Iguala (), known officially as Iguala de la Independencia, is a historic city located from the state capital of Chilpancingo, in the

Mexican state The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...

of Guerrero in southwestern Mexico.

Geography

The city of Iguala stands on Federal Highway 95 about SSW of Mexico City.By Mexico: Iguala City in Guerrero State, Mexico
/ref> Iguala is the municipal seat of the Municipality of Iguala de la Independencia, located in the north-central part of the state. The city had a 2005 census population of 110,390 and the municipality 128,444. The area of the municipality is . The city is the third-largest community in Guerrero, after

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

and Chilpancingo.

History

General Vicente Guerrero was the first military leader to swear allegiance to the Mexican flag in Acatempan, on March 12, 1821. On February 24, the Plan de Iguala had been signed by

Agustín de Iturbide Agustín de Iturbide (; 27 September 178319 July 1824), full name Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu and also known as Agustín of Mexico, was a Mexican army general and politician. During the Mexican War of Independence, he built a ...

and Vicente Guerrero, ending the long Mexican War of Independence. Gaining independence from Spain was represented by the first national flag, known as the Flag of the Three Guarantees, which was made by José Magdaleno Ocampo. Thus, Iguala is called the birthplace of the

Flag of Mexico The national flag of Mexico ( es, Bandera de México) is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these thre ...

Iguala mass kidnapping

On 26 September 2014, 43 students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College in Ayotzinapa were

kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...

, disappeared, and likely murdered, provoking ongoing national protests and international attention.

Mexican Federal Police The Federal Police ( es, Policía Federal, PF), formerly known as the (Federal Preventive Police) and sometimes referred to in the U.S. as "Federales", was a Mexican national police force formed in 1999 and folded into the National Guard in 2019. ...

and Iguala's police department and former mayor have been implicated in the students' kidnapping and disappearance; members of the ''Guerreros Unidos'' drug cartel in the mass murder. The governor of Guerrero state,

Ángel Aguirre Rivero Ángel Heladio Aguirre Rivero (born 21 April 1956) is a Mexican politician affiliated with the PRD, formerly to the PRI, who served as Governor of Guerrero from 2011 until he stepped down October 23, 2014. He has been a member of both the Ch ...

, resigned amid the scandal.

Features

The San Francisco Church (''Iglesia de San Francisco'') is a landmark in the city, built in the 19th century in the Neoclassical style. It is surrounded by tamarind trees, and for them Iguala is known as "la Ciudad Tamarindera" (the Tamarindo city). The Lagoon of Tuxpan (''Laguna de Tuxpan''), is a lake in the outskirts of the city, located in the small town of Tuxpan. It is known for its beauty, and popular seafood restaurants. Natives of Tuxpan have worked hard to maintain the popular lagoon healthy for the locals and the city people that visit every weekend.

Events

The Iguala Flag Fair is held in late February annually. It is one of the most important annual festivities for the people of Iguala. It is celebrated with a parade of floats, cockfights, and Mexican handcrafts and folk art exhibitions. Iguala's local artisans create gold and silver jewelry.

Sister City

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References

{{Authority control Populated places in Guerrero