Ciudad JuárezCiudad Juárez, or simply Juárez, is a city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua with a estimated population of 1, 512, 354. ~ It stands on the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte), across the border from El Paso, Texas. ~ The two cities form a Metroplex metropolitan area of 2, 700, 000 making it the largest international border community in the world. ~ It is the major port of entry and transportation center of north central Mexico and the fifth largest city in Mexico. ~ It is a growing industrial center with more than 300 maquiladoras (assembly plants) and now is the main logistic center in Mexico. ~
Ciudad Juarez was founded as El Paso del Norte ("the Northern Pass") in 1659 by Spanish explorers, seeking a route through the southern Rocky Mountains. ~
The wood for the bridge across the Rio Grande first came from Santa Fe in the 1700s. ~
The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande as the border between Mexico and the United States, separating the settlements on the north bank of the river from the rest of the town. ~ The portion of the city allotted to the United States would later become El Paso, Texas. ~ Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas are one of the 14 pairs of sister cities along the U.S.–Mexico border. ~
During the French intervention in Mexico (1862–67), El Paso del Norte served as a temporary capital of Benito Juárez's republican forces. ~ In 1888, El Paso del Norte was renamed in honor of Juárez. ~
Ciudad Juárez again served as a provisional Mexican capital during the initial phase of the Mexican Revolution, when forces loyal to opposition candidate Francisco I. ~ Madero, led by Pancho Villa, seized the city on 20 November 1910. ~ The scene of intense fighting for a decade, Juárez recovered during the US Prohibition era (1919–33) as an entertainment center. ~ Juárez continued to attract tourists from the southwest USA during the 1940s and 1950s, with its bars, nightclubs, brothels, bullfighting, and shopping. ~ Juárez has grown substantially in recent decades due to a large influx of people rapidly moving into the city in search of jobs with the maquiladoras. ~ Now, more technological firms have been attracted like the largest Delphi Corporation Technical Center in the Western Hemisphere, which is located in Ciudad Juárez and employs more than 2, 000 engineers. ~ Large slum housing communities called colonias have become extensive. ~ Juárez has gained further notoriety as a major center of narcotics trafficking linked to the powerful Juárez Cartel, and for hundreds of unsolved murders of young women since 1993. ~ Unfortunately, because of widely alleged police complicity (and perhaps even participation on the part of police and government officials and local elites), the serial murders continue and most of them remain "unsolved" despite the years that have gone by. ~ The good news is that female homicides have dropped since 2004 despite the increase of population. ~
A giant Mexican flag, banderas monumentales, was erected in Chamizal Park on June 26, 1997. ~
Sites to Visit
Auditorio civico Benito Juarez: The local theater for the arts. ~ Auditorio Municipal: The new state of the art theater builr behind the UACJ Med School. ~ Zona Pronaf: Bars, museums, shops, restaurants, entertainment. ~ Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez: Home of the local soccer team Los Indios (The Indians). ~ Avenida Juarez; Bars and shops. ~ Pueblito Mexicano: Maxican themed shopping mall. ~ Parque Chamizal: Green area of the city, once shared by El Paso and Juarez. ~ Museo del Concorde: A place to see original parts of the airliner. ~
