Puebla is also distinguished for its manufacturing establishments, chief of which are its cotton mills; and for its hydroelectric plants, the largest of which is that of the Mexican Light and Power Co. at Necaxa, which supplies the City of Mexico and the large mining camp of El Oro with light and power. Principal Cities: Puebla, the capital, has a population of 110,000 and ranks third among the cities of Mexico in size. It is a progressive, modern city, with well paved streets, good hotels, adequate water works, an electric tramway system, numerous factories, and over sixty churches, including its very noted cathedral. There are no other cities of much importance in the state, except the copper camp of Teziutlan already mentioned. Acatlán, Matamoros, and Zacatalán are places of 8,000 or 10,000 population, and Cholula is famous for its historical associations and archaeological remains. Transportation: The lines of the Mexican Railway, the Interoceanic, and the Mexican Southern all serve the state, finding a common center in the city of Puebla. A number of private roads have also been built to serve purely local needs. Area: 4,493 square miles. QUERETARO Population: 247,195 (average density, 68.8). Location: A central plateau state, bounded on the north by San Luis Potosí; on the east by Hidalgo; on the southeast and south by Mexico and Michoacán; and on the west by Guanajuato. Physical Characteristics: In many respects Querétaro resembles its western neighbor, Guanajuato. Its surface is broken by numerous mountain ranges; chief of which in the north is the Sierra Gorda. The southern portion is characterized chiefly by low hills and plains. The rainfall is uncertain and generally insufficient to insure satisfactory crops. There are no streams worthy of note. Chief Industries: Mining constitutes the most important industry in the state. Silver, gold, copper, mercury, lead, tin, and antimony are the chief minerals; while opals and other semi-precious stones are found in considerable quantities. The agricultural products are mainly sugar, cotton, beans, corn and wheat. Principal Cities: Querétaro, situated on the river of the same name, is the capital of the state and has a population of nearly 40,000. It is an important center for textile manufactures, and serves as a distributing point for much of the surrounding territory. Historically, the city occupied an important place in the War for Independence, and also witnessed the execution of Maximilian. In more recent years it became famous as the seat of the convention which framed the constitution of 1917. San Juan del Rio, population 8,000, is a railroad junction of some importance lying thirty-four miles southeast of Querétaro. Transportation: The Mexican Central and the National of Mexico cross the southern part of Querétaro and pass through the capital. The state has almost no other modern transportation facilities. QUINTANA Roo Area: 9,328 square miles. Location: Quintana Roo is situated at the extreme eastern end of the Peninsula of Yucatán. On the north it is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico, on the east by the Caribbean Sea; on the south by British Honduras, and a small section of Guatemala; on the west by Campeche; on the northeast by Yucatán. Physical Characteristics: The Territory of Quintana Roo, the most sparsely settled region in the Republic, consists for the most part of a low, humid plain, formed chiefly from coral rock with a slight covering of humus. The climate is hot and the rainfall excessive. The soil is not adapted to agriculture, and while there are evidences of petroleum and mineral deposits, these have not been developed. The coast is sandy, studded with coral reefs, and without harbors. Cocoanut trees grow near the coast, and in the interior are forests of dye woods, mahogany and cedar. Chief Industries: The territory has no industries of any great importance. Some cocoanuts and chicle are exported; and sponge and turtle fishing are carried on along the coast. But the territory has not yet succeeded in developing resources of any kind on a large scale. The inhabitants of Quintana Roo are largely of the old Maya Indian stock. Principal Cities: None. Santa Cruz del Bravo, the capital, is a military post of 2,000 inhabitants. Transportation: There are no railroads in the state, except a short military line connecting Santa Cruz del Bravo with the insignificant port of Vejica Chica on the Bahia de la Ascención. Area: 24,004 square miles. SAN LUIS POTOSI Population: 638,832 (average density, 24.7). Location: San Luis Potosí is an irregular state, bounded on the north by Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas; on the east by Vera Cruz; on the south by Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and a corner of Jalisco; and on the west by Zacatecas. Physical