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| Piedras Negras | |||
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  Piedras Negras
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Mexico |
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| State | Coahuila | ||
| Municipality | Piedras Negras | ||
| Founded | 15 June 1850 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Jesus Mario Flores Garza | ||
| Elevation | 250 m (820 ft) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - Total | 143,915 | ||
| - Demonym | Nigropetense | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| Postal code | 26000 | ||
| Area code(s) | 878 | ||
| Website: www.piedrasnegras.gob.mx | |||
Piedras Negras is the name of a city as well as the name of its surrounding municipality 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 2005 census the city Piedras Negras had a population of 142,011 people, which accounted for 98.6 percent of its municipality's total population of 143,915. The municipality's area is relatively small, but does include some outlying minor localities not located inside 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.
The city was founded in 1849. It was renamed Ciudad Porfirio Díaz in 1888, in homage to President Porfirio Díaz, but reverted to its original name following the Mexican Revolution.
In Spanish Piedras Negras translates to "black rocks" – a reference to the coal deposits that exist 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.
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History
On 15 June 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; and having given it the name of: Nueva Villa de Herrera. Later on it would be renamed Villa de Piedras Negras.
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 1 December 1888, it was granted the status of city; this time with the name of Ciudad Porfirio Díaz.
Geography
Demography
In the Northern Region of Coahuila there are 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 of 143,915 inhabitants; this is equal to 5.77% of the population of Coahuila. 17% of the population of Piedras Negras came from other states, 3% are foreigners, and the rest are native-born in Coahuila. Piedras Negras has a high population growth due in part by its status as a border city fueled by US bound exports from several factories and also by illegal immigrants who hope to cross the border. 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 counts with more than 200,000 habitants.
Climate
The climate of the region is semi-arid and Hot. During summer the temperatures often surpass 40°C. The hottest months are May through September with a daily average (mean) temperature between 79°F (26°C) and 88°F (31°C).
Highest precipitation months are May, June and September with an average monthly downfall in excess of 3.1 inches (80 mm) 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 1.2 inches (30 mm).
Natural Resources
This region generates a large amount of the national production of coal, one of the most important non-metallic minerals in the state in the economical context.
Education
The northern Region of Coahuila has several private schools based at Piedras Negras:
- Institutos Cumbres y Alpes Piedras Negras
- Colegio Maria Montessori Piedras Negras
- Instituto Salesiano Piedras Negras Don Bosco
- Colegio México
- Instituto Esperanza
- Instituto de las Américas Montessori-Bilingüe
- Instituto David Livingstone
As well as higher education schools:
- UAPN: Universidad Autónoma de Piedras Negras
- UAdeC: Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila
- UANE: Universidad Autónoma del Noreste
- UPN: Universidad Pedagógica Nacional
- ITPN: Instituto Tecnológico de Piedras Negras
- UTNC: Universidad Tecnológica del Norte de Coahuila
- Escuela Superior de Comunicación "Sebastían Lerdo de Tejada"
- Centro Universitario del Norte
Tourism
Piedras Negras' main tourist attractions are:
- The ruins of San Bernardo Mission (XVIII century)
- The Handicrafts Museum
- The Culture House
- The Hunting and Fishing Club
- De La Ventana Caverns
- Mercado Zaragoza, known simply as El Mercado ("the Market"), a folklore peasant market where one is able to buy a variety of original arts and crafts from the state: vases, leatherworked items, fine crystal, clay and ceramic wares, as well as candy made through traditional recipes found in the region.
- El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Built in 1859 of ashlar, cement and wood, this church has survived the battles of the Cristero movement in 1927 and an explosion in 1934, leading to its renovation in 1935. The construction of its current towers began in 1950.
- Plaza de las Culturas (Cultures' Plaza), a new park completed in 2005. The Plaza is a homage to Mexico's three main indigenous cultures: Aztec, Mayan, and Olmec. It features a replica of a pyramid representative of the style of each of the cultures, the biggest one being a replica of the Pyramid of the Sun, located in Teotihuacan, near Mexico City.
You can also visit the Macro Plaza which is made up by two same-sided plazas that contain sport areas, a kiosk and restaurants where you can eat food. in the independence day the ceremony uses to be there and the plaza is ornate and decorated with typical ornaments and people can put restaurants of typical food.
Trivia
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2007) |
- Piedras Negras is the birthplace of Hector Ruiz, the current Chairman and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD).
- It is locally known, and proven, that Piedras Negras is the birthplace of the nacho.
- Birthplace of Marylin Monroe's mother Gladys Pearl Monroe.
- It is also the hometown of Mexican novelist and criticist Rafael Acosta, author of Mosquitos buscando luz.
- It is also the home place of the ex-vocalist of the band ELEFANTE.
- birthplace of the priest Octaviano Elizondo L. C. first legionarie priest of Piedras Negras.
- It is also, the hometown of Oscar "Basi" Ortiz, founder of rock group CHICOTE, now soloist.
Local media
Newspapers:
Radio:
- EXA FM 105.5
- Di-94.5 FM
- K93 FM (Eagle Pass,TX.)
- La Rancherita del Aire XEMU 580AM
Television:
- Televisa Piedras Negras
- TV Azteca Piedras Negras
- Multimedios Television Piedras Negras
- RCG Piedras Negras
- Visión 10
- Channel of the International Bridges
Recent events
On 4 April 2004, the Río Escondido (a tributary of the Río Bravo) broke its banks and some 36 residents of the Piedras Negras area were killed or vanished after the resulting flash floods.[1]
In 2007, a tornado hit both Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass on April 24, killing three people in Piedras Negras and seven people in Eagle Pass. Several others were injured and homeless in both communities. See also Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Tornadoes
Sister cities
Piedras Negras has been assigned a sister city by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
This town was in the movie No Country For Old Men. also for the movie Como Agua para Chocolate
References
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
External links
