Laredo (Texas)

In 1755, Thomas Sanchez founded the new settlement of New Spain on the Rio Grande, naming it Villa de San Agustin de Laredo in honor of the blessed Augustine and the Cantabrian city ​​of Laredo . The original etymology of the Spanish Laredo has not been elucidated: it is elevated to both Latin and Basque sources.

On January 17, 1840, Laredo became the capital of the Republic of Rio Grande , founded by rebels against the regime of Antonio Santa Anna . At the same time, the territory of the rebellious republic itself remained the subject of a dispute between Mexico and the Republic of Texas . The constitutional assembly held in Laredo transferred the capital to Guerrero ; in March 1840, Mexican troops defeated the rebels under Morales, and in November of that year, the Republic of Rio Grande finally fell.

In 1846, at the beginning of the US-Mexican war, the city ​​was occupied by Texas rangers , and under the terms of the peace treaty of 1848, the entire left bank of the Rio Grande was transferred to the United States (the Republic of Texas became part of the United States in 1846). In 1852, Laredo received the charter of a Texas city.

So Laredo became the city ​​of seven flags . Six flags - the official symbol of Texas - the flags of the states that owned state lands ( Spain , France , Mexico, Republic of Texas, USA, Confederate States of America ). Seventh is the flag of the Republic of Rio Grande.

According to the US Census Bureau ^[3] , the population of Laredo was 231,470. According to the previous year, 2005 ^[4] , the proportion of women significantly exceeds the proportion of men (108 112 and 99 675, or 92 men per 100 women; among the population over 18 years old, 87 men per 100 women). 94.9% of the population consider themselves Hispanic or Latino (in the terminology adopted by American demographers ). At the same time, 86.6% of the population consider themselves to be the white race , 0.5% - to the black, 0.3% - to the native inhabitants of America.

Of the 56,247 households (families and single individuals), 33,832 live in their own homes, 22,415 - rent housing. On average, 3.69 people per household (excluding single individuals - 4.18 people per family). The median age of the population is 27 years.

The average household income is $ 32,577 a year; the average per capita income is $ 12,269 a year. 29% of residents live below the poverty line .

The business life of the city and its population is based on servicing the flow of goods between the United States and Mexico, moving in a free trade mode (see North American Free Trade Zone ). In the American territory there are numerous warehouses; in Mexico, in addition to them, there are cross-border industries using less expensive labor than the USA, the so-called maquiladors ( Spanish: maquiladoras ). In total, 32% of employees are employed in servicing international trade; in construction and mining industry - only 5%, in factory production - 2%. In 1996-2007, the number of jobs grew at a rate from 2.5% to 6.5% per year; unemployment during this period decreased from 10% to 4%.

Laredo and Nuevo Laredo are connected by five international bridges - one railway and four road. Of these, one is used exclusively by trucks, the second only by cars, the third by cars and small trucks, and only the Colombia-Solidarity bridge is open to all types of vehicles. Travel and even walking passage on these bridges are paid.

The level of retail prices and the choice of consumer goods on the American side of the Rio Grande is much better than in Mexico, so retail stores focused on visitors from Mexico are flourishing in Laredo ^[5] . The largest shopping center, Mall del Norte , has an area of ​​111,000 m²; In 2009, the commissioning of the second centennial center is planned.

In Laredo, one of the scenes of the film “ Suicide Club, or the Adventures of a titled person ” (better known as “The Adventures of Prince Florizel”; directed by Eugene Tatarsky , 1981) takes place.

• Republic of Rio Grande