Chihuahua

Chihuahua, estado (state), northern Mexico. It is bounded to the north and northeast by the United States (New Mexico and Texas), to the east by the state of Coahuila, to the south by the state of Durango, and to the west by the states of Sinaloa and Sonora. Its capital is the city of Chihuahua.

In precolonial times, Chihuahua was inhabited by nomadic and seminomadic indigenous peoples. With the advent of Spanish explorers in the mid-16th century, these Indian groups began a long string of rebellions against the colonists that lasted several centuries. The Spanish established silver mines in the region, and Chihuahua became a centre for trading. Under Spanish rule, Chihuahua along with Durango formed part of Nueva Vizcaya province. It was not separated from Durango until after Mexico’s independence was achieved (1823). Chihuahua city was captured and occupied by U.S. troops in 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The people of the state were active in most of the revolutionary outbreaks in Mexico during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Native influence in the state is now slight, most of those populations having been assimilated or displaced, but isolated communities of Raramuri (Tarahumara) and Tepehua survive in the sierra.

Chihuahua is Mexico’s largest state. For the most part, its relief consists of an elevated plain that slopes gently downward toward the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte) in the northeast. The vast Chihuahuan Desert dominates the northeastern half of the state. Western Chihuahua, however, is broken by the Sierra Madre Occidental and its spurs, which form high fertile valleys and deep canyons. The elevated plateaus and valleys experience heavy rainfall, but most of the state receives less than 20 inches (500 mm) annually. An impermeable clay subsoil prevents much of the rain’s absorption, so what little rain does fall is carried along the bare land surface in torrents. Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre), in the western part of the state, reaches depths of 4,600 feet (1,400 metres) in places. It is larger and more spectacular than the Grand Canyon but is virtually inaccessible, though a railway traverses part of it. Among the other scenic areas are Majalca Peaks National Park, some 30 miles (50 km) northwest of Chihuahua city, and the Basaseachic waterfall, in the Sierra Madre. The only river of consequence is the Conchos, which flows north and northeast into the Rio Grande.

Chihuahua is one of Mexico’s leading producers of iron, lead, zinc, gold, silver, copper, and other minerals. Scarcity of water has been a serious obstacle to agricultural development in the state except in districts where irrigation is practicable; cotton and beans are the main crops, and apples and nuts are also significant products. Forestry and livestock raising are economically important in the mountainous districts of the west, where there is sufficient precipitation and pasturage for much of the year.

The city of Chihuahua is a transportation hub with air, highway, and railway links to central Mexico and the United States. Other important cities in the state are Hidalgo del Parral and Juárez (or Ciudad Juárez), which lies across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. The population of Juárez has boomed along with the growth of maquiladoras (export-oriented assembly plants) and cross-border migration; however, drug trafficking and violent crime have become major concerns along the border.

The state’s government is headed by a governor, who is elected to a single six-year term. Members of the unicameral House of Deputies serve for terms of three years. The legislature can levy taxes, but in reality Chihuahua depends on the federal government for most of its revenue. The state is divided into local governmental units called municipios (municipalities), each of which may include a city or town and its hinterland or a group of villages. Area 94,571 square miles (244,938 square km). Pop. (2020) 3,741,869.