HIDALGO

in Spain, a hereditary noble or, in the later Middle Ages and the modern era, a knight or member of the gentry. The term appeared in the 12th century as fidalgus, or Castilian hidalgo, supposedly a contraction of hijo de algo, "son of something," and it applied to all nobles, but especially to the lesser nobility as distinct from the magnates (ricos hombres) and commoner knights (caballeros villanos). The hidalgos enjoyed some exceptional privileges and were dependent on rents or offices. By the 15th century they were probably thought of as being of Christian descent and thus distinguished from former Muslims and from conversos, descended from Jews. The impoverished hidalgo is depicted in the anonymous picaresque novel Lazarillo de Tormes and in Cervantes' Don Quixote. estado ("state"), east-central Mexico, bounded by the states of San Luis Potos and Veracruz (north), Puebla (east), Mxico and Tlaxcala (south), and Quertaro (west). It was part of the state of Mxico until 1869, when it was established as a separate state in honour of the revolutionary patriot Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. On the central plateau, northern and eastern Hidalgo constitute one of the most mountainous areas in Mexico, with peaks reaching 10,000 feet (3,000 m); the south and west form a relatively flat and semiarid tableland, sloping off into tropical lowlands. In the plains region are Lake Metztitln and the valley of Tulancingo, a centre of textile industries. With cool to temperate climates and a considerable range of moisture, the state produces a variety of agricultural products, including corn (maize), alfalfa, beans, barley, rice, other cereals, coffee, and maguey for pulque. Hidalgo also contains extensive mineral deposits, mined since colonial days. Silver, gold, mercury, copper, and opals are among the mineral products. During pre-Columbian times, Hidalgo was the centre of the Indian Toltec civilization, centred at Tenochtitlan, whose precious metal was one of the prime attractions for the Spanish after 1520. Although once very underdeveloped industrially, the state now has major transport-equipment and metalworking factories, as well as textile, cement, and other industrial activity. Although fairly well urbanized today, Hidalgo still has numerous indigenous groups, such as the Otomi, living in agricultural villages and settlements. Tula, west of Pachuca (q.v.), the state capital, was once capital of the Toltecs and is an archaeological site. Tulancingo (q.v.) and Huejutla de Reyes are commercial cities. The main Matamoros-Mexico City highway traverses the state. Area 8,036 square miles (20,813 square km). Pop. (1990) 1,888,366. minor planet 944, whose path reaches from the orbit of Mars out to that of Saturn, with a period of revolution of about 14 years. Hidalgo's orbit is also strongly tilted out of the plane of the solar system, with an inclination of about 43. It may have been deflected into this unusual path by a close approach to Jupiter in the past. Hidalgo's brightness indicates a diameter between about 24 and 48 km (15 and 30 miles). The asteroid was discovered by Walter Baade in 1920.