Islas Marías

The Islas Marías ("Mary Islands") are an archipelago of four islands that belong to Mexico. They are located in the Pacific Ocean, some 100 km (62 mi) off the coast of the state of Nayarit and about 370 km (230 mi) southeast of the tip of Baja California.[1] They are part of the municipality (municipio) of San Blas, Nayarit. The islands were used as a penal colony until February 18th of 2019 when President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered the closure of its operation as Islas Marías Federal Prison.

This article is about the Mexican islands. For the Falkland island known as Isla María, see Bleaker Island. For the small islands of the coast of St. Lucia, see Maria Islands, St. Lucia. For the Czech card game known as Mariáš which is similar to a German game, see Sixty-Six (card game).

Islas Marías

Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	21°31′N 106°29′W
Archipelago	Islas Marías
Total islands	9
Major islands	María Madre, María Magdalena, María Cleofas and San Juanito
Area	244.970 km^2 (94.583 sq mi)
Highest elevation	616 m (2,021 ft)
Highest point	Punta Rocallosa
Administration
Mexico
State	Nayarit
Municipality	San Blas, Nayarit
Largest settlement	Puerto Balleto (pop. 602)
Demographics
Population	1,116 (2005)
Pop. density	7.68/km^2 (19.89/sq mi)

The first European to discover the islands was Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, a cousin of Hernán Cortés in 1532, who gave them the name Islas Magdalenas. He found no evidence of prior habitation by the Native Americans.

In 2010 the archipelago was designated the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.[2][3]

Geography

The islands have an aggregate area of 244.97 km². 1,116 people lived on Isla María Madre as of the census of 2005 along with around 8,000 prisoners. The other islands are uninhabited. The main settlement is Puerto Balleto, with a population of 602.

Isla María Madre is the largest of the islands, with a surface area of 145.28 km². It houses the Islas Marías Federal Prison, which was established there in 1905. The next two largest islands are Isla María Magdalena (70.44 km²) and, further south, Isla María Cleofas (19.82 km²). They were named after three women called Mary in the Biblical New Testament: respectively, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and are referred to as the Tres Marias. A smaller island, San Juanito, with an area of 9.1 km² lies off the north coast of Isla María Madre.

The islands are listed from north to south in the following table:

Island or Rock	Area km²	Height m	Location
San Juanito	9.105	.	21°44′48″N 106°40′41″W
Piedra El Morro	0.060	.	21°44′17″N 106°42′11″W
María Madre	145.282	616	21°36′57″N 106°34′42″W
Isla Don Boni	0.025	.	21°32′30″N 106°32′00″W
María Magdalena	70.440	457	21°27′44″N 106°25′48″W
María Cleofas	19.818	402	21°18′44″N 106°14′51″W
Piedra Blanca	0.172	.	21°19′01″N 106°17′09″W
Roca Blanca	0.034	.	21°17′44″N 106°16′07″W
unnamed rock	0.034	.	21°17′52″N 106°16′35″W
Islas Marías	244.970	616	21°32′N 106°28′W

Geology

Research supports the hypothesis that the Islas Marias are fragments of continental crust left over from the separation of the Baja California Peninsula from the mainland of Mexico. Rocks found on the islands correspond with rocks found around Cabo San Lucas, as well as Puerto Vallarta.[4]

Populated places

All populated places of the Islas Marías are on Isla María Madre. They are listed from north to south in the following table:

Populated Place	Population (Census 2005)	Location
Punta el Morro	-	21°41′45″N 106°39′19″W
Venustiano Carranza (Serradero, Aserradero)	-	21°40′45″N 106°36′45″W
Campamento Cica (Bugambilias)	190	21°40′15″N 106°37′45″W
Campamento Nayarit	51	21°39′00″N 106°32′20″W
Campamento Rehilete	71	21°38′44″N 106°32′29″W
Puerto Balleto (Isla María Madre)	602	21°37′58″N 106°32′21″W
Zacatal	-	21°37′44″N 106°35′26″W
Camarón	-	21°37′26″N 106°37′55″W
Campamento Hospital (Veinte de Noviembre)	53	21°37′34″N 106°31′55″W
Las Antenas	2	21°37′15″N 106°36′18″W
Campamento Morelos (José María Morelos)	98	21°36′04″N 106°30′47″W
Campamento San Juan Papelillo	18	21°35′30″N 106°36′26″W
Borbollón (Borbollones)	-	21°34′15″N 106°31′00″W
Campamento Laguna del Toro	31	21°34′08″N 106°32′37″W
Punta Halcones	-	21°32′45″N 106°32′30″W
Isla María Madre	1116	21°36′57″N 106°34′42″W

