Torreón
Torreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2009, the city's population was 1,000,723 with 1,000,477 in the municipality. [citation needed] The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango, was 1,910,000. [citation needed] 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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Geography
"El Torreón".Torreón is near the southwest border of the state of Coahuila, within the Laguna region of the state (25°33′N 103°28′W / 25.55°N 103.467°W). 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 two nearby, and now dry lagoons, the Lagoon of Mayran 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.
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)
Music Academies
Sports
Torreón has a soccer team in the Primera División de México, Santos Laguna. The team last Championship was in 2008 of the Mexican Primera Division, the top soccer division in Mexico. The team won championships in 1996, 2001, and most recently in June 2008 when it beat Cruz Azul in the Clausura 2008 tournament to get its third Championship in team history. Its most notable players throughout the years have been: Prolific, and world renowned head striker Jared Borgetti (all-time leading scorer for Mexico), Mauro Camoranesi (World Champion in 2006 with Italy), Rodrigo Ruiz, and prolific Mexican National team goalie Oswaldo Sanchez. The team was near a demotion to a lower league in June 2007 and now in only one year has come to the top of Mexican Soccer. The team is deemed as one of the most exciting to follow and are expected to move into a new Stadium in the near future to meet demands of the fan base. It Currently plays in Estadio Corona, and the new stadium will be called Territorio Santos Modelo.
It also has 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 Torreon native.
Important 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.
Landmarks
Cristo de las Noas, at 21.80 m (71.5 ft), is the third tallest statue of christ in Latin America, only smaller to 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 symbolizes the Catholic faith and the iron will of the Torreonenses. The hilltop has a Catholic church and offers a view of the entire city.[1]
Notes
- ^ "Cristo de las Noas". http://www.torreon.gob.mx/english/the_city/turism/museos/cerrodelasnoas_english.php. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
References
- 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
External links
| Mexico portal |
- 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
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Categories: Populated places in Coahuila | Populated places established in 1893
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