Durango (city)

The town was named by Francisco de Ibarra after his hometown Durango in the Spanish province of Biscay. The name Durango is of Basque origin. Ibarra also named the surrounding area Nuevo Vizcaya (New Biscay). The official name of the city became Victoria de Durango in 1826, in honor of Guadalupe Victoria, the first president of Mexico and native of the state. The first inhabitants of the area were a people called the Nahoas, nomads who came to the area from the north about 2,000 years ago. By the Post Classic period, the area became inhabited by the Zacatecans and the Tepehuanos, who migrated here from the north-west. officially founded as Villa de Durango by Francisco de Ibarra on 8 July 1563. The site was chosen because of its proximity to the Cerro de Mercado, thought at the time to contain reserves of silver, but instead was found to be an important source of iron. The mountain was named for Captain Ginés Vázquez de Mercado, who discovered the valley on his expeditions in the north. The site was also chosen because it was close to the Franciscan mission at Analco, which was a source of water, wood, and animals to hunt. The Jesuits were also missionaries here from 1596 until their expulsion from New Spain in 1767. They founded the Colegio de Guadiana, which was the main educational institution for northern Mexico during the colonial period. The city regained its role as the province's capital on 10 October 1738. More recent stars to work here include John Cusack, Kevin Costner, Salma Hayek, Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Brendan Fraser. Film production has diminished and the state has a director of cinematography to promote filmmaking. The main attraction for filmmakers is the variety of landscapes. In 2013, the city celebrated the 450th anniversary of its founding. ==Geography==

Victoria de Durango is located above sea level in the Valley of Guadiana, The climate is temperate in the western part of the city, with the average annual temperature being and an average annual rainfall of . In the eastern part, the average annual temperature is and precipitation amounts to . Winters are mild, with an average daytime high of in January. Precipitation is rare, with March being the driest month. Summers are warm to hot, with June being the hottest month, with an average high of and a low of . Most of the precipitation falls during the summer months, when the monsoon moves northwards, pushing moist air from the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico into the area, leading to many days with precipitation. Generally, this usually occurs around mid-June. Afternoon storms are common in the summer, and they can be accompanied by hail or thunder. July and August have warm temperatures, averaging though slightly cooler due to the presence of the rain. Humidity tends to be higher during the summer months, averaging 60% from June to September. March to April and October to November are transitional times with warm conditions during the day and cool or chilly conditions at night with occasional precipitation. On average, Durango receives of precipitation per year, with 59 days of measureable precipitation. The wettest month recorded was August 1973 with and the record rainfall for a single day is on 15 September 1994. The extreme temperatures are on 15 January 1951 and on 28 May 1980. ==The municipality==

The city of Durango is the local government for 481 other communities, spread out over an area of . The municipal government consists of a municipal president, a syndicate and seventeen representatives called regidores. It is divided into two regions, with mountain ranges in the west and valleys in the east. Most of the municipality is covered in forests. Wildlife includes deer, wildcats, coyotes, hares, rabbits and ducks. The climate is temperate. In the western mountains, the average annual temperature is with an average rainfall of . In the east, the average annual temperature is with precipitation of about . Most of the municipality's economy is dependent on agriculture, especially the eastern valleys. Water sources include the Tunal, La Sauceda, and Santiago Bayacora River on which there are several reservoirs: Guadalupe Victoria, the Pena de Aguila and the Santiago Bayacora, which also serve as recreational areas. There are also deposits of marble and onyx, along with various kinds of stone suitable for construction purposes. ==Landmarks==

