Colima (state)

Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima
Capital	Colima
surface	5,191 km² (rank 28 )
population	650,555 (rank 31 )
Population density	105 inhabitants per km² (2010 census)
governor	José Ignacio Peralta Sánchez ( PRI ) (2016-2021)
Federal MPs	PT = 1 Morena = 1 (2 federal constituencies)
Senators	PT = 1 Morena = 1 PVEM = 1
ISO 3166-2	MX-COL
Postal abbreviation	Col.
Website	www.colima-estado.gob.mx

The Mexican state of Colima [ koˈlima ], officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( Spanish Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima ) is the third smallest state in Mexico with 650,555 inhabitants on an area of ​​5191 km² and is now the poorest in population. The most famous place is Manzanillo , the capital is Colima .

geography

location

Colima is located in southwest Mexico between the states of Michoacán and Jalisco . The state borders the Pacific in the south . The Revillagigedo Islands also belong to the state of Colima .

climate

Colima is characterized by a large number of different microclimates. Near the sea it is tropical and humid, the further you drive inland, the more moderate it becomes due to the altitude. The extinct volcano Nevado de Colima even carries snow due to its height. Central European vegetation can be found on the slopes of the active Volcán de Fuego .

Flora and fauna

Due to the many different microclimates, flora and fauna are also very heterogeneous. While the coastal mountains are covered with subtropical forest, a semi-desert is located on the border with the state of Jalisco in the rain shadow of the Sierra de Manantlán, a nature reserve. The plains near the coast are used intensively for agriculture and produce, among other things, coconuts, limes, papayas, mangos, chilli, sugar cane and corn. In the lagoons near Manzanillo, salt is extracted from the sea water. Colima is home to a large number of protected species of birds, reptiles and mammals, including the Mexican red-knee tarantula and the Sonoran tortoise . Also in Colima is the Nevado de Colima National Park , where pumas are spotted again and again.

history

Much speculation has been made about the origin of the name Colima. The latest research suggests that Colima comes from Nahuatl Acolman , which means “place where the water meanders” or “place the river crosses”. Colima belonged to the Chimalhuacán Confederation, which was hostile to the Purépecha and therefore maintained good relations with the Aztecs . During the colonial period, Colima was an important trading region due to its port. Colima has been a separate state since 1857.

politics

Parts of this article seem out of date as of 2015 .
Please help to research and insert the missing information .

As an agricultural state, the population of Colima traditionally leans towards the PRI . Since the election in 2012, six of the ten Presidentes Municipales belong to the PRI, three to the PAN and one to the PRD . The current governor of Colima, Mario Anguiano, is also a member of the PRI. He prevailed against the PAN candidate, then Senator Martha Sosa, in an extremely close election in 2009. His predecessor, Jesús Silverio Cavazos Ceballos , was shot dead on the street after leaving office. The governor of the state of Colima has executive power. He is elected directly by the citizens of Colima every six years; re-election is not possible. The legislature is the Congreso del Estado de Colima , which is made up of 25 members. The judiciary is held by the Colima Supreme Court.

structure

The state is divided into ten parishes, each named after the largest town.

INEGI no.	Municipio	Seat of the municipality	surface	Population (2010)
001	Armería	Armería	0.410.1 km²	028,695
002	Colima	Colima	0.748.4 km²	146.904
003	Comala	Comala	0.315.5 km²	020,888
004	Coquimatlán	Coquimatlán	0.528.6 km²	019,385
005	Cuauhtémoc	Cuauhtémoc	0.413.4 km²	027.102
006	Ixtlahuacan	Ixtlahuacan	0.367.1 km²	005,300
007	Manzanillo	Manzanillo	1,361.3 km²	161,420
008	Minatitlan	Minatitlan	0.416.1 km²	008,174
009	Tecoman	Tecoman	0.943.7 km²	112,726
010	Villa de Álvarez	Villa de Álvarez	0.288.7 km²	119,956

Economy and Infrastructure

economy

Because of its fertile volcanic soils, the state's area was ideal for agriculture. However, the port of Manzanillo has been shaping the state's economy for a decade. More containers are handled there than in any other port in Mexico, which means that logistics, transport and trading companies have settled there. Mining has also been of great importance to the economy for decades. The Peña Colorada mine near Minatitlán is one of the largest iron ore mines in Mexico and one of the largest employers in the state. Despite its declining importance, tourism continues to be an important source of income.

traffic

Due to its geographical location, the state of Colima can only be reached on a few roads. The borders of the state cross only eight roads, two of which are unpaved, five country roads (only two of which are of supraregional importance) and therefore only the highway to Guadalajara is a long-distance connection to the economic centers of Mexico. The highway crosses the state and ends in Manzanillo. There is a train connection for goods traffic from Colima to Manzanillo, on which mainly containers and bulk goods are transported to and from the port. The international airport in Manzanillo and the national airport in Colima with their connections to Mexico City are particularly important for passenger traffic . There are several daily bus connections between Manzanillo, Colima and Guadalajara.

education

Thanks to the University of Colima , the city has gained supraregional importance in recent years. The university is considered one of the best public universities in Mexico.

Culture

Excavation sites

At the La Campana archaeological site between Colima and Villa de Álvarez, the ruins of a prehistoric city were found, the construction of which dates back to 1500 BC. Goes back to BC. The clay objects produced there are found in large parts of the urban area and have not been fully archaeologically discovered. Since the discovery of a clay representation of dancing dogs, they have become the state's landmark.

Events

For almost 500 years, the Feria de Colima has been held every year in the first week of November - one of the largest and oldest popular festivals in Mexico. Every year in February the Petatera is built in Villa de Álvarez, a stadium made of wood and palm mats with a capacity of around 5000 people and where bullfights are held. In contrast to the surrounding areas in Jalisco, the bulls in Colima are traditionally not killed.

Sports

The Loros de Colima are a football team that plays in the Mexican second division. Their home games are played in the Estadio Olímpico at the University of Colima.

kitchen

The dishes of Colima are sometimes very different from those of the surrounding states. Tacos have only spread in Colima in the last few decades, while burritos are still almost unknown. The traditional cuisine of Colima includes tamales (corn dough with different types of meat inside, which are steam-cooked in the corn leaf), sopitos (minced meat, cabbage, onion and cheese on a toasted tortilla in a tomato sauce with spices), enchiladas dulces (different types of meat in a rolled up Tortilla garnished with a sweet sauce), pozole (cracked corn kernels overcooked into a soup) and atole (corn mixture boiled with sugar). All types of meat are used in many of Colima's dishes, including the hooves, brain, face and ears of pigs and cattle.

Web links

Commons : Colima  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikivoyage: Colima (State)  Travel Guide

• State website (Spanish)

Coordinates: 19 ° 6 ′  N , 103 ° 58 ′  W