No. 8: Colima is the state portrait from 1922 prepared by the Mexico Dirección de Estudios Geográficos y Climatológicos under the Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento, designed to accompany the Atlas Geografico de la Republica Mexicana of 1919–1921. It is a study in disciplined clarity: relief shading breathes dimension into the Sierra and coastal plain, isolines contour the land with mathematical regularity, and coastal soundings calibrate the Pacific approaches. Roads and railroads course across the sheet in contrasting color, linking settlements whose names march in an assured, legible hand. A dignified cartouche concentrates the essential particulars and anchors the composition, while cleanly drawn borders delineate the state’s extent. The atlas’s broader decorative language—inflected with Mayan motifs—infuses the work with a cultural cadence equal to its scientific poise.

The map emerged from a rigorously collaborative program, where engineers and draughtsmen treated geography as both data and design. Ing. Sotero Prieto and Ing. Luciano López Sorcini brought method, measurement, and pedagogical influence to the enterprise, ensuring elevation curves, hydrology, and infrastructure cohere as an intelligible whole. Zincographers such as Antonio Hernández translated that vision to the printing stone with knife-edge precision, preserving the fine gradations of relief and the crisp hierarchy of labels and symbols. In keeping with the series of thirty-two numbered sheets—each committed to relief and, where pertinent, geological overlays—Colima balances austerity and ornament: sparing color, firm linework, and an unwavering grid of control points that reflect early twentieth-century Mexico’s drive to bind territory, knowledge, and modernization.

Colima’s physical drama is mapped with quiet virtuosity. The volcanic massif—Nevado de Colima and its restless neighbor, the Volcán de Fuego—rises from the page where isolines tighten into concentric tension, their slopes feathered by shaded ravines. From these heights, rivers such as the Armería descend in braided courses toward the lowlands, irrigating a coastal plain that opens onto the Pacific. The littoral is rendered with a mariner’s intelligence: Manzanillo Bay is edged with soundings that grade the approach, while lagoonal waters near Cuyutlán and the long sweep of beach are drawn with laconic exactness. Between serrated uplands and tidal flats, the map captures Colima’s signature transitions—abrupt, fertile, and always conditioned by the proximity of fire, water, and sea.

Human geography is given crisp expression through a calibrated symbology that distinguishes capital, port, town, and village. Colima, the state capital, is plotted as the administrative keystone against the green foothills; Manzanillo commands the ocean gateway, its status signaled by rail and road convergences; Comala nestles close to the volcanic skirts; and Tecomán occupies the productive plain near the coast. The principal railway threads the interior to the harbor, the line’s deliberate geometry announcing the era’s engineering ambitions and the state’s outward orientation. Roadways arc through valleys and over passes to bind dispersed settlements into a functional network. Together, these traces suggest an early twentieth-century landscape in accelerated conversation—administration, commerce, and migration choreographed across altitude, river, and shore.

Borders are drawn with a surveyor’s restraint, situating Colima against Jalisco to the north and east, Michoacán to the southeast, and the Pacific along its western and southern horizons. Within this frame, the sheet accomplishes more than inventory: it stages the reciprocity of landform and livelihood that defined the region in the years after revolution, when cartography served nation-building and the planning of agriculture and public works. The atlas’s Mayan-inflected graphic idiom nods to a deep cultural time even as the content looks forward—an elegant synthesis of heritage and modernity. In No. 8: Colima, scientific cartography becomes a narrative of identity, giving collectors and scholars alike a lucid, resonant image of a small state with an outsized geographic character.

Cities and towns on this map

• Colima (Modern-day population around 137,000)
• Manzanillo (Modern-day population around 200,000)
• Comala (Modern-day population around 12,000)
• Tecomán (Modern-day population around 80,000)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Relief shading illustrating topographical variations
• Major roads and railroads marked in a contrasting color
• Labels for significant settlements and geographical features
• Isolines that depict elevation changes
• A cartouche indicating the title and other map details
• Borders delineating the map's extent

Historical and design context

• Map Title: No. 8: Colima
• Creation Year: 1922
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Mexico Dirección de Estudios Geográficos y Climatológicos, under the Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento
• Atlas Context: Designed to accompany the Atlas Geografico de la Republica Mexicana (1919–1921)
• Collection: Part of a series that includes thirty-two numbered maps, each featuring relief and geological overlays
• Artistic Context: The cover features decorative Mayan illustrations, enhancing the cultural significance of the map
• Notable Contributors: Ing. Sotero Prieto, Ing. Luciano Lopez Sorcini, and zincographers like Antonio Hernandez
• Cultural Significance: Reflects the intricate relationship between geography and culture in early 20th-century Mexico
• Design Style: Combines artistic elements with scientific mapping techniques, reflecting early cartographic practices
• Topography Representation: Utilizes isolines and soundings to convey depth and topographic understanding
• Map Features: Displays significant features such as roads, railroads, settlements, and major cities with color and relief shadings

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.