Chihuahua, Mexico

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The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican State of Chihuahua . It has a population of about 718,551. The predominant activity is light industry, in the form of '' Maquiladora s''.

HISTORY

Some say that the name derives from the 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 .

Just as in other parts of northern Mexico, Roman Catholic Missionary had an important influence during 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.

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.

being executed, represented in a mural displayed at government's palace from Chihuahua]]

During the French 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.

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.

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

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. In the 1990's the city had a very important grow in its economy, becoming the third wealthiest municipality in all Mexico, just after Benito Juarez Delegation in DF and San Pedro Garza García in Nuevo Leon.

In 2002 the major of the city Jorge Barousse Moreno from the PRI party died during its function and was succeeded by Alejandro Cano Ricaud, durying this government the city had a special growth in the materia of security when the police department was certified by the ISO and a helicopter was bought.

Between 2002 and 2005, the city experimented the introduction of so many new commercial innovations, like the first great mall in the city called Plaza del Sol, and the rise of the commercial zone of the Sun, along all the Périferico de la Juventud, one of the main streets of the city.

In 2004 the PAN party with Juan Blanco Zaldivar, won the presidency of the municipality for the term 2004-2007. In 2005, the first great Festival International of Chihuahua was celebrated during the month of October.

TRANSPORTATION

Chihuahua is served by . Urban transportation is provided by a network of buses, widely regarded as inefficient.
There is also a central for buses in the south side of the city.
The system of avenues and main streets in the city is in constant actualization, with the construction of very important new roads and bridges.

CONTEMPORARY LIFE IN CHIHUAHUA

The city's most important feature is its collection of industrial zones, in which foreign companies have manufacturing facilities, called '' Maquiladora s,'' which employ thousands of people. This light industry also requires professionals, both for manufacturing and for management; this training is provided by the UACh Universidad Autónoma De Chihuahua (Autonomous University of Chihuahua State) and by two technological institutes (ITCH). A number of private colleges also exist, among them the ITESM , which is greatly preferred by the middle and upper classes, and considered among the best universities in Latin America.

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.

TOURISM

in the center of Chihuahua]]
The city of Chihuahua offers a lot of places for the tourist, among others there are the Cathedral that is from the XVIIIth century, the palace of government from XIXth century, and the townhall from XIX-XXth century.
The city offers the service of a touristic "trolley el tarahumara" that is a kind of special bus that goes around all the main museums and monuments in the downtown, including parks like the "Central Park: El Palomar", a big park that has a collection of monuments despicting three doves and a monumental spear flag, one among many others that were built during the government of president Ernesto Zedillo .

There is also a very important square in the downtown that displays fountains, green spaces and a collection of monuments showing local heroes.
The main monument in the so called "Plaza mayor" is the "Ángel de la Libertad" monument that was built in 2003 representing the freedom of all mexicans specially Chihuahua's people, it was inaugurated during the "fechas patrias" in September 15th of the same year.
The monument has a laser light that is lit by the sword, the monument is also capable of rotate 360° over it's base, allowing the laser to illuminate all the skies of the city.

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Chihuahua, Mexico