Editing Durango (section)

==Economy==
As a rural state, traditional agriculture is still the main economic activity for most of the population, despite only ten percent of the land being suitable for crops, and only fifteen percent being suitable for pasture.  The main crops include corn, beans, chilli peppers, apples, alfalfa, and sorghum.<ref name=":3" /> Fruits such as apples and pears are grown in Canatlán, Nuevo Ideal and Guatimapé; nuts in Nazas and San Juan del Rio; and membrillo, apricots and peaches in Nombre de Dios.  Most agriculture is concentrated in the Valleys region, in particular, the municipalities of Guadalupe Victoria and Poanas.  This is also the area with the highest profit agriculture.  It is supported by its three main rivers: the Florida, the Alto Nazas, and the Tunal-Mezquital, which have been dammed primarily for agricultural purposes.<ref name=":0" /> Pastures in this area support large herds of cattle, much of which are exported to the United States. Sheep and goats are also raised here.<ref name=mwolfe/>

Despite its dry climate, another important agricultural area has been the La Laguna region. Cotton was the main commodity crop of the La Laguna from the late 19th century to the 1970s.<ref name=mwolfe/> While some cotton and other crops such as alfalfa, wheat, grapes, sorghum and corn are grown, it is limited to areas along the Nazas and Aguanaval rivers that provide irrigation. Most of the agricultural land is in the municipalities of Gómez Palacios, Lerdo and Tlahualilo, part of the Lagunera region. Tlahualilo is also known for the production of watermelon and other melons. The rest of the land is too dry.  Livestock is another important activity raising sheep, goats, cattle and chickens.<ref name=":3" />

In 1936, Mexican president [[Lázaro Cárdenas]] expropriated 225 profitable haciendas in the La Laguna region to create agricultural collectives called "[[ejido]]s." However, this effort failed to significantly improve life for poor farmers in the region, often due to a lack of knowledge and technology, especially in the redistribution of water. The failure of this effort exacerbated the effects of droughts leading to crises in the 1950s and 1960s, only overcome with massive federal investment in hydraulic infrastructure, public works and industrialization. However, the effects of these works still have negative consequences for the La Laguna region.<ref name=mwolfe/>

In the Sierra and Quebrada regions, most agriculture is subsistence for auto-consumption. Important crops include corn, beans, potatoes and oats. The Sierra is an important dairy producer, with its cheese notable in the state.  In Las Quebradas, rivers are an important source of fish, especially trout and catfish.<ref name=":3" />

Today, forestry has great importance economically and politically.<ref name=scaling/> About 41% of the territory is covered in forest with under five percent covered in rainforest. The state ranks second in Mexico in expanses of temperate forest land areas with 4.9 million ha.<ref name=":3" /> It is the country's main timber producer and the largest timber stock, estimated at 410,833,340 m<sup>3</sup>. Its output accounts to between 20 and 30% of Mexico's total, producing mostly pine (73.3%) and oak. Although 18 municipalities have forestry operations, six account for just under 80% of the production. Most of the economy of the Sierra region revolves around forestry, including the sawmills and other wood processing facilities located there. Wood products from there are sold both in Durango and other parts of Mexico. They include plywood, furniture, shipping crates for agricultural products as well as pulp for <ref name=scaling/> paper. Most of this wood is pine but cedar is also cut in some areas of the Quebradas.<ref name=":3" /> Most forest land in the state is held by collectives called ejidos, but these have trouble competing with cheaper imported timber.<ref name=scaling/>

Minerals were the initial draw to the area for the Spanish, the heyday for this activity was the 18th century as most of the state's historical landmarks can attest. However, mining continues to be an important economic activity. Durango is one of Mexico's leading producers of gold.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|title=The lowly scorpion becomes a symbol of Durango pride: [SA2 Edition]|date=November 1, 1986|work=Toronto Star|location=Toronto|page=H27}}</ref> There are deposits of gold and silver in the Sierra region, San Dimas, Otáez and Topia. The Valleys region has deposits of gold, silver, iron and mercury.<ref name=":3" />

Most of the state's commerce is related to agriculture and mining.<ref name=":3" />

[[Gómez Palacio, Durango|Gomez Palacio]] is home to most of the state's industry. There are factories which make cars, textiles, clothes, soap, oils, cookies, pasta and more. Food process, especially of chicken and dairy is important here as well.<ref name=":3" />

Durango's main source of income from outside the state starting in the mid-20th century has been with the production of films. The first known filming in the state occurred when [[Thomas Edison]] sent producer James White and cameraman Fred Bleckynden here to film train rides, along with landscapes and scenes of daily life in 1897. The project produced six films, each fifty feet long and included bullfights, women washing clothes, road repair and the arrival of the train in the city of Durango. The first movie set was constructed in 1922 in the former La Trinidad hacienda just outside the city of Durango, which made three movies.<ref name=":0" />

