COLIMA

colima, a city of mexico and capital of a state of the same name, 570 m. (direct) w. by s. of mexico city and about 36 m. inland from the pacific coast. pop. (1895) 18,977; (1900) 20,698. colima is picturesquely situated on the colima river, in a large fertile valley about 1650 ft. above the sea, and lies in the midst of fine mountain-scenery. about 30 m. to the north-east the volcano of colima, in the state of jalisco, rises to an elevation of 12,685 ft.; it is the most westerly of the active volcanoes of mexico. colima enjoys a moderately cool and healthy climate, especially in the dry season (november to june). the city is regularly laid out and is in great part well built, with good public buildings, several churches, a theatre, two hospitals, and a handsome market completed in 1905. tramways connect the central plaza with the railway station, cemetery, and the suburb of villa de alvarez, 21⁄2 m. distant, and an extension of 5 m. was projected in 1906 to comala. the local industries include two old-fashioned cotton mills, an ice plant, corn-grinding mill, and five cigarette factories. colima is the commercial centre for a large district, but trade has been greatly restricted by lack of transportation facilities. a railway connects with the port of manzanillo, and the mexican central railway serves colima itself. colima was founded in 1522 by gonzalo de sandoval. it has not played a very prominent part in mexican history because of its inaccessibility, and for the same reason has suffered less from revolutionary violence.