Difference between revisions of "Yucatán" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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|leader_name            =[[Ivonne Ortega Pacheco]] [[Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI]]
 
|leader_name            =[[Ivonne Ortega Pacheco]] [[Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI]]
 
|leader_title1          =  [[Chamber of Deputies of Mexico|Federal Deputies]]
 
|leader_title1          =  [[Chamber of Deputies of Mexico|Federal Deputies]]
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|leader_name1          =[[National Action Party (Mexico)|PAN]]: 4 <br> [[Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI]]: 1
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|leader_name1          =[[National Action Party (Mexico)|PAN]]: 4 <br/> [[Institutional Revolutionary Party|PRI]]: 1
 
|leader_title2          =[[Senate of Mexico|Federal&nbsp;Senators]]
 
|leader_title2          =[[Senate of Mexico|Federal&nbsp;Senators]]
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|leader_name2          = [[Beatriz Zavala Peniche]] (PAN)<br>[[Alfredo Rodríguez y Pacheco|Alfredo Rodríguez]] (PAN)<br>[[Cleominio Zoreda Novelo|Cleominio Zoreda]] (PRI)
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|leader_name2          = [[Beatriz Zavala Peniche]] (PAN)<br/>[[Alfredo Rodríguez y Pacheco|Alfredo Rodríguez]] (PAN)<br/>[[Cleominio Zoreda Novelo|Cleominio Zoreda]] (PRI)
 
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|unit_pref                = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired—>
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|area_footnotes          =</br> [[List of Mexican states by area|Ranked 20th]]
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|area_footnotes          =<br/> [[List of Mexican states by area|Ranked 20th]]
 
|area_total_km2          = 38402<!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion—>
 
|area_total_km2          = 38402<!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion—>
 
|area_land_km2            = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion—>
 
|area_land_km2            = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion—>
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|area_code              =
 
|area_code              =
 
|blank_name            =[[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2004)
 
|blank_name            =[[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2004)
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|blank_info            =0.7778 - <span style="color:#fc0">medium</span><br>[[List of Mexican states by HDI|Ranked 19th]]
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|blank_info            =0.7778 - <span style="color:#fc0">medium</span><br/>[[List of Mexican states by HDI|Ranked 19th]]
 
|blank1_name            =[[ISO 3166-2]]
 
|blank1_name            =[[ISO 3166-2]]
 
|blank1_info            =MX-YUC
 
|blank1_info            =MX-YUC
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==Geography==
 
==Geography==
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The State of Yucatán is located on the [[Yucatán Peninsula]]. It borders the states of [[Campeche]] to the southwest, [[Quintana Roo]] to the east and southeast, and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the north and west.
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The State of Yucatán is located on the [[Yucatán Peninsula]]. It borders the states of [[Campeche]] to the southwest, [[Quintana Roo]] to the east and southeast, and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the north and west.  
  
 
The state’s topography includes coastal [[wetlands]], semiarid hills and plains, and [[limestone]] lowlands dotted with cenotes (water-filled [[sinkhole]]s). Yucatán is relatively flat, with the exception of the [[Puuc]] hills, the large [[karst]]ic range of hills in the southern portion of the state. The Puuc hills extend into northern Campeche and western Quintana Roo.
 
The state’s topography includes coastal [[wetlands]], semiarid hills and plains, and [[limestone]] lowlands dotted with cenotes (water-filled [[sinkhole]]s). Yucatán is relatively flat, with the exception of the [[Puuc]] hills, the large [[karst]]ic range of hills in the southern portion of the state. The Puuc hills extend into northern Campeche and western Quintana Roo.
  
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Like much of the [[Caribbean]], the peninsula lies within the Atlantic Hurricane Belt, and with its almost uniformly flat terrain it is unsheltered from large storms coming from the east. Strong storms called nortes can quickly descend on the Yucatán Peninsula any time of year. Although these storms pummel the area with heavy [[rain]]s and high [[wind]]s, they tend to be short-lived, most often clearing after about an hour. The average percentage of days with rain per month ranges from a monthly low of 7 percent in April to a high of 25 percent in October. Breezes can have a cooling effect, [[humidity]] is generally high, particularly in the remaining [[rainforest]] areas.
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Like much of the [[Caribbean]], the peninsula lies within the Atlantic Hurricane Belt, and with its almost uniformly flat terrain it is unsheltered from large storms coming from the east. Strong storms called nortes can quickly descend on the Yucatán Peninsula any time of year. Although these storms pummel the area with heavy [[rain]]s and high [[wind]]s, they tend to be short-lived, most often clearing after about an hour. The average percentage of days with rain per month ranges from a monthly low of 7 percent in April to a high of 25 percent in October. Breezes can have a cooling effect, [[humidity]] is generally high, particularly in the remaining [[rainforest]] areas.
  