The city is noted for its colonial architecture, including Baroque, attesting to its relatively early colonization by the Spanish. The historic center contains the largest concentration of historic monuments in northern Mexico. There are several historically important churches in the city. The Guadalupe Sanctuary is located northwest of the historic center. It was constructed between 1653 and 1658 by Bishop Barrientos Lomelín originally as a guest house. The State Government Palace is located in the former residence built by captain and miner Juan José Zambrano between 1790 and 1800. It acquired this function after the War of Independence. The original interior is Baroque, but it also contains more recent murals related to Mexico's Independence and the state's history, especially in the main stairwell. The Founders' Plaza (Plaza de los Fundadores) is located near the State Government Palace and next to the former Jesuit College. It marks the place where the city was officially founded, with a sculpted mural depicting the event. It also contains a Mirror Monument and a fountain where children play on hot days. It was originally built as part of the Zambrano residence as the owner's personal theater with the name of the Coliseo Theater. It inaugurated in 1800 with a play by Euripides. Later it was renamed the Main Theater (Teatro Principal). In 1908, it was bought by Jesús Ávila, who reconstructed it in 1909 adding ironwork, boxes and the four levels it now has. It gained its current name with the centennial of Mexico's independence. The theater was used as a cinema from 1926 to 1978, when the Mary Street Foundation donated it to the state with the aim of returning it to theatrical use. The City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad) was until recently the municipal government building. The structure was built in the 19th century, but contains many elements from the architecture of the previous century. It originally was called the Escárzaga Palace, the residence of mine owner Pedro Escárzaga Corral. The building is of lime and sandstone on the exterior walls with the interior paved with adobe and stone. The current tile floors are a recent addition. The roof is of reinforced concrete, which replaced the previous one made of packed earth and wood beams. Only the main terrace is left completely intact in its original condition. The building was a copy of a hotel in France. The building currently contains a mural of the city's history done by Francisco Montoya de la Cruz in 1954. From 1930 to 2008, it served as the municipal hall, when it was converted to its current museum status. The museum has a collection of movie posters, film scenes and equipment. The Ricardo Castro Theater was inaugurated on 27 March 1925, with the name of Theater in Construction. The building is in a French style with the facade stonework done by Benigno Montoya. The murals are by Octavo Rios. The Angel Zarraga Contemporary Art Museum was inaugurated in 1994 with a permanent collection of paintings and sculptures. It also gives workshops in various disciplines. The Durango Folk Culture Museum (Museo de las Culturas Populares de Durango) showcases the indigenous and non-indigenous ethnicities of the territory. It contains five halls, mostly dedicated to handcrafts and other implements used in farm and other forms of rural life, such as tools, textiles, basketry and pottery. It also contains temporary exhibits, especially of winners from the state's annual handcrafts competition. The Book Museum is an open space dedicated to the evolution of the book as part of the State Public Library. It also has a collection of other recording media including clay tablets, papyrus, and modern technology. The city has two museums geared toward young people. El Bebeleche is an interactive children's museum, with exhibits concentrated in science and technology. The Acertijo Museum is also an interactive museum with exhibits in science and culture. The main green area in the city is the Guadiana Park, which contains the Teatro del Pueblo. Guadiana Park contains sports facilities such as running and cycling tracks. It has fountains, the Auditorio del Pueblo and a mural by Manual Salas Ceniceros. Next to this park is the Sahuatoba Park and Zoo which contains a shell stage constructed in the 1980s. It contains a "miniature" version of the Baluarte suspension bridge, part of the highway that links the city with Mazatlan. The Paseo de Alamedas lines part of the southern edge of the city historic center, in part separating it from the Analco neighborhood. The park is lined with willows and poplars along with sculptures and areas for temporary exhibitions. The Analco neighborhood is one of the most traditional in the city. It is centered on its parish dedicated to John the Baptist and originally was a mission. The current building was constructed in the 18th century. The altar and towers were created by Benigno Montoya in 1908. The original bridge that connects the neighborhood with the Paseo de las Alamedas was constructed in 1795, but it was more recently reconstruction as a pedestrian walkway. The old train station is in French style built at the end of the 19th century. It appears in many movies that were shot here in the 20th century. The Hacienda de la Ferrería de Flores is about 8 km south of the city proper near the Cerro de la Ferrería mountain. The main house has been completely restored to what it was in the 19th century. It was an industrial hacienda dedicated to the production of iron. The site contains the most important archeological ruins in the state, with pyramidal structures and artifacts dating back over 2,000 years. It was built by a small agricultural society that lived off of corn, beans and squash, along with hunting and gathering. The Durango Cultural Complex (Conjunto Cultural Durango) was originally the Juana Villalobos Hospital. It was constructed in 1899, but by 1911 had become a military barracks then a prison. The cultural center is run by the state government. The La Familia pedestrian bridge crosses Felipe Pescador Boulevard, one of the busiest in the city due to the various malls and shopping centers in this area. The bridge is distinguished by a series of sculptures which mimic profiles of the human face. At night, various lights change the colors of these sculptures. The Plaza Hito or 450 Garden contains sculptures of stylized oak trees in white. At night, these are illuminated with colored lights which shine off the structures as well as the accompanying fountains. The Bicentennial Mural is a high relief sculpture depicting the history of the state in nine sections. It is part of the Bicentennial Convention and Cultural Center, all established to celebrate Mexico's 200 years of independence. The center was established on a complex of buildings dating from the 19th century. ==Culture and contemporary life==

