Santa Catarina, Nuevo León

Santa Catarina is a ceety an municipality in the state o Nuevo León, Mexico that is pairt o the Monterrey metropolitan aurie.

History
The name o this ceety comes frae the Catholic Saunt Catherine o Alexandria.
The ceety o Santa Catarina wis no "foondit" in a traditional manner; at the beginnin, it wis anerlie a restin point for travelers atween Monterrey an Saltillo.  The first recordit name wis "Estancia de Santa Catarina" (Shelter o Santa Catarina).

Durin the French Invasion o Mexico in the seicont hauf o the 19t century, the preses Benito Juárez spent some days in Santa Catarina while travelin tae Monterrey, an it was durin this time that he elevatit its status tae veelage. The category o veelage wis maintained till 1979 when the state govrenment elevatit its status tae Ceety.

Geography
Santa Catarina is locatit aboot 15 kilometers soothwast o central Monterrey. As o the Mexican census o 2005, its population wis 259,202 in the ceety an 259,896 in the municipality. The ceety an municipality baith rank saxt in population in the state. The municipality haes an aurie o 984.5 km² (380.12 sq mi) an includes numerous vera sma localities ootside of the ceety itsel.

Natural Auries
Maist o the Naitional Pairk Cumbres o Monterrey, includin the canyon o La Huasteca is locatit athin Santa Catarina.

References
Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005  INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
Nuevo León  Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

Freemit airtins
 Municipio de Santa Catarina Offeecial wabsteid
 Defensors o the huasteca wabsteid

Category:Municipalities o Nuevo León
Category:Populatit places in Nuevo León
Category:Monterrey metropolitan aurie