San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí.

The state is located in eastern and central Mexico. It shares borders with seven other Mexican states: Nuevo León to the north, Tamaulipas to the north-east, Veracruz to the east, Hidalgo, Querétaro and Guanajuato to the south, and Zacatecas to the north-west.

Besides its capital, San Luis Potosí has other important cities such as Ciudad Valles, Matehuala, Rioverde, and Tamazunchale. The state has a rich cultural history and offers many interesting places to explore.

History

In times before Europeans arrived, the land that is now San Luis Potosí was home to many different groups of people. The Otomi and Chichimeca tribes lived in the north and west-central areas, moving around and hunting for food. Even today, some Huasteco people, along with Pame and Náhua groups, still live in the area.

In 1592, people discovered gold and silver, which led to the founding of the state. Spanish miners created the first town called "San Luis de Mezquitique," where the capital city San Luis Potosí stands today. The state was named "San Luis Rey," meaning King Saint Louis, to honor Louis IX of France, and "Potosí" because people hoped it would be as wealthy as the silver mines in Bolivia. During the 1600s and 1700s, religious groups such as the Franciscans, Augustinians, and Jesuits arrived and built many churches and buildings that are still there today.

In 1821, Mexico gained its independence, and San Luis Potosí joined the new country. The state played important roles in later conflicts, such as the war with the United States and during times of change in Mexico’s government. By the late 1860s, new ways of communication were introduced, helping the state begin to grow and develop.

Geography

The state of San Luis Potosí lies mostly on the Mexican Plateau, except for its eastern part where the land drops into the tropical valley of the Tampaon River. This river flows northwest and becomes the Pánuco River, separating San Luis Potosí from Tamaulipas. The Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range runs through the state, dividing the plateau from the Gulf Coastal Plain to the east. The eastern part of the state is covered by moist forests and is known as the Huasteca potosina.

The Tampaón River and its tributaries drain the southern and southeastern parts of the state. The northern and central parts, including the capital, have an interior drainage basin that does not reach the sea. The state's average elevation is about 1,800 meters, giving it a mostly temperate climate. The soil is fertile, and crops like wheat, maize, beans, and cotton grow well. In the tropical valleys, products such as sugar, coffee, tobacco, peppers, and fruit are common. Livestock farming is also important.

San Luis Potosí was once a leading mining area in Mexico, though mining declined after independence. Rich silver mines are still found around Real de Catorce, Peñón Blanco, Ramos, and Guadalcázar. Guadalcázar has been producing gold, copper, zinc, and bismuth since 1620, along with silver. The Ramos district once produced over $60,000,000 in the early 1900s.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of San Luis Potosí shows Louis IX of France, the person the state is named after, standing on a hill in the town of Cerro de San Pedro. This is where gold and silver were found. Because the state had many gold and silver mines, the coat of arms has two gold bars on the left and two silver bars on the right. The blue background stands for night, and the yellow background stands for day.

Governors

Main article: Governor of San Luis Potosí

As of 2021, the leader of San Luis Potosí is Ricardo Gallardo Cardona. He belongs to the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico.

Economy

San Luis Potosí has a special place in Mexico because it is located between three big cities: Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. It is also close to four major ports: Tampico, Altamira, Manzanillo, and Mazatlán. This helps the state have good business opportunities.

Mining has always been important for San Luis Potosí. Today, metallurgy is still a big part of the state’s economy. The main metals mined are zinc, copper, lead, gold, silver, mercury, manganese, and arsenic. Other important industries include chemicals, food and drinks, tobacco, and textiles. Services like hotels and restaurants also help the economy. Agriculture, especially in the Huasteca region, grows crops like maize, beans, barley, sugar cane, oranges, coffee, sour lemon, prickly pear, and mango. The state also has factories for big car companies like General Motors and BMW.

Demographics

The state of San Luis Potosí is home to 2,822,255 people. Many of its residents are young, with 60% under the age of 30. The average life expectancy is about 72 years for men and 77 years for women.

About 15% of the population is indigenous, with the main languages being Nahuatl and Huasteco. There are also people from the Huastec and Pame peoples. In terms of ancestry, many people have roots in Spain, Italy, and other European countries. Some people also have African or mixed heritage.

Education

In San Luis Potosí, people aged 15 and older have, on average, completed about 7.7 years of schooling. This is a bit less than the national average of 8.1 years. Many students, especially those over 15, sometimes leave school early—about 28% of them do not finish primary school. For children under 14, the rate of leaving school early is much lower, at just 4%. Most people in the state can read and write, with a literacy rate of around 90.8%. The main university in the state is the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, known as UASLP.

There are several other places where people can study beyond high school, including:

• Instituto Tecnológico de San Luis Potosí (ITSLP)
• Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus San Luis Potosí (ITESM)
• Universidad del Valle de México, Campus San Luis Potosí (UVM)
• Universidad Cuauhtémoc, Campus San Luis Potosí (UCSLP)
• Universidad Tecnológica de San Luis Potosí (UTSLP)
• Universidad Politécnica de San Luis Potosí (UPSLP)
• College of San Luis Potosí (COLSAN)
• Instituto Universitario del Centro de México (UCEM)

Media

San Luis Potosí has several newspapers. Some of these include Diario Regional El Mañana de Valles, El Sol de San Luis, Esto del Centro, Gran Diario Regional Zona Media El Mañana de Rioverde, La Jornada de San Luis, La Prensa del Centro, and Pulso Diario de San Luis.

Transportation

Ponciano Arriaga International Airport helps connect the capital city of San Luis Potosí with many flights within Mexico and to other countries. Smaller airports in cities like Matehuala, Tamuin, and Rioverde offer flights only inside Mexico.

The state also has many roads for cars and buses, just like other parts of the country. Most roads in cities are paved, but some little towns still have streets made of cobblestones.

Notable people and residents

Arts and sciences

San Luis Potosí has been home to many talented people. Ana Bárbara is a famous singer-songwriter. Cenobio Hernandez was a composer, and Julián Carrillo Trujillo discovered a special theory about music called the Thirteenth Sound. Francisco González Bocanegra wrote the Mexican National Anthem. Manuel José Othón was a well-known poet, and Eugenia Campbell Nowlin was an American artist born in San Luis Potosí.

Politics

The state has also produced important political figures. Mariano Arista served as the president of Mexico from 1851 to 1853. Other notable leaders include Ponciano Arriaga, Miguel Barragán, Carlos Jonguitud Barrios, Luis Ernesto Derbez, Alfonso Lastras Ramírez, Salvador Nava Martínez, Francisco Javier Salazar Sáenz, and Enrique Márquez Jaramillo.

Sports

Many athletes come from San Luis Potosí. Ivan Becerra was a professional football player. Jesús Cruz played baseball in the Major League Baseball. Nery Castillo, though born here, moved away as a baby. Alberto Del Rio became a famous WWE wrestler. Other sports stars include José Garfias, a racing driver, Mil Máscaras, a professional wrestler, Luis Enrique Muñoz, and Juan Sánchez Purata, both professional football players.

Journalism

Jesús Blancornelas was a prize-winning journalist from the region.