The patron saint of the city is Saint George, whose feast day is 23 April, celebrated by offerings of flowers and candles. An image of the saint can be found in the cathedral. His veneration is one of the most important manifestations of popular religion in the area. He became the saint by declaration of Bishop Pedro Barrientos Lomelín to protect the population from threats such as scorpion stings. Like many parts of Mexico, the city has an annual Passion Play for Holy Week. The procession was reinstated as a public spectacle in the mid 20th century. The Durango National Fair is held each year for 15 days around 8 July to commemorate the city's founding. It begins with a parade of floats and horseback riders, and the selection of the fair queen. Activities include sporting and cultural events such as football, baseball, dance, food, plays, concerts, exhibitions, and showings of agricultural and industrial products in different parts of the city. The fairgrounds are located on the highway that connects the city with neighboring Mezquital. The Revueltas Festival is named after a family noted for their cultural contributions to the city. It is held at the Victoria Theater with events related to music, literature and dance. In December 2022, the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos, InDRE) confirmed Fusarium species in the cerebrospinal fluid of two cases. On 24 November 2022, the Secretariat of Health reported that several medications were put in preventive quarantine; on 30 November Fusarium solani had been detected in two patients, and by December 8, no Fusarium had been identified yet in any of the batches of the medications. Most affected patients were women (96%) between 25–29 years, who underwent gynecological-obstetric procedures. Four hospitals had been closed. By 6 February 2023, 79 meningitis cases, of which 35 were fatal, had occurred with new cases appearing "nearly every day". The next day, El Pais reported that contamination of four batches of bupivacaine used by an anesthesiologist were contaminated with Fusarium solani. Media The city has various local radio and television stations. Radio stations include Los 40 Principales Durango, La Tremenda, and Radio X. Television stations operating locally in Durango are XHDRG-TV, XHDI-TV, XHDB-TV, XHA-TV and XHND-TV. Retail markets The main market of the city is the eclectic Mercado de Abastos Francisco Villa located in the southern-central portion of the city which houses candy shops, Mesoamerican pottery, jewelry, haberdasheries, and it is the city's largest supplier of wholesale produce, dairy, and meats. Durango's main and first official shopping mall is Paseo Durango with anchor stores such as Liverpool and Suburbia as well as chain and independent eateries. Paseo Durango also includes a movie theatre and offers banking services and various recreational activities. The city of Durango also has numerous shops and boutiques that offer a variety products and goods. The city has stand-alone supermarkets from chains and independent grocers. ==Business==

According to the World Bank for doing business, Durango is ranked 7 out of 32 cities in Mexico at ease of doing business. The ranking is based on four different categories, starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registration of a property, and enforcing contracts. According to these categories, Durango is ranked 23 in starting a business, 5 in dealing with construction permits, 15 in registrations of property and 8 in enforcing contracts. Sports Popular sports in Durango are baseball, softball, football, and basketball. In football, the city has a Second Division team named Alacranes de Durango (Durango Scorpions), In basketball, the city is the home of the Durango Lumberjacks basketball team (in Spanish Leñadores de Durango) who play in the Auditorio del Pueblo Gym. They also have a minor league team named los Alacranes de Beisbol (English; Durango Baseball Scorpions), having a rivalry with the Dorados de Chihuahua, and a semi-professional softball team. In American football, there is a semi-professional team named Centuriones de Durango playing in the AFAS Master League and a college football team, the ITD Burros Blancos, playing in the northerner conference of the ONEFA. ==Demographics==

