Piedras Negras, Coahuila

Piedras Negras

Seal
Nickname(s): The Safe Border!
Piedras Negras
Coordinates: 28°42′00″N 100°31′23″W / 28.70000°N 100.52306°W / 28.70000; -100.52306Coordinates: 28°42′00″N 100°31′23″W / 28.70000°N 100.52306°W / 28.70000; -100.52306
Country Mexico
State Coahuila
Municipality Piedras Negras
Established June 15, 1850
Government
  Mayor

Jose Manuel Maldonado (PRI) 2010

Oscar López Elizondo(PRI) 2010–2013
Area
  City 914.2 km2 (353.0 sq mi)
Elevation 223 m (732 ft)
Population (2015)
  City 163,595
  Density 180/km2 (460/sq mi)
  Urban 163,595
  Metro 194,293
Demonym(s) Nigropetense
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
Postal code 26000
Area code(s) 878
Airport Piedras Negras Int. Airport
Website piedrasnegras.gob.mx

Piedras Negras (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpjeðɾas neɣɾas]) (Black stones) is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. It stands at the northeastern edge of Coahuila on the U.S.-Mexico border, across the Río Bravo (Rio Grande) from Eagle Pass in the U.S. state of Texas. In the 2012 census the city had a population of 163,595 people, which accounted for 91 percent of its municipality's total population of 163,595. The municipality's relatively small area includes some minor localities outside the city limits. The Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras area is connected by the Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras International Bridge, Camino Real International Bridge, and the Eagle Pass Union Pacific International Railroad Bridge.

Founded in 1849, the city was renamed Ciudad Porfirio Díaz in 1888, in homage to President Porfirio Díaz. It reverted to its original name following the Mexican Revolution.

In Spanish Piedras Negras translates to "black stones" – a reference to coal deposits in the area. Across the river, coal was formerly mined on the US side at Dolchburg, near Eagle Pass. This mine closed around 1905, after a fire. Mexico currently operates two large coal-fired power plants named "José López Portillo" and "Carbón 2" located 30 miles (48 km) south of Piedras Negras.

History

On June 15, 1850, a group of 34 men (commanded by Andrés Zapata, Gaspar Salazar and Antonio Ramírez) met with Colonel Juan Manuel Maldonado to give the news that they had created a pass point at Piedras Negras, to the right of the Rio Grande, south of Fort Duncan. They named it Nueva Villa de Herrera, but it later became Villa de Piedras Negras. In Otto Schober's "Breve historia de Piedras Negras," the local historian points out that the 34 men were repatriates (Mexican Americans) who arrived on June 15, 1850, in what was then called "Colonia Militar de Guerrero en Piedras Negras."[1]

In 1855, the town was looted by a small force of 130 Texans who had been organized by Texas slaveholders for a punitive expedition against a nearby border settlement of fugitive slaves and Indians. The force was led by a captain of the Texas Rangers, and had recently been "repelled by a superior force of Negroes, Indians, and Mexicans who were waiting in ambush" inside Mexico, but they then looted Piedras Negras on the journey back to Texas.[2]

Due to the discovery of huge deposits of coal at the region, in 1881 a railroad track was begun, finishing in 1883. With this construction, the regional economy flourished and on December 1, 1888, it was granted the status of city; this time with the name of Ciudad Porfirio Díaz. After the fall of Diaz in 1911, the city reverted to being Piedras Negras, Coahuila.

On April 24, 2007, an F4 tornado struck the city, killing three people there and seven in Eagle Pass, Texas.[3]

Geography

Demography

The Northern Region of Coahuila has approximately 300,000 inhabitants. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Data Processing (INEGI), in 2005 the population of the municipio of Piedras Negras was 143,915 inhabitants, equal to 5.77% of the population of Coahuila. 17% of the population of Piedras Negras came from other states, 3% were foreigners, and the rest were born in Coahuila. Piedras Negras has a high population growth due partly to its status as a border city fueled by U.S.-bound exports from several factories and also by persons who hope to cross the border into the United States. It is estimated that in a couple of years it will become the third most populated city of the state of Coahuila, surpassing Monclova. Nowadays Piedras Negras has more than 200,000 inhabitants.

