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Guadalajara Mexico |
- The
Association
- Mission
- About
Guadalajara
- Geographic
Location
- History
- Transportation
- Services
- Economy
- Enterprises
- Business
- Education
- Tourism
- Membership
- Board of
Directors
- Web Directory
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THE
ASSOCIATION
 TheLong Beach Guadalajara Friendship City (GFC) is a
part of the Sister Cities of Long Beach, and it is
committed to creating and strengthening partnerships,
friendships and commerce between Mexico, U.S. and
international communities around the world. California’s
largest trading partner is México and this group
intends to demonstrate the vitality of the Hispanic
community. The Latin people represent 30% of Long
Beach, voted recently the most diverse city in the
United States. MISSIONThe mission of the Long
Beach-Guadalajara Friendship City Alliance is to
promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic
development between the city of Long Beach, California
and Guadalajara, Mexico through education and cultural
exchange programs along with activities involving
business constituents.
ABOUT GUADALAJARA
The city of Guadalajara is the capital of the State of
Jalisco and the second most important city in the
Mexican Republic. For several years it was named
"The City of the Roses", "The City of
the Fountains" and the"Royal City",
even though, the best known was "The Pearl of the
West". Moreover, Guadalajara is one of the most
representative cities of the State, known worldwide as
the capital of folklore due to the traditional
Mariachi, popular dances, handcrafts, traditional
cuisine, tequila and the national sport, charrería.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
 The State of Jalisco is located on the Western
side of the Mexican Republic, bordered on the North by
the States of Durango, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes;
on the Northwest by Nayarit; on the Northeast by
Guanajuato and San Luis Potosí; on the South by
Colima; on the southeast by Michoacán; and on the
Southwest by the Pacific Ocean. Jalisco covers an area
of 80,137 km2 (approximately 177 sq. miles)
representing 4.09% of Mexico's total area. The
city of Guadalajara is the capital of the State of
Jalisco; Guadalajara is the nation's second most
important and largest urban area, covering 182 km2.
It is located in the Valley of Atemajac, which
in Nahuatl (Indian language) means "place where
the water divides". The altitude is 1,567 m.
above sea level, and the area of the municipalities
which make up the total Metropolitan Area of
Guadalajara.
HISTORY
The word Guadalajara comes from the Arab word
"Guadal - jil - hara", which means
"River that runs between rocks". The city is
named after the native city of Nuño Beltrán de
Guzmán who, looking for a bigger and more important
kingdom then that of Hernán Cortés, was a conqueror
of this land. Guadalajara was founded on four
different occasions; the first time in 1535 in
Nochistlán (today part of the State of Zacatecas);
the following year it was transferred to the town of
Tonalá. On the third occasion it was founded in 1539
after a great battle between the Indians and the
Spaniards, fought on the hill of Mixtón where the
famous Spaniard Pedro de Alvarado lost his life.
Finally, on the 14 of february of 1542, Doña Beatriz
Hernández led 64 families into the Valley of
Atemajac, on one side of the river San Juan de Dios,
and founded the city of Guadalajara under the Royal
order of Charles V. The exact location is where the
Degollado Theater stands today. This city was capital
of the kingdom of New Galicia, which dominated the
territory all the way to what is today San Francisco,
California.
On the 27th of May of 1824, Guadalajara became the
capital of the State of Jalisco. On February 14
1542, the first city council of Guadalajara was
established. The Emperor Charles V of Germany and I of
Spain, granted it the title of City and gave it its
coat of arms that is still used today.
TRANSPORTATION
The State of Jalisco has an excellent terrestrial and
aerial transportation network, which has contributed
to the close relationship between the main productive
centers of the country. It has 25,303.98 km. of
highways linking our State to other states and to the
United States border.
AIRPORTS
Guadalajara´s International Airport "Miguel
Hidalgo" is located in the municipality of
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, 9 miles from the city.
