Hidalgo (redirected from Hidalgo (disambiguation))

Hidalgo, state, Mexico

Hidalgo (ēthäl`gō), state (1990 pop. 1,888,366), 8,058 sq mi (20,870 sq km), central Mexico. Pachuca de Soto is the capital. Crossed by the Sierra Madre Oriental, the state is extremely mountainous; in the southern and western areas, however, are plains and fertile valleys lying within Mexico's central plateau. The climate is warm in the lower valleys, temperate on the plateau, and cold in the mountains. One of Hidalgo's chief crops is maguey (see amaryllis), grown on the central plateau. Alfalfa, corn, sugarcane, and coffee are also cultivated. The state's main industry is mining (particularly around Pachuca), and Hidalgo is a leading national producer of silver, gold, copper, lead, iron, and sulfur. Cement, textile, automobile manufacturing and especially oil refining are other major industries. The territory was occupied successively by the Toltec (whose capital was Tollán—now Tula), the Chichimecs, and the Aztecs. Conquered by the Spanish in 1530, it was part of the province and state of Mexico until it became the separate state of Hidalgo in 1869. There are several hot springs in Hidalgo.

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hidalgo, in Spanish nobility

hidalgo (hēdäl`gō) [contraction of Span. hijo de algo=son of something], term designating the lowest degree of Spanish nobility, a rank above the ordinary gentry but below the great lords. The status was granted either directly from the crown (hidalgo de carta) or was inherited through birth (hidalgo de sangre). The term was known as early as the 12th cent.; the prolonged warfare to reconquer Spain from the Moors especially necessitated the continuous expansion of this knightly class. Although it did not have any political importance, the rank gave its members privileges such as use of the title Don and considerable exemption from taxation. The hidalgo is a familiar character in Spanish literature, often being portrayed as a vagabond knight.

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Hidalgo, in astronomy

Hidalgo (hĭdăl`gō), in astronomy: see asteroid.

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Hidalgo

State (pop., 2000: 2,235,591), east-central Mexico. It covers 8,036 sq mi (20,813 sq km), and its capital is Pachuca. It was part of the state of México until 1869, when it was established as a separate state in honour of the revolutionary patriot Miguel Hidalgo. Containing some of the most mountainous areas in Mexico, it has extensive mineral deposits, including silver and gold. In pre-Columbian times it was the centre of the Toltec civilization; an archaeological site near Tula, west of Pachuca, is the remains of the Toltec capital. The state has major metalworking factories as well as agricultural production.

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Hidalgo

a state of central Mexico: consists of a high plateau, with the Sierra Madre Oriental in the north and east; ancient remains of Teltec culture (at Tula); rich mineral resources. Capital: Pachuca. Pop.: 2 231 392 (2000). Area: 20 987 sq. km (8103 sq. miles)

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Hidalgo [hi′däl·gō]

(astronomy)

The asteroid with the second largest known mean distance from the sun, about 5.8 astronomical units.

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Hidalgo 

a state in Mexico, on the central plateau. Area, 21,000 sq km. Population, 1, 156,000 (1970). The city of Pachuca is the administrative center of the state. Subsistence agriculture is widespread. The basic crops are corn, beans, and agave. Oil-bearing plants, fruits, and vegetables are cultivated on the irrigated lands around Tula. Gold and silver are mined in the area. Industries include machine building in Irolo, nonferrous metallurgy in Pachuca, and the food industry in Tulancingo.

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Hidalgo 

the lower and middle knighthood in medieval Spain. The term “hidalgo” appeared at the end of the 12th century and became common in the 13th and 14th centuries as the designation for all members of the knightly estate. The hidalgos were an important military force in the reconquest of Spain from the Moors. The ruin and impoverishment of the hidalgos began in the 15th century. The hidalgos were active in the conquest of the newly opened American lands in the 16th century. The existence of large numbers of hidalgos, who although impoverished maintained the caste prejudices typical of the knighthood, was a characteristic feature of the social life of feudal Spain in the era of its decline (the late 16th and the 17th century).