Loreto, Baja California Sur

Loreto

Town

Coat of arms

Loreto

Coordinates: 26°00′46″N 111°20′36″W / 26.01278°N 111.34333°W

Country

Mexico

Founded

October 25, 1697 (Father Juan María de Salvatierra, S.J.)

Government

• Mayor

Arely Arce Peralta

Elevation

3 m (10 ft)

Population (2010)

• Town

14,724

• Urban

14,724

• Demonym

Loretano

Time zone

MST (UTC−7)

• Summer (DST)

MDT (UTC−6)

Postal code

23880

Area code(s)

613

Website

www.loreto.gob.mx

Loreto (or Conchó) is a city in and municipal seat of Loreto Municipality, located on the Gulf of California in eastern Baja California Sur state, Mexico.

The city of 14,724 people (2010 census) is located about 350 km (220 mi) north of La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur state.

Loreto was the first Spanish colonial settlement of the Viceroyalty of New Spain on the Baja California Peninsula.

The town was founded in 1697 by Jesuit missionaries, who found a steady spring of fresh water on this site, as the Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto. The Jesuits were expelled in 1767, and control of the Baja California missions was given to the Franciscans. In 1769, the Franciscans were ordered to turn over the Baja missions to the Dominican order and accompany the expedition of Gaspar de Portolà to establish new missions in the unexplored northern frontier that became Alta California. The expedition departed from Loreto on March 24, 1769.

The town served as the capital of the province of Las Californias from its founding until the capital was moved to Monterey on February 3, 1777. In 1768, the province had been split into Alta California (today's U.S. state of California) and Baja California. At first, the two provinces continued with a single governor. Later, the town became the headquarters for the Lieutenant Governor of California Viejo (the province of Baja California).

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Wikipedia