Matamoros, Tamaulipas
City in Tamaulipas, Mexico / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas,[2] and the municipal seat of the homonymous municipality. It is on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, United States.[3] Matamoros is the second largest city in the state of Tamaulipas.[4] As of 2016, Matamoros had a population of 520,367.[5] In addition, the Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,387,985,[6] making it the 4th largest metropolitan area on the Mexico–US border.[7] Matamoros is the 39th largest city in Mexico and anchors the second largest metropolitan area in Tamaulipas.[8]
Matamoros | |
---|---|
City | |
Heroica Matamoros | |
Nickname(s): Siempre Heroica, Invicta y Leal | |
Coordinates: 25°52′47″N 97°30′15″W | |
Country | Mexico |
State | Tamaulipas |
Municipality | Matamoros Municipality |
Government | |
• Type | Municipality |
• Presidente Municipal | Mario Alberto López Hernández (MORENA) |
Elevation | 9 m (26.24 ft) |
Population (2016) | |
• City | 520,367[1] |
• Metro | 1,387,985 |
• Metro density | 4,431/km2 (11,480/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
ZIP Code | 87300 |
Area code | +52-868 |
Airport | General Servando Canales International Airport |
Website | matamoros.gob.mx |
The economy of the city is significantly based on its international trade with the United States through the USMCA agreement,[9] and it is home to one of the most promising industrial sectors in Mexico,[10] mainly due to the presence of maquiladoras.[11] In Matamoros, the automotive industry hosts the assembly and accessories plants for brands such as General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.[12][13] Prior to the growth of the maquiladoras in the 2000s, Matamoros' economy had historically been principally based on agriculture,[14] since northern Mexico's biggest irrigation zones are in the municipality.[15] PEMEX announced a multibillion-peso offshore drilling project for the port of Matamoros,[16] one of the future prospects for Mexico's oil industry.[17][18][19]
Matamoros is a major historical site, the site of several battles and events of the Mexican War of Independence,[20] the Mexican Revolution,[21] the Texas Revolution,[22] the Mexican–American War,[23] the American Civil War,[24] and the French Intervention[25] that allowed the city to earn its title of "Undefeated, Loyal, and Heroic".[26][27] The Mexican National Anthem was played for the first time in public at an opera house, the Teatro de la Reforma (sometimes known as The Opera Theater) in Matamoros.[28]
Matamoros has a semiarid climate, with mild winters and hot, humid summers.[29] Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas, are home to the Charro Days and Sombrero Festival, two-nation fiestas that commemorate the heritage of the U.S. and Mexico which are celebrated every February.[30][31]