Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán

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Lázaro Cárdenas is a port city and its surrounding municipality located in the southern part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. It was formerly known as Los Llanitos, but it changed its name to as a tribute to Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, a Michoacán-born politician who was president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.

The city is located at 17°57′00″N, 102°12′00″W, where the Río Balsas drains into the Pacific Ocean. In the 2005 census the city's population was 74,884. It is served by Lázaro Cárdenas Airport. The municipality, which has an area of 1,160.24 km² (447.97 sq mi), had a total population of 162,997 in 2005, and includes extensive territory outside the city of Lázaro Cárdenas, including the communities of Las Guacamayas, La Orilla, and La Mira.

[edit] History

Formerly known as Los Llanitos, it formed part of the municipality of Arteaga. In 1932 it was given town status and named "Melchor Ocampo". On April 12, 1937, during the governorship of José María Mendoza Prado, the state congress decreed the creation of the municipality of "Melchor Ocampo del Balsas". On November 17, 1970, the name of the municipality changed to Lázaro Cárdenas in honor of the revolutionary and President of Mexico that city has an island called " isla del cayacal" In 2006, steelworkers in a Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant went on strike causing numerous injuries and deaths.

[edit] Port

Lázaro Cárdenas is home to a deep water seaport which handles container, dry bulk, and liquid cargoes. The port handled 160,000 TEU in 2005 but is expanding to a capacity of 2.2 million TEU annually. Cargo is moved to and from the port by road and rail equally, with rail service provided exclusively by Kansas City Southern Railway. The port of Lázaro Cárdenas is expected to become a major container facility due to congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and close proximity to major cities Chicago, Kansas City, and Houston.