This terminal, with a landing strip that
measures 4,000 m. long and 60 m. wide, anchors a
national and international communication network
connecting major cities in Mexico and the United
States. The average number of passengers per flight is
334 passengers and 190 on national flights.
RAILROADS
The State of Jalisco has a railroad network that
measures 1,180 km., connecting both Guadalajara and
Mexico City with the country's central and northern
markets. To the south, the railroad serves
Ciudad Guzmán and links it with the Port of
Manzanillo, located 313 km. from Guadalajara.
Manzanillo is a transshipment port, the second largest
in the nation, from which considerable tonnage is
transported by sea. From January to June 2002, the
tonnage moved weighed 4,061 thousand tons and 197,848
TEUS containers wew handled during the same year.
TEU: Unit
equivalent to a 20´foot container.
SERVICES
 The State´s profile has brought about a significant
development of the service sector, which represents an
important source of income and employment. The most
important activities in the State´s service sector
include: entertainment, real estate, temporary
lodging, bank services, food and beverages. The
financial sector has gained relevancy in the
Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, where the services
are supplied by banking institutions, corporations,
stock brokers and credit unions, among others. In
September 1999, Jalisco´s banks had 758 branch
offices, 428 of these located in the Metropolitan Area
of Guadalajara. In 2002, in the State this number
increased to 775 and in Guadalajara to 454.
Jalisco ranks second in the country in total receipts
of commercial banks, a result of the high level of
integration of the banking and financial services,
which favors the saving capacity and the resource
potential used to spur their development.
Aside from the services mentioned above, the
Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara has many other
financial establishments such as investment
brokerages, money-exchange offices, leasing offices,
bonding companies, as well as others related to this
activity. It is important to mention the presence of
BANCOMEXT (Foreign Trade National Bank), which helps
individuals and enterprises in matter concerning
exports and second- floor financial services, among
others.
ECONOMY
Jalisco has been characterized by its important
commercial growth. This activity has mainly focused on
the purchase and sale of the following products: food
and beverages, textiles, electronic appliances,
tobacco, cosmetics, sport articles, construction
materials and others.
 The development of commercial activity in the State
has created 41 plazas or malls in the Metropolitan
Area of Guadalajara, which belong to national and
international franchises. These have a very high
standard of technology within their commercial system.
There are also smaller projects in the medium-sized
cities of the State.
The growth of the State´s commercial sector accounts
for a large percentage of the Total National Income,
only exceeded by the Federal District and the State of
Mexico. Guadalajara is known for the facilities it
offers for the organization of seminars, conventions,
expositions and other similar events. An example is
Expo-Guadalajara, a large-scale convention center
situated amid luxurious hotels that cater to the
convention-goers' needs. In 2001, 111 expositions took
place, with a total attendance of 3,000,000 guests.
All of this took place within 150,000 sq. Feet.
FOREIGN COMMERCE
In the past several years, foreign commerce in Jalisco
has grown considerably, due to innovations in business
practices which have resulted in the high standards of
quality required by the international market.
ENTERPRISES
Industry: The industrial zones of Jalisco manufacture
textiles, footwear, food, beverages, rubber, plastics,
furniture, pharmaceutical products, etc. Moreover the
State is home to high technology industries in
electronics and communication. The Industry in Jalisco
is mainly concentrated in the Metropolitan Area.
BUSINESS
Known in the business world as Mexico´s "Silicon
Valley", Guadalajara stands as one of the most
attractive cities for foreign investments in Mexico,
creating spaces that are strategically located, with
the necessary infrastructure to solve all the needs
that businesses require to locate in our city.
Portrayed as a "kind city", Guadalajara
takes 2nd place in the Mexican business world after
Mexico City and before Monterrey. Guadalajara hosts
well known international enterprises, whose presence
have helped to transform the city into an excellent
place to invest.
Globalization requires our city to effect a rapid and
agile technological transition to maintain the
necessary and constant commercial relationships
between the different participants in the
international trade. With this process the
professionalism and response capacity assures the
satisfaction of our investors or entrepreneurs
interested in our State.
