GUANAJUATO

state, central Mexico. It lies on the interior plateau at an average elevation of about 6,000 ft (1,800 m) above sea level and has an area totalling 11,773 sq mi (30,491 sq km). The north is mountainous, while the south, consisting of fertile plains, is largely devoted to agriculture (corn , beans, barley, and wheat). The state is drained by the Ro Lerma and its tributaries, the Ro Turbio, and the Ro de la Laja. The first Spanish settlement in Guanajuato was that of San Miguel de Allende in 1542. During colonial times it was an important silver-mining area. In 1810 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla began the Mexican war for independence in the village of Dolores Hidalgo and took Guanajuato, now the state capital, in the same year. Other important cities are Len and Celaya. The region became a state in 1824. The principal industry is mining (gold, tin, lead, mercury, copper, and opals, in addition to silver). Other industries include flour mills, tanneries and leather factories, cotton and woollen mills, distilleries, and foundries. The state is traversed by railroads and highways. Pop. (1980 prelim.) 3,044,402. city, capital of Guanajuato state, central Mexico; it is spread over steep hillsides at the junction of three ravines, 6,726 ft (2,050 m) above sea level. Guanajuato, an outstanding example of the Spanish colonial city, was founded in 1554 and was given city status in 1741. Along with Zacatecas, to the north, and Potos, Bolivia, the town became one of the three greatest silver-mining centres of the 16th century. Its celebrated Veta Madre (Mother Lode) was described as the richest in the world. The fabulous wealth was most manifest in the elaborate and richly endowed churches, notably La Valenciana, San Francisco (1671), and San Diego (1663). Guanajuato was the first major city to fall to the independence leader Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1810. The plundering and destruction that accompanied the overrunning of the Alhndiga de Granaditas (a granary used as a fortress) were followed by struggles for control of the city; by 1822, flooding and the exodus of many wealthy families had resulted in greatly reduced output from the mines. Guanajuato entered a period of decline that continued until the 1930s, when increased tourist trade and federal support of mining and agriculture in the state resulted in slow but steady recovery. The University of Guanajuato was established there in 1945. The city is accessible by highway, railroad, and air. Pop. (1980) 48,000.