Uruapan del Progreso, simply known as Uruapan (), is the second largest city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located at the western edge of the Purépecha highlands, just to the east of the Tierra Caliente region. Since the colonial period, it has been an important city economically due to its location. The city was conquered by the Spanish in 1522, when the last Purépecha ruler fled the Pátzcuaro area to here. The modern city was laid out in 1534 by Friar Juan de San Miguel. It played an important role in the War of Independence, and was the capital of Michoacán during the French Intervention. Today it is the center of Mexico's avocado growing region, with most of the crop distributed from here nationally and internationally.
The city
250px|left|thumbnail|View of the city from the Cerro de la Charanda.
With a population of over 356,700, the city is the second most populous and the second in economic importance in the state of Michoacán. The city is located at the western edge of the Purépecha highlands of the state at 1,620 meters above sea level.
The city's center has colonial architecture which contain Plateresque and Moorish elements. Each of these neighborhoods have their own festival: San José on March 19, El Vergel on the third Friday in June, San Juan Quemado on June 24, San Pedro on June 29, La Magdalena on July 22, Santiago on July 25, San Miguel on September 29, San Francisco de Asis on October 4. The patron saints' days of these neighborhoods are celebrated with colorful dances such as Los Negritos.
thumb|250px|left|Uruapan Plaza
The center of the city is marked by the very large and long Plaza de Martires de Uruapan. Facing this plaza are two commercial portals as well as some of the city's most important landmarks. On the north side, there is the La Huatápera Museum, officially called the Museo de los Cuatro Pueblos Indios. Huatápera is a Purépecha word, meaning "meeting place," and according to tradition, it was built over a pre Hispanic platform, obtaining its social importance from this. According to local myth, Juan de San Miguel forced the Devil to bow before the Cross, with the Devil's knee making an indentation in the rock from which the first spring emerges. The land was private until the 1930s when the federal government bought it to create the park. The ravine has various waterfalls such as La Yerbabuena and El Golgota, bridges and fountains that take advantage of natural water supply. There is also a mural called Erédira by local artist Manuel Pérez Coronado, but it is almost completely deteriorated.
The municipality
The city of the Uruapan is the seat of a municipality and serves as the local government for surrounding communities that extend over . Outside of the Uruapan proper, the main communities are Capacuaro, Angahuan, San, Caltzontzin, Jucutacato, Santa, Corupo and Nuevo, all of which are dedicated to agriculture and/or forestry. The municipality borders those of Charapan, Paracho, Nahuatzen, Tingambato, Ziracuaretiro, Taretan, Gabriel Zamora, Nuevo Parangaricutiro, Peribán and Los Reyes. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, a syndic, and 12 representatives called regidors.
Native to Australia, macadamias have been grown in the Uruapan area since the late 20th century. It is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and mountainous. Principal peaks include Charanda, La Cruz, Jicalán and Magdalena. The climate is between temperate and tropical, with most rain falling in the summer. Average annual rainfall is 1,759.3 mm and average annual temperatures are between 8 and 37.5 C.
|source 2 = Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (extremes)
|date=September 2012
Flora and fauna
The flora is mostly mixed forest, with pine, oak and deciduous tropical rainforest. Logging includes pine, oak and oyamel fir. Areas without trees mostly consist of scrub of various kinds. Notable fauna includes coyote, skunks, deer, foxes, cacomixtle, hares, opossums, ducks and other birds. In 2014, the city was taken over briefly by the Grupos de Autodefensa Comunitaria or "autodefensas", an armed civilian movement trying to counter the power of the cartels, unsupported by the local and state government.