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Colima & Manzanillo HistorySummaryColima is a state in western Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima, Colima. Colima is a small state, sharing a border with the Mexican states of Jalisco to the north and east, and Michoacán to the south. To the west Colima borders the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the capital city of Colima, the state's main cities include Manzanillo and Tecomán. Colima City has the distinction of being the first colonial city west of Mexico City, founded in 1523 by Gonzalo de Sandoval. It has not played a very prominent part in Mexican history because of its inaccessibility, and for the same reason has suffered less from revolutionary violence. The first "Villa de Colima" was in Caxitlán, near modern-day Tecomán. However, poor conditions due to the humidity and bugs resulted in the founding of the "Villa San Sebastián de Colima" in what is now the city of Colima. The new location provided a better climate, lands better suited to cultivation, and proximity to mining. Colima was made a Mexican state in 1857. Less than ten years later, Mexico's President Benito Juárez, refusing to recognize French authority, moved the seat of government to Colima (1864-1867) and other locations until the French were driven from power and the capital returned to Mexico City. Colima is home to Tecoman, the world's lime capital, has been exporting limes to Florida and California since the 19th century, and to the Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, which contains 2,700 species of plants, one-fourth of Mexico's mammal species and one-third of its bird species. Manzanillo, Mexico is located on Mexico's Golden Riviera, between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco on the Pacific coast. Manzanillo has become one of the country's most important tourist resorts, and its excellent hotels and restaurants continue to meet the demands of both national and international tourists, with a year-round average temperature of 27 degrees C (80 F), it has the best climate of the West Coast, dryer than Puerto Vallarta and cooler than Acapulco. Manzanillo Mexico consists of two bays with crescent-shaped Beaches, each about 4-miles in length and separated by Santiago Peninsula.
Early HistoryLittle is known about Colima's early history except that the Otomi, Nahuatl, Tolteca, Chichimeca and Tarasca cultures flourished there between approximately 2000 B.C and 1000 A.D.
Long an outpost for the pre-Columbian Tarascan peoples, Manzanillo was an important port during the early days of Spanish conquest. The manzanilla trees in the area around Manzanillo Bay were felled to construct Spanish ships used in expeditions along the Pacific coast and to the Far East. It is said that Chinese trading vessels stopped at Tlacotla.
When the Spanish arrived in the area around 1525, much of West Mexico was under the political control of the Kingdom of Tzintuntzan, which was the second largest and most powerful Mesoamerican Empire. Its influence stretched from the state of Mexico into Guanajuato, around the shores of Lake Chapala and through part of Colima to the Pacific coast. The Purépechas, known as the Tarascans by the Spanish conquistadors, occupied the area from about 1100 A.D. to 1530 A.D. along with the Colimas Indians, who are closely related to the Tarascas. King Colimán, the leader of the Colimas, waged a successful war against the Purépechas just before the Spanish arrived, forcing the Purépechas to the southern part of the region. ![]() A relief sculpture depicting the conquistador Gonzalo de Sandoval receiving a gift from the king of Colima, Mexico in 1521. Led by Juan Rodriguez de Villafuentes, Juan Alvarez Chico and Cristobal de Olid, the Spanish arrived at Colima in 1522. King Colimán, recognizing the threat presented by the conquistadors, resisted the incursion. The indigenous forces initially won battles at Trojes, Paso de Alima and Toluca, but in 1523 they lost a decisive battle against Gonzalo de Sandoval at Caxitlán. Sandoval immediately established a Spanish settlement, San Sebastián de Colima, in what is now the city of Colima. In 1524, Don Francisco Cortés de Buenaventura arrived and became the city's first mayor. ![]() Image copyright MexicoenFotos.com
Manzanillo Bay was discovered in 1527 by navigator Alvaro de Saavedra, christening it Santiago de la Buena Esperanza, or Santiago's Bay of Good Hope. Upon hearing a rumor that a Portuguese fleet was lurking in the nearby waters, Cortez made his first of two visits to Manzanillo Bay in search of his foes. His forces massed at the northern end of the bay, which he named Bahia de Santiago, on July 24, 1535. Manzanillo Bay was used as a departure point for Spanish expeditions to Baja California and northern Mexico. The forest of manzanilla and other hardwood trees in the area were used by the Spanish to build ships here, in what became Latin America's first shipyard. These ships were used in Spanish expeditions to the Philippines and other Far Eastern countries. The threat of pirates was ever-present, and ships of the Spanish fleet used Manzanillo's port to hide from the freebooters. Manzanillo was on the main trading route from Acapulco west to the Philippines, and south from Peru. The pirates, hailing from Portugal, England, Holland and France, did make several forays into Manzanillo Bay, where they brazenly attacked Spanish vessels. Middle History
