SINALOA

estado (state), northwestern Mexico, on the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean. It is bounded on the north by Sonora, on the east by Chihuahua and Durango, and on the south by Nayarit. The 22,521-square-mile (58,328-square-kilometre) territory, which was made a state in 1830, consists of a barren, tropical coastal plain that rises inland to the Sierra Madre Occidental and is crossed by five main rivers. Sinaloa is primarily an agricultural area producing wheat, chick-peas, cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, and other crops on irrigated lands in the river valleys. Salt, graphite, manganese, gold, and other minerals are mined. Manufactures include beer, cigarettes, and cotton textiles. The major highway and railroad leading from Heroica Nogales to Mexico City pass through Culiacn, the state capital, and Mazatln, the state's major Pacific Ocean port. A main highway also connects Mazatln with Durango and other inland cities. Air connections are good. Pop. (1990 prelim.) 2,210,766.