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Acapulco, Mexico April 1998.
Near the center of the image, the international resort city of Acapulco and Acapulco Bay can be
seen in this north-northeast-looking view. With the city's fine natural harbor, considered one of
the best in Central America, Acapulco is a shipping point for the agricultural products of the
region including cotton, fruit, and tobacco. The Bay of Acapulco is surrounded by cliffs and
promontories and served as a base for the Colonial Spanish exploration of the Pacific. The port
also served as the chief port for Spanish trade with the Philippines from 1565 to 1815. To the
left or west of Acapulco, the Coyuca Lagoon is visible. Near the top left of the photo, smoke is
visible from fires burning in the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur. To the right or
southeast of Acapulco, the Tres Palos Lagoon is visible. On the corridor of land separating the
Tres Palos Lagoon from the Pacific Ocean, the runways of the General Juan N. Alvarez
International Airport are discernible. Acapulco has suffered frequent earthquake and hurricane
damage. A hurricane in the late summer of 1997 caused severe flood damage to the city and the
surrounding area due to excessive rains spawned by the storm.
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