Guanajuato is the name of both a state in Mexico and that state's capital city. This article is about the state. For the city, see Guanajuato, Guanajuato.

ESTADO DE GUANAJUATO Other Mexican States Capital Guanajuato, Gto. Other major cities León, Salamanca , list of municipalities Area 30,491 km² Ranked 22nd Population (2000 census) 4,656,760 Ranked 6th Governor (2000-06) Juan Carlos Romero Hicks (PAN/PVEM) Federal Deputies (15) PAN = 12 PRI/PVEM = 2 PRD = 1 Federal Senators PAN = 2 PRI = 1 ISO 3166-2 Postal abbr. MX-GUA Gto.

Guanajuato is a state in the central highlands of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Guanajuato, Guanajuato.

The state of Guanajuato borders the states of San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Michoacán, and Jalisco. It has an area of 30,589 km² (about 11,800 square miles). In 2003 the state had an estimated population of about 4,855,000 people.

After central Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico coast, Guanajuato was one of the first areas of Mexico colonized by the Spanish, in the 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, León, Salamanca , Irapuato , San Miguel de Allende, and Dolores Hidalgo, the cradle of Mexican independence.

The state of Guanajuato accounts for more than its proportional share of economic migrations of workers to the United States and Canada. Among the areas favoured by migrants from this part of Mexico are the U.S. cities of Evanston, Illinois, and La Habra, California.

Municipalities

Guanajuato is subdivided into 46 municipalities (municipios). See municipalities of Guanajuato.

External links

• Guanajuato: Governmental portal (Spanish, English, French)
• Guanajuato en Linea: General information about the state (Spanish, English, French)
• Guanajuato Travel: Official tourist information about the state (Spanish)
• Towns, cities, and postal codes in Guanajuato (in Spanish)