In 1954, 20th century Fox filmed the movie ''[[White Feather (film)|White Feather]]'' (La Ley del Bravo) with [[Robert Wagner]] and [[Debra Paget]].  It was the first Hollywood feature to be shot in the state, followed closely by ''[[Robbers' Roost (1955 film)|Robber's Roost]]'' (Antro de ladrones) by United Artists.  The two films mark the beginning of a movie industry that continues to the present day, although its heyday was in the 1960s and 1970s. The attractions for Hollywood here were the landscapes and the lighting. The first are similar to those of the Old West and the latter due to the climate. From 1954 to 1964, thirteen major productions were shot here and attracted stars such as [[Burt Lancaster]], [[Audrey Hepburn]], [[Charlton Heston]], [[Maureen O'Hara]] and [[John Wayne]] who worked on films directed by the likes of [[John Huston]] and [[Sam Peckinpah]]. Between 1965 and 1973, [[John Wayne]] alone worked on seven films including the ''[[The Sons of Katie Elder|Sons of Katie Elder]]''.<ref name=":0" /> During the 1970s a total of 86 films was shot here. Forty-three were U.S. productions; 33 were Mexican productions and nine where collaborations between the two countries.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|title='Feather' in Durango's cap has gotten a little dusty; The Mexican city that became a top setting for Hollywood films nearly 50 years ago hopes for a comeback: [Home Edition]|last=Wielenga|first=Dave|date=April 20, 2003|work=Los Angeles Times|page=E12}}</ref>

To date, over 130 films have been shot here both because of the Western-type landscapes and the natural light. The state is still called La Tierra del Cine (Land of the Cinema) although movie production here has waned with the decline of westerns starting in the 1980s. Many of the old sets are still standing, if not used, and some have been converted into tourist attractions, and one has been converted into a real town.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=edavid>{{cite thesis |last=David |first=Erika Lynne |date=December 2005 |title=Cinemascape: Durango |type=PhD |publisher=The University of Texas at Austin  }}</ref>

Tourism is a small industry here, despite the state's natural resources and history. The government has worked to promote the state for tourism, but this is concentrated mostly on the capital (including the movie sets around the city), two other towns in the state and to some extent, ecotourism.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://siglo.inafed.gob.mx/enciclopedia/EMM10durango/|title=Durango Atractivos Culturales y Turísicos|website=Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México|publisher=INAFED|access-date=October 2, 2018|archive-date=October 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003014443/http://siglo.inafed.gob.mx/enciclopedia/EMM10durango/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are many historic and tourist sites in the Valleys region, in particular in the city of Durango.  The San Juan del Rio municipality has the house in which Francisco Villa was born. There are several important architectural sites in the city, including the [[Ganot-Peschard Museum of Archeology]], which is recognized by the [[National Institute of Anthropology and History]] as a site of historical significance. In Súchil, the former hacienda of El Mortero was the home of the Count of the Valley of Súchil and is one of the state's major examples of colonial architecture. The town of [[Mapimí, Durango|Mapimí]] has conserved its traditional urban layout which has permitted it to become a Pueblo Mágico. The most important mine is Ojuela, now famous for its hanging bridge which connects the town with the mine, separated by an extremely deep ravine.<ref name=":0" /> It one of the largest of its kind in the Americas. Nazas has a house that Benito Juárez slept in while he was here.<ref name=":4" />

Probably the best-known tourist product of the state relates to scorpions.  In the 1980s, a number of entrepreneurs turned the animal into an unofficial symbol of state pride. Most are sold encased in acrylic and mounted on knickknacks such as ashtrays, napkin holders, keychains, earrings, wood boxes and wall mountings. These objects dominate tourist markets such as the Gomez market in Durango City.<ref name=":5" />

One reason for the limited economic development has been the limited transportation and other communications. The railroad was an important development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but its benefits did not extend far past where the lines went. The state has one international airport serving the capital, which has limited flights to other major Mexican cities and to the United States.  However, its geographical position is becoming a benefit, rather than a hindrance to economic development, with its proximity both to Mexico City and the northern border as well as both coasts.<ref name=scaling/>

As the nearest seaport, trade and travel to [[Mazatlán|Mazatlan]] have always been important to the state. The port has been a source for luxury goods since the colonial period, generally paid for with silver mined in the state. The Interoceanic Highway now connects the state with both coasts, and cuts travel time to three hours, less than half what it was before.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Durango 450: Conservación de un Patrimonio Histórico|last1=Vallebueno Garcinava|first1=Miguel|last2=Durazno Alvarez|first2=Rubén|publisher=La Casa Editorial de Durango|year=2013|isbn=978-607-503-136-1|location=Durango}}</ref>