Culiacán

**Culiacán** () is a ceety in northwastren Mexico, the caipital o the state o Sinaloa as well as the caipital o the municipality o Culiacán. Wi 675,773 indwallers in the ceety (census o 2010), an 858,638 in the municipality, it is the lairgest ceety in the state o Sinaloa. The municipality haes a tot aurie o .

The ceety is locatit in a valley at the confluence o the Tamazula an Humaya Rivers, whaur the twa meet tae form the Culiacán River, an is locatit 55 meters abuin sea level. It is locatit in the centre o the state wi amaist equal distance tae the ither urban centers o the state: Los Mochis tae the north, an Mazatlán tae the sooth.

## History

### Pre-colonial period

Maist fowk gree that the name *Culiacán* apparently comes frae the wird *colhuacan*, which can mean "palace o snakes", but tradeetionally the maist acceptit translation wad be "place o those who adore the creuk god Coltzin".
Afore the Spaniards arrivit frae Europe, this steid haed been a smaw Indie dounset syne 628 whan 
Amerindians haed first foondit it.

### Foundation
The ceety existin the day wis foondit in 1531 bi the Spainyie captain Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán an namit *San Miguel de Culiacán*. In the same decade, it wis the terminus o the lang jurney o Cabeza de Vaca an company amang natives. Splorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado set oot frae Culiacán tae splore what is nou the soothwastren Unitit States. Settlers frae Europe came tae Culiacán, an in the follaein hunderyears, Culiacán continued tae be a quiet toun. It wis anerly efter the federal govrenment biggit dams in the adjacent auries in the 1950s that agricultur explodit an the ceety began tae grow exponentially. Some o Mexico's lairgest agricultural conglomerates operate in the vast an growthie coastal plains.  The agro-industrial economy continues toaebe the single lairgest contributor tae the region's legal economy.  While the vast majority o technical an skilled labor is eddicatit locally, the ance-seasonal field labor puil nou experiences a yearly shortage o wirkers.  Internaitional patterns o migration nou draw laborers frae deep athin Mexico's sooth tae the northren mairch states an intae the Unitit States.

### Post Warld War II era

Beginnin in the late 1950s, Culiacán became the birthplace o a incipient unnerground economy based on illicit drogs exportit tae the Unitit States.  The completion o the Pan-American Heich-gate an the regional airport in the 1960s acceleratit the expansion o a wirkable distribution infrastructur for the enterprisin few faimilies that wad later come tae dominate the internaitional drog cairtels alang Mexico's Paceefic Northwast.

## Climate
Culiacán haes a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh), despite receivin a annual rainfaw o ower , due tae its het temperaturs an heich evaporation. Simmers are vera het an humid, shade temperaturs can reach  an heich humidy can produce heat indexes o , wi the risk o hivy rainfaw frae decayin tropical cyclones present an aw. Winters are hintle milder wi less humidity an a average heich o 27&nbsp;°C, wi ceul nichts. 

## Economy
Culiacán's economy is mainly agricultural an commerce, bein a tred centre for produce, meat an fish. Amang ither industries, Culiacán represents 32% o the state economy.

Thare are companies o naitional importance heidquairtered in Culiacán lik Coppel, Casa Ley, Homex, amang ithers.

The Sinaloa Cairtel, a drog-trokin an organisit creeme syndicate, is based in Culiacán.

## Demographics
The tot population o the ceety is 675,773. Immigration tae Culiacán comes frae aw pairts o the warld, but especially frae soothren Mexico, Japan, Cheenae, an Europe (Italy, Fraunce, Spain, Germany, Greece).

## Admeenistrative diveesions

Culiacán is dividit intae 27 sectors (*[[Sector (kintra subdiveesion)|sectores]]*), which are groups o several quairters (*[[Colonia (Mexico)|colonias]]*):

*Sector 1: **Riberas**
*Sector 2: **[[Dountoun Culiacán|Centro (Dountoun)]]**
*Sector 3: **Las Quintas**
*Sector 4: **Isla Musala**
*Sector 5: **[[Universitarios (Culiacán)|Universitarios]]**
*Sector 6: **[[Desarrollo Urbano Tres Ríos|Tres Ríos]]**
*Sector 7: **Patio de Maniobras**
*Sector 8: **Juntas de Humaya**
*Sector 9: **Río Culiacán**
*Sector 10: **Guadalupe**
*Sector 11: **Colinas de San Miguel**
*Sector 12: **Abastos**
*Sector 13: **El Barrio**
*Sector 14: **Los Angeles**