Guadalajara is the main player in Mexico´s Occidental
region, providing the solutions to business needs,
channeling via optical fiber the possibility to
conduct business through the internet, turning it into
an electronic business pioneer, presenting the program
"Business Guadalajara Metropolitan" which
has all the necessary decision-making information for
investors planning to invest in our municipality.
“Business Guadalajara Metropolitan" is
the first electronic program that has: a) nine icons
containing folders of national and international
statistical information; b) 750 businesses that are
anxious to sell their products abroad c) information
on the economic promotion laws in the state and
municipality; d) investment opportunities in national
companies, and e) a catalog of the most important
events that will take place during the year. The
Guadalajara City Government through the Tourism and
Economic Promotion Area, has created and promotes the
"Business Guadalajara Metropolitan"
electronic page to attract more investments, more jobs
and more business for Guadalajara, linking each
company's address to an unlimited number of internet
users, with no charge to the entrepreneurs. The site
offers easy access and up-to-date information, to
create a clear and reliable horizon for investors.
EDUCATION
The State of Jalisco has a well-developed educational
infrastucture, in which the educational programs are
oriented toward the efficient integration of labor and
the State´s economic development process. Its schools
and institutions offer programs at the middle,
technical and professional levels. Eight
internationally known universities and several
technical institutions offer 50 different
specialities, all of which contribute to the
specialization of the labor force and help to raise
the standard of living.
TOURISM
Guadalajara is known worldwide for its traditional
hospitality, with a wide variety of cultural and
recreational attractions and delicious cuisine. But
most of all, it is known for its people. More than
just a city, it represents Mexican culture with its
folklore, the renowed Mariachi, handcrafts, tequila
and the national sport, charrería. Few cities can
offer such a variety of interesting things to see and
do, involving the visitors in a cultural, historical
and legendary atmosphere. You can begin your
enchantment by visiting the Historical Center and its
magnificent buildings, such as the Instituto Cultural
Cabañas named as "World Heritage Site" by
the UNESCO.
Other must visits include the Degollado Theater, the
Regional Museum, the City Museum, the Government
Palace, and the Plazas that form a cross (in the
middle of town), featuring the symbol that has become
emblematic of Guadalajara, the towers of the
Cathedral. Other places that you should visit are the
"Libertad Market", the Plaza Tapatía with
its series of beautiful sculptures, fountains and
gardens, and the Zoo, one of the most important in
Latin America.
Contemporary Guadalajara represents modern Mexico in
the strength of its economic, industrial, commercial
and service infrastructure, together with legacy of
four and a half centuries of culture, endorsed by the
richness of the religious and civil architecture and
by the hard work of inhabitants.
The modern section of the city offers an excellent
selection of stores where the visitor find a great
variety of clothing, footwear, accessories and gifts.
The Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara has a hotel
capacity of 15,419 rooms that vary from Economic to
Five Star and Luxury Class. Several of these hotels
have magnificent services for conventions and
expositions, providing the most modern and advanced
technology.
At the present time, the Tourism and Economic
Promotion Area of the Guadalajarara City Government,
has electronic information for promotion and difusion
known as ¡Vive Guadalajara!. The main purpose of this
program is to promote within Mexico and to the world,
all that is offered in the Guadalajara Metropolitan
Area. This service is supported by numerous public and
private entities.
MEMBERSHIP
Members meet regulary with people to build ethnic
awareness in our community and to further our
relationship with the Guadalajara community. They are
invited to participate in promoting business, cultural
and social activities which will be important to
accomplishing individual and committee goals.
For information about ongoing activities of the Long
Beach – Guadalajara Friendship City Committee,
please contact Chairperson Sandy Cajas at
562-212-2889 or email at
guadalajara@sistercitiesoflongbeach.org.BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sandy Cajas, Chairman
Alicia Mendoza, Vice President
Romano Bravo , Vice President
Ofelia Rivera , Secretary
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