Copala , formerly known as San José de Copala , is a four-century-old silver-mining town in the Mexican state of Sinaloa . The town is in the municipality of Concordia .
41-625: Mazatlán ( Spanish pronunciation: [masaˈtlan] ) is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa . The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipio , known as the Mazatlán Municipality . It is located on the Pacific coast across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula . Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word for "place of deer". The city
82-581: A Filipino banker named Juan Nepomuceno Machado arrived and established commercial relations with vessels coming to Mazatlán from far off places such as Chile , Peru , the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific . By 1836, the city had a population of between 4,000 and 5,000. It subsequently became the largest port on the Mexican Pacific coast. In 1846 during the Mexican-American War , Mazatlán
123-552: A place abundant with something). Originally, the name Presidio of Mazatlán was used for what is now called Villa Unión. The port of Mazatlán served as a reference to arrive to Presidio by sea, and was called the Islands of Mazatlán. By decree of the Estado de Occidente , on September 11, 1828, Presidio of Mazatlán was renamed Villa of the Union. This freed the name Mazatlán (land of deer), and since
164-416: A renaissance of restoration and entrepreneurial endeavors. Once-fine homes that had fallen into literal ruin were restored to their former glory as family homes and boutique businesses. The city has assisted by upgrading infrastructure such as better water, sewer, and electrical services. Mazatlán experienced two total solar eclipses in relatively rapid succession on July 11, 1991 and April 8, 2024 , and it
205-544: The Gulf of California , from Mazatlán to La Paz, Baja California Sur . The municipality has a land area of 3,068.48 km (1,184.75 sq mi) and includes smaller outlying communities such as Villa Unión , La Noria, El Quelite , and El Habal. Mazatlán is served by General Rafael Buelna International Airport . Mazatlán etymologically comes from the Nahuatl language and means "Land of deer" (mazatl "deer" and tlan referring to
246-506: The Mayo River . In 1786, the intendant system was implemented due to the need to establish a provincial government. Arizpe Municipality was formed out of the territories of Sonora and Sinaloa. That year, the first mayor, Garrido Durán, established eleven subdelegations, eight of them in Sinaloa, with Mazatlán being within the subdelegation of Copala, which was later called San Sebastián. Among
287-559: The Pacifico Brewery on 14 March 1900. Mazatlán has a rich culture and art community; in addition to the Angela Peralta Theater , the city has many galleries, museums and buildings of historic value. With a population of 438,434 (city) and 489,987 (municipality) as of the 2010 census, Mazatlán is the second-largest city in the state. It is also a tourist destination, with its beaches lined with resort hotels. A car ferry crosses
328-545: The 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century, is Mazatlán's most famous native. German-born telenovela star Sabine Moussier , a stablemate of Herrera's—both have been under Televisa contract since the 1990s—also grew up in Mazatlán. Hollywood and Broadway actress Sara Ramirez is also a Mazatlán native. As the 21st century began, the Centro Histórico was rediscovered by newcomers and locals alike, spurring
369-574: The British warship Chanticleer on June 18, 1868, which at the time was blockading the port, its captain, William H. Bridge, threatened to bomb the city on November 22. During the California Gold Rush , fortune hunters from the United States' East Coast sailed from New York Harbor and other Atlantic ports to Mexican ports in the Gulf of Mexico . After landing, the aspiring miners travelled over land for weeks to Mazatlán, where they would embark from
410-567: The Cosalá, and Choix, which had been annexed to El Fuerte. It also amended the name of the district from Villa de la Unión to the port of Mazatlán. That same constitution also decreed the headquarters and council facility policies in each district. In 1861, the political headquarters were removed and turned into prefectures, and the same year the State Legislature adopted the Act on Municipalities. In 1868,
451-554: The Mazatlán lighthouse was considered to be the naturally highest in the world. Today, the 1000 watt bulb can be seen for 30 nautical miles (60 km). Near the lighthouse shore, famous "divers" (called this even by the Spanish-speaking inhabitants of Mazatlán) perform daring jumps off high rocks into the Pacific Ocean, for tips from onlooking tourists. On June 26, 1880, Jesus Ramirez, former general in command of 400 men, stormed
