Chihuahua (city, Mexico)

Chihuahua (city, Mexico), city, northern Mexico, capital of Chihuahua State. The city is at an elevation of about 1400 m (about 4600 ft) above sea level, in a plain surrounded by mountains on all sides except the north. It has a fine public square, in which stands a monument erected to Miguel Hidalgo and his generals, the leaders of the Revolution of 1810. The city is the center of a mining district and contains important textile mills. The Autonomous University of Chihuahua (1954) is here. Founded about 1704, Chihuahua in 1864 served briefly as the capital of Mexico, under President Benito Juárez. Population (2008 estimate) 789,359.