Characteristics: The state for the most part is a high, broken table-land, which in the eastern part is traversed by the Sierra Madre Oriental. The climate ranges from mild to cool in the higher altitudes, and from warm to hot in the lower areas. The rainfall is scant and uncertain, making agriculture without irrigation a problematical venture. Where water can be had, however, the soil yields excellent crops. There are no streams in the northern part of the state, but in the south the Santa María, Rio Verde, and one or two other small rivers are to be found. Chief Industries: San Luis Potosí is distinguished primarily for its mineral wealth. Silver mines were opened in the state before the close of the Sixteenth Century, and the industry has been carried on without interruption since that time. Though silver still occupies the first place in mineral production, copper, lead, gold, zinc, quicksilver and sulphur are also mined on an extensive scale. The state likewise supports a considerable salt industry, and petroleum is found in the southeastern corner. The principal mining camps are Matehuala (population 15,000), in the northern part of the state, where the American Smelting & Refining Co. has a large copper smelter; Catorce (population 7,000); and Los Charcos. In the production of corn San Luis Potosí ranks next to Jalisco and Guanajuato. Other cereals are also raised on a large scale, and likewise coffee, tobacco, guayule, and some cotton. The state is famous for its live-stock, and contains over 1,250,000 acres of valuable timber. Principal Cities: Besides the mining camps already listed, the state has only one city of much importance. This is the capital, San Luis Potosí, with a population of 90,000. The city lies 280 miles from Tampico, and 325 miles from Mexico City. It is a commercial and railroad center of marked importance, and has a number of flour mills, breweries, tanneries, nail and soap factories, and two large smelting establishments. Transportation: The Mexican Central from Aguascalientes to Tampico traverses the state from west to east, passing through the capital; and the main line of the National Railways from Mexico City to Ciudad Porfirio Diaz runs north and south the full length of the state and likewise touches the capital. A local line, the Potosí and Rio Verde Railway, extends a short distance from the capital to Aguacatal. Area: 27,557 square miles. SINALOA Population: 329,317 (average density, 11.9). Location: A long, narrow, west coast state, lying south of Sonora and Chihuahua. Its eastern and southern limits are fixed by Durango and Nayarit respectively, and its western boundary by the Pacific. Physical Characteristics: Sinaloa, like most of the Pacific states, has a long, low coastal plain on the west, paralleled by the high Sierra Madre Occidental a little further inland. The coastal region has a semi-tropical climate and an abundant rainfall. The mountainous regions are also well watered and vary from temperate to cold. Many streams flow across the state, making it one of the most productive regions in Mexico. Chief of these rivers are the Fuerte, Sinaloa, Culiacán, the Mazatlán, and the Rosario. The first two are navigable for some miles from the ocean. Chief Industries: Sinaloa is an agricultural and mining state. On the river lands running back from the coast are large plantations of sugar-cane, cotton, corn, tobacco, garbanzos or chick peas, beans, and coffee. Tropical and semi-tropical fruits are also grown to great advantage. In recent years the production of winter vegetables, such as tomatoes and lettuce, for the American market has likewise proved highly profitable. As a mining state Sinaloa has long been distinguished for its gold placers; and in the Rosario district, not far from its southern border, it has one of the richest gold mines in the Republic. Copper and silver are also mined on a large scale. The mining districts of most importance aside from that of Rosario, already mentioned, are those of Culiacán, Macorito, San Ignacio, Cosala, and Mazatlán. The timber resources of Sinaloa are very great, but these, and the fisheries, have never been developed on a scale in any way commensurate with their value. Principal Cities: Culiacán, the capital, has a population of 22,000 and lies about forty miles up the Culiacán River from the Port of Altata, with which it is connected by a local railroad known as the Western Railway of Mexico. Mazatlán, the largest city of the state, is the most important seaport on the west coast. Nearly all steamship lines make it a port of call; and besides serving as a distributing and export center for the interior, it carries on a considerable coastwise traffic with ports on the mainland and across the Gulf. It has a population of nearly 30,000. Topolobampo, the Pacific terminus