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#1732859198213492-472: The State. However, it wasn't until 1915 that the law was abolished by the political directorate, when it erected the first free communes. With the publication of the decree creating the municipality of Mazatlán in the official newspaper on April 8, 1915, independent life began in the region. The Constitution of 1917, culminating in the first constitutional governor, General Ramón F. Iturbe, born in Mazatlán, confirmed
533-618: The Valley of Mazatlán was divided into 25 Castellanos by an unknown person who did not stay there for long. In 1576, Don Hernando de Bazán, Governor and Captain General of Nueva Vizcaya, sent Captain Martín Hernández with his father, brothers, and soldiers to occupy the site of Mazatlán, granting them land and titles in return. The Captain's claims were ratified in the City of Durango in 1639, and endorsed in
574-442: The capital was transferred to Mazatlán. On July 22, 1867, the federal government passed a law that forbade state capitals from also acting as ports. As a result of this law, on September 20, 1873, the State Legislature decreed that Culiacán would be the state capital again. The Siglo XIX constitution of 1852 decreed a new internal division in Sinaloa, which reduced it to nine districts by removing San Ignacio, which had been annexed to
615-460: The central municipality, and The Milkweed to La Noria. Mazatlán's lighthouse (El Faro) began operating in mid-1879. The maritime signals were manufactured in Paris, France, containing a large oil lamp with mirrors, and a Fresnel lens to focus the light. Since the light was static, from a distance it was often mistaken for a star. By 1905, this lamp was converted to a revolving lamp. During that period,
656-486: The city of Mazatlán, ordered a biplane to drop a crude bomb of nails and dynamite wrapped in leather on the target of Neveria Hill adjacent to the downtown area of Mazatlán. The crude bomb landed off target on the city streets of Mazatlán, killing two citizens and wounding several others. Mazatlán is also the hometown of Pedro Infante , one of the most popular actors and singers of the Cinema of Mexico 's golden years. Mazatlán
697-521: The district had five municipalities in Mazatlán; one in the center and the other four in Villa Unión, Siqueiros, La Noria, and The Milkweed. On the morning of November 13, 1864, French Navy ships fired twelve cannon shots into the city, causing minor damage to several homes, but not causing any deaths. The attack stopped when the prefect of the city made known to the invaders that the Mexican Army had left
738-538: The eighteenth century. Charrería is practiced here, as is the Prehispanic game called Ulama. The main economic activities are: livestock, agriculture, farming and fruit growing. Mármol de Salcido: This town is 32 km from Mazatlán. It was an important cement and line production center. Its current economic activity is the production of chilies, fodder, and tomatoes; its coast has a large number of pristine beaches. List of states of Mexico The states are
779-640: The first decrees that the legislature enacted was that the addition of each of the eleven districts, and this union, corresponding to the Union Villa Mariano Balleza, be given the name of one of the leading insurgents, parish priest Dolores Hidalgo, on the night of September 15, 1810. In 1813, the Cadiz constitution came into effect. Article 310 of that constitution provided for the installation of local councils in towns that had more than 1,000 inhabitants. In 1814, Fernando VII repealed that constitution but it
820-896: The first-level administrative divisions of Mexico and are officially named the United Mexican States . There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City , as a separate entity that is not formally a state). States are further divided into municipalities . Mexico City is divided into boroughs , officially designated as demarcaciones territoriales or alcaldías , similar to other states' municipalities but with different administrative powers. Mexico's post agency, Correos de México , does not offer an official list of state name abbreviations, and as such, they are not included below. A list of Mexican states and several versions of their abbreviations can be found here . Notes: Copala, Sinaloa The area
