Lagos de Moreno

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Lagos de Moreno is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name located in the extreme northeastern part of the state of Jalisco in Mexico. At the 2005 census the city had a population of 92,716 inhabitants, the seventh-largest community in the state in population.

The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality, which has an area of 2,648.22 km² (1,022.48 sq mi) and a population of 140,001 inhabitants, and includes many other outlying small communities, the largest of which are Paso de Cuarenta (San Miguel de Cuarenta) and Los Azulitos.

Lagos de Moreno is called by Mexicans, with some hyperbole, the "Athens of Jalisco" because of the numerous writers and poets who were born there.

Important industries include food processing, including milk and dairy products, vegetable oils, and meats, manufacture of footwear and agricultural machinery.

The city was founded on March-31st., 1563 by Captain General and Grand Major of the Teocaltiche Valley, Hernando de Martell a.k.a. Hernán Gallegos, and named Villa de Santa Maria de los Lagos.

Gallegos founded the village in the Spanish style in the remains of Chichimecas and Caxcans cultures with 63 Sephardie families that went from Spain after King Ferdinand proclaimed the Alhambra Decree (March 31, 1492) (History of the Jews in Spain) which ordered every Jew in Iberia to convert to the Catholic religion or be expelled from the country. Some of the Spanish (Sephardic) Jews went to America and founded towns or cities in the New World.

It was renamed as Lagos de Moreno in memory of insurgent General Pedro Moreno (1775-1817), who led the struggle for independence from Spain.

The old pre-Hispanic name of the city was Pechichitlán or Teziziatlan and was the Great Capitol city of the Chichimecatlalli Empire founded by Ahnuvic-VII nearly 1028 B.C.

It celebrates a fair "Fiestas de Agosto" at the end of July and beginnings of August, several events take place in the area of sports, art, culture and Mexican folklore.

Brea has had a long relationship with its sister city, Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. In September, 1997, Officer Rob Aberle went to Lagos as the first participant in Brea's Police Officer Exchange Program. Officer Aberle stayed there for one month, living with a Lagos de Moreno officer, observing law enforcement in that community, and helping that Department to establish some training in tactics and officer safety techniques.

Notable natives and residents

José Rosas Moreno
Mariano Azuela
Carmelo Reyes "Cien Caras"
Emilio González Márquez
Pedro Moreno

[edit] References

Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
Jalisco Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
[1] Brea Police Department History