Coahuila

Coahuila (formal name: Coahuila de Zaragoza) is one of Mexico's 31 component states. It is located in the north of the country.

To the north Coahuila has a 512 km border with the US state of Texas.
Coahuila also borders on the Mexican states of Nuevo León to the east; San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas to the south; and Durango and Chihuahua to the west. With an area of 151,571 km², it is Mexico's third biggest state. It comprises 38 municipalities (municipios). In 2000 Coahuila had an estimated population of some 2,300,000 inhabitants.

The capital of Coahuila is the city of Saltillo. Coahuila also includes the cities of Monclova (a former state capital), Piedras Negras, and Torreón.

History

Spanish explored the north of Mexico some decades after their victory in the capital of Aztecs, because in the north climate was harsher, they were no gold and because they were attacked by natives. In the 16th century, Mexico and Guatemala were included in the vice-royalty of New Spain which included Nueva Extremadura. Coahuila was part of Nueva Extremadura. Francisco Cano was one of the earliest Europeans to explore Nueva Extremadura.

Coahuila y Tejas ("Coahuila and Texas") was one of the constituent states of the newly independent United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution. Much of the territory of Tejas seceded in 1836, to form the Republic of Texas.

On February 19, 1856, Santiago Vidaurri annexed Coahuila to his state, Nuevo León.

During the Mexican Revolution, Francisco Villa attacked the city of Torreón.

On April 5, 2004, the border city of Piedras Negras was flooded. More than 30 people died and more than 4000 lost their homes.

Municipalities

Coahuila is subdivided into five regions and 38 municipalities (municipios).
For a full list with municipal seats, see: municipalities of Coahuila

List of governors

• José María Garza Galán (?-1893)
• José María Múzquiz (1894)
• Miguel Cárdenas (1894-1904)
• Jesús Valle
• Venustiano Carranza (1911-1913)
• Gustavo Espinoza Mireles (1917-1920)
• Luis Gutiérrez Ortiz (1920-1921)
• Arnulfo González (1921-1923)
• Carlos Garza Castro (1923-1925)
• Manuel Pérez Treviño (1925-1929)
• Bruno Neira González (1929-1929)
• Nazario Ortiz Garza (1929-1933)
• Jesús Valdez Sánchez (1933-1937)
• Pedro Rodríguez Triana (1937-1941)
• Gabriel Cervera Riza (1941-1941)
• Benecio López Padilla (1941-1945)
• Ignacio Cepeda Dávila (1945-1947)
• Ricardo Ainslie Rivera (1947-1948)
• Paz Faz Risa (1948-1948)
• Raúl López Sáchez (1948-1951)
• Roman Cepeda Flores (1951-1957)
• Raúl Madero González (1957-1963)
• Braulio Fernández Aguirre (1963-1969)
• Eulalio Gutiérrez Treviño (1969-1975)
• Oscar Flores Tapia (1975-1981)
• Francisco José Madero González (1981-1981)
• José de las Fuentes Rodríguez (1981-1987)
• Eliseo Mendoza Berrueto (1987-1993)
• Rogelio Montemayor Seguy (1993-1999)
• Enrique Martínez y Martínez (December 1, 1999 – )
  

  See also

• Nueva Extremadura
• Coahuila y Tejas

  External links

• Coahuila State Government (in Spanish)
• Coahuila State Government (in English)
• Towns, cities, and postal codes in Coahuila (in Spanish)