Mazatlán

Mazatlán, city and seaport in western Mexico, in Sinaloa State on the Vigia Peninsula overlooking Olas Atlas Bay, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. A large tourist resort, it lies on the Pacific Railway and the west coast section of the Pan-American Highway, just south of the tropic of Cancer and near the entrance to the Gulf of California. Mazatlán is the largest Pacific port in Mexico. Minerals, fibres, timber, tobacco, hides, fish, fruit, and vegetables are exported, and the surrounding area grows tobacco, cotton, sugar cane, fruit, and vegetables. Industries include cotton ginning, sugar refining, tanning, textile milling, brewing, food freezing, tobacco processing, and the distilling of tequila. Hunting in the nearby mountains, game fishing, and bathing are the principal attractions of the area: the pre-Lenten carnival and the international fishing tournament in the late autumn are popular annual events here. Mazatlán was established in the early 19th century. Its industrial growth and the expansion of its port facilities owe much to Spanish colonial trade with the Philippines. Population (1990) 314,250.