GUANACO GUANAJUATO 279 iction of Nicaragua; but after the indepen- lence, and the establishment of the republic of Central America, it was set off by the federal igress to the state of Costa Rica. The leasure was declared to be temporary, and ras against the wishes of its inhabitants. On the dissolution of the federation, Costa Rica asserted jurisdiction over it, on the strength of enactment of congress ; the question led to )itter discussions, until by a treaty in 1858 the greater part of the district was conceded to jsta Rica. Nicaragua still urges her claim the province. In 1873 telegraphic com- mnication was established between Liber- 1, the capital, and San Jos6, the capital of Rica. GUANACO. See LLAMA. GUANAJUATO. I. A central state of Mexico, ig between lat. 20 and 22 N., and Ion. 100 id 102 W., and bounded N. by San Luis Po- 31, E. by Queretaro, S. by Michoacan, and TV. >y Jalisco ; area, 11,130 sq. m. ; pop. in 1869, T4,073, about 200,000 whom are whites of Spanish descent, 300,000 ire - blooded Indians, ly of whom speak ly their own langua- 3s, and the remainder lestizos. The state is ivided into five depart- lents : Guanajuato, Le- Celaya, Allende, and pa Gorda. The prin- cipal towns are Guana- ito, Celaya, San Mi- 3! de Allende, Salva- ierra, Salamanca, and Silao. The surface of le country, almost the rhole of which is com- >rised within the plateau " Anahuac, at a mean leight of 6,000 ft. above "ie sea, is extremely ir- ilar. It is traversed >y two mountain chains from S. E. to N. TV. ; "latto the north is the Sierra Gorda, the other Sierra de Guanajuato. In the latter are the iree peaks of Los Llanitos, upward of 9,000 ft. high, El Gigante, and El Cubilete. There are other cordilleras to the south, between which and the Sierra de Guanajuato lie picturesque and fertile valleys, watered by numerous torrents, and comprehended under the general designa- tion of El Bajio. The three principal rivers are the Rio de Lerma and its tributaries, the Laja and the Turbio. The only lake of note is the Yuriria, not far from the capital, 12 m. long and 4J broad ; its waters, which are per- fectly fresh, abound in lagres, a small fish mch esteemed. Most of the mountains are por- )hyritic, but the Cerro del Cubilete is mostly sal tic. The mines of Guanajuato are by far the richest in the republic. The most extensive 'Iver mine was that of Valenciana, which for 40 years yielded an annual profit of $3,000,000 ; in 1803 its depth was 1,800 ft. ; it was worked by 3,100 Indians and mestizos. Lead, tin, cop- per, iron, cobalt, sulphur, salts, crystals, mar- ble, &c., are found in many parts of the state. There are numerous hot and sulphur springs, well known and much frequented by invalids. The climate in the department of Guanajuato is generally mild and salubrious, while in the district of La Luz and in the elevated regions of the Sierra de Guanajuato it is quite cold. Some years little or no rain falls, and the crops fail. The soil of Guanajuato is one of the most fertile in Mexico, and large crops of wheat, barley, maize, potatoes, and several varieties of beans are obtained. Chilli, the fruit of the capsicum annuum, is one of the staple products ; the maguey (agave Americana) is plentiful ; the sugar cane grows well in some parts ; the olive flourishes, as do most of the European fruits and leguminous plants ; and the forests produce an abundance of building Cathedral of Guanajuato, timber. The chief industry is mining; but agriculture is the favorite occupation of the Indians. There are cotton-spinning factories in Salamanca, which is also celebrated for its ex- cellent earthenware; cotton fabrics are made in Salvatierra ; woollen stuffs in Celaya ; and tanneries exist in all the large towns. The staple articles of export are the precious met- als, spices, medicinal plants, and hides. II. A city, capital of the state, situated in a deep valley 6,836 ft. above the sea, 160 m. N. W. of Mexico; lat. 21 1' N:, Ion. 101 W. ; pop. about 63,000. Such is the unevenness of the site that in many streets the houses appear to be built in amphitheatre, and often the door of one dwelling is almost on a level with the roof of the next. Most of the streets are too narrow for wheeled vehicles, and all are ex- tremely irregular. On the east rises a moun- tain torrent which passes through some of
