Torreón
Encyclopedia
Torreón (municipality)
Torreón is a one of the 38 municipalities of Coahuila, in north-eastern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Torreón. The municipality covers an area of 1947.7 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 577,477....
in the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila
Matamoros, Coahuila
Matamoros is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name located in the southwestern part of the state of Coahuila in Mexico...
, and Gómez Palacio
Gómez Palacio
Gómez Palacio is a city and its surrounding municipality in northeastern Durango, Mexico, located at 25°33′40″N 103°29′54"W adjacent to the border with the state of Coahuila...
and Lerdo
Lerdo
Ciudad Lerdo is a small city in the northeastern portion of the Mexican state of Durango. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name....
in adjacent Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, 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
Francisco Sarabia International Airport
Francisco Sarabia International Airport is an international airport located in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. It handles the national and international air traffic of the Comarca Lagunera, considering Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in the State of Durango.The management of this airport is the responsibility...
, a small airport with flights to several cities in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
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 LagunaComarca Lagunera
The Comarca Lagunera is the 9th largest metropolitan area in Mexico, and is located between two states, Coahuila and Durango.-Geography:The Comarca Lagunera is formed by 15 municipios; 5 in Coahuila The Comarca Lagunera is the 9th largest metropolitan area in Mexico, and is located between two...
region of the state. The border is delineated by the Nazas River that separates it from Gómez Palacio, Durango. The municipality covers 1947.7 km² (752 sq mi), including much of the rural area south of the city. Its elevation is over 1000 m (3,280.8 ft), which is low for the Mexican interior.
The cities of Torreón, Gómez Palacio, and Lerdo compose La Laguna (The Lagoon) or Comarca Lagunera
Comarca Lagunera
The Comarca Lagunera is the 9th largest metropolitan area in Mexico, and is located between two states, Coahuila and Durango.-Geography:The Comarca Lagunera is formed by 15 municipios; 5 in Coahuila The Comarca Lagunera is the 9th largest metropolitan area in Mexico, and is located between two...
, a basin within the Chihuahuan Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
, 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 aridhttp://weather.uk.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:MXCL0014&q=Torre%c3%b3n%2c+MEX+forecast:averagesm. Rainfall is scarce but more prominent in summer. Flora and fauna are those common to desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
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 NoasCristo de las Noas
El Cristo de las Noas, located on the Cerro de las Noas hill, in the Mexican city of Torreón, Coahuila, is a large sculpture by Vladimir Alvarado, portraying Jesus Christ...
, at 21.8 m (71.5 ft), is the third tallest statue of Christ in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, only smaller than the statue of Christ The Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer (statue)
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is tall, including its pedestal, and wide. It weighs 635 tonnes , and is located at the peak of the Corcovado...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Cristo de la Concordia
Cristo de la Concordia
Cristo de la Concordia is a statue of Jesus Christ located on San Pedro hill in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The statue is tall, on a pedestal of , bringing its total height to...
in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. 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 PeñolesPeñoles
Peñoles , based in Mexico City, Mexico, is a subsidiary company 100 percent Mexican and owned by the private Grupo Bal. Peñoles is the second largest Mexican mining company, the first Mexican producer of gold, zinc and lead and the world leader in silver production. Peñoles is a company with active...
, a Mexican mining group, and Motores John Deere
Deere & Company
Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
(Agricultural and Construction machinery engines) among others.
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 MéxicoPrimera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
, Santos Laguna
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
. 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
Primera División de México Clausura 2008
Primera División de México Clausura 2008 was a Mexican football tournament - the second of two tournaments held in the 2007/2008 season. It began January 18, 2008 and ran until June 1, 2008. Veracruz and Morelia inaugurated the season, with Morelia winning 1-0...
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
Estadio Corona
The Estadio Corona was one of the smallest football stadiums in Mexico having only capacity for 20,100 seats. It was located in the city of Torreón, Coahuila. This sport facility was used mostly for football games and was the home of the club Santos Laguna...
, but now plays in the Territorio Santos Modelo
Territorio Santos Modelo
The Territorio Santos Modelo is a sports complex with educational and entertainment elements being constructed in the Laguna Region of Mexico for the soccer club Santos Laguna...
.
The city is also home to a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team called Vaqueros Laguna
Vaqueros Laguna
The Vaqueros Laguna are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League.- History :The team was established in 1940 under the name Algodoneros de Unión Laguna. It did not take long for their first league pennant since in 1942 under the command of Martin Dihigo they won both the Zona Norte...
.
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 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
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season. The National Football Conference champion New York Giants won their first Super Bowl by defeating...
champion, Raul Allegre
Raul Allegre
Raul Enrique Allegre is a former football placekicker in the National Football League. In his career he kicked for the Baltimore Colts, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, and the New York Jets. Although he was not known for a having a strong leg, he was a clutch kicker for the Giants from...
, is a Torreón native.
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
ReynosaReynosa
Reynosa is a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from McAllen, Texas in the United States. As of 2010, the city of Reynosa counts with a population of 607,532...
, Mexico Hermosillo
Hermosillo
Hermosillo is a city and municipality located centrally in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the capital and main economic center for the state and region. It contains almost all of the state's manufacturing and has thirty percent of its population...
, Mexico Chihuahua
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
, Mexico São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, USA San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, USA El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, USA
External links
- Ayuntamiento de Torreón Official website
- www.torreon.com.mx Citizen website
- Torreon Touristic website Turistic website
- Economic Development Laguna de Coahuila Official website
- Google maps satellite photo of the city