Manzanillo's importance waned in light of the 1561 decree making Acapulco the sole port of entry for Pacific commerce. Since Manzanillo was on the Pacific Coast trade routes used by the Spanish, pirates often lurked in the waters off Manzanillo Bay, providing an ever-present threat throughout the period of Spanish colonization of Mexico. While Manzanillo Bay had long been recognized as an excellent harbor, it wasn't until after 1870 that Manzanillo's fortunes rose. Rail connections to Colima and Guadalajara resulted in the city gaining the distinction of becoming an official port of entry to Mexico. By royal decree, Acapulco became Spain's sole port of entry on the Pacific in 1561. With the exception of an occasional merchant galleon or pirate caravel stopping for repairs or supplies, all other Pacific ports, including Manzanillo, reverted to fishing villages. When the fight for Mexican independence began in 1810, Colima priest José Antonio Díaz led a group of revolutionaries in support of Miguel Hidalgo. A relatively small number of royal troops occupied the region when hostilities began, and they were easily defeated by the rebels. Afterward, little military action took place in Colima. In 1821, the Plan of Iguala established the direction for an independent Mexico. When Spain signed the Treaty of Córdoba later that year, Colima and the other Mexican territories formally gained their independence. Recent History
Porfirio Díaz served as president from 1877 to 1880 and again from 1884 to 1911. Under his leadership, the region saw great economic growth. Díaz ordered the construction of roads, railroads and communications networks. The improved infrastructure significantly strengthened Colima's economic ties with Mexico City. The Mexican Revolution that began in 1910 brought political instability to Colima as factions loyal to various revolutionary and anti-revolutionary leaders operated throughout the state. In the 1920s, the military conflict subsided as the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) rose to power, dominating political life for the rest of the 20th century. Colima, along with the rest of the country, finally enjoyed some measure of peace. Government and politicsThe Constitution of the State of Colima provides that the government of Colima consists of three powers: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. Executive power rests in the Governor of Colima, who is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, to a 6-year term with no possibility of reelection. Legislative power rests in the Congress of Colima which is a unicameral legislature composed of 25 deputies. Judicial power is invested in the Superior Court of Justice of Colima. With formal separation of powers and check-and-balances provisions, the state of Colima has a unicameral (one chamber) state congress and a strong executive power. The congress is elected every three years for nonrenewable terms. Sixteen of its twenty-five members are elected in single member districts; nine are elected by proportional representation. Because the PRI has exercised control of the powerful governor's office since the end of the revolution, the legislature has not been able to act independently. As politics become more competitive in Colima, the legislature should be more likely to act independently of the governor. There are ten municipalities, each with a local government. These local governments have limited authority over administrative decisions. Tight control of budgets by the state government reduces the local authorities' leverage and influence. Municipal president and council members are elected for nonrenewable three-year terms. The three main political parties in all of Mexico are the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN), and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). The PRI has dominated Colima politics since the end of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). All Colima governors have belonged to that party. Despite more guarantees for opposition parties and free and fair elections since the early 1990s, the PRI continues to dominate politics in the state. A joint PAN-PRD effort to win the gubernatorial race in 2003 failed. The PRI candidate successfully defeated the opposition consensus candidate. Judicial SystemThe highest court in Colima is the Superior Tribunal of Justice. Its members are appointed for nonrenewable six-year terms by the governor with congressional approval. Only qualified attorneys can be appointed to those posts. In addition, an electoral tribunal and several different local courts make up the judiciary in Colima. Yet, as is the case with the other state level powers, the dominance enjoyed by the PRI throughout most of the 20th century has made it difficult for any branch of government to function independently.
