Colima (), located in west−central Mexico, is the capital of the state of the same name and the seat of the municipality of the same name. It is the easternmost and second-largest municipality of Colima, behind Manzanillo. It is located near the Colima volcano, which divides the state from Jalisco. The city of Colima is part of the which also includes Villa de Álvarez and other municipalities.
In 2011, FDI Intelligence, a subsidiary of the Financial Times of London, ranked Colima first in small cities and tenth in Latin America as a place to live. It was evaluated under six categories: economic potential, human resources, cost-benefit ratio, quality of life, infrastructure and favorable business environment. In 2022, however, Colima was ranked as the murder capital of the world with a homicide rate of 182 per 100,000.
Places
The historic center of the city is a square called Jardín Libertad (Liberty Garden). It consists of a kiosk in the center, brought from Belgium in 1891, surrounded by palms and leafy trees and bushes. It often hosts live music on weekends.
The best known hotel of the city is Hotel Ceballos, located just off the main square called Jardín Libertad behind a set of arches. The hotel was begun by the Ceballos family. Hotel Ceballos has an area under and in front of the arches for outdoor dining. On the side of the hotel, there is pedestrian street called Andador Constitución. It retains traditional businesses such as the Joven Don Manuelito ice cream shop, which has been there since 1944. On the street proper, one can see street musicians and artists offering to paint or draw landscapes and portraits. At the end of this street, there is a large handcrafts store funded by a government agency called DIF, which focuses on crafts from the state such as indigenous clothing and ceramic figures, especially those of the Mexican hairless dog also known as the Xoloizcuintle or simply Xolo. and covers an area of .
The city has radio stations, two broadcast television stations (channels 5 and 11), cable television services, and eight newspapers. The main highways that connect the municipality to the outside include Highway 4 to Manzanillo and Guadalajara and Highway 110 to Jiquilpan, Michoacán. Other modes of transportation include the Guadalajara-Colima-Manzanillo rail line, the Central Camionera and Central Suburbana de Autobuses bus stations and the regional airport Miguel de la Madrid Airport . The municipality has five traditional fixed markets, eight department stores, ten tianguis markets, one flea market and a very large number of small, independent retail stores. Despite being the capital, the city is not the state's main tourist attraction, eclipsed by Manzanillo and Comala, as it lacks major cultural and historical sites. It is one of the state's main commerce and distribution centers, with over two-thirds of the population employed in commerce and services within the city proper. The main economic activities in the city are commerce and services, including tourism. When Independence was achieved in 1821, what is now the state of Colima still belonged to the province of Guadalajara. However, there have been well run reforestation programs in the municipality.
|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990)
|date=December 2011
Government
Municipal presidents
{| class="wikitable"
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|Melesio Espinoza Larios
|1949-1951
|PRI 19px
|-
|Rodolfo Chávez Carrillo
|1952-1954
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Ricardo Guzmán Nava
|1955
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|J. Roberto Levy Rendón
|1956
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Jorge Morales Pico
|1956-1958
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Antonio Ramos Salido
|1959-1961
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Abel López Llerenas
|1962-1964
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Alfonso Rosales Santana
|1964
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Octavio Urzúa Quiroz
|1965-1967
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Leonel Ramírez García
|1968-1970
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|José Juárez Martínez
|1970
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Arturo Noriega Pizano
|1971-1973
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Arnoldo Vogel Carrillo
|1973
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Eduardo M. Herrera García
|1974-1977
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Roberto Pizano Saucedo
|1978-1980
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Carlos Salazar Preciado
|1980-1983
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Carlos Vázquez Oldenbourg
|1983-1985
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|José Luis Santana Rodríguez
|1986-1988
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Agustín Martel
|1988
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Carlos de la Madrid Virgen
|1989-1991
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
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|Jaime Morales Fernández
|1991
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
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|Jesús Orozco Alfaro
|1992-1994
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Oscar Luis Verduzco
|1994
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|Héctor Arturo Velasco Villa
|1995-1997
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
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|Carlos Vázquez Oldenbourg
|1998
|PRD 22px
|-
|Enrique Michel Ruiz
|2000-2003
|PAN 20px
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|Leoncio Alfonso Moran Sánchez
|2003-2006
|PAN 20px
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|Mario Anguiano Moreno
|2006-2009
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px
|-
|José Ignacio Peralta Sánchez
|2009-2012
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px PNA 18px
|-
|Federico Rangel Lozano
|2012-2015
|Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI 19px PNA 18px
|-
|Héctor Insúa García
|2015-2018
|PAN 20px
|-
|Leoncio Alfonso Morán Sánchez
|2019-2021
|MC 22px
|-
|Elia Margarita Moreno González
|2021-2024
|PAN 20px PRI 19px PRD 22px<br /> Coalition "It Goes for Colima"
|-
|Riult Rivera Gutiérrez
|2024-
|PAN 20px PRI 19px
|}
Gastronomy
Most of the traditional foods of the region of Colima are based out of corn, local fruits, pork and seafood found on the coasts near the region. Some of the most popular and representative dishes of Colima include: "Sopitos" (small deep fried tortillas topped with ground beef, shredded cabbage, onion, and cheese bathed in the juices where the meat has been cooked); "Sopes Gordos" which are medium-size, thick tortillas that are slightly pan fried, topped with refried beans and a variety meats which can include pork tenderloin, pork ribs, pork rinds or shredded chicken; "Tostadas" are larger tortillas that are thinned, deep fried and then topped with the same variety of meats as the "Sopes Gordos"; these two last dishes will also include shredded cabbage, onions, fresh tomatoes, a thin meat sauce, and shredded cheese as a garnishing.
