ABSTRACT
EL PASO Located in the Chihuahuan Desert of western Texas in an ancient pass surrounded by mile-high mountains from which its name is derived, El Paso, originally known as El Paso del Norte (“The Pass of the North”), shares an international border with Ciudad Jua´rez, Mexico, making it the largest border city in the United States. El Paso takes its name from the pass through the Franklin Mountains on the American side of the Rio Grande and the Sierra Madre on the Mexican side. Named by the Spanish conquistador Juan de On˜ate, who crossed the Rio Grande in 1598 on his way to establish Mexico’s northernmost out-
post at Santa Fe, El Paso has become known as the “International City,” bringing together different cultures on the U.S.-Mexican border.