Climate

The climate of the region is semi-arid and hot. During summer the temperatures often surpass 45 °C (113 °F). The hottest months are May through September with a daily average (mean) temperature between 26 °C (79 °F) and 31 °C (88 °F).

The high temperatures recorded in Piedras Negras have earned it recognition as one of the hottest cities in the country.[4]

Highest precipitation months are May, June and September with an average monthly downfall in excess of 80 millimetres (3.1 in) but that is highly sporadic lending to frequent drought conditions. The period of lowest precipitation is between December through March, with a monthly average of 30 millimetres (1.2 in).

Natural resources

Coal used in the thermoelectric physical

This region generates a large amount of the national production of coal, one of the most economically important non-metallic minerals in the state.

Piedras Negras in music, television, and film

Tourism

Church Our Lady of Guadalupe

Piedras Negras' main tourist attractions are:

Transportation

Commercial air service is available via Aeropuerto Internacional de Piedras Negras.

International Day of the Nacho

The International Day of the Nacho takes place every October 21. It was initiated in the 1990s in the United States and Mexico to commemorate the invention of nachos by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya in 1943 at El Moderno restaurant in the border town of Piedras Negras, Coahuila.[24]

Local media

Newspapers

Radio

Local television

Internet

Internet local news

Sports

Recent events

VIPs

Sister cities

Piedras Negras has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

References

  1. "Historia". Piedras Negras. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  2. Johnson, Nicholas (2014). Negroes and The Gun: the black tradition of arms. Amherst, New York: Prometheus. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-61614-839-3.
  3. Welch, William M. (April 26, 2007). "Border storms' death toll rises to 10 - USATODAY.com". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  4. "Piedras Negras, una de las ciudades más calientes del país". ZÓCALO SALTILLO. March 8, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  5. "Estado de Coahulia-Estacion: Piedras Negras (Obs)". Normales Climatologicas 1951–2010 (in Spanish). Servicio Meteorologico Nacional. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  6. "NORMALES CLIMATOLÓGICAS 1981–2000" (PDF) (in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  7. "Station 76243: Piedras Negras". Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration. Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  8. "Diócesis de Piedras Negras". Diocesispn.org. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  9. "Verbena popular por inauguración del Bosque Urbano "El Vergel"". Retrieved April 1, 2010.
  10. "Teatro Piedras Negras!!!". YouTube. August 10, 2009. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  11. "Entrega el Gobernador Humberto Moreira el Teatro de la Ciudad de Piedras Negras "Pepe Maldonado"". Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  12. "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  13. 1 2 "Inauguran Auditorio y Casa de las Artes de Piedras Negras". Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  14. "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  15. "Entrega Humberto Moreira "Gran Plaza" a Piedras Negras". Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  16. "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  17. "Asta Bandera Monumental de Piedras Negras es un símbolo de identidad nacional". Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  18. "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  19. "El Gobernador Humberto Moreira Valdés entregó la moderna Infoteca de Piedras Negras". Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  20. "Museo del Niño "El Chapulín" se construirá en Piedras Negras". Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  21. "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  22. "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  23. "Inauguran Paseo del Río de Piedras Negras". Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  24. http://www.nationalnachosday.com/
  25. 1 2 "PeriĂłdico ZĂłcalo – Noticias de Saltillo, Coahuila, MĂŠxico, Piedras Negras, Monclova, AcuĂąa, Videos, ZĂłcalo". Zocalo.com.mx. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  26. "eldiapn.com". eldiapn.com. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  27. "EXA". Exafm.com.mx. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  28. "superestelar1079.com". superestelar1079.com. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  29. "Coahuiltecamedios.com". Coahuiltecamedios.com. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  30. "La Rancherita del Aire, desde Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México". La-rancherita.com.mx. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  31. "Infonor – Diario Digital". Agencia.infonor.com.mx. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  32. ":: Coahuila en Línea ::". Coahuilaenlinea.com. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  33. "Portada". Territorio de Coahuila y Texas. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  34. "Global Hazards – 2004 | State of the Climate | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)". Ncdc.noaa.gov. May 16, 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  35. "More than 30 escape from Mexican prison on US border – World news – Americas | NBC News". MSNBC. September 17, 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-05.

Notes

  1. Station ID for Piedras Negras is 76220 Use this station ID to locate the sunshine duration

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Ciudad Porfirio Diaz.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/26/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.