For both the city and rural communities around it, forestry and furniture making are important parts of the economy, but deforestation is forcing the area to look into alternatives such as tourism to take advantage of its natural resources and cultural sites.

The smaller font is monolithic and contains the image of a small nude angel in Renaissance style but with some medieval aspects.

[4] The Casa de la Cultura (Cultural Center) of the city offers classes in dance, flower arranging, painting, textiles, computers, music and more for adults and children.

Agostitlán, El Caracol Puente de Tierra, San Antonio Villalongin and Huajúmbaro which are all dedicated to forestry.

It borders the municipalities of Queréndaro, Zinapécuaro, Maravatío, Irimbo, Tuxpan, Jungapeo, Tuzantla, Tequicheo, Tzitzio, Indaparapeo and Charo .

Principle peaks include Del Fraile, Azul, San Andres, Ventero, Guangoche and Blanco.

Rivers include Agostitlan, Chaparro, Zarco and Grande with dams called Sabaneta, Pucuato and Mata de Pinos.

[7] Fauna include coyote, foxes, skunks, opossum, hares, rabbits, raccoons, armadillos, ducks and other fowl.

These caves run for about 300 meters with thousands of formations in calcite, coral, calcium carbonate and plant fossils.

[2] A number of spas have been established in the area such as Laguna Larga, San Alejo, Doña Celia, Campamento Turístical Los Azufres, Tejamaniles, and Eréndira.

In Laguna Los Azufres the water is very hot and contains a large quantity of dissolved minerals including sulfur.

According to municipal president Jose Luis Avila Franco, the development of tourism is important for the entity to take advantage of as is its natural resources as to lead it away from an overdependence on forestry.

Industry accounts for about thirty percent of the economy and include the production of processed foods, metals, furniture and textiles.

Crops include corn, wheat, tomatoes, fava beans, garlic, peaches, apples, quinces, capulins, maguey for pulque, avocado, apricots and sapotes.

Livestock includes domestic fowl, cows, pigs, goats, horses, donkeys, mules, and bees.

The Franciscans arrived to the area in 1531 to evangelize the natives and reestablished the settlement, giving it the Spanish layout it has today.

In 1535, the settlement and the lands around it were granted to Gonzalo de Salazar as the Taximaroa encomienda by Hernán Cortés when he visited the area.

The French under Coronel Clinchant attacked the town in 1864 and later the same year a group of Conservatives were shot in the church atrium.

During the Mexican Revolution, federal troops attacked the town, and in 1913, rebel general Alfredo Elizondo passed through.

In 1914, a battle called the Sabaeta Action (La Acción de Sabaneta) took place in which troops under Venustiano Carranza triumphed.

[7] Like much of the rest of the state of Michoacán, problems related to drug trafficking have stood out in the city's recent history.

[10] In the same year, the chief of municipal police was murdered along with a deputy with a note left behind indicating it was the work of drug traffickers.