Durango state

ESTADO DE DURANGO
Image:Durango in Mexiko.png
Other Mexican States
CapitalDurango
Other major citiesGómez Palacio
Lerdo
list of municipalities
Area123,181 km²
Ranked 4th
Population
(2000 census)
1,445,900
Ranked 23rd
Governor
(2004-2010)
Ismael Hernández Deras (PRI)
Federal Deputies (5)
PRI = 5
Federal SenatorsPRI = 2
PAN = 1
ISO 3166-2
Postal abbr.
MX-DUR
Dgo.

Durango (SAMPA pronunciation [du'raNgo]) is one of the constituent states of Mexico. Its estimated population in 2003 was about 1,450,000 people. The city of Durango is the capital. The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range located in the western portion of the state. This mountain range contains a plentiful supply of mineral deposits. These mines extend north into the Chihuahua and south into the state of Zacatecas.

Among the major occupations for the people in Durango are: farming, lumbering and ranching. Vast desert basins in the Laguna District are irrigated by the Río Nazas. Major crops grown in the area include cotton, wheat, sugarcane, tobacco, corn, and other vegetables.

Francisco de Ibarra, the first to colonize Durango, did it in 1562. This was a late colonization for the Spanish, mostly due to heavy resistance by the indigenous population living there. Colonists became highly attracted to the Durango area for its mining and grazing capabilities. In 1823 Durango earned the right to be a separate state. This occurred shortly after the Mexican revolutionary victory over Spain.

Municipalities

Durango is divided into 39 municipalities. See: Municipalities of Durango.


States of Mexico Flag of Mexico
Aguascalientes | Baja California | Baja California Sur | Campeche | Chiapas | Chihuahua | Coahuila | Colima | Durango | Guanajuato | Guerrero | Hidalgo | Jalisco | México | Michoacán | Morelos | Nayarit | Nuevo León | Oaxaca | Puebla | Querétaro | Quintana Roo | San Luis Potosí | Sinaloa | Sonora | Tabasco | Tamaulipas | Tlaxcala | Veracruz | Yucatán | Zacatecas
Federal District: Mexican Federal District

da:Durango (stat) de:Durango (Bundesstaat) es:Durango (México) fr:Durango

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