Torreón
Torreón
| Torreón | |||
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| — Municipal seat — | |||
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| Nickname(s): La Perla de La Laguna | |||
 Torreón
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| Coordinates: 25°32′21.66″N 103°26′55.08″W / 25.53935°N 103.4486333°WCoordinates: 25°32′21.66″N 103°26′55.08″W / 25.53935°N 103.4486333°W | |||
| Country |  Mexico |
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| State | Coahuila | ||
| Municipality | Torreon | ||
| Established | September 25, 1893 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Eduardo Olmos Castro (PRI) (2010-2013) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| - Municipal seat | 608,836 | ||
| - Metro | 1,215,993 | ||
| Website | Official site | ||
Torreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango, was 1,215,993. It is the ninth-biggest metropolitan area in the country and is one of Mexico's most important economic and industrial centers. Torreón is served by Francisco Sarabia International Airport, a small airport with flights to several cities in Mexico and the United States.
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History
According to archaeological findings, the area of Torreón was populated around the 10th millennium BC.
The first Spanish mission arrived in 1566, led by Fr. Pedro Espinareda. However, the city developed only in the independent Mexican era, around a Torreón ("Big Tower") built to monitor Río Nazas's floods, in conjunction with the creation of a railroad connecting to the US border. The population grew from 200 in 1892 to 34,000 in 1910. Torreón received city status in 1907.
Geography
Torreón is situated near the southwest border of the state of Coahuila, within the Laguna region of the state. The border is delineated by the Nazas River that separates it from Gómez Palacio, Durango. The municipality covers 1,947.7 km2 (752.0 sq mi), including much of the rural area south of the city. Its elevation is over 1,000 m (3,280 ft), which is low for the Mexican interior.
The cities of Torreón, Gómez Palacio, and Lerdo compose La Laguna (The Lagoon) or Comarca Lagunera, a basin within the Chihuahuan Desert, which has much economic activity. The name of the region stems from three nearby, and now dry lagoons, the Lagoon of Mayran, the Lagoon of Tlahualilo and the Lagoon of Viesca.
The region's climate is arid[1]. Rainfall is scarce but more prominent in summer. Flora and fauna are those common to desert habitats.
The city is 56 km (35 mi) south of historic San Pedro de las Colonias, where some of the Mexican Revolution fighting occurred.
Main sights
Cristo de las Noas, at 21.80 m (71.5 ft), is the third tallest statue of Christ in Latin America, only smaller than the statue of Christ The Redeemer in Brazil and Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Situated on the top of a hill, this image of Jesus with extended arms symbolises protection for the inhabitants of Torreon. The hilltop has a Catholic church and offers a view of the entire city.
Economy
The area was originally a center for ranching. With irrigation the city became an important center for support for farming and processing of cotton. The city has industries in textiles, clothing and metals processing. It is close to facilities belonging to Peñoles, a Mexican mining group, and Motores John Deere (Agricultural and Construction machinery engines) among others.
Education
Universities
Torreón and the surrounding comarca are served by several public and private universities. Some of the most recognized institutions in the area are:
- Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, ITESM)
- TecMilenio University (Universidad TecMilenio, creada por el Tecnológico de Monterrey)
- Autonomous University of Coahuila (Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, or "UAdeC")
- Technological Institute of the "Laguna" (Instituto Tecnologico de la Laguna)
- Autonomous Agrarian University "Antonio Narro" Campus Laguna (Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna)
- Torreon Institute of Technology (Instituto Tecnologico de Torreon)
- La Salle University - Laguna (Universidad La Salle Laguna- ULSA Laguna)
- Iberoamerican University - Torreon Campus (Universidad Iberoamericana - Campus Laguna (UIA))
- Autonomous University of the "Laguna" (Universidad Autonoma de la Laguna)
- Autonomous University of the Northeast (Universidad Autonoma del Noreste (UANE))
- Mexico Valley University (Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM))
- Torreon Technological University (Universidad Tecnologica de Torreon)
Sports
Torreón has a soccer team in the Primera División de México, Santos Laguna. The team won championships in 1996 and 2001, and its last Championship in the Mexican Primera Division was in June 2008, when it beat Cruz Azul in the Clausura 2008 tournament. The team was near a demotion to a lower division in June 2007, but only one year later reached the top of Mexican soccer. The team has recently moved into a new stadium to meet the growing demands of the fan base. It used to play in Estadio Corona, but now plays in the Territorio Santos Modelo.
The city is also home to a baseball team called Vaqueros Laguna.
Torreón's professional basketball team, Los Algodoneros de Torreon, play in the Auditorio Municipal, which seats approximately 3,000 people. They are members of the LNBP (Liga Nacional de Balconcesto Profesional) which is considered to be the top basketball league in Mexico. On October 2, 2004, in a game played against Durango, Issac Gildea set the all-time scoring record in the LNBP for a single game with 61 points.
Former NFL placekicker and Super Bowl XXI champion, Raul Allegre, is a Torreón native.
Events
Cotton Fair
In September, takes place the traditional Cotton Fair, where you'll find cultural events, music, installation of mechanical games, mobile entertainment centers also of bullfighting in the old Plaza de Toros and the New Coliseum from Torreón.
On September 15, 2007, Torreón played their first 100 years as a city, for this purpose are carried out a series of cultural events during the period of September 15, 2006 to September 15, 2007, the exact day that the city turned 100 years for this event were the Governor of the State and the State Congress of Deputies to hold the event.
Laguna DrumFest
In the month of October, takes place the Laguna DrumFest, which includes some of the best drummers in Mexico and abroad. The first Laguna DrumFest took place in 2008 with the Teatro Nazas enclosure, with the participation of Javier Barrera (La 5a Estación), Giovanni Figueroa (Alejandro Fernández) and Absalom Ruiz (Absalom Music Center CEO). The Laguna DrumFest 2009 will be international and will be attended by Marco Minnemann, Johnny Rabb, Alex Gomez, Victor Loyo, Javier Barrera and others.
Twin towns
Notes
- ^ Travel Torreón. "Cristo de las Noas". http://www.traveltorreon.com/english/cristo-de-las-noas.php. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^[dead link]"Cristo de las Noas". Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070814040914/http://www.torreon.gob.mx/english/the_city/turism/museos/cerrodelasnoas_english.php. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
- Coahuila Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
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State of Coahuila