Querétaro, formally Santiago de Querétaro or "Querétaro de Arteaga", is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Querétaro. It is also the municipal seat of the surrounding Querétaro municipality. The city had a 2005 census population of 596,450, and the municipality had a population of 734,139. The municipality has an area of 759.9 km² (293.4 sq mi) and includes smaller outlying communities such as Santa Rosa Jáuregui. The city was founded in 1531. Its historic centre is a World Heritage Site.
Economic growth has been outstanding during the last decade. Today, Querétaro is a wealthy city in Latin America in terms of PPP GDP, with $14.732, similar to that of advanced Eastern European countries. Querétaro debuted in 13th place in the 2006 rankings of the "Best Cities to do Business in Latin America" in América EconomÃa, a leading economic magazine. In the 2007 rankings, it is considered the second best place in Mexico to do business, after Monterrey and the fifth best in Latin America, ahead of Miami in 6th place. In 2008, National Geographic listed Querétaro as one of the top 15 historic destinations of the World . |
