Santa Catarina, Nuevo León
Encyclopedia
Santa Catarina is a city and municipality
in the state of Nuevo León
, Mexico
that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area
.
The city of Santa Catarina was not "founded" in a traditional manner; at the beginning, it was only a resting point for travelers between Monterrey
and Saltillo. The first recorded name was "Estancia de Santa Catarina" (Shelter of Santa Catarina).
During the French Invasion of Mexico in the second half of the 19th century, the president Benito Juárez
spent some days in Santa Catarina while traveling to Monterrey, and it was during this time that he elevated its status to Village
. The category of Village
was maintained until 1979 when the state government elevated its status to City
.
Cumbres of Monterrey, including the canyon
of La Huasteca is located within Santa Catarina.
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
in the state of Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area
Monterrey Metropolitan area
The Monterrey metropolitan area refers to the surrounding urban agglomeration of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Officially called Area Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Monterrey or AMM, the metropolitan area is the 3rd-largest such area in Mexico....
.
History
The name of this city comes from the Catholic Saint Catherine of Alexandria.The city of Santa Catarina was not "founded" in a traditional manner; at the beginning, it was only a resting point for travelers between Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and Saltillo. The first recorded name was "Estancia de Santa Catarina" (Shelter of Santa Catarina).
During the French Invasion of Mexico in the second half of the 19th century, the president Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
spent some days in Santa Catarina while traveling to Monterrey, and it was during this time that he elevated its status to Village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. The category of Village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
was maintained until 1979 when the state government elevated its status to City
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
.
Geography
Santa Catarina is located about 15 kilometers southwest of central Monterrey. As of the Mexican census of 2005, its population was 259,202 in the city and 259,896 in the municipality. The city and municipality both rank sixth in population in the state. The municipality has an area of 984.5 km² (380.12 sq mi) and includes numerous very small localities outside of the city itself.Natural Areas
Most of the National ParkNational park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
Cumbres of Monterrey, including the canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
of La Huasteca is located within Santa Catarina.
External links
- Municipio de Santa Catarina Official website
- Defensors of the huasteca website