Colima, Colima

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Colima

Official Name	Colima
Country - State: - Municipality	Mexico Colima Colima
Population (2005)	123,597 city; 132,273 municipality hab
Altitude	305-550 msl
Coordinates - Latitude: - Longitude:	26° 50' N 21° 10' W
Foundation - Foundation:	June 24, 1596
Mayor	Leoncio Morán Sánchez
Political party	PAN
Time zone:	UTC -6
Demonym	Colimense
Postal code	28000
Area code	312
Website: www.colima.gob.mx

Colima is the name of a city and a state in Mexico. This article is about the city. For the state, see: state of Colima.

There is also the Colima Volcano.

The city of Colima is the capital and main city of the state of the same name. Colima is also the name of the municipality of which the city of Colima is municipal seat.

1 History
- 1.1 Disasters
2 Demographics
3 Climate
4 Airport
5 Trivia
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

It is one of the oldest cities in Mexico, after Veracruz, Veracruz, and Mexico City.

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. [1]

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. [2] The new location provided a better climate, lands better suited to cultivation, and proximity to mining.

[edit] Disasters

A January 2003 earthquake measuring 7.8 in magnitude caused extensive damage and claimed at least 24 lives in both Colima and neighboring Jalisco state.

[edit] 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 668.2 km² (257.99 sq mi).

[edit] Climate

The mean annual temperature is 25°C. The annual precipitation is from 63.7 to 94.9 mm, a majority of that being recorded from August to September.

[edit] Airport

Miguel de la Madrid Airport - Colima

The 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. Mexicana, Avolar, Aero California and Aerolitoral all offer service.

[edit] Trivia

The momument to El Rey Colimán was sculpted by Juan F Olaguibel [3] and erected in 1955 in the southern part of the city. [4]
The city is widely known as the City of the Palms. [5]