kilometers (47 miles) per hour. At more than 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) in elevation, it is also one of Mexico’s highest and coldest cities.
- The Reloj Monumental (monumental clock), built in 1904, is Pachuca’s central clock tower. Its bell was crafted by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same company that made the Liberty Bell and London’s Big Ben.
- The state of Hidalgo is named after Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest who led the fight for independence from Spanish rule.
- Residents of Hidalgo cook and eat both ants’ eggs (escamoles) and grubs (chinicuiles) that thrive in the maguey cactus.
- The 1998 film, The Mask of Zorro, featuring Antonio Banderes and Catherine Zeta-Jones was partly filmed in Hidalgo.
- Though the state is named after Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the town of Dolores, where he started the cry for revolution, is actually located in Guanajuato, not Hidalgo, Mexico.
Landmarks
Real del Monte
Once the richest municipality in the state of Hidalgo, the town of Real del Monte offers visitors a glimpse into the region’s mining heritage. Popular attractions include Casas Quemadas (the site of a battle in 1866), Monumento al Minero (Monument to Mining) and Museo de Medicina Laboral, a museum that shows visitors how workers were treated for mine-related injuries and illnesses such as silicosis.
Vistors can tour the mines at Mina La Rica, Mina de Dolores and Mina de Acosta. Nearby is a tribute to the miners of England’s Cornwall County, who revitalized Mexico’s silver industry in the early 1800s by introducing more modern methods of production.
Huasca de Ocampo
Surrounded by forests and located near the former mining haciendas of San Miguel and Santa Maria Regla, Huasca de Ocampo is a quaint town with white houses, clay roofs and stone streets. The town’s name derives from the Náhuatl word Huascazaloyam (happiness) and the name of a regional lawyer and politician, Melchor Ocampo.
Ruins
The archeological site of Tula, just outside the modern town of Tula de Allende, is spread over a wide area. The largest cluster of ceremonial structures is nicknamed Tula Grande, while a smaller group is called Tula Chico. The site features a terraced pyramid, the towering Atlantes warrior statues, the Palacio Quemado and reclining sculptures believed to depict the rain god Tlaloc. Two large courts bear witness to the popularity of the Mesoamerican ballgame Tlachtli (or Tlaxco), which was played by the Toltecs centuries ago. According to legend, Tula is where the gods Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca fought an epic battle between light and dark.