A local variety of "Pozole" is also extremely popular as a lunch or dinner meal. Pozole in Colima is made with a variety of pork meats and is typically served dry (no broth), although you can easily also find the variety that will include broth.
Some other popular dishes include "Tatemado" -pork meat marinated in coconut vinegar and cooked with a thick, mild and very flavorful chilly sauce. "Pepena" - Cooked entrails from either cow or pork. "Coachala" -Ground corn, cooked with shredded chicken. The local varieties of "Tamales" such as "Pata de Mula", which literally translates to mule's feet -filled with spicy beans and covered in corn leaves or "tamales de elote" - Filled with sweet, tender corn; "Ceniza" - Similar to Pata de Mula, but less spicy, larger and less dry.
The neighboring town of Comala characterizes itself for its wide variety of milk products and local varieties of fresh or dry cheeses, as well as for the production of sweet breads and pastries.
Colima is also known for its wide variety of fresh seafood restaurants. Some of the traditional seafood dishes include "Ceviche" - Ground raw fish cooked in a marinade of lime juice, garnished with shredded carrots, chopped cilantro, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers and served on top of a deep fried tortilla. "Pescado a la talla" - A whole fish (typically red snapper) cut open and covered with a variety of chopped vegetables, and cooked wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled on top of hot coals.
There are three drinks that are very characteristics of the region: "Tejuino" - Thick, refreshing drink prepared with corn masa and molasses and it is served with a lot of ice, salt and lime. "Tuba" - A drink brought from the Philippines, is the sap from the coconut tree, which is traditionally extracted making cuts at the top of the palm tree right at the base where the coconuts grow, and it is usually topped with peanuts, almonds or freshly chopped fruits. "Bate" - This drink is made with chia seeds and it is served with molasses. "Ponche de Comala" - This is the only alcoholic drink that it is traditionally made in the region, and it is produced in the neighboring town of Comala; You can find different varieties of Ponche which can be water-based or milk-based. Water-based Ponche include pomegranate, prune, guayabilla, and the milk variety include flavors such as coffee, almonds, among others. To prepare Ponche, locally produced mezcal is used, which is locally known as "Tuxca".
The region is also known for its interesting variety of sweets based out of coconut which are known as "Cocadas" or "Alfajores". Sweets made out of tamarind, pineapple or guava as well as dehydrated plantain are also very popular.
Archaeology
There are two main archeological zones in the municipality called La Campana and El Chanal. La Campana is about fifteen minutes outside of the city and is distinguished by a mound in the shape of a bell, which gives it the name. The site covers an area of about fifty hectares with only one percent explored. The site is also known for a construction style which uses rounded river stones and numerous burials.
Colima is linked to Guadalajara by a four-lane toll highway (Highway 54D).
Two companies manage the public transport: SINTRA (Sistema Integral de Transporte S.A. de C.V.) and SOCACOVA (Sociedad Cooperativa de Autotransportes Colima-Villa de Álvarez S.C.L.). There is also a government-run taxi company.
There are also two bus terminals, Terminal de Transportes de Colima S.A., goes to major destinations across the state and the country, and a rural bus terminal that goes to the nearest towns.
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Colima is twinned with:
- Norman, United States, since 2009
Notable people
- Miguel de la Madrid (1934-2012), president of Mexico from 1982-1988
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
Notes
External links
- Ayuntamiento de Colima — official website.