| The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000. |
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| Acapulco de Juárez |
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| Acapulco de Juárez, city (1990 pop. 515,374) and township, Guerrero state, S Mexico, on Mexico Highways 95 and 200; 16°50'N 99°54'W. A fashionable resort, it has lavish hotels and facilities for deep-sea fishing and skin diving. Alvarez Internatl. Airport is to the E. Its natural harbor, surrounded by cliffs and promontories, served as a base for Spaniards exploring the Pacific and later played a key role in trade with the Philippines. The city was founded in 1550, and its importance led the Spanish to construct (18th cent.) the Fort of San Diego to protect the harbor from piracy. Today commercial activity in Acapulco is dominated by tourism and related industries. Acapulco has suffered frequent earthquake and hurricane damage. |
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| | | The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. Copyright © 2000 Columbia University Press. |
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