According to the 2014 census, there were 565,300 people in the city and 654,876 in the municipality. The ethnic composition of the city is 52% White, 44% Mestizo, 4% Arabs, and less than 1% Indigenous. The majority of Duranguenses, like many northern Mexicans, have European origins, with most of them being Criollos. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were small immigration waves to northern and central Mexico from Europe and the Middle East. Most immigrants to the city arrived from Spain (mainly from the Basque Country. There were also some waves from France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. There were also immigration waves during World War II from Eastern Europe, (mainly Russians and Poles) and from the Balkans (especially from Macedonia and Montenegro). Romanians and Ukrainians arrived during the 1990s and most of them reside in immigrant ghettos in the inner city. There are roughly 10,000 Plautdietsch-speaking Mennonites living in the municipality of Durango. Durango also has recent retiree communities from Australia, the United States, and South Africa. Many post-colonial Spanish immigrants were from Galicia (Galicians). The Galician language, cuisine and culture had a major presence in the city for most of the 20th century. In recent years, descendants of Galician immigrants have led a mini-boom in Celtic music. The Arab and Armenian communities have had a significant presence in commerce and civic life since the beginning of the 20th century. Asians represent smaller communities and number about 1–2% of the city's population; most of them are Japanese while smaller numbers are Chinese and Koreans, the latter known in the city for owning family-style supermarkets. Religion The majority of the city, like the rest of Mexico, is predominantly Roman Catholic. Protestants make up less than 10% of the population, most of them are Charismatics. There are also large numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses and Latter-Day Saints, Jews and Orthodox Christians represent smaller communities of about 1,000 each. Muslims in the state number about 5,000–7,000 with most of them living in Victoria de Durango. Durango is the centre of the diocese of Durango which was erected in 1620 and became an archdiocese in 1891. Originally it covered all of Northern Mexico and much of what is today in the United States. The current archbishop is José Antonio Fernández Hurtado. The estimated Catholic population is 1,124,237 or 93.3% of the population. ==Economy==

The city of Durango is the capital and economic center of a state that is mostly dependent on agriculture and livestock, with a high level of socioeconomic marginalization. It is by far the largest and most populated urban center in the state. There are highways connecting the city to Zacatecas (and into the center of the country), Torreón to the north, Nayarit to the south and a new major highway west to Mazatlán. General Guadalupe Victoria Airport receives both national and international flights: six per day from Mexico City, one per day from Guadalajara, Tijuana and Monterrey as well as flights from Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth (beginning in June 2019). The area contains sets built for this purpose including Calle Howard, Western Village and Rancho Calderón, all with reproductions of wood buildings like those found in the Old West of the United States. The city proper has provided backdrops of Old Mexico. Several old sets have been converted into theme parks, including Chupaderos, Villas de Oeste and La Joya, John Wayne's old ranch. There are several bus lines, including Omnibus de Mexico, Mexico Omnibus Plus, Tourists Luxury, Executive Senda AVE, North Transport, Transport North Premier, Futura, Transport Chihuahuenses, Mexico Interstate Bus (ELITE). Along with local lines, these are located at the city's bus terminal, General Domingo Arrieta. Within the city, taxicabs are available. Durango is one of the cities with the lowest taxi rates in the country. ==Education==

has a Durango campus. The municipality has adequate facilities to provide preschool, elementary, middle and upper secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education. The higher education institutions within the city are: • Universidad Politécnica de Durango • Universidad Tecnológica de Durango • Universidad Autónoma de Durango • Universidad TecMilenio (TecMilenio University Durango Campus) • Universidad España de Durango • Universidad Del Valle de Guadiana • Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango • Universidad José Vasconcelos • Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara • Instituto Universitario Anglo Español • Instituto Alejandría • Instituto Tecnológico Forestal • Instituto Tecnológico de Durango • Centro Pedagógico de Durango, A.C. • Centro Universitario Promedac • Escuela de Odontología • Escuela de Ciencias Químicas • Escuela Superior de Música • Facultad de Medicina • Facultad de Medicina, Veterinaria y Zootecnia • Facultad de Enfermería y Obstetricia • Facultad de Contaduría y Administración • Facultad de Derecho The city has numerous foreign and international educational institutions for the children of immigrants, including: • Alianza Francesa de Durango • Colegio Alemán Alexander von Humboldt • American School of Durango • Assured English Academy • Academia Griega de Durango - Ελληνική Ακαδημία • Liceo de Rusia - Русский лицей ==Transportation==

The city is served by Durango International Airport, with service on four commercial passenger airlines, including American Airlines to the United States. ==Notable people==

• Francisco Castillo Nájera • Dolores del Río • René Elizondo Jr. • Marlene Favela • Dolores Guerrero • Ricardo Moreno • Ramón Novarro • Andrea Palma (actress) • The Revueltas family: José Revueltas, Rosaura Revueltas, Silvestre Revueltas, Fermín Revueltas Sánchez • Angelica Salas • Guadalupe Victoria • Pancho Villa • Juan Bautista Ceballos, president of Mexico from January 6 to February 8,1853 ==Twin towns and sister cities==

Victoria de Durango is twinned with: • Durango, Spain • Durango, Colorado, United States • Franklin Park, United States • Ningbo, China • Sacaba, Bolivia • Vigo, Spain ==References==