Ciudad Victoria

Ciudad Victoria ( sjuˈðad bikˈtoɾja ), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located in the western-central region of the state. Ciudad Victoria is also the municipal seat of the surrounding Victoria Municipality, which covers an area of 1,638 km² (632.4 sq mi). According to the 2010 INEGI population count, the city had 305,155 inhabitants, and the Victoria Municipality had a population of 321,953. The city and the municipality both rank fourth in population size in the state, behind Reynosa, Matamoros, and Nuevo Laredo.

History

Ciudad Victoria was founded on October 6, 1750 with the name Villa de Santa María de Aguayo by José de Escandón y Helguera. On April 20, 1825, the town was elevated to the status of city, and was given its current name in honor of the first president of Mexico, Guadalupe Victoria. Toward the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the city began undergoing a number of modernizing changes. In 1890, a railroad was completed that passed through Ciudad Victoria on its route between Monterrey and Tampico. Several major highways were also completed during the 20th century.

Tamaulipas

Tamaulipas ( tamauˈlipas ), officially Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico.

It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the southeast, San Luis Potosí to the southwest and Nuevo León to the west. To the north, it has a 370 km (142.9 mi) stretch of the U.S.–Mexico border along the state of Texas.

The name Tamaulipas is derived from Tamaholipa, a Huastec term in which the tam- prefix signifies "place (where)". There is no scholarly agreement on the meaning of holipa, but "high hills" is a common interpretation. Another explanation of the state name is that it is derived from Ta ma ho'lipam ("place where the Lipan prey").

In addition to the capital city, Ciudad Victoria, the state's largest cities include Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, and Tampico.