Guanajuato

The State of Guanajuato borders the states of San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Michoacan, and Jalisco. It has an area of 30,589 km square (about 11,800 square miles). In 2003 the state had an estimated population of about 4,855,000 people. ISO 3166-2 is MX-GUA.

After central Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico coast, Guanajuato was one of the first areas of Mexico colonized by the Spanish, in 1520s, for its rich silver deposits. Today, Guanajuato's mines are still among the richest-producing silver mines in the world. The state also produces tin, gold, copper, lead, mercury, and opals.

In addition to the state capital city of Guanajuato, the state includes the cities of Celaya, Leon, Salamanca[?], Irapuato[?], San Miguel de Allende[?], and Dolores Hidalgo, the cradle of Mexicn independence.

The City of Guanajuato is the capital of the state of the same name. It is 170 miles north west of Mexico City at 21.02°N 101.28°W, with an elevation of 6,550 feet above sea level. The estimated population in 2003 was about 78,000 people.

Guanajuato was founded as a town in 1554 and recieved the designation as a city in 1741. The city is well known for its wealth of fine colonial era Spanish architecture.

In the Panteon catacombs to the west of the city is a famous burial ground noted for the natural mummies produced by the conditions there.

The city of Guanajuato was the birthplace of artist Diego Rivera.

Each October the city holds the Cervantino, a festival of the arts named after Miguel de Cervantes.