El Paso–Juárez, also known as Juárez–El Paso, the Borderplex or Paso del Norte, is a transborder agglomeration, on the border between Mexico and the United States.Let's Go (2003), p. 447. The region is centered on two large cities: Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, United States. Additionally, nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S., is sometimes included as part of the region, referred to as El Paso–Juárez–Las Cruces or El Paso–Juárez–Southern New Mexico.Michie (1992) With over 2.4 million people, this binational region is the 2nd largest conurbation (San Diego–Tijuana being the largest) on the United States–Mexico border. The El Paso–Juárez region is the largest bilingual, binational work force in the Western Hemisphere.
State Population GDP (billion, US$) El Paso 879,392 48.6 Ciudad Juárez 1,512,450 21.8 El Paso–Juárez 2,391,842 70.4
This region is commonly subdivided into the Juárez Metropolitan Area (Zona Metropolitana de Juárez) in Chihuahua, Greater El Paso in Texas and Greater Las Cruces in New Mexico. These sub-regions are typically defined by state borders, even though some New Mexico towns in the region like Sunland Park are significantly closer to El Paso than to Las Cruces.
Demographics Ciudad Juárez is the largest city in the region (population 1,321,004 as of 2010). El Paso is the next largest (682,669 as of 2018), and Las Cruces is the third largest (102,296 as of 2018).
Major American suburbs are Fabens, Texas; San Elizario, Texas; Socorro, Texas; and Sunland Park, New Mexico. Smaller communities include Anthony, New Mexico; Anthony, Texas; Canutillo, Texas; Chaparral, New Mexico; Horizon City, Texas; Mesilla, New Mexico; Santa Teresa, New Mexico; University Park, New Mexico; Vado, New Mexico; and Westway, Texas.
The population of El Paso has historically been dominated by both Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic white Americans; in recent decades the former group has come to dominate the population. In 1970 El Paso was 57.3% Hispanic and 40.4% non-Hispanic white; in 2010 it was 80.7% Hispanic and 14.2% non-Hispanic white. In the same year El Paso County was 82.2% Hispanic.
History
The Franklin Mountains region has had human settlement for thousands of years, as evidenced by Folsom points from hunter-gatherers found at Hueco Tanks. The earliest known cultures in the region were maize farmers. At the time of the arrival of the Spanish the Manso, Suma, and Jumano tribes populated the area and today form the basis of the Mestizo culture in the area. The Mescalero Apache roamed the region as well.
Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate was the first European explorer to arrive at the Rio Grande near modern Ciudad Juárez and El Paso in 1598, celebrating Thanksgiving Mass there on April 30, 1598 (several decades before the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving). El Paso del Norte (the present-day Ciudad Juárez), was founded on the south bank of the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) in 1659 by Spanish conquistadors. The Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe became its first major settlement. Being a grassland then, agriculture flourished and vineyards and fruits constituted the bulk of the regional production. The Spanish Crown and the local authorities of El Paso del Norte had made several land concessions to bring agricultural production to the northern bank of the river in present-day El Paso. However, the Apaches dissuaded settlement and development across the river. The water provided a natural defense against them.
El Paso became the southernmost locality of the Provincia de Nuevo Mexico (modern New Mexico). It remained the largest city in New Mexico until its north side was ceded to the US in 1850. It communicated with Santa Fe and Mexico City by the Royal Road. American spies, traders and fur trappers visited the area since 1804 and some intermarried with the area's Hispanic elite.El Paso, A Borderlands History, by W.H. Timmons, pp. 74, 75 Although there was no combat in the region during the Mexican War of Independence, El Paso del Norte experienced the negative effects it had on its wine trade.
The Texas Revolution (1836) was not felt in the region as the area was never considered part of Texas until 1848. Given the blurry reclamations of the Texas Republic that wanted a chunk of the Santa Fe trade, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo effectively made the settlements on the north bank of the river a formal American settlement, separate from Old El Paso del Norte on the Mexican side. The present Texas-New Mexico boundary placing El Paso on the Texas side was drawn in the Compromise of 1850. Texas State Historical Association.
The communities on both sides of the border continued to function, in large part, as a single community. The United States Senate fixed a boundary between Texas and New Mexico at the thirty-second parallel, thus largely ignoring history and topography. A military post called "The Post opposite El Paso" (meaning opposite El Paso del Norte, across the Rio Grande) was established in 1854. Further west, a settlement on Coons' Rancho called Franklin became the nucleus of the future El Paso, Texas. A year later pioneer Anson Mills completed his plan of the town, calling it El Paso and the town was incorporated in 1873. During the French intervention in Mexico (1862–1867), El Paso del Norte served as a temporary stop for republican forces of ousted leader Benito Juárez until he established his government-in-exile in Chihuahua. In 1888, El Paso del Norte was renamed in honor of Juárez.