Each populated center features a different economic activity. The primary population center is Puerto Balleto, the location of the administrative offices and the primary centers of commerce and recreation. It is subdivided into four jefaturas:

1. Balleto, 21°38′02″N 106°32′21″W
2. Bellavista, 21°38′19″N 106°32′30″W
3. Unit Habitacional Miguel Hidalgo (UHMH), 21°38′13″N 106°32′26″W
4. Primero de Mayo, 21°38′20″N 106°32′23″W

In addition to prisoners, on Maria Madre island there are employees of diverse institutions of the federal government, such as the Secretariat of Public Education, the Secretariat of the Environment, the Secretariat of Communications and Transport, post office, and the Secretariat of the Navy. Another group of settlers is made up of religious ministers and acolytes of the Catholic Church, nuns of the Order of Social Service, and invited teachers, technicians and their relatives.

The colony is governed by a state official who is both the governor of the islands and chief judge. The military command is independent and is exercised by an officer of the Mexican Navy.

Weather

The mean temperature of island remain between 84 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year.[5] In April, May, and June sometimes temperatures cross the limit of thirty-five degrees Celsius. In December, January, and February the temperatures remain under twenty-five degrees. Sometimes the temperature may drop under twenty degrees Celsius. Most of the time weather remains dry but July, August, and September may receive rain up to 10mm. The average wind speed is between twelve and nineteen km/hour. The below chart shows the maximum and minimum temperature.

	Unit	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius	Celsius
Mean	Daily Max	29	29	31	32	34	34	32	31	31	31	31	29
Mean	Daily Min	13	14	15	17	19	22	24	24	24	22	18	15
	Month	Jan	Fab	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December

Hurricane Willa

Hurricane Willa passed through the Islas Marias on October 23, 2018. The National Hurricane Center reported at 9 AM MDT "Aircraft finds the core of Willa passing over Las Islas Marias Mexico".[6] A subsequent report from the NHC stated that "Life-threatening storm surge is occurring along the coasts of the Isla Marias'.[7] The NHC also reported that "An automated observing site on Las Islas Marias recently reported a sustained wind of 88 mph (142 km/h) with a gust to 112mph (180 km/h)".[8]

Lighthouse

There is a lighthouse located on a ridge above Puerto Balleto on Isla María Madre.[9] The height of tower is two hundred feet or sixty-two meters. The lighthouse main gallery is painted white while the tower of the lighthouse is colored in red and white.[9] The lighthouse is made of concrete and a large single story keeper house is also constructed with the lighthouse. The light house shines two white flashes every 10 seconds. The diameter of the light house is seven meters.[9]

Prison of Isla Maria

The Islas Marías Federal Prison was constructed in 1905.[10] One of its more notable prisoners was the Mexican progressive writer Jose Revueltas who wrote his first book Los Muros de Agua (The Walls of Water, publ.1941) while incarcerated there.

Mexico's newly-elected president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on February 18, 2019 that his administration will close the Islas Marías Federal Prison, replacing it with a new cultural center that will be named for Jose Revueltas.[11]

See also

• Tres Marias raccoon
• Tres Marias island mouse
• Tres Marías amazon parrot

Notes

1. "Marías Islands | archipelago, Mexico". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
2. "Designation of New Biosphere Reserves". UNESCO. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
3. "Islas María". UNESCO. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
4. "Islas Marias Archipelago, Mexico. A Missing Piece to Reconstruct the Paleoposition of Baja California", Valerie Pompa-Mera, et al, Researchgate, 2011
5. "Climate Puerto Balleto (Isla María Madre)". meteoblue. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
6. [National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Willa, Public Advisory 14, 9 AM MDT]
7. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Willa, Discussion 15, October 23, 2018, 3 PM MDT
8. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Willa, Advisory 15, October 23, 2018, 3 PM MDT
9. "Lighthouses of Mexico: Northwest Coast". www.ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
10. "Marías Islands | archipelago, Mexico". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
11. [San Francisco Chronicle, February 19, 2019, p.A-2]

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005, Nayarit INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Mexican islands with areas and coordinates
• map

External links

• Article from Mexico Desconocido
• Article from Ocean Dots at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 2010)