Michoacán is one of the 31 states of Mexico and is located in Western Mexico. It borders the states of Colima, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, the State of México and Guerrero. The name Michoacán is from the indigenous language Nahuatl and means place of the fisherman referring to those who fish on Lake Pátzcuaro (pictured above). In pre-Hispanic times, the area was home to the Purépecha Empire which rivaled the Aztec Empire. The economy is based on agriculture, fishing, and mining.