In the later 19th century the population in the region began to grow rapidly. With the arrival of the Southern Pacific, Texas and Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads in 1881, trade with the rest of the U.S. increased substantially. The area attracted newcomers ranging from businessmen and priests, to gunfighters and prostitutes. In the U.S. El Paso became known as the "Six Shooter Capital" because of its lawlessness. Prostitution and gambling flourished. During World War I, the U.S. Department of the Army pressured El Paso authorities to crack down on vice, creating a tourist boom in Juárez whose vice businesses continued to thrive.
Mining and other industries gradually developed in the area. The 1920s and 1930s saw the emergence of major business development in the city partially enabled by Prohibition era bootlegging with the area becoming a significant port of entry for liquor. The Depression era hit the region hard and population declined through the end of World War II. Following the war, military expansion in the area as well as oil discoveries in the Texas Permian Basin helped spur redevelopment in the mid-1900s. Disparities in wages and cost of living between the U.S. and Mexico helped encourage many businesses to establish manufacturing operations in Mexico during the mid 20th century, thus making El Paso–Juárez an attractive location for manufacturing. The signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement helped spur this trend even further.
Geography Typical elevation in the El Paso–Juárez region is approximately , though the Franklin Mountains, which run through the region, have peaks rising much higher. North Franklin Peak, for example, rises to .
The most well-known feature of the area is the Rio Grande, which divides the U.S. from Mexico. The river flows through the Rio Grande Rift, which passes around the southern end of the Franklin Mountains. West of Juárez and El Paso the river turns away from the border, connecting these cities with Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Mt. Cristo Rey, a volcanic peak (an example of a pluton), rises within the Rio Grande Rift just to the west of El Paso on the New Mexico side of the Rio Grande. Other volcanic features include Kilbourne Hole and Hunt's Hole, which are maar volcanic craters west of the Franklin Mountains.
The area lies in the Chihuahuan Desert, which itself is the easternmost section of the Basin and Range Region.
Climate
The area has an arid climate because it is located in the Chihuahuan desert. The area experiences hot summers, cool winters and a mild spring and fall. In Juárez the average high is with lows of . The winter high is with lows of . Because of the high altitude the region is cooler than many desert areas in Mexico and the American Southwest. Rainfall is scarce and concentrated in the summer months. Snowfall is not a rare event—it normally snows once or twice every winter.
Economy El Paso–Juárez is a major center for manufacturing and international trade. It is one of the largest ports of entry on the U.S.–Mexico border. The region is also the second most important trade point on the border and the 14th largest trading center in the U.S. In 2018, US$81.88 billion in trade took place in the region.
the region holds offices for more than 70 Fortune 500 companies. It is also home to more than 320 manufacturing plants (those in Ciudad Juárez are commonly referred to as maquiladoras) and more than 1,100 manufacturing operations total. The largest sectors of manufacturing are automobiles and automobile components, and consumer electronic components. Apparel and textile manufacturing, though, are important sectors as well, particularly north of the border. The area employs approximately 262,000 people in manufacturing with 85% of those in Juárez. Many of the workers in Juárez, however, live in the United States.
An important pillar of the economy of El Paso has been Fort Bliss and Biggs Army Airfield. Since frontier days military spending, directly and indirectly, has provided a significant source of money to El Paso and to the region as a whole. the economic impact of Fort Bliss is estimated at more than US$23.13 billion.
Call centers are additionally major employers in El Paso and neighboring communities in the U.S.
With the opening of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso in 2009, the school became the first medical school to open in 30 years. The university in 2013 became the fourth freestanding institution of the TTU System, and since its opening, the university has expanded to include the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. A fourth school, the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine is expected to open in 2021. The new medical school has become a great contributor to the region's economy, in 2015 the school contributed US$227 million to the local economy.
Regional cooperation Though the national boundaries are an important point of separation, efforts at regional planning and economic integration exist in the local governments and the business communities. Regional business advocacy groups such as El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation and World Trade Center El Paso/Juárez serve to attract businesses to the area and market its benefits. Efforts at community and environmental cooperation including the Paso del Norte Clean Cities Coalition exist as well.
Education The largest universities in the region are the University of Texas at El Paso and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez). These universities have strong ties to each other (as well as to the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua) with formal programs of exchange for scholars and students.Randall (1995), p. 162. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso plays a major part in the region because it is one of the few stand alone Medical Schools, where they work closely with Doctors Without Borders. New Mexico State University in Las Cruces is an additional major university in the area.