Guerrero

 

state (1990 pop. 2,620,637), 24,887 sq mi (64,457 sq km), S Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. The capital is Chilpancingo. Dominated by the Sierra Madre del Sur, which reaches 12,149 ft (3,703 m) in the Pico de Teotepec, Guerrero is extremely mountainous except for a narrow coastal strip, which has a harbor at Acapulco. The state's major river is the Río de las Balsas. The climate of the coast and the deep valleys is hot and rainy, but the highlands are temperate and drier. Tourism, centered at Acapulco, is an economic mainstay. Agriculture (the growing of coffee, tobacco, cotton, tropical fruits, and cereals), forest products, and mining are the state's other chief economic activities. Mineral resources include gold, silver, lead, zinc, iron, coal, precious stones, and sulfur. The silverwork of Taxco is famous. The Cacahuamilpa caverns, with rock formations that date back 80 million years and some of which rise more than 70 ft (21 m), are in the NE part of the state and belong to the national park system. Little industrialization has occurred in Guerrero, despite its abundant hydroelectric power, and it remains one of Mexico's poorest states. Historically, Guerrero was divided among the states of Michoacán, Mexico, Puebla, and Oaxaca; the state was not established until 1849. Some of the heaviest fighting of the Mexican war for independence (1810–21) from Spain took place in the area, which was later named for Vicente Guerrero, one of the revolutionary leaders. A small antigovernment guerrilla group appeared in Guerrero in the late 1990s but appeared to be contained by the Mexican army.

Guerrero
Flag Coat of arms
Location within Mexico
Country	Mexico
Capital	Chilpancingo
Municipalities	76
Largest City	Acapulco
Government
- Governor	Carlos Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo ( PRD)
- Federal Deputies	PRD: 9
- Federal Senators	PRD: 2 PRI: 1
Area Ranked 14th
- State	km²  ( sq mi)
Population (2005)
- State	{{formatnum:3,115,202(Ranked 11th)}}
HDI (2004)	0.7296 - medium Ranked 30th
ISO 3166-2	MX-GRO
Postal abbr.	Gro.
Website: Guerrero State Government

The State of Guerrero is a state in the southern meridional region of Mexico. With an area of  square kilometers ( sq mi), it occupies about 3.3% of the mexican territory. It borders the Pacific Ocean to the south (500 km), Michoacán to the west (524 km), Oaxaca to the east (241 km) and Estado de México (216 km), Morelos (88 km) and Puebla to the north (128 km). It is named in honor of the second president of The Republic, General Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña (10 August 1782 – 14 February 1831), a hero of the Independence War. In 2003, the population was estimated at 3,167,400 people.

The state capital is Chilpancingo de los Bravo. Its principal cities are Acapulco, Taxco, Iguala and Zihuatanejo.

The state is an important tourist destination. There are three main areas of tourism, known as the Triángulo del Sol (triangle of the sun). The first is Acapulco. The second is Taxco, a colonial town noted for its silverware. The third is Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. Ixtapa is a destination created by the federal government to increase tourism during the slow economy of the 1980s.

History

During the 14th and 15th centuries the mountain and coastal regions of Guerrero were occupied by Náhuatl speaking people who practiced Slash and burn farming in the tropical forests and they cultivated small irrigated fields along the numerous river valleys. The Spanish conquest brought dramatic declines in the native population.^[1] However, unlike many other portions of Mexico, this decline was not offset by significant Spanish settlement. Rough topography, the low potential for economic development, and perceived health hazards were disincentives to settlement. As a result, agriculture and cattle raising were not common in the region until well into the 19th century.^[2] While Guerrero has experienced significant population growth and economic development during the last 60 years, the geographic pattern and character of this growth remain strongly influenced by the state's rugged physiography and limitations on transportation.^[3]

Geography

In most of the state territory prevails a climate of type calid humid with rains on summer (63.99%), although it has a complex geographical morphology which allows more temperate types in the central and northern regions.

Government and politics

The Constitution of the State of Guerrero provides that the government of Guerrero, like the government of every other state in Mexico, consists of three powers: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.

Executive power rests in the Governor of Guerrero, who is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, to a 6-year term with no possibility of reelection. Legislative power rests in the Congress of Guerrero which is a unicameral legislature. Judicial power is invested in the Superior Court of Justice of Guerrero.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Guerrero

The State of Guerrero is divided into 7 regions (regiones): Acapulco, Centro, Norte, Tierra Caliente, Costa Chica, Costa Grande and Montaña.

These are subdivided into 81 municipalities, each headed by a municipal president (mayor). Most municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; e.g. the municipal seat of the Municipality of Chilpancingo is the City of Chilpancingo de los Bravos.

Major communities

• Altamirano
• Acapulco (Acapulco de Juárez)
• Chilpancingo (Chilpancingo de los Bravo)
• Iguala (Iguala de la Independencia)
• Taxco (Taxco de Alarcón)
• Tlapa de Comonfort
• Zihuatanejo

Famous people

The following is an incomplete list of famous people from Guerrero:

• Juan N. Álvarez, general and Liberal President of the Republic, born in Atoyac de Álvarez.
• Nicolás Bravo, army general, President of the Republic, born in Chilpancingo.
• Lucío Cabañas, guerrilla leader, born in Atoyac de Álvarez.
• Vicente Guerrero, insurgent leader, President of the Republic, born in Tixtla.
• Rodolfo Neri Vela, Mexico's first astronaut, born in Chilpancingo.
• Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, Siglo de Oro playwright, born in Taxco.
• Joan Sebastian, singer-songwriter, born in Juliantla.
• Jorge Campos, goalkeeper, born in Acapulco.

Notes

External links

• (Spanish) Guerrero State Government
• (Spanish) Towns, cities, and postal codes in Guerrero

States of Mexico
Aguascalientes · Baja California · Baja California Sur · Campeche · Chiapas · Chihuahua · Coahuila · Colima · Durango · Distrito Federal · Guanajuato · Guerrero · Hidalgo · Jalisco · México · Michoacán · Morelos · Nayarit · Nuevo León · Oaxaca · Puebla · Querétaro · Quintana Roo · San Luis Potosí · Sinaloa · Sonora · Tabasco · Tamaulipas · Tlaxcala · Veracruz · Yucatán · Zacatecas

Coordinates: 17°36′47″N, 99°57′00″W

pms:Guerrero

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