Durango (pronounced [duˈɾaŋgo]) is one of the constituent states of Mexico. It has Mexico's second-lowest population density (after Baja California). The city of Durango is the state's capital. The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range located in the western part of the state. This mountain range contains a good supply of minerals, including the silver that encouraged Spanish occupation of the territory after it was discovered. These mines extend north into Chihuahua and south into the state of Zacatecas. Vast desert basins in the Laguna District are irrigated by the Nazas River. Major crops grown in the area include cotton, wheat, corn, alfalfa, beans, sorghum and other vegetables. Durango is famous for its scorpions. Mexicans generally refer to Duranguenses (natives of Durango) as an Alacrán de Durango (A scorpion from Durango). The major occupations in Durango are farming, lumbering and ranching. Francisco de Ibarra, the first to colonize Durango, settled this part of the vast northern province of Nueva Vizcaya in 1563, when he founded the capital city and named it Durango for his native town Durango, Biscay, Spain. The foundation was just one in his larger program of initiating settlements throughout the province. This was a late colonization for the Spanish, due mostly to heavy resistance by the indigenous population. From first contact to modern times, the indigenous peoples have attempted to gain some autonomy, address grievances, and maintain traditional land ownership. Spanish colonists became highly attracted to the Durango area for its mining and grazing prospects. In 1823, shortly after the Mexican revolutionary victory over Spain, Durango earned the right to become a separate state.