of the Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway, is another seaport of importance near the northern boundary of the state. It has an excellent natural harbor. Transportation: Sinaloa is served chiefly by the Southern Pacific of Mexico, which runs the full length of the state, connecting it with Tepic in the south and with Sonora and the American border on the north. The Pacific division of the incompleted Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway runs from Fuerte, down the valley of the same name, crosses the Southern Pacific line at San Blas, and terminates at the harbor of Portolobampo. This line is about 103 kilometers long. When completed, the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient will connect Sinaloa with Chihuahua and the Mississippi Valley, and make accessible a large part of the state's undeveloped back country. Area: 76,633 square miles. SONORA Population: 275,107 (average density, 3.4). Location: Sonora is a Pacific Coast state, lying in the northwest corner of the Republic and directly south of Arizona. On the east it is bounded by Chihuahua; on the south by Sinaloa; and on the west by the Gulf of California. Physical Characteristics: Sonora, in the main, partakes of the general character of the two American states, Arizona and New Mexico. Much of it is mountainous, and large areas, especially in the northwest, are so arid as to be almost uninhabitable. Wherever water can be had for irrigation, however, the land proves remarkably fertile and is adapted to a wide variety of crops. The two chief rivers of the state are the Yaqui and the Mayo. Chief Industries: Mining is preeminently the industry of the state, and in the value of its mineral production and extent of its mineral claims, Sonora ranks first in the Republic. Copper, silver and gold make up the bulk of the state's mineral wealth, but graphite, tungsten, and molybdenum are also listed among its exports. Large coal deposits are said to exist in certain sections, but these have never been developed. The principal mining districts are those of Arizpe, which includes the famous mines of Cananea, the greatest copper producing camp in Mexico; Moctezuma, in which lies the important camp of Nacozari; El Tigre, south of Nacozari; Ures, Sahuaripa, Altar, Alamos, and Hermosillo. Sonora also holds an important place in the cattle industry of Mexico, and in the Yaqui and Mayo River Valleys has as fertile land as any on the west coast. Cotton, sugar, fruits, early vegetables, and melons are its chief products. Lack of transportation and inadequate irrigation facilities are serious deterrents to agricultural progress. The Yaqui Indians, for generations a menace to the inhabitants of Sonora, are still one of the chief handicaps to the development of the state's resources, particularly in the great Yaqui River country. Many Americans and much American capital have gone into Sonora. Principal Cities: Hermosillo, the capital, has a population of 20,000 and lies in the center of an important agricultural and mining section. Considerable manufacturing of a local character is also carried on. The city is 175 miles from Nogales on the American border. Cananea, somewhat larger than Hermosillo, ranks as one of the most important copper camps in the world. The Cananea Consolidated Copper Co., which in normal times employs some 5,000 men, is the largest of the many mining companies operating here. Besides the mines themselves, Cananea has a number of smelters and carries on a considerable commercial business. The city lies about forty miles from Naco, on the American border, and has rail connections with this place and also with Nogales. Guaymas, a long established port on the Gulf, is an import and export center for the interior, and also carries on an important trade with Lower California towns, particularly with Santa Rosalia, across the Gulf. It lies 265 miles south of Nogales on the Southern Pacific of Mexico, and has a population of about 18,000. Nacozari, some 75 miles south of Douglas, Arizona, is the terminus of the Nacozari Railroad and a copper producing center of great importance. The town was built and is controlled by the Phelps-Dodge interests. Nogales, the port of entry through which the Southern Pacific enters Mexico, is one of the most important export and import centers along the border. It is separated only by the international line from Nogales, Arizona, and serves as gateway to the whole west coast. Its population is about 6,000. Transportation: The Southern Pacific of Mexico, starting at Nogales on the border, runs almost directly south, via Hermosillo, to Guaymas. A short distance from Guaymas it turns to the southeast and parallels the coast until it crosses the state's southern boundary into Sinaloa. A short line also runs up the Yaqui River to