Silao

Silao (official name: Silao de la Victoria) is a city in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the municipio with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it the seventh-largest community in the state. Silao is a center of agricultural and industrial activity in the area, with a wide variety of farm crops, produce and dairy packing plants and a General Motors truck and SUV assembly plant which currently makes Chevrolet and GMC Full-size Pickups.

Airport

This city is served by the Del Bajío International Airport. It functions as the central airport for the cities of Irapuato, Guanajuato, León, and Salamanca.

Toponymy

In its original Nahuatl, it was called Tzinacua by the Otomi and Purépecha natives. Tzinacua loosely translates into 'place of dense fog', derived from the quantity of thermal waters surrounding the area. In the Otomi language its name is Tsinäkua that also means 'place of dense fog'.

History

In the place where Silao now sits, there was an Otomí settlement that was conquered by the Purépecha tribe. It then received the name Tzinacua, that in English means "place of dense fog", because in the area of Comanjilla, there were columns of water vapor rising from thermal springs. The name evolved to 'Sinaua', 'Silagua' and finally 'Silao'.

Silao (disambiguation)

Silao may refer to:

Silao, Guanajuato

Silao is a municipality in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. Its seat is the city of the same name.

This municipality lies adjacent to the west side of the municipality of Guanajuato, the state capital. This municipality has an area of 531.41 km² (205.18 sq mi) and a population of 147,123, and includes numerous small outlying communities, the largest of which are Colonias Nuevo México and La Aldea.

The municipal president is Juan Roberto Tovar of the National Action Party (PAN).

Silao is home to the Guanajuato Inland Port transshipment facility.

General Motors and Volkswagen have production plants in this city. Also the Bajio International Airport is located in Silao.

History

Silao was the scene of the Battle of Silao in 1860 during the Reform War.

References

External links

Coordinates: 20°57′N 101°25′W / 20.950°N 101.417°W / 20.950; -101.417