Monterrey

The city is named after Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey, who was viceroy of New Spain from 1595 to 1603. His family originated in Monterrei, Galicia, Spain.

Before the European foundation of the city, there was no established nation-state, and the population consisted of some indigenous nomad groups. Carved stone and cave painting in surrounding mountains and caves have allowed historians to identify four major groups in present-day Monterrey: Azalapas, Huachichiles, Coahuiltecos and Borrados. In the 16th century, the valley in which Monterrey sits was known as the Extremadura Valley, an area largely unexplored by the Spanish colonizers. The first expeditions and colonization attempts were led by conquistador Alberto del Canto, who named the city Santa Lucia, but they were unsuccessful because the Spanish were attacked by the native people and fled. …

The city of Monterrey is 540 metres (1,770 ft) above sea level in the northeastern state of Nuevo León. Monterrey translated literally from Spanish to English is "King Mount" or "King Mountain", and folk etymology claims that this refers to the city's topography and the large mountains that surround it (actually, the city was named after the wife of Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey). The Santa Catarina River—dry most of the year on the surface but with flowing underground water—bisects Monterrey from east to west, separating the city into north and south halves, and drains the city to the San Juan River and Rio Grande. Monterrey is adjacent to San Nicolás de los Garza, García and General Escobedo to the north; Guadalupe, Juárez and Cadereyta Jiménez to the east; Santiago to the south; and San Pedro Garza García and Santa Catarina to the west. …

The 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures was an international cultural event held in Monterrey from September 20 to December 8, 2007. The most traditional dish from Monterrey is cabrito, kid goat cooked on embers. Other local dishes and customs that perhaps date back to the Crypto-Judaism of Monterrey's founding families are the "semita" (bread without leavening), the capirotada dessert (a mix of cooked bread, cheese, raisins, peanuts, and crystallized sugarcane juice), and the relative absence of pork dishes. Another famous local dish is machacado con huevo. Carne asada on weekends remains a tradition among Monterrey families. It is usually served with grilled onions, baked potatoes and sausages or chopped as tacos. Locally brewed beer and cola are an almost mandatory part of the weekly ritual. "Glorias" and "obleas", made from goat milk, are both traditional Nuevo León desserts. …

Monterrey is a major industrial center in northern Mexico, with a GDP (PPP) of US$140 billion and a GDP (PPP) per capita of US$31,900 in 2015. The city was rated by Fortune magazine in 1999 as the best city in Latin America for business and is currently ranked third best by the América Economía magazine. The city has prominent positions in sectors such as steel, cement, glass, auto parts, and brewing. The city's economic wealth has been attributed in part to its proximity to the United States-Mexico border and economic links to the United States. Industrialization was accelerated in the mid-19th century by the Compañia Fundidora de Fierro y Acero Monterrey, a steel-processing company. …

According to the national INEGI census of 2010, of the total population of the state of Nuevo León, 87.3% lived in the Monterrey metropolitan area. The Monterrey metropolitan area is the second most populous in Mexico, with more than 5 million inhabitants. It comprises the municipalities of Monterrey, Apodaca, Escobedo, García, Guadalupe, Santiago, Juárez, San Nicolás de los Garza, San Pedro Garza García, Santa Catarina and Salinas Victoria. Monterrey has an estimated 3.7% illiteracy rate. In 2005, of an estimated 983,359 inhabitants above 6 years of age, 36,689 were illiterate. In 2005, the city had 72 public libraries, with 298,207 books available, serving an estimated 478,047 readers. …