Santiago, Río Grande de

▪ river, Mexico

also called  Río Santiago 

      river in Jalisco and Nayarit states, west-central Mexico. It flows out of Lake Chapala near Ocotlán and is an extension of the Lerma River, which enters the lake near La Barca. The Santiago flows generally northward and westward through the Sierra Madre Occidental, receiving the Verde, Juchipila, Bolaños, and other tributaries. It descends to the coastal lowlands and empties into the Pacific Ocean 10 miles (16 km) northwest of San Blas, in Nayarit.

      The Santiago's course (275 miles [443 km]) is marked by rapids and falls and is therefore unnavigable, but its fertile valley is of great economic importance. Main railroad and highway routes from Guadalajara to northwestern Mexico pass through the valley.

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