Colima

Colima, city, Mexico

Colima, city (1990 pop. 106,967), capital of Colima state, SW Mexico. It is a marketing and processing center for the surrounding agricultural region. The city was founded in 1523 by the Spanish explorer Gonzalo de Sandoval.

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Colima, state, Mexico

Colima (kōlē`mä), state (1990 pop. 428,510), 2,010 sq mi (5,206 sq km), SW Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. The capital is Colima; the port is Manzanillo. The second smallest in population and one of the smallest in area of the Mexican states, Colima is wedged between Jalisco, which nearly surrounds it, and Michoacán. It includes the islands of Revillagigedo off the coast. Most of the state lies within the cool highlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The active Colima Volcano, or Volcano of Fire (12,533 ft/3,820 m high), and the neighboring peak, Nevado de Colima (14,235 ft/4,339 m high), are just across the border in Jalisco.

Sugarcane, bananas, and tropical fruits, as well as some of Mexico's finest coffee, are Colima's primary agricultural products. Colima is also one of Mexico's largest iron-producing states; the ore is processed at Lázaro Cárdenas. Economic development has been hindered by inadequate communications, although tourism is being developed along the coast.

Once part of the ancient Aztec kingdom of Colima, the region was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th cent. Wars between conservative and liberal forces during the 19th cent. brought much fighting to the state.

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Colima

State (pop., 2000: 542,627), western Mexico. Covering 2,004 sq mi (5,191 sq km), which includes the Revillagigedo Islands, its capital is Colima city. Situated along the Pacific coast, most of the small state lies in the narrow coastal plain, beyond which it rises into the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The soil is generally fertile and productive, but a lack of transportation has impeded development. Agriculture is the principal occupation; livestock raising is important in the highlands.

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Colima

City (pop., 2000: 119,639), capital of Colima state, Mexico. Located in west-central Mexico, it lies on the Colima River in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. Founded in 1522, it has played only a minor role in Mexican history because of its inaccessibility. Its industries centre on processing local agricultural products. It is the site of the University of Colima (1867).