Monterrey, Mexico

 

 

Information

 

Location Description: Monterrey IPA: [ˌmontɛˈrei] (Spanish: Monterrey (help·info)) is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León and a municipality of the same name. Also known as the "City of the Mountains" and "Sultana del Norte" (Sultan of the North), the city is a modern industrial and business center. It has a population of 1.1 million, but the metropolitan area has a total population of 3.8 million, making it the third most populated in the country. The metropolitan area has the highest GDP per capita of all metropolitan areas in Mexico [1] and is the second largest area after Greater Mexico City. The whole metropolitan area has been ranked as having the highest GDP per capita and is the most secure conurbation in Latin America in 2005[2] The city is named after the Countess of Monterrei (a city in Galicia, Spain) wife of the Viceroy of New Spain Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey.

Weather: Monterrey has a humid subtropical climate. Its weather, though reasonably pleasant in spring and autumn, is hot in the summer; the average high reaches 35 °C (95 °F) in August, with an average low of 23 °C (74 °F). Rainfall is scarce, but more prominent during May through September.

Area Attractions:

  •  Grutas de Garcia - an extensive (2 km?) cave system located northwest of Monterrey in the Villa de Garcia. A scenic "chair-lift" vehicle lifts visitors to the caves' entrance hundreds of feet above, on the hill slope.
  • The Cola de Caballo (Horse tail) waterfall, on the mountains near the towns of Santiago and El Cercado, about 35 km. (22 miles) south.
  • On the way to the Cola de Caballo waterfall (Carretera Nacional going to Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas), in Santiago, the Presa Rodrigo Gomez or "La Boca" ("La Boca" Dam) [39][40] lays nested between green hills.
  • On this area, before La Boca Dam, at Los Cavazos (25 km from Monterrey) there are many small, family-owned restaurants which serve Mexican and local food, produce, flowers, and candies at low prices; there are also stands of Mexican and local handcrafts and hand-made wooden and metal furniture. This area is a mercado by the road; traffic is heavy on summer Sundays.
  • The Carretera Nacional area south of Monterrey enjoys a relatively humid micro climate that allows the growth of lush, subtropical vegetation; this gives this area a garden-like atmosphere. Indeed, most of the city's plant nurseries (viveros) are located in this zone.

 

People Culture and Religion

 

The people of Mexico reflect the country's rich history. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century soon led to widespread intermarriage between Spaniards and native Indians. During the 19th century, the racial composition of the country began to change from one that featured distinct Spanish and indigenous populations, to one made up largely of mixed Spanish and Amerindian descent (mestizo). By the end of the 19th century, mestizos, who were discriminated against during three centuries of Spanish colonization, had become the largest population group in Mexico. Mestizos now account for about 60% of the population, Amerindians 29%, and Europeans the remainder.

The people of Mexico speak Spanish, and various regional Mayan, Nahuatl, and other indigenous languages.

In Mexico, 89% of the population is nominally Roman Catholic, with 6% Protestant and 5% other religions.
(www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/mxcia.htm, www.coastalrlty.com/market/, 8/1/02)

 

Government and Economy

Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. Today, the United Mexican States is a republic comprised of 31 states and one federal district. An elected president is the head of state, working with a legislature and Supreme Court.

Mexico has a free market economy increasingly dominated by the private sector. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. A strong export sector helped to cushion the economy's decline and led to recovery from 1996-2000.

Ongoing economic and social concerns include low wages and underemployment for a large segment of the population.
(www.lansingsc.org/sc-info.cfm?citycode=4, www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/mxcia.htm, 8/1/02)

Monterrey was ranked as the most secure city in Latin America [17] and Mexico in 2005, and one of the two most secure in 2006.

From 2003 to 2007, the city saw its share of drug violence related to turf battles between warring cartels.

There are two police departments guarding the city, the Police of the City of Monterrey (locally known as the Policía Regia),[18] dependant of the municipal government, and the State Public Safety.[19]. The Policía Regia protects the city's downtown and main areas, while the State Public Safety is in charge of the farthest areas.

 

Statistics

 Population: The municipality has a population of 1,138,335 inhabitants.[11] With 3,612,991 inhabitants,[12]the Monterrey metropolitan area is the third most populous city in Mexico. It is composed of the adjacent cities (municipalities) of: Apodaca, Escobedo, García, Guadalupe, Juárez, Salinas Victoria, San Nicolás de los Garza, San Pedro Garza García, Santa Catarina, and Santiago[13]

Monterrey is the second most important financial and manufacturing hub after Mexico City.

Poverty Rate: 27% in Mexico live below the poverty line (1998 est.).
(www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/mxcia.htm, 8/1/02)

Literacy Rate: 89.6% ages 15 and over can read and write.
(www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/mxcia.htm, 8/1/02)

Average Annual Income: $5,000 U.S.