The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 721,000. The predominant activity is light industry, in the form of maquiladoras. The United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos or Mexico) comprises 31 states (estados) and one federal district (Distrito Federal), which contains the capital, Mexico City. ... This article needs cleanup. ... A maquiladora (or maquila) is a factory, the majority of which are located in Mexican border towns, that imports materials and equipment on a duty- and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing. ...

History

The name derives from the Nahuatl Xicuahua, meaning "dry, sandy place". The name itself is older than the Spanish conquest of Mexico, however. The city was founded on October 12, 1709 by Antonio Deza y Ulloa, a Spanish explorer. The location was chosen because it is the intersection of the rivers Chuviscar and Sacramento. It is also the midpoint between the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) and the then-important mining city of Hidalgo del Parral. Nahuatl is a native language of central Mexico. ... Spanish colonization of the Americas began with the arrival in the Americas of Christopher Columbus in 1492. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... This article is about the river that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. ...

Just as in other parts of northern Mexico, Roman Catholic missionary had an important influence during an the colonial era, and the city became a meeting point for missionaries heading to and from the 'sierra' region, a mountainous region, in which natives are yet to be converted to Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ...

During the War of Independence, the city saw little action. However, it was in Chihuahua where Miguel Hidalgo was held prisoner and executed in 1811. The Mexican War of Independence, which lasted from 1810 to 1821, was Mexicos struggle for independence against Spanish colonial rule. ... Statue of Miguel Hidalgo, Coyoacán, DF Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811) was the chief instigator of Mexicos war of independence against Spain. ...

During the France invasion, Benito Juárez briefly made the city his seat of government, while fleeing from the enemy to regroup his government-in-exile in the north of the country. Benito Juárez Benito Juárez (March 21, 1806 – July 18, 1872) was a Zapotec Indian who served two terms (1861-1863 and 1867-1872) as President of Mexico. ... A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a countrys legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. ...

Pancho Villa's bullet-ridden Dodge in the Pancho Villa Museum

The city was more involved during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917), for it became at times an operations base for the División del Norte, the army led by Pancho Villa. Many sites and memories remain of the revolutionary era; the most important of these is the Pancho Villa Museum at his former house near downtown Chihuahua. The house, or rather mansion, which could very well fit into 'western' movie scenarios, was turned into a museum by his widow, and is currently managed by the Mexican army. Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 494 KB) Pancho Villas bullet-ridden Dodge in the Pancho Villa Museum in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 494 KB) Pancho Villas bullet-ridden Dodge in the Pancho Villa Museum in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico. ... General Pancho Villa José Doroteo Arango Arámbula (June 5, 1878 – July 20, 1923) — better known by his nom de guerre Francisco Villa or, in its diminutive form, Pancho Villa — was one of the foremost generals of the Mexican Revolution. ... Alternate use: Dodge (disambiguation) Categories: Automobile stubs | Corporation stubs | Automobiles | Car companies of the United States | Chrysler | Corporations sponsoring NASCAR drivers ... The Mexican Revolution was a violent social and cultural movement, colored by socialist, nationalist, and anarchist tendencies that began with the popular rejection of dictator Porfirio Díaz Mori in 1910 and culminated in the promulgation of a new constitution seven years later. ... General Pancho Villa José Doroteo Arango Arámbula (June 5, 1878 – July 20, 1923) — better known by his nom de guerre Francisco Villa or, in its diminutive form, Pancho Villa — was one of the foremost generals of the Mexican Revolution. ...

During the 20th century, the city grew in population and learned to take advantage of its proximity with the U.S. border. Until the establishment of foreign manufacturing plants in the 1970s, the city was solely a trade post for cattle and agricultural products such as apples and lumber. With the increase of illegal drug consumption in the United States in the 1970s, the city became and important trade post for marijuana, and home to several drug cartels. Cannabis is a plant which is consumed by humans as a psychoactive drug. ...

Transportation

Chihuahua is served by Roberto Fierro International Airport (IATA Airport Code: CUU). It is also the starting point for the Chihuahua–Pacific Railroad. Urban transportation is provided by a network of buses, widely regarded as inefficient. The IATA airport code is a three-letter alphabetic code designating many airports around the world. ...

Contemporary life in Chihuahua

The city's most important feature is its collection of industrial zones, in which foreign companies have manufacturing facilities, called maquiladoras, which employ thousands of people. This light industry also requires professionals, both for manufacturing and for management; this training is provided by the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Chihuahua (Autonomous University of Chihuahua State) and by two technological institutes. A number of private colleges also exist, among them the ITESM, which is greatly preferred by the middle and upper classes, despite its poor academic level, for its links with powerful industrialists of the northern state of Nuevo León. A maquiladora (or maquila) is a factory, the majority of which are located in Mexican border towns, that imports materials and equipment on a duty- and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing. ... ITESM is the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, located in Monterrey, Mexico, is also known as the Tec de Monterrey, or simply Tec. The name is translated into English as the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies (for this reason, some call it the Mexican MIT... Other Mexican States Capital Monterrey Other major cities list of municipalities Area 64,924 km² Ranked 13th Population (2000 census) 3,826,240 Ranked 9th Governor (2003-09) José Natividad González Parás (PRI/PVEM) Federal Deputies (11) PRI/PVEM = 10 PAN = 1 Federal Senators PAN = 2 PRI = 1 ISO 3166...

The city's commercial sector has also been boosted by the growth of the middle-class. The wages paid by industries to management and high-level technical employees, as well as the ever-increasing drug-dealing community; provide a cash flow unlike that of most Mexican cities.

Despite the sensibility of manufacturing industry to world-wide economics, the city's economy is protected by the drug traffic activity, which is responsible for the perpetual flow of cash that maintains the middle-class. This has led to a great adoption of drug-traffic culture among the bourgeoisie; which has in turn isolated Chihuahua culturally from the rest of Mexico and the world. Regionalism is perhaps the most severe social problem, for it affects almost every aspect of life in Chihuahua.