▁the ▁over wh el ming ▁majority ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Canada , ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁small ▁town ▁of ▁A j ij ic ▁by ▁Lake ▁Chap ala . ▁The ▁Lake ▁Chap ala ▁area ▁has ▁the ▁largest ▁population ▁of ▁Americans ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁phenomen on ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁C ars ▁with ▁U . S . ▁pl ates ▁are ▁not ▁un common ▁and ▁many ▁signs ▁are ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁Spanish . ▁There ▁are ▁no ▁official ▁numbers ▁but ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁ex - p ats ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁is ▁estimated ▁at ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Half ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁from ▁the ▁US ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁from ▁Canada ▁and ▁some ▁from ▁European ▁and ▁Asian ▁countries . ▁Most ▁are ▁ret ire es , ▁although ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁notable ▁artist ▁community . ▁In ▁the ▁winter , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁foreign ers ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁can ▁reach ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Another ▁area ▁popular ▁with ▁foreign ers ▁is ▁Lag os ▁de ▁Mor eno . ▁ ▁Government ▁and ▁regions ▁ ▁The ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁is ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁which ▁is ▁also ▁its ▁cultural ▁and ▁economic ▁center . ▁The ▁state ▁government ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁governor , ▁a ▁un ic amer al ▁legisl ature ▁and ▁a ▁state ▁jud ici ary ▁branch . ▁The ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁metropol itan ▁area ▁consists ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁along ▁with ▁seven ▁other ▁municipal ities ▁in ▁the