La Barca

La Barca, city, east-central Jalisco estado (state), west-central Mexico. It is on the Lerma River, which forms the border between Jalisco and Michoacán states, about 15 miles (24 km) east of its entry into Lake Chapala. Founded in 1553 as Santa Mónica de la Barca at a site called Chichinahuatengo, the settlement was renamed after a large canoe used as a ferry and soon became known as La Barca de Chichinahuatengo. The temperate, fertile valley, irrigated by the river, yields wheat, chickpeas, corn (maize), oranges, cattle, pigs, and sheep. Dairying, tanning, and the bottling of mineral water are notable industries. La Barca is 70 miles (112 km) by highway east-southeast of Guadalajara, the state capital. Pop. (2005) 33,653; (2010) 35,219.