861-523: The garrison of the square and appropriated Mazatlán. The city was subsequently bombed again by the Mexican warship the Democratic , which, during its attack, killed and wounded a high number of women and children. Of the 24 cannon shots fired, only three hit the army headquarters, and the rest landed on neighboring houses. Angela Peralta (1845–1883), a Mexican opera diva famed throughout the world, died of yellow fever in Mazatlán shortly after her arrival in
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#1732859198213902-532: The largest timeshare providers in Mexico, Grupo Vidanta , was founded in 1975 with the inauguration of Paraíso Mazatlán (Mazatlán Paradise). This time also saw the expansion of the Hotel Playa Mazatlán, and the construction of many others, a trend that continues to this day. Next to Infante, Lorena Herrera , one of the most famous actresses and singers in Mexico and Latin America during the final decades of
943-618: The port to arrive in San Francisco in another four to five weeks. When Félix Zuloaga Tacubaya proclaimed the Plan of Ignoring the Constitution of 1857, the garrison of the Plaza de Mazatlán did not remain outside this proclamation, and on January 1, 1858, the Plan of Mazatlán was proclaimed, which followed Zuloaga's Plan. The capital of Sinaloa, until the year 1853, had been Culiacán. However, that year,
984-708: The port was known as Islas de Mazatlán, the name was adopted. Indigenous groups were in the region of Mazatlán prior to the arrival of the Spanish. These groups included the Totorames, who lived from the south bank of the River Piaxtla to the Río de las Cañas, as well as the Xiximes , who lived in the mountains in the bordering state of Durango. According to the Codex Mendoza , the region
1025-522: The port. Legend has it that she sang one last aria from her hotel balcony overlooking the Plazuela Machado . Her memory is held dear by Mazatlecos to this day, and the restored Angela Peralta Theater by the Plazuela keeps her memory alive. The Cerveceria del Pacífico was founded in the city in 1900 by German immigrants . In 1912, the municipalities enacted law No.21 as a form of internal division of
1066-472: The same city in 1650. Nuño de Guzmán 's entry to Sinaloa in 1531, and the appointment of the conquered lands as provinces, prompted the internal territorial division of the State. Chametla was occupied by the Spanish, and listed the province extending from the Rio Cañas Elota to the boundary with the province of Culiacán. Both provinces belonged to the kingdom of New Galicia. In 1565, the town of Chametla
1107-526: The sixteen municipalities into which the state was divided, which would then be subdivided into receiverships and police precincts. The City of Mazatlán has the dubious distinction of being the second city in the world after Tripoli , Libya, to suffer aerial bombardment (although the local historical display at the plazuela claims that Mazatlán was the first). During the Mexican Revolution, General Venustiano Carranza (later president), intent on taking
1148-651: The square and the city was formally ceded to the French . The Mazatlán Times was a weekly published by the American A. D. Jones . The first issue appeared on May 12, 1863. The publisher boasted that his was the only weekly English-language newspaper, not only in Mazatlán and Sinaloa, but throughout Mexico. In 1873, according to the census of the State, the District of Mazatlán was reduced to three municipalities: Mazatlán, Villa Unión, and La Noria. Siqueiros had been annexed in 1870 to
1189-492: The square shape of the Rio Presidio at this point. It is the cradle of Don Cruz Lizarraga, founder of the international Banda El Recodo . Its economic activities are livestock, agriculture, fruit growing, tanning, and saddlery. El Quelite: A picturesque and attractive tourist town located 38 km northwest of Mazatlán. The El Quelite River passes through it. Its houses contain the Spanish classical influence predominant in
1230-414: The state of Sinaloa, promulgated on December 12, 1831, divided the territory into eleven districts with their respective parties, leaving the district town of La Union separated from Concord and San Ignacio. Until the early 19th century, Mazatlán was a collection of huts inhabited by indigenous people whose major occupation was fishing, according to Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars , a French explorer. In 1829,
1271-595: The states of Sonora and Sinaloa. In 1824, they got together to form the Western State. After the imposition of new internal divisions of five departments and municipalities divided into parties, Mazatlán was in the department of San Sebastian, which was formed with the parties of its name, San Ignacio and the Rosary, and it extended to the River of Reeds. In 1830, the Western State was divided into two states. The first constitution of
