Monclova, Industrial municipality in Coahuila, Mexico
Monclova is a municipality in northeastern Coahuila that sits at 606 meters (1990 feet) above sea level along the banks of the Salado de los Nadadores River. The urban area includes several districts and outskirts where homes stand beside factory complexes, while downtown holds smaller shops and plazas overlooked by churches.
Alonso de León founded the settlement in 1689 and it became the capital of Nueva Extremadura province during colonial rule. In the first half of the twentieth century the construction of large steelworks transformed the economy and drew thousands of new residents from across the country.
The municipality is home to descendants of settlers from different regions of Mexico and Europe who arrived during the industrial growth of the twentieth century. Today steelmaking and its related routines shape daily life for many families, whose weekends often revolve around local festivities and religious celebrations.
Visitors reach the municipality by highways from the direction of the United States border and from the larger cities Saltillo and Monterrey, while rail links carry freight and occasional travelers. Those walking through downtown can reach most churches and shops on foot, while the factory complexes lie on the outskirts.
Iron ore from Durango is processed here with coking coal from Sabinas, a process running since 1944 that has produced one of the largest plants of its kind in the country. The heat from the blast furnaces can be seen at night from several neighborhoods, and many families know someone who works or has worked there.
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