Country Mexico Municipality Piedras Negras Elevation 223 m (732 ft) Population 150,178 (2010) Area code 878 | Established June 15, 1850 Demonym(s) Nigropetense Local time Friday 8:16 AM | |
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Weather 13°C, Wind E at 10 km/h, 68% Humidity University Technological Institute of Piedras Negras | ||
Piedras negras coahuila mexico turismo 2015 tourism
Piedras Negras ([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.
Contents
- Piedras negras coahuila mexico turismo 2015 tourism
- Map of Piedras Negras Coahuila Mexico
- History
- Demography
- Climate
- Natural resources
- Piedras Negras in music television and film
- Tourism
- Transportation
- International Day of the Nacho
- Bike Fest
- Newspapers
- Radio
- Local television
- Internet
- Internet local news
- Sports
- Recent events
- Sister cities
- References
Map of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico
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."
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
Bike Fest
For 12 years in a row, the Annual Bike Fest has attracted motorists from 41 different cities from the Mexico and the United States. Activities lasts for 2-3 days and includes concerts, food sales, acrobatic shows, a drive through town and a drawing with a brand new bike as the grand prize. The 2016 prize was a Harley Davidson Sportster. The 2016 Bike Fest brought a revenue of 1.5 MDP (million pesos), roughly $37,875.00 USD.
Newspapers
Radio
Local television
Internet
Internet local news
Sports
Recent events
Sister cities
Piedras Negras has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International: