region was also known as La Gran Chichimeca in later years. It was the epicenter of the historic Chichimeca War in the 16th century, and the cradle of Mexican War of Independence from 1810. The Bajío is where in April 1915, during the Mexican Revolution, General Álvaro Obregón provoked decisive battles against Pancho Villa. Villa's troops lost in June that year outside the city of Celaya, in the state of Guanajuato. Geography In general usage, the region is usually associated with the States of Guanajuato and Querétaro, even though those two states form only a part of the Bajío. It is now characterized by its highly mechanized agriculture, with mean precipitation in the order of per annum (one of the highest in the country). During the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the area was known as the breadbasket of the territory. As of 2014, the region produces sorghum, wheat and maize as its main crops. The Bajío region lies in the basin of the Rio Lerma and Río Grande de Santiago. Culture The Bajío is known for being the cradle of Mexican Independence from the Spanish Empire, and for being one of the conservative bastions of Mexican Catholicism. States Secondary states sometimes considered as partly contributing to El Bajío or enclosing it: Michoacán, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Estado de México (State of Mexico). Demography Largest cities Economy Today, the region is one of the fastest-growing in the country. This has caused the metropolitan areas to attract many migrants from other parts of Mexico. The region has had an outstanding industrial and economic development in the last 15 years. The cities of El Bajío have one of the highest income per capita figures in Mexico. Tourism Due to its colonial heritage, the Bajío is home to around eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites (depending on how its limits are defined): Downtown Querétaro City. Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda (shrines in the rural Querétaro Huasteca region, by Junípero Serra, also founder of many Californian missions). Guanajuato City and adjacent mines. San Miguel de Allende and Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco (town in the state of Guanajuato). Hospicio Cabañas (colonial hospital complex and art museum in Guadalajara). Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila (Jalisco). Zacatecas City Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Downtown Morelia Industry The region was preferred by foreign companies for its proximity to the US, second only in