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Guerrero is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, located in the south of the country with a coast on the Pacific Ocean. In terms of alcoholic beverages, it is best known globally for its Mezcal - the state lies to the south of the official zone for Tequila. Agave also provides the base for various spirits.
There are several different varieties of agave used which grow wild in different mountain regions of Guerrero. The Cupreata and Potatorum agaves are both known as papolote because of their great similarity and the fact that they grow at similar altitudes.
Other varieties include Angustifolia guerrerensis, Inaequidens and Marmorata. Each variety tends to have several local names.
The state is mountainous and rugged, with just a few flatter areas near the coastline and on the top of mesas. Most of the mountains belong to the Sierra Madre del Sur range; those in the Taxco area belong to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.
The climate is mainly rainy tropical, or rainy temperate. Most of the rain comes from evaporation off the Pacific Ocean.
The state is named after Vicente Guerrero, a leader in the Mexican War of Independence and the second President of Mexico. It is the only state named after a Mexican president. Guerrero was formed in 1849 from parts of the states of Mexico, Puebla and Michoacán.
