SAN PEDRO

in full San Pedro De Las Colonias, city, southwestern Coahuila estado (state), northeastern Mexico. It is located on one of the irrigation canals of the Nazas River, near the swampy Mayrn Lagoon. San Pedro lies 3,619 feet (1,103 m) above sea level and is located 35 miles (60 km) by highway north of Torren. In the vast surrounding farmlands, referred to as the Laguna District, cotton, cereals (especially wheat), grapes, fruits, and vegetables are cultivated. Industrial activities include cotton ginning, flour milling, vegetable-oil distilling, and tanning. Goods are exported by railroad and highway. Pop. (1980) 35,879. town, central Paraguay. It lies in the lowlands between the Jejui Guaz and Paraguay rivers. San Pedro was founded in 1786 and lies in a well-watered lowland of savanna and forest whose streams drain westward into the Paraguay River. It is the commercial and manufacturing centre for this area, which produces lumber, cattle, and oranges and is one of Paraguay's principal producers of mat (tea). Sawmills and plants for extracting fruit oil are located in the city itself. Most transportation in the region is by river, but roads connect San Pedro and other towns with Asuncin. Pop. (1985 est.) 3,569. main unit of the Port of Los Angeles (the other units are Wilmington and Terminal Island), southern California, U.S. The port is situated on the southeastern slopes of Palos Verdes Peninsula, overlooking Los Angeles Harbor (a section of San Pedro Bay) from the west. San Pedro's recorded history dates from 1542 when its open roadstead, bordered by mud flats, was traveled by the Spanish explorer Juan Rodrguez Cabrillo. Laid out in 1882 and incorporated as a city in 1888, San Pedro, despite its shallow waters, soon became a port. After it was annexed with adjacent Wilmington (originally New San Pedro) by Los Angeles in 1909, work began in earnest to deepen and transform its roadstead by dredging into one of the world's largest man-made harbours. Breakwaters were extended, terminals built, and modern port facilities now handle much of the harbour commerce. Along its waterfront are shipyards, dry docks, fish canneries, and oil refineries. Fort MacArthur Military Reservation and Cabrillo Beach (with a notable marine museum) are on Point Fermin at the peninsula's southern tip.