Esperanza. In the north, the lines serving Cananea and Nacozari have already been mentioned. Area: 10,374 square miles. TABASCO Population: 193,675 (average density, 18.6). Location: Tabasco joins the Isthmus of Tehuantepec with the Peninsula of Yucatán. On the north it is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico; on the east by Campeche, and a corner of Guatemala; on the south by Chiapas; on the west by Oaxaca and Vera Cruz. Physical Characteristics: Tabasco, except in the south and southeast where it is somewhat mountainous, is mostly a low-lying plain, with a tropical climate and an excessive rainfall. It possesses two of the largest river systems in the Republic the Grijalva and the Usumacinta; both of which empty into the Gulf and are navigable for some distance inland. Numerous other streams and a multitude of lakes are also found in the state. Much of the land is heavily timbered with forests of valuable woods, such as mahogany and cedar. Chief Industries: Tabasco is essentially an agricultural state, though it also exports considerable log and dye wood and possesses twelve per cent of the timber lands of the Republic. More than half of all the cocoa raised in Mexico comes from Tabasco, and the state is also a large producer of tobacco, coffee, rice, sugar, rubber, chicle, corn, vanilla, and bananas. The agricultural possibilities of Tabasco, like those of so many other Mexican states, have only been slightly realized. The state is lacking in minerals, but within the last two years the exploitation of its petroleum fields has assumed important proportions. Principal Cities: San Juan Bautista, founded in 1598, is the capital of the state, and though it has a population of less than 20,000, ranks as an important commercial center. Frontera, situated five miles from the mouth of the Grijalva River, is the chief port of entry for the state. Its population is only 6,000 but the city carries on a considerable export and import trade, the volume of which would be greatly increased if the bar across the mouth of the river were adequately dredged. Transportation: With the exception of a few short local lines in and around San Juan Bautista and Frontera there are no railways in the state. This handicap is only slightly relieved by the facilities for water transportation afforded by the Grijalva and Usumacinta Rivers. Area: 30,831 square miles. TAMAULIPAS Population: 256,278 (average density, 7.7). Location: The most northerly of the Gulf States, bounded on the north by the state of Texas; on the east by the Gulf of Mexico; on the south by Vera Cruz and San Luis Potosí, and on the west by Nuevo León. Physical Characteristics: The state of Tamaulipas lies partly on the central plateau and partly in the tierra caliente of the Gulf plain. The west and southwest are generally mountainous, but the rest of the state is comparatively level. Much of the land immediately adjacent to the coast, which stretches 250 miles from the Rio Grande to the Pánuco River, is sandy and sparsely inhabited. The state, as a whole, however, is very fertile, well watered, and adapted to many forms of agriculture. Besides the Rio Grande, which flows along its northern border, and the Pánuco, which touches its southeastern corner, Tamaulipas has a number of fair sized rivers. Chief of these are the Soto la Marina, the Tamesi, and the Presas. There are large forests in the state, and in certain portions the vegetation is almost jungle in its character. Chief Industries: Some minerals are exploited in the mountainous sections of the state, but agriculture and the petroleum industry are its chief assets. The most important land products are corn, sugar-cane, tobacco, citrus fruits, bananas, coffee, and ixtle or Tampico fibre. Stock raising is also of first importance, and the state possesses some of the finest grazing land in the Republic. The petroleum industry, which is only of recent growth in Mexico, up to the present time has found its center in the two states of Tamaulipas and Vera Cruz. So far, comparatively little petroleum has been produced in Tamaulipas, and that only in the extreme south. The city of Tampico, however, which lies in the extreme southeastern corner of Tamaulipas, has become the chief oil refining, storage and export center of Mexico, and is probably the most important petroleum city in the world. Principal Cities: The port of Tampico, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, has a population of about 25,000. It is situated on the Pánuco River, about six miles from the Gulf, and is not only the chief petroleum center of Mexico, but also does an important export and import trade in other lines. It has a double rail connection with the interior, and is surrounded by a rich agricultural district. The modern city owes most of its activity to foreign |