*Sector 15: **Mirador Tamazula**
*Sector 16: **Humaya**
*Sector 17: **La Conquista**
*Sector 18: **Bacurimi**
*Sector 19: **Villas del Río**
*Sector 20: **Bachigualato**
*Sector 21: **Diaz Ordaz**
*Sector 22: **Barrancos**
*Sector 23: **San Isidro**
*Sector 24: **Loma de Rodriguera**
*Sector 25: **La Higuerita**
*Sector 26: **Aguaruto**
*Sector 27: **La Costerita**

## Media
The newspaper *[[El Debate (Mexico)|El Debate]]* is published in Culiacán.

## Eddication

### Varsities
* Centro de Estudios de Unidad Superior (CEUS)
* Escuela Libre de Derecho de Sinaloa
* Instituto Tecnológico de Culiacán
* Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) - Campus Sinaloa
* Universidad Asia-Pacifico
* Universidad Autónoma de Durango-Campus Culiacán
* Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa
* Universidad Casa Blanca
* Universidad Católica de Culiacán
* Universidad Golfo de México - Campus Culiacán
* Universidad México Internacional
* Universidad de Occidente - Campus Culiacán
* Universidad de San Miguel (USM)
* Universidad TecMilenio - Campus Culiacán
* Universidad Tecnológica de Sinaloa
* Universidad Valle del Bravo - Campus Culiacán
* Universidad de Veracruz - Campus Culiacán

## Transportation

### Transit seestem

#### Urban transport
At present, Culiacán haes juist ower 68 urban transport routes, which serves approximately 1 million uisers. The Culiacán urban transport is operatit bi RedPlus.

#### Rail
The ceety haes a train station, operatit bi Ferromex, an it is uised anerly tae transport freicht. It is connectit tae sooth wi Mazatlán an at north wi Guaymas.

#### Bus station
Culiacán uisses the *Central Internacional de Autobuses "Millennium"* ("Millennium" Internaitional Buses Station) tae traivel athort aw Mexico (North, Centre an Sooth) an tae the Unitit States (Arizona an Californie). This replacit the auld bus terminal in the soothren ceety.

### Roads an expressweys
Tho thare are several heich speed roads, maist o the ceety's streets are rather narrae an traffec jams are common at rush oors.

#### Main roads
Culiacán haes several roads (avenues, boulevards, streets, etc.) but some o thir are the main quick connection tae anither pynts tae the ceety.

#### Brigs an tunnels
The ceety haes a tot o thirteen brigs: sax athort the Tamazula River, twa spannin the Humaya River an the langest ane wi ithers fower crossin Culiacán River. Efforts tae solve traffec problems hae been made but maist o the ceety streets an brigs are nou croudit an insufficient tae haundle regular an rush oors traffec; a fowerty km/h speed leemit in maist pairts o the ceety worsens the situation.

It wai recently published that thare are 300,000 caurs in Culiacán makkin the per caipita nummer o caurs ane o the heihest in the kintra considerin the 745,000 indwallers.

* **Musalá Brig** (Tamazula River)
* **Musalá-Universitaria Brig** (Tamazula River)
* **Benito Juárez Brig** (Tamazula River)
* **Morelos Brig** (Tamazula River)
* **Miguel Hidalgo Brig** (Tamazula River)
* **Juan de Dios Bátiz-Tres Ríos Brig** (Tamazula River)
* **Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez Brig** (Humaya River)
* **Rafael Buelna Brig** (Humaya River)
* **Jorge Almada Brig** (Culiacán River)
* **Black Rail Brig** (Culiacán River)
* **Rolando Arjona Amabilis-UDO** (Culiacán River)
* **USE-Valle Alto** (Culiacán River)
* **Libramiento Recursos** (Rosales Channel)
* **Eje Federalismo Brigs** (Rosales Channel)
* **Chavez Castro Brig** (Rosales Channel)
* **Emiliano Zapata Pass Brig** (Rosales Channel)

