|
|
Chihuahua:
Chihuahua
is Mexico's largest state, extending over 247,084 square
kilometers. To the north it borders the U.S.; to the
west, the state of Sonora; to the southwest, the state
of Sinaloa; to the south, the state of Durango, and to
the east, the state of Coahuila. Its name derives from
the Náhuatl language, meaning "Dry, sandy
place", which is not surprising considering its
extensions of desert, but in addition to the arid zones,
Chihuahua includes regions of dramatic mountain scenery,
lush and fertile valleys and thundering waterfalls
surrounded by forests and vegetation.
What is
called the Copper Canyon or Barranca del Cobre
is, in reality, a network of several deep gorges
riddling the north-western Sierra Madre mountains of
Mexico. The most spectacular parts of this system, which
covers 65,000 square kilometers, lie within the
State of Chihuahua.
Hidalgo
del Parral - 301 km south of Chihuahua City, Hidalgo
del Parral is located in one of the richest mining
area of the country - for silver and other minerals. The
city was capital of the province of Nueva Vizcaya from
1640 to 1731, and played an important role in the 1917
revolution. In 1923, Pancho Villa was assassinated here,
his remains later taken to Mexico City. Hidalgo del
Parral offers the visitor views of some
stunning architecture of the colonial era.. It's
Temple of San Jose was constructed in the 17th C.; the
old Hidalgo Theater for many years was a center of
Masonic Lodges; St. Thomas's Chapel and the Sanctuary of
Guadalupe were first erected during the 16th C. The
beautiful Alvarado Palace was built between 1899 and
1903, during the region's mining boom at the end of the
19th C.
|
