Chihuahua is the name of both a state of Mexico and that state's capital city. This article is about the state; for the city, see Chihuahua, Chihuahua. For other uses, see Chihuahua (disambiguation).

The state of Chihuahua is the largest of the 31 states of Mexico and is located in the northwestern part of the country. It has a mainland area of 244,938 kmВІ. It is largely a desert state, although there are areas of significant rainfall and green forests. In fact, Chihuahua has more forests than any other Mexican state.

The state is named after its capital city, Chihuahua. The origin of the name is not known for sure, but it is old, predating the Spanish, and is thought to derive from the Nahuatl Xicuahua, or "dry, sandy place".

Chihuahua stands on the U.S.-Mexico border, bounded on the north by the U.S. states of Texas and New Mexico and, to the east of Ciudad JuГЎrez, by the RГ­o Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande). The states of Sonora and Sinaloa border it on the west, Durango on the south, and Coahuila on the east.

As of 1990, there were 2.5 million inhabitants of the state. The largest city is not the capital, Chihuahua, with a half-million inhabitants, but Ciudad JuГЎrez, with 1.5 million residents (2004 estimate). The capital was founded in 1709 by Don Antonio Deza y Ulloa.

Chihuahua's population is predominantly Mestizo and Creole, but includes such minority groups as the indigenous Tarahumara in the mountainous areas, as well as large rural communities of Mennonites of German origin and Anglo-American Mormon settlers (primarily in Colonia Juarez).

Chihuahua is known for its production of apples, nuts, timber, cattle and dairy products, sheep, and nonferrous metals. Large assembly plants geared toward export across the northern border are also dominant. The town of Mata Ortiz is recognized worldwide as the center of a new pottery movement.

One of the most notable features of Chihuahua is the Barranca del Cobre, or Copper Canyon, a spectacular canyon system rivalling the Grand Canyon.

Chihuahua played a pivotal role in the Mexican Revolution, and was a battleground between revolutionary forces led by Pancho Villa and federal forces.

Municipalities

Chihuahua is subdivided into 67 municipios (municipalities). See municipalities of Chihuahua.

External links

• Chihuahua state government (in Spanish)
• OMNIA Chihuahua News (in Spanish)

See also: Mexico, Geography of Mexico