- Main characteristics of the population of Coahuila
- Demography
- Economic activity
- Socioeconomic situation
- Ethnic groups that live in Coahuila
- Immigration
- References
The population of Coahuila and its distribution are closely related to the geographic location and the availability of the natural resources of the region.
The state of Coahuila, also known as Coahuila de Zaragoza, is part of the 32 states that make up the United Mexican States.
View of the Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico, at the intersection of Carranza and Hidalgo, during the parade on September 16, Mexico's Independence Day.
It delimits to the north with the Rio Grande, which separates it from the United States of America, to the south with Zacatecas, to the east with Nuevo León and to the west with Chihuahua and Durango.
It has an area of 151,563 km², which represents 7.73% of the total national territory, making it the third largest state in all of Mexico.
Main characteristics of the population of Coahuila
According to the population census of 2010, the following data are extracted:
Demography
-Coahuila has an approximate population of 2,954,915 inhabitants, representing 2.5% of the country's total, being the seventh least populated state, despite being the third largest state in the country.
-90% of the population is distributed in urban areas and 10% in rural areas.
-Approximately 50.5% of the population belongs to the female sex and the remaining 49.5% to the male sex.
-The population density is 18.1 inhabitants per km².
-The average life of individuals is 75 years.
Economic activity
The economy of Coahuila is based on the industrial, mining and agri-food sectors, where the highest percentage at the national level is concentrated with 44% production. Distributed in the following economic activities:
-It produces 95% of the charcoal nationwide.
-It is the largest producer of refined gold in Mexico, -It is the largest refined silver producer in the world.
-It has the largest automotive cluster in the entire country.
-It is the largest steel producer in the country.
-First national place in variety of agricultural production.
-It has the most important agri-food production in the country: the leading producer of melons, goats and their milk. It is also the second to produce apples, cattle and their milk; and the third in the production of walnut and cotton.
Socioeconomic situation
Coahuila is a prosperous and strong state. It has a per capita income of 126 thousand pesos per year, 20% higher than the national index and it is the seventh state with the highest value.
Average hourly income is 8.6% higher than the national average. The productivity of labor in the manufacturing industry is the highest in Mexico, with 37,443 dollars a year on average.
According to a recent publication by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), Coahuila ranks fourth as the most competitive entity and is the fifth best-rated state in the economic area.
Ethnic groups that live in Coahuila
There are three ethnic groups that Coahuila harbors: the Kikapúes, the Mazahuas and the Mascogos.
- Kikapú: they are an indigenous tribe belonging to both Mexico and the United States.
- Mazahuas: ethnic group originally from southern Mexico, but accepted as their own in Coahuila, where they are the largest indigenous settlement that lives in the state.
- Negros Mascogos: they are an ethnic group from the United States, who fled from slavery. They settled in the north of the state in small towns.
In Coahuila, 22 indigenous languages are spoken, although only a fairly low percentage of the population does so.
Immigration
In recent decades, the state of Coahuila has seen more residents emigrate than enter the state.
The migration rate is very high compared to the rest of the country, due to the proximity of the state to the United States and that the geographical characteristics did not guarantee the minimum conditions for the development of livestock and agricultural activities.
However, this changed radically in the last 15 years, due to the boom in mining and industrialization.
The percentage of emigration is in the order of 5%, while the immigration rate increased by about 10%.
Of the total number of immigrants in the state, approximately 90% come from other states and the remaining 10% from other countries.
References
- Bell, LA (2005). Globalization, regional development and local response. The impact of economic restructuring in Coahuila, Mexico. Rozenberg Publishers.
- INEGI. (1986). Economic structure of the state of Coahuila. System of National Accounts of Mexico. Regional economic structure. Gross Domestic Product by federal entity 1970, 1975 and 1980. INEGI.
- INEGI. (2001). Torreón, Coahuila de Zaragoza. Municipal Statistical Notebook 2000. INEGI.
- INEGI. (2011). Sociodemographic panorama of Coahuila de Zaragoza. INEGI.
- Standish, P. (2009). The States of Mexico: A Reference Guide to History and Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group.