Colima, Colima

The city of Colima is the capital and main city of the Mexican state and municipality of the same name.

History

It is one of the oldest cities in Mexico.

Following the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the Spanish conquistadors were quick to reach the west coast. Colima's native king (Spanish: Rey Colimán) organized the defense of his kingdom against the Spanish.

In 1523 the conquistador Gonzalo de Sandoval founded the first Villa de Colima in Caxitlán, near modern-day Tecomán. However, poor settlement conditions 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.

Disasters

An earthquake that took place on January 21, 2003, measuring 7.8 in magnitude caused extensive damage and claimed at least 24 lives in both Colima and neighboring Jalisco.

Demographics

In the 2005 census the city had a population of 123,597 people, and its municipality had a population of 132,273. The municipality encompasses an area of . The Colima metropolitan area, which includes the municipality of Villa de Álvarez, had a population of 232,394.

Climate

The mean annual temperature is . The annual precipitation is from 2.5–3.75 inches (64 to 95 mm), a majority of that being recorded from August to September.

Airport

The Lic. Miguel de la Madrid Airport (CLQ) is near the capital city, Colima, in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc. The Colima airport is 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) northeast of town on the highway to Guadalajara. Aeromar and Avolar both offer service to and from Colima.

References

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

External links

• Ayuntamiento de Colima Official website

• Diario de Colima
• Colima Majic
• Colima and the Area