Colima was never granted a coat of arms so, recently, the state government adopted one, with the characteristics of the land. When researching the coat of arms there were three different versions that appeared in internet searches. While similar, they have differences with some more subtle than others. A description of the shield is as follows: "A Mayan hieroglyph (see meaning below) proper, bordure gules; Helmut azure with penache sable; supporters, two pumas issuant and sitting on a sable, each holding a sinister flowering branch with coiled snake and conch seashell; compartment a volcano sable with a flower; a scroll reading in two lines of serif capitals sable "EL TEMPLE DEL BRAZO ES VIGOR EN LA TIERRA", with "DE" digraph and "O" reduced to superscript underscored, loosely "THE NERVE OF THE ARM IS FORCE ON EARTH". You will notice the major focal point is the hand and shoulder in the center of the shield. This is the same hieroglyph that appears in the Nahualt script with a blue bracelet on the wrist. If you look closely you will see the hand and the arm don't belong together. Note the hand has the thumb pointing down. Try it yourself, it is pretty much impossible to get your arm & hand to look like that. No one has a proper explanation for why it appears this way. There are several variations or interpretations of the original language, these include:
The most common version of the shield in internet research was the one above labeled as "most common". You will notice this version drops the intricate detail on the sides compared to the other two. Version 1has a better rendering of the volcanoes and the jaguar's are spotted. The snakes at the top on the sides are not as visible. Version 2 has a blue helmet at the top, the rendering of the volcanoes isn't as distinct as Version 1, the jaguars are solid in color and the conch shells are not as distinct looking. The snakes are more visible at the tops of the side foliage. From an Internet Description of the Shield: At the top, helmet with crest of feathers. To the sides of the obelisk lambrequins snakes tangled that end in brackets with a jaguar resting on conch snails (marine). Between the two jaguars a palm tree and Colima volcanoes. At the bottom reads the slogan on a gold ribbon ARM IS THE TEMPLE OF FORCE ON EARTH. His metals, enamels and colors also have meaning: Silver symbolizes the water, faith, purity and integrity; gold represents the fire of volcanoes, love of neighbor, the nobility and generosity; the red embroidery, alludes to the warm climate of Colima, strength, value, loyalty, joy and honor. MunicipalitiesThe State of Colima is divided into 10 municipalities, each headed by a municipal president (mayor). Municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; e.g. the municipal seat of the Municipality of Manzanillo is the City of Manzanillo. The municipalities (Municipios) are as follows:
These municipalities could be best compared to Counties in the United States, in that they have their own government, police, and services. They also hold their own culture which culminates to create the state's culture. Each has its own songs, dances, clothes and traditional foods. Colima city, with a population of approximately 130,000, is the state's capital city and is located 64 miles (103 kilometers) northeast of the states second major city, Manzanillo. A fishing, tourist, and port city, Manzanillo dominates this area of Mexico's Pacific coast. Manzanillo looking from Las Hadas
Environmental Protection
Colima's landscape consists of mountains, hills, valleys, plains, and deep ravines. A branch of the Sierra Madre mountain range runs through the state. The highest peak in the state is the Colima Volcano at 4,240 meters (13,990 feet), the country's most active volcano. It lies on the border with Jalisco and has erupted over forty times since the 1500s. Damaging earthquakes, the most recent in 2003, are relatively frequent. Colima's rivers flow from north to south into the Pacific Ocean. Major rivers include the Marabasco River and the Coahuayana (or the Naranjo) River. The Armería River, the largest of all, originates in Jalisco. Geography![]() Image copyright A branch of the southern Sierra Madre mountain range runs through three-quarters of the state creating a region of hills and mountains. Two volcanoes, one active and one dormant dominate the landscape near the capital city of Colima. Two major rivers flow through the state. Colima's two volcano peaks are Nevado de Colima (4,330 meters, 14,206 feet), which is the oldest and is inactive. Five km, 3 miles, to the north is a younger and very active 3,860 meters, 12,664 foot, Volcán de Colima. On the younger volcano you can see a history of flows running down the sides of the mountain. Estimates are that the younger volcano has been active for about five million years, since the Pleistocene era. Approximately 300,000 people live within 40 km, 25 miles, of the volcano. Because it is situated in a densely populated area, it has been designated as a 'Decade Volcano', and singled out for special international study. The Marabasco-Cihuatlán and Coahuayana rivers form the border between Jalisco and Michoacán and the Armería River that originates in Jalisco travels 183 miles (294 kilometers) south before reaching Boca de Pascuales in the municipality of Armería, Colima. Population, Ethnic Groups, LanguagesColima had a total population of 542,627 in 2000; of the total, 268,192 (49%) were men and 274,435 (51%) were women. The population density was 96 people per square kilometer (249 people per square mile). In 2000, the capital, Colima, had a population of 129,454. Almost all the residents speak Spanish, with less than 1% speaking one of the Amerindian languages. ReligionAccording to the 2000 census, 78% of the population, or 425,954 people, were Roman Catholic; just 2%, or 13,214 people, were Protestant. That year there were also 5,185 Jehovah's Witnesses, and nearly 12,000 people who reported no religion. Cuisine