An aa, Culiacán haes brigs in streets conformin Heich Transit Seestems in places whaur is common the Rush Oor.
* **Zapata** (Blvd. Emiliano Zapata)
* **280-Aeropuerto** (Blvd. Aeropuerto)
* **Eje Aeropuerto** (Blvd. Aeropuerto-Emiliano Carranza street)
* **Mexico 15** (Plan Mar de Cortes-Mexican Federal Highway 15)
* **Primavera** (Plan Mar de Cortes-La Primavera)
* **Eje El Trébol** (Plan Mar de Cortes-Blvd. Jesús Kumate)
* **Eje Federalismo Tunnels** (Gabriel Leyva Solano/Francisco I. Madero-Federalismo)
* **UdO** (Blvd. Rolando Arjona-Blvd. Lola Beltrán) 
* **Gasolinera del Valle** (Blvd. Jesús Kumate-Blvd. Emiliano Zapata) 
* **Japac Country** (Blvd. Pedro Infante-Blvd. Rolando Arjona)

#### Heich-gates an freeweys
Culiacán is a rail junction an is locatit on the Panamerican Heich-gate that runs north tae the Unitit States an sooth tae Guadalajara an Mexico Ceety an the Benito Juárez Heich-gate or Maxipista, which is a toll road that runs parallel tae the toll-free Federal heich-gate. It is connectit tae north wi Los Mochis an tae sooth wi Mazatlán, Tepic an Guadalajara wi the Federal Heich-gate 15.
* **[[Mexican Federal Heich-gate 15]]** (North: Los Mochis/Sooth: Mazatlán)
* **Sanalona Free Heich-gate** (Sootheast: Sanalona (exit)/Cosalá)

Culiacán is linkit tae the satellite ceety o Navolato bi a excellent freewey that nou reaches Altata, in the Paceefic Ocean coast. Culiacán is linkit tae Tamazula de Victoria in Durango state an aw.
* **Freewey 15D** (Sooth: Mazatlán)
* **Freewey 280-30** (Wast: Navolato-Altata)
* **Freewey 3-225** (North: Melchor Ocampo-Guamuchil)
* **Freewey 5-325** (Sooth: Costa Rica-El Dorado)
* **Tamazula Interstate Freewey** (Northeast: Sanalona-Tamazula de Victoria)

### Airport
Culiacán is servit bi Culiacán Internaitional Airport , the maist important domestic gatewey in the state o Sinaloa, an the seicont on internaitional operations efter Mazatlán Internaitional Airport. It is locatit sooth o dountoun. It is the 10t Mexican Air Force base an aw.

## Entertainment

### Tourism

* Imala's het springs, which are aboot a 30 minute ride frae the ceety an close tae several dams an reservoirs whaur fishin lairge mooth bass is aw year roond.
* Altata beach locatit 30 minutes frae Culiacán, whaur thare haes been extensive development ower the last couple o years. It haes a "sister" beach cried Isla Cortés (Cortes Island) or Nuevo Altata (New Altata) whaur this project o traivel destination, haes begun wi some restaurants, an private auries. It is famous for its blue sea, white saund, modren restaurants an bars, nichtclubs, an heich sea waves.
* The Cathedral, a 19t-hunderyear kirk which began construction in the 1830s.
* Plazuela Alvaro Obregón, which wis the place for social gatherins in the 1800s.
* La Lomita or Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is the tawest kirk in Culiacán, situatit on a hill wi a view o the entire ceety.
* The Centro Cultural Genaro Estrada, kent bi the locals as "Difocur", encompasses a theater, movie theatre, a cafe an a group o museums specialisit in local cultur.  DIFOCUR is the hame o the Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de las Artes an aw.  The OSSLA performs a 42-week saison (September tae Juin) o symphony, pops, opera, ballet, an chamber muisic, an featurs muisickers frae mair nor fifteen different kintras, includin Mexico, the Unitit States, Ingland, Scotland, Canadae, Romanie, Argentinae, an ithers.  Wirkin unner the auspicies o the govrenment o Sinaloa, the OSSLA performs mony ootreach an eddicational programs aroond the state o Sinaloa an aw, as well as throuoot Mexico.
* Regional History Museum in the "Parque Constitución", a lairge airt museum dountoun an a nummer o smaw airt galleries awned bi several o the local varsities.
* Botanical Garden an Centro de Ciencias de Sinaloa, a science museum that haulds the fift lairgest meteorite on Yird.
* A basebaw stadium, the "Estadio Angel Flores" hame o Los Tomateros de Culiacán, a bigger fitbaa arena cried "Estadio Banorte" (Umwhile Estadio Carlos González) hame o Los Dorados de Sinaloa, Mexican fitbaa team, an several varsity stadiums.
* In Dountoun, the best preservit auld street is the "calle Rosales", atween Rosales square an the Cathedral.

