Islas Marías

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Disambiguation: You may be looking for Bleaker Island, also known "Isla María"

The Islas Marías ("Maria Islands"), sometimes also called the Tres Marías, are a group of offshore islands that belong to Mexico. They are located in the Pacific Ocean, some 100 km (60 miles) off the coast of the state of Nayarit, to which they are territorily assigned. As of 2006, the islands are still being used as a penal colony.

Isla María Madre, the northernmost island, is the largest, with a surface area of 140 km². It houses the Islas Marías Federal Prison which was established there in 1905. The other two islands are Isla María Magdalena (84 km²) and, further south, Isla María Cleofas (30 km²). They were named after three women called Mary in the Biblical New Testament: respectively, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the wife of Cleopas.

A smaller islet, Isla San Juanito, lies off the north coast of Isla María Madre.

The group was discovered by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, a cousin of Hernan Cortez in 1532, who gave them the name Islas Magdalenas.

In addition to prisoners, on Maria Madre island there are employees of diverse institutions of the federal government, such as the Secretariat of Public Education, the Secretariat of Environment, the Secretariat of Communications and Transport, post office, and the Secretariat of the Navy.

Another group of settlers is made up of religious ministers and acolytes of the Catholic Church, nuns of the Order of Social Service, and invited teachers, technicians and their relatives.

The colony is governed by a state official who is both the governor of the islands and chief judge.

The military command is independent of the government and is exercised by an officer of the Mexican Navy.