Bordering on the Pacific Ocean, and nestled up against Jalisco and Michoacan, the small state of Colima enjoys the best of both culinary worlds: the ocean's bounty of fresh seafood, and the typical ranch dishes of western Mexico. In addition, Colima boasts a legacy of over 3,000 years of continuous civilization, and the attendant deeply-rooted food traditions that go with this heritage. ArcheologyFirst inhabited by a group of Olmec people, Colima was also home to Nahuatl, Toltec and Chichimec cultures before being dominated by Tarascans, the principal culture when the Spaniards arrived during Cortes' Pacific campaign, beginning in 1522. The shaft tombs and artistically crafted pottery, known as Colima ceramics, are evidence of a rich and flourishing culture. The famous perros cebados, the ancient, round little clay dogs are discovered in abundance in the area. Beaches
Temperature/EnvironmentThe state's average yearly temperature is 79.52°F (26.4°C). During the rainy season, between the months of June and October, an average 39.6 inches (1,007 millimeters) of rain falls on the state. Temperatures are fairly constant year round, with variation depending on elevation. In the winter, temperatures range from 20°c to 28°c (68°f to 76°f). Summers are hotter, with temperatures ranging from 28°c to 34°c (82°f to 93°f). The rainy season falls from June through October, when much of the average annual rain falls. Rainfall during those months averages 1,010 millimeters (40 inches). The Mexican state of Colima is located on the Pacific coast, south of the Tropic of Cancer. The southern Sierra Madre mountain range (Sierra Madre del Sur) runs through Colima, creating a diverse climate which is cool in the highlands and hot along the coast. Colima's mountains include two volcanoes, the active Volcán de Fuego (3820 m) and the extinct Volcán Nevado (4240 m). The average yearly temperature is 25° C, with highs around 36° and lows around 7°. The rainy season lasts from June through October and the state receives an average of 983 millimeters of rain each year. Manzanillo shares the same latitude as Hawaii giving the state of Colima some of the best weather in Mexico. Hurricane season runs from June through October. The last big hurricane to hit Manzanillo was in 1959. There is a small piece of land, Cabo Corrientes, that helps direct most hurricanes farther north to Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas on the Baja. Average Day, Night & Ocean Temperatures in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
Major Industries
The manufacture of iron, services, tourism, agriculture and agricultural product processing, mining, and fishing are the components of the economy in Colima. As of 2000, the economy was growing at about 5% annually. The per capita gross state product was p56,364 (p = pesos) per year, or just over us$5,000 per person. TechnologyColima has major technological industry with companies involved with software development, information technology, and biotechnical development. Port of Manzanillo
The port covers 437 hectares and is outfitted with world-class navigational and cargo equipment. The port facilities are privately owned and operated. It is the only Mexican port that has a double-stowage train service that moves its high volume of container cargo on 8.4 miles (13.5 kms) of tracks privately owned by FERROMEX (Ferrocarriles Mexicanos.) Long distance railway connections carry cargo to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Aguascalientes. Port activity is a significant factor in Mexico's industrial and commercial corridor carrying goods from Aguascaliente, Querétero, Morelos, Zacatecas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Mexico City, Mexico State, Hidalgo, Nayarit, Durango, Michoacán and Colima. Internationally, the port has shipping lanes to Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U. S., Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia and Peru. Besides container facilities, the port handles agricultural grains, plant and animal fluids, cement and raw materials, and has cold storage for perishables. A massive Pemex refueling station dominates the southwest curve of the port's bay. A portion of the port is reserved for fishing. The corporation, Marindustrias, operates a tuna fleet that can catch up to 20,000 tons of tuna a year and includes other vessels to catch species such as giant squid and shark. The company's processing plants are located within the port area. Manzanillo is also home to the Navy's