The state of Nayarit stands out for its relentless beauty, gastronomic offer and fascinating history. Discover it!
Officially known as the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, Nayarit is one of the 32 federal entities that make up the Mexican Republic. This state is located in the west of the country and borders the states of Zacatecas, Durango, Sinaloa and Jalisco.
It also has a large coastal area on the Pacific Ocean side. Thanks to this, it has truly paradisiacal beaches (Sayulita, Punta Mita, etc.) and also has some islands: Farallón de la Peña, Islas Marías, Isla Isabel, Mexcaltitán and Tres Marietas. The state in general is divided into twenty municipalities and its capital is Tepic.
The foundation of Nayarit
At the end of the 19th century, Nayarit maintained the status of Territory of Tepic. Several years had to pass until, on February 5, 1917, the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit was officially founded with the constituent of Querétaro.
It should be noted that it was one of the last entities in Mexico to be admitted as part of the territory. In addition, the act that backed the autonomy of Nayarit was issued until May 1, 1917. That is, when the Constitution of 1917 came into force.
An interesting fact is that before the foundation of the state, the inhabitants of Tepic wanted to separate from the state of Jalisco. The reason was that they considered that by achieving political freedom they could achieve social welfare through progress.
To prove that the promotion of Nayarit as a state was necessary, some deputies from Tepic presented various political, social and economic studies. This despite the discontent shown by some Jaliscans.
What does the coat of arms of Nayarit mean?
The current design of the coat of arms of the state of Nayarit dates from 1993. It contains the representation of the eagle of Aztlán seen from the right profile. Likewise, the eagle has an attitude of wanting to devour the snake.
It should be noted that the eagle represents the cosmic force of the sun while the snake alludes to the potentialities of the Earth. Together, it is inevitable to notice the influence of the legend of the foundation of Tenochtitlan.
However, the background of this shield goes further, because although in 1825 the then president Guadalupe Victoria had decreed that all federal entities should have their own shield, in the case of Nayarit there was a great delay.
It was not until 1921 when the then head of the Ministry of Public Education, José Vasconcelos, invited the muralist Diego Rivera to help him create a shield with Mexica influence. However, the meaning of that shield is unknown.
Coat of arms of the state of Nayarit Wikipedia Coat of arms of the state of Nayarit Cultural contributions The state of Nayarit has a great wealth in every sense. This is partly thanks to the fact that it has indigenous peoples with an unparalleled cultural opulence: Huicholes, Tepehuanes and Coras.
Among the most important cultural expressions of the state, we find the Huichol crafts that are made from beads and that, for their beauty, have gained fame not only in Mexico, but in the whole world. Another craft that stands out is the one made by Cora hands.
In both cases, the colorfulness, the geometric patterns and above all the deep meaning with which they are made stand out. In fact, these crafts have a strong religious influence.
Huichol craft Typical food Thanks to the fact that it has a wide exit to the sea, the food of Nayarit is rich in seafood. Among its main ingredients we can find shrimp, shark meat, snapper, oyster and dogfish.
Source: Mexico Desconocido
