URUAPAN

Handicrafts of the Tarasco Indians on display in Tzintzuntzan, Mex. in full Uruapan Del Progreso, city, west-central Michoacn estado (state), west-central Mexico. Founded in 1533, Uruapan (from a Tarascan Indian term meaning where the flowers abound) is famous for its Spanish-colonial atmosphere and colourful lacquerware and Indian handicrafts (see photograph). It is a rail terminus and agricultural marketing and processing centre in an area producing coffee, grains, sugarcane, and tropical fruit. Uruapan is a base for tourists visiting the nearby volcano Paricutn, which appeared suddenly in 1943. The city is accessible by highway, railroad, and air from Mexico City to the east. Pop. (1980) 122,828.