Coahuila
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Coahuila
(kōäwē`lä), state (1990 pop. 1,972,340), 58,067 sq mi (150,394 sq km), N Mexico, on the northward bulge of the Rio Grande, S of Texas. SaltilloSaltillo, city (1990 pop. 420,947), capital of Coahuila state, N Mexico. It is located in an alluvial valley almost surrounded by mountains. Saltillo is a commercial and industrial center with heavy and light manufacturing; the automobile industry is notable.
..... Click the link for more information. is the capital. In the eastern part of the state, where peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental rise, are quantities of silver, copper, lead, iron, and zinc. Coahuila is an important coal-producing state and a leading national producer of iron and steel. Lumbering is important, and northeast of the mountains, in the drainage area of the Rio Grande, there is considerable cattle raising. Across W Coahuila and E Chihuahua lie vast and arid plains (some of them recently irrigated), which are broken by barren mountains; most notable of these plains is the Bolsón de Mapimí, extending into Chihuahua. South of the Bolsón is a fertile lake region, center of a vast inland basin, which absorbs rivers with no outlet to the sea. A considerable portion of the Laguna DistrictLaguna District
[Span.,=lake], irrigated area in E Durango and W Coahuila states, N central Mexico. Originally a 900,000-acre (364,200-hectare) tract, consisting of large estates, the land was reapportioned (1936) under President Lázaro Cárdenas and distributed to
..... Click the link for more information. lies in this area. TorreónTorreón
, city (1990 pop. 439,436), Coahuila state, N Mexico, on the Nazas River. It is the metropolis of the Laguna District, where the land, extensively irrigated, is some of Mexico's finest. Cotton and wheat are the principal crops, and cattle raising is important.
..... Click the link for more information. is the chief metropolis. Coahuila produces cotton, corn, and grapes; the state is noted for its wines. Exploration of the territory began in the 16th cent. but was hampered by Native American hostility. After playing some part in the war against Spain, Coahuila was combined (1830) with Texas, a proceeding that caused dissatisfaction among the U.S. minority and contributed to the Texas Revolution (1835–36). During the Mexican War, Saltillo was of strategic importance, and the battle of Buena Vista was fought nearby. Joined with Nuevo León by the constitution of 1857, Coahuila regained its separate status in 1868. The revolutionary leaders Francisco I. Madero and Venustiano Carranza were born in the state.
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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Coahuila
a state in northeast Mexico, on the northern plateau. Area, 151,600 sq km; population, 1,141,000 (1970). The administrative center is the city of Saltillo. Beef cattle are extensively raised in Coahuila; in the Nazas and Aguanaval river basins is the La Laguna district, a large irrigated agricultural area (primarily cotton). Silver and coal (the main basin of Mexico) are mined. Coahuila has nonferrous and ferrous metallurgy, chemical, food, and textile industries, and agricultural machinery enterprises. The key industrial centers are Saltillo, Torreón, Monclova, and Sabinas.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Coahuila
a state of N Mexico: mainly plateau, crossed by several mountain ranges that contain rich mineral resources. Capital: Saltillo. Pop.: 2 295 808 (2000). Area: 151 571 sq. km (59 112 sq. miles).
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005