Pacific Naval Force. HighwaysColima has a total of 1,225 miles (1,971.5 kilometers) of highways that link the state's ten municipalities, eight of which have four-lane highways. Spectacular panoramic toll highways span gorges approaching Colima city from Guadalajara. Dubbed "Red Carretera", or Highway Network,the state's highways connect with the NAFTA route, beginning in Manzanillo, passing through the cities of Tecomán and Colima and continuing on to Jalisco state where it joins the Guadalajara-Mexico highway to the U.S. and Canada. RailroadsPassenger service is no longer available in Colima or Mexico except for tourist routes in the Copper Canyon, Tequila, and in the Yucatán. One hundred and forty seven miles (237 kilometers) of railroads in Colima carrying cargo connect the major cities of the state with the rest of the country. AirportsThe state has two airports. The Playa del Oro International Airport with domestic and international flights is located in the municipality of Manzanillo. The Miguel de la Madrid Airport is near the capital city, Colima, in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc. CommunicationsColima state has post offices, telegraph offices, cellular and hard line telephone service, radio stations and four local television channels. Internet service, private cable and television service are available in and near the main cities of Colima and Manzanillo. With a U.S. billing address Sirius/XM signals, Dish Network and DirectTV can be received but it is technically illegal. There are UPS deliveries and Manzanillo has a PAKMail and a Mailboxes Etc. Mailboxes Etc. has a plan where your outbound U.S. mail goes to Laredo, TX in a pouch and is then mailed within the U.S. to the destination. PowerColima has two massive coal powered thermoelectric power plants located in Manzanillo. The plants supply the entire state with electrical energy. In addition, 95% of the power they generate goes to the rest of Mexico and is sold to other countries. Plans and construction have started on a conversion for the power plant to switch from a very dirty burning fuel to Natural Gas sometime late in 2010 or early 2011. As of March, 2010 there are two large tank terminals which just had the "the lid" put in place (approximately 1000 tons) and the facility took delivery of 10,000 tons of gas from the Ukraine. There are breakwaters, channels with El Campo being the staging area. A gas pipeline is being built from the Manzanillo terminal to Guadalajara. HealthThe state of Colima has 10 general hospitals, 153 outpatient centers, and 16 surgical centers throughout the state. Most of the Mexican population is covered under a government health plan. The IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) covers the general population. USA News stations have recently done a lot of articles and coverage on the IMSS due to health care debates there. The ISSSTE (Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de Trabajadores del Estado) covers state workers. EducationThree major universities educate students in Colima city: the University of Colima, The Technological Institute of Colima, and the Monterey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Colima campus. The system of public education was first started by President Benito Juárez in 1867. Public education is free for all students from ages six to sixteen. There were about 115,000 school-age children in the state in 2000. Many students elect to go to private schools. Families who can afford it send their children to private schools, while the poor often attend public schools with few materials. The Universidad de Colima (University of Colima) and the Technological Institute of Colima are both located in the capital. The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, the main campus of which is in Monterrey, Nuevo León, has a branch campus in Colima. Arts, Libraries and MuseumsThe state of Colima has over twenty theaters, many of them open-air style. One of the best known is the Teatro Hidalgo. Most major cities sponsor exhibitions and cultural fairs. Colima has 49 branches of the national library system. It also has 19 museums including the salt museum in the city of Armería. In the capital, Colima, are the Museo Regional de Historia (Museum of Regional History), the Museo de Artes Populares (Folk Art Museum), and the Museo de las Culturas de Occidente (Museum of Western Culture).
The Xolo is known to be a good companion, affectionate and loyal. Because of the lack of hair, the dogs seem to much warmer to the touch. They have played a role in Mexico's past and were highly regarded by ancient cultures. The Aztecs regarded the dog as having mystical healing abilities. The name, Xolotl, for the Aztec God of Lightening, was joined with "itzcuintli" to form the name Xoloitzcuintli. The dogs were frequently buried with their master. Statues of these dogs were also placed in tombs, thus born the Colima Dog statues. They are clay statues and they have been found in thousands of burial sites in Mexico. They have become highly collectible. The Aztecs actually ate the dogs too, believing the flesh itself had medicinal properties. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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