Tepic, city (1990 pop. 206,967), capital of Nayarit state, W Mexico, on the Tepic River. A commercial center on the coastal line of the Mexican National Railways and on a major highway, Tepic lies in a prosperous corn, sugarcane, and cattle-raising area. The city has sugar mills and textile factories. Wild mountain scenery surrounds Tepic, which, despite modernization, retains some of its colonial charm.

City (pop., 2000: 265,817), capital of Nayarit state, west-central Mexico. It lies along the Tepic River, at the foot of an extinct volcano. Founded in 1542, much of the city retains a Spanish colonial atmosphere. Its isolation limited its growth until construction of the railroad in 1912; since then it has become a commercial, industrial, and agricultural centre. Nearby are Toltec ruins.

Learn more about Tepic with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Tepic is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Nayarit.

It is located in the central part of the state, at . It stands at an altitude above sea level of some 915 metres, on the banks of the Río Mololoa and the Río Tepic, approximately 225 kilometers north-west of Guadalajara, Jalisco. Nearby are the extinct Sangangüey volcano and its crater lake. Tepic is the primary urban center of this rich agricultural region; major crops include sugarcane, tobacco and citrus fruits.

The city was founded in 1542. In the 2005 census, it reported a population of 295,204 people. Its surrounding municipality of the same name had a population of 336,403. The municipality has an area of 1,983.3 km² (765.8 sq mi).

It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tepic.

Tourism

• The 19th century Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), with a neo-classical portal.
• Cuatro Pueblos Museum, showcases the culture of the main four ethnic groups: huicholes, coras, tepehuanos and mexicaneros.
• Cathedral of the Purísima Concepción de María: this structure was built in the 18th century.
• The 16th century Temple of the Cruz de Zacate was originally a Franciscan convent; today it houses the State Ministry of Tourism.
• The Amado Nervo Museum displays photos and texts of poet Amado Nervo, who was born in this house in 1870.
• The Regional Museum of Anthropology and History offers archaeological exhibits and the ethnography of the Cora and Huichol indigenous peoples.
• In the Casa de la Cultura (House of the Culture) there are murals by Mexican artist José Meza as well as other periodic cultural and artistic exhibits.

Notable people

• Juan Escutia: Boy Hero of the Battle of Chapultepec. Born in Tepic, between 1828-1832, who on the morning of 13 September 1847, fought to prevent invading U.S. forces from capturing Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. After a brave defense, he is reported to have wrapped himself in the national flag and leaped to his death.
• Alexander Forbes, British consul to Mexico at Tepic, and author of the first English-language book on California.
• Luis E. Miramontes: Chemist, co-inventor of the first contraceptive pill
• Amado Nervo
• Veronica Castro
• La Chilindrina
• Rosenda Bernal

Sports

Nayarit has small stadiums built for football (soccer), and baseball; the state has 3 sport private clubs (one has an excellent golf course), and has multiple football (soccer) fields and places to play "pick up games", indoor football (soccer) courts, a Basketball center/gym (with wooden flooring), several volleyball courts, a bowling alley. In Tepic, tennis is a popular sport, but the most popular is soccer. The city also boasts a bullring, as do most Mexican cities. Tepic has several state teams. Both the soccer and the basketball teams are named "Coras".

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Nayarit Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

External links

• Official Website of Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
• Ayuntamiento de Tepic Official website
• Map