### Attractions
* **[[Forum Mall (Mexico)|FORUM Culiacán Mall]]** - Lairgest maw in Culiacán. It affers stores lik Liverpool, Sears, Zara, C&A, Starbucks, Sanborns, Tous, Cinemex movie theater, MixUp, boutiques, kiosks, fuid aurie, an a HSBC.
* **Plaza Galerias San Miguel** - Seicont lairgest maw. It affers Sears, Citi Cinemas movie theatre, an mainly shae stores.
* **Plaza Cinépolis** - A modren plaza/little maw in wastren ceety, an it is the anerly place in Culiacán whaur onyane can fynd the Cinépolis movie theatre. It affers mony boutiques, some famous restaurants o the ceety, includin Sushi Factory an Italianni's, the Antártica Ice Rink an Royal Yak casino richt efter the pairkin aurie, an the schuil supplees store Office Depot.
* **Plaza Fiesta** - A plaza locatit on the centre. It offers Coppel, a Ley Plaza (Super Mercat), restaurants, little boutiques an shae stores.
* **Plaza La Campiña** - A plaza/little maw in eastren ceety, vera near the Culiacán river. It affers Pavi, Coppel, a Mega Plaza/Comercial Mexicana (Super Mercat), mony boutiques, jewelers, an saisonally a Go Karts track.
* **Movie theatres:** Cinépolis (1), Cinemex (2), & Citi Cinemas (2).
* **Gamblin an casinos:** Caliente (3), Royal Yak, Ermitage, Las Palmas (Nuevo León franchise), Lomas Play an Play City (2008).
* **Nichtclubs:** O'lydia's discothèque, Bilbao (closed temporally), Kuwa, Penthouse Klub
* **Antártica Ice Rink**
* **Pairks:**
** Ernesto Millán Escalante Pairk (previously kent as Culiacán '87): It haes mony puils, attractions, a airtificial loch, gardens, sports courts, the langest watter slide in northren Mexico, an open air Hellenic theatre, etc.
** Revolución Pairk
** Constitución Ceevic Centre: Culiacán's ceevic centre locatit in eastren ceety at the Malecón Viejo (Auld Watterfront), facin the Tamazula river. It haes the Culiacán Library, the Culiacán Zoo, the seicont Dancin Foontains in ceety whaur fowk go whan it is het, sports courts, a big run track an a Hellenic theater.
** Las Riveras Pairk (The Riversides Pairk): A pairk locatit aroond the Tamazula river, atween Forum Culiacán Complex, the Isla de Orabá pairk (Orab Island pairk) the Malecón Viejo (Auld Watterfront) an the Malecón Nuevo (New Watterfront). It haes anerly pedal boats an a Tyrolean athort the river. An aw, it haes a bike path, includin recreational gemmes. Here is celebratit Mither's Day, Faither's Day, Childer's Day an the Holy Week.
* **Watter pairks:** Splash Club! is ane o the lairgest watter pairks in the state o Sinaloa.
* **Nearbi touns an veelages:**
** La Primavera (The Spring) is a smaw an private urbanisit zone in the sooth o ceety. Conteens mony hooses, twa schuils, a little maw next tae a full o deuks channel, a sport club an a channels group connectit tae the biggest loch in Culiacán, whaur onyane can fish an go campin.
** El Conchal an ither smaw veelages wi a population o 500 or less are locatit 8 kilometres frae El Dorado.  Thare fowk live on fishin an tourism. Fowk chairge 350 pesos tae gie boat group tours.

### Sports
The ceety is hame tae twa profeesional league sport teams: basebaw wi the Tomateros de Culiacán frae the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, twa championships in Caribbean series in 1996 an 2002; an fitbaa wi Dorados de Sinaloa, who play at the Estadio Banorte (Estadio Carlos González). Deuk, doo an guiss huntin saison goes frae early November throu Mairch. Culiacán haulds a yearly internaitional marathon.

## References

## Freemit airtins
* H. Ayuntamiento de Culiacán  — Offeecial wabsteid
* Culiacán Travel Guide  - Offeecial wabsteid