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Coahuila
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Coahuila
Coahuilakōäwē'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. Saltillo 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 District lies in this area. Torreón 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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Wikipedia search results for: Coahuila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , is one of Mexico's 31 component states. It is located in the north of the country. To the north, Coahuila accounts for a stretch of the U.S. - Mexico border, adjacent to the United States state of Texas along the course of the Rio Grande . Coahuila also borders the Mexican states of Nuevo León to the east, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí to the south, and Durango and Chihuahua to the west. With an area of, it is the nation's third-largest state. It comprises 38 municipalities . In 2005, Coahuila's population was 2,495,200 inhabitants. The capital of Coahuila is Saltillo, and it's largest city is...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Coahuila
Results 1 - 10  of 15
  • Monclova

    Monclova, city (1990 pop. 177,792), central Coahuila state, Mexico. Situated on the northern end of the Sierra Madre Oriental, it is a regional commercial and industrial center. Monclova's chi...

  • Piedras Negras, city, Mexico

    Piedras Negras, city (1990 pop. 96,178), Coahuila state, N Mexico, on the Rio Grande opposite Eagle Pass, Tex. Founded in 1849, the city grew as an international shipping point. Piedras Negras...

  • Torreón

    Torreón, 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....

  • Buena Vista, battle of

    Buena Vista, battle of, military engagement in the Mexican War, fought Feb. 22–23, 1847. The battle site was just S of Saltillo, Coahuila, in Mexico. Gen. Zachary Taylor, disobeying orders fro...

  • Parras

    Parras, formerly Parras de la Fuente, city (1990 pop. 26,160), Coahuila state, N Mexico. It is a road and rail junction located in a well-watered valley of a semiarid region. Parras, an agricu...

  • Saltillo

    Saltillo, 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...

  • Laguna District

    Laguna 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...

  • Carranza, Venustiano

    Carranza, Venustiano, 1859–1920, Mexican political leader. While senator from Coahuila, he joined (1910) Francisco I. Madero in the revolution against Porfirio Díaz. When President Madero was ...

  • Madero, Francisco Indalecio

    Madero, Francisco Indalecio, 1873–1913, Mexican statesman and president (1911–13). A champion of democracy and social reform, he established various humanitarian institutions for the peons on ...

  • Durango, state, Mexico

    Durango, state (1990 pop. 1,349,378), 47,691 sq mi (123,520 sq km), N central Mexico. The city of Durango is the capital. The western half of the state is dominated by the Sierra Madre Occiden...

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