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1312-520: The territory within Sinaloa remained unchanged, until 1732, when the provinces of Sonora and Ostimuri were united, as were the provinces of Sinaloa, Culiacán, and Rosario, with San Felipe and Santiago being the principal cities. In 1749, Sinaloa was divided into five provinces with their mayors and lieutenancy: Maloya, with jurisdiction over Chametla, Rosario, and San José; Copala, with jurisdiction over San Ignacio, Piaxtla, and Mazatlán; Culiacán, with jurisdiction over Badiraguato, and Sinaloa, which bordered
1353-534: Was colonized in 1531 by the Conquistadors where many indigenous people lived. By the mid-19th century, a large group of immigrants arrived from Germany. Over time, Mazatlán developed into a commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines. It served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873. The German settlers also influenced the local music, banda , with some genres being an alteration of Bavarian folk music. The settlers established
1394-506: Was conquered under the reign of Tizoc and incorporated into the Aztec Empire . During the early years of the Spanish conquest in Sinaloa, the region currently occupied by the municipality of Mazatlán remained uninhabited. The nearest town was Chametla , which was occupied by the Spanish in 1531, and lent its name to the province, despite being abandoned shortly afterward. The city was colonized in 1531 by an army of Spaniards . In 1534,
1435-466: Was destroyed in 1616 by an uprising of Tepehuan Indians, but was rebuilt after the rebellion was quelled the following year. The economy of Copala is based on tourism, mining, and agriculture. Copala is located at 23°23′41″N 105°55′57″W / 23.39472°N 105.93250°W / 23.39472; -105.93250 , at an altitude of 610 m. The town is along Federal Highway 40 , approximately 50 km east of Mazatlán . This article about
1476-544: Was gradually diminished by ongoing Indian raids. That year, Captain Francisco de Ibarra recovered the territory south of the state, rebuilt Chametla, and founded the Villa de San Sebastián (known today as Concordia), and awarded the region to New Vizcaya. The provinces under his jurisdiction included the villages of San Sebastián, Charcas, Copala and Pánuco. During the last years of the seventeenth century and early eighteenth century,
1517-600: Was invaded and occupied by the U.S. military as part of the U.S. Pacific Coast campaign . In 1859, the port was blockaded by Captain Sidney Grenfell of the British steamship H.M.S. Amethyst. On November 13, 1864, the French Army and the Imperialist forces took possession of Mazatlán, until they were deported on November 13, 1866, by General Ramón Corona 's forces. After customs officials seized twenty-three ounces of gold from
1558-416: Was later reinstated in 1820, and the first municipalities in Sinaloa were founded. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Mazatlán was a native fishing village located north of Cerro de la Aduana. In 1821, it was declared the first port of Mazatlán on Mexico's Pacific coast. Jurisdictionally, Mazatlán remained dependent on the sub-delegation of San Sebastian, unaffected by the divisions between
1599-485: Was occupied and ruled by the indigenous peoples until 1564, when Francisco de Ibarra crossed the Sierra Madre Occidental from Durango and conquered the area for Spain . In 1565 prospectors discovered silver veins and the town of Copala was founded to serve the mines. The town was named after a mythical city of gold for which de Ibarra had unsuccessfully searched in northern Mexico. The town of Copala
1640-614: Was the first city in North America to experience the latter eclipse. The town of Mazatlán is organized territorially into nine syndicates: Mazatlán: Municipal capital, largest and most important tourist destination. Villa Union: Located 25 km from Mazatlán, second most important town of the municipality. It is said that the first settlers belonged to a Spanish family who arrived there in 1576. Among its economic activities are fishing, agriculture, livestock, fruit growing, aquaculture, and brick making. El Recodo: So-called for
1681-521: Was well regarded by film stars such as John Wayne , Gary Cooper , John Huston , and others of their generation as a sportfishing mecca. The hotels along Olas Altas flourished during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, supporting this vibrant trade. In the 1970s, tourism in Old Mazatlán declined as newer venues catering to Western tourists opened on the expanses of beach to the north of the city ("Zona Dorada"). As an example of Mazatlán's tourism expansion, one of