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Zacatecas is a city in Mexico, the capital of Zacatecas State. Its population as of 2002 was approximately 115,000.

It is built in a deep, narrow ravine, 2450 m (8050 ft) above sea level, with narrow, crooked streets (callejones in Spanish) climbing the steep hillsides, and white, flat-roofed houses. The colonial center is a UNESCO World Heritage site and features elaborately decorated buildings, cobblestoned streets, and wrought-iron lanterns. The more modern outer suburbs are a mix of cinderblock shanties and gated communities for the wealthy.

The city is centered on the Plaza de Armas, a small open square bordered by the cathedral and the governor's palace. Other small plazas and parks (jardines) dot the city, among them the Jardín de la Independencia and the tiny (19 m²) Jardín de Juárez.

The cathedral is an elaborately carved red-stone structure, but its once richly decorated interior was looted during the civil wars of the 19th and 20th centuries. Churches abound, and many have recently been converted into art galleries or museums.

Zacatecas is home to the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (UAZ) and a branch of the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM).

Overlooking the city from an elevation of 150 m (500 ft) is the Cerro de la Bufa, a rocky outcropping crowned by a chapelA chapel is a church other than a parish church, often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. One of the best known is that at King's College, Cambridge, which has a renowned choir. Another famous chapel is and which is a popular spot for hikingHiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. It usually takes place on trails in areas of relatively unspoiled wilderness. The word hiking is understood in all English-speaking countries, but in and taking in the view of the city below.

Zacatecas was founded in 1546Events Spanish conquest of Yucatan Peace between England and France Foundation of Trinity College, Cambridge by Henry VIII of England Katharina von Bora flees to Magdeburg Science Tycho Brahe begins to measure planetary orbits Architecture Michelangelo Bu and was built over a rich vein of silverThis page is about Silver the element. For the color, see Silver Silver is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Ag ( L. Argentum and atomic number 47. A soft white lustrous transition metal, silver has the highest electrical and th discovered by Juan de Tolosa in the same year. This and other mineSilver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein or (coal) seam. Materials commonly recovered by mining include bs in the vicinity attracted a large population, and it soon became one of the chief miningSilver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein or (coal) seam. Materials commonly recovered by mining include b centres of Mexico.

Silver form Zacatecas and from PotosíPotos is a city, the capital of the department of Potosi in Bolivia. It is at an altitude of 3967 meters and has about 115,000 inhabitants. It lies beneath the Cerro Rico ("Rich mountain"), a mountain of silver ore, which has always dominated the city. in Bolivia was coined as pieces of eight and transported around the world by the Spanish treasure fleetBetween the 16th and 18th centuries, the Spanish treasure fleets brought the wealth of the Spanish colonies in Central and South America to Spain, in the form of silver, gold, gems, spices, cocoa and other exotic goods. Another fleet called the Manila gals and the Manila galleons. It was this silver what paid the wars of the Spanish Empire.

Mining is now no longer as important a part of the local economy, and in fact the primary mine (the Mina El Edén) has been converted into a tourist attraction, including an underground disco in a large hollowed out cave. Indeed, the city of Zacatecas is a popular tourist destination for Mexicans, and many of the local businesses cater to them.

Tourists particularly visit Zacatecas during the September Feria nacional de Zacatecas and again in the spring during Easter Week.