PUEBLA, or PUEBLA DE ZARAGOZA.. formerly PUEBLA DE LOS ANGELES. The capital of the State of Puebla, :Mexico, and the largest city of the Republic next to the national capital. It is situated on the Atoyac River, 60 miles southeast of Mexico City, at an elevation of 7200 feet above the sea, and between the bases of Mounts Malinche and Popocatepet1 (Map: Mexico, K 8). It is a veil• pleasant and well-built city, regularly laid out with broad streets and spacious squares. The uniform slope of the ground gives it a good natural drainage, which is further reinforced by a good artificial system, so that it is a very healthful city. Among its many handsome build ings the most prominent is the cathedral, which rivals that of Mexico, and whose two fine towers dominate the view of the city. Other notable buildings and institutions are the Palace of Jus tice. the AIl'ldiga, a large and handsome build ing occupied by the State Legislature, the State College with a large library, the School of ,Medi cine. the Palafoxiana Library containing over
100,000 volumes, the Academy of Fine Arts, and several theatres and hospitals. The city is an important commercial and industrial centre. It has several cotton and woolen mills, foundries, and glass factories. and is connected by rail with Mexico, Vera Cruz, Orizaba, and Oaxaca. Population, in 1S95, of the city proper, 88,684.
Puebla was founded as a mission station in 1530 by Toribio de Benaventa. In 1847, during the war with the United States, it was occupied for some time by the American forces. In 1862 it was attacked by the French army, which was repulsed by General Zaragoza, in whose honor the city received its present name. The French, however, captured it in the following year. Con sult: Romero, (iogrophical and Statistical Notes on Mexico (London, 1898) Ramirez, Informe sabre in explorucion liecha. en ks tcrrenos de Tuttle (Mexico, 188:3).