 
==Geology==
 
==Geology==
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According to the [[Alvarez hypothesis]], the Yucatán Peninsula was the site of an ancient [[asteroid]] impact which is likely to have caused the [[mass extinction]] at the [[Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event|end of the]] [[Cretaceous Period]]. The [[Chicxulub Crater]] is centered off the north coast of the modern town of [[Chicxulub, Yucatán|Chicxulub]]. The now-famous "Ring of Cenotes" (visible in [[NASA]] imagery) outlines one of the shock-waves from this impact event in the rock of ~65 millions years of age, which lies more than 1 km below the modern ground surface, with the rock above the impact strata all being younger in age. The mechanism by which this deeply buried impact crater is observed and defined is through mass spectrometers and digital radar imagers.
 
According to the [[Alvarez hypothesis]], the Yucatán Peninsula was the site of an ancient [[asteroid]] impact which is likely to have caused the [[mass extinction]] at the [[Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event|end of the]] [[Cretaceous Period]]. The [[Chicxulub Crater]] is centered off the north coast of the modern town of [[Chicxulub, Yucatán|Chicxulub]]. The now-famous "Ring of Cenotes" (visible in [[NASA]] imagery) outlines one of the shock-waves from this impact event in the rock of ~65 millions years of age, which lies more than 1 km below the modern ground surface, with the rock above the impact strata all being younger in age. The mechanism by which this deeply buried impact crater is observed and defined is through mass spectrometers and digital radar imagers.
  
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==HERE==
 
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
=== Pre-Columbian era ===
 
=== Pre-Columbian era ===
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{{main|Maya civilization}}
 
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{{further|[[Mesoamerican chronology]]}}
 
 
[[Image:El Castillo Stitch 2008 Edit 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[El Castillo, Chichen Itza]], a pre-Columbian Maya temple-pyramid]]
 
[[Image:El Castillo Stitch 2008 Edit 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[El Castillo, Chichen Itza]], a pre-Columbian Maya temple-pyramid]]
  
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Before the arrival of the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] in the area, Yucatán was the home of the [[Maya civilization]], and in particular the Yucatecan [[Maya people]]. [[archaeological site|Archaeological remains]] show ceremonial [[Mesoamerican architecture|architecture]] dating back some 3000 years; some [[Maya hieroglyphics|Maya hieroglyphic]] inscriptions found in the area date back to the Maya [[Mesoamerican chronology|Preclassic period]] (200 [[Before Christ|B.C.]]). Maya cities of Yucatán continued to flourish after the [[Geography of Mesoamerica#Maya Region|central and southern lowland]] [[Mesoamerican chronology|Classic period]] Maya cities collapsed ([[circa|c]]. [[Anno Domini|A.D.]] 900), including the [[Puuc]] flouresence during the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Terminal Classic]], the rise of [[Chichen Itza]] at roughly the same time, and the subsequent rise of other sites, such as [[Mayapan]], during the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Postclassic]]. Several sites continued to be occupied up to and beyond the [[Spanish conquest of Yucatán|16th century arrival of the Spanish]]. The ruins of well over a hundred Maya sites of varying sizes  can still be found on the peninsula, such as [[Chichen Itza]] and [[Uxmal]], though most sites have not been extensively investigated. Other important ancient Maya cities were built over by the Spanish, and their sites are still occupied today, such as [[Izamal]] (''Itsmal'' in Yucatecan Maya) and Mérida (''T'ho'' in Yucatecan Maya).
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Before the arrival of the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] in the area, Yucatán was the home of the [[Maya civilization]], and in particular the Yucatecan [[Maya people]]. [[archaeology|Archaeological remains]] show ceremonial [[Mesoamerica]]n [[architecture]] dating back some 3000 years; some Maya [[hieroglyphic]] inscriptions found in the area date back to the Maya [[Preclassic period]] (200 B.C.E..E.]]). Maya cities of Yucatán continued to flourish after the central and southern lowland Classic period Maya cities collapsed ([[circa|c]]. [[Anno Domini|A.D.]] 900), including the [[Puuc]] flouresence during the Terminal Classic, the rise of [[Chichen Itza]] at roughly the same time, and the subsequent rise of other sites, such as [[Mayapan]], during the Postclassic. Several sites continued to be occupied up to and beyond the [[Spanish conquest of Yucatán|16th century arrival of the Spanish]]. The ruins of well over a hundred Maya sites of varying sizes  can still be found on the peninsula, such as Chichen Itza and [[Uxmal]], though most sites have not been extensively investigated. Other important ancient Maya cities were built over by the Spanish, and their sites are still occupied today, such as [[Izamal]] (''Itsmal'' in Yucatecan Maya) and Mérida (''T'ho'' in Yucatecan Maya).
  
 
=== Arrival of the Spanish ===
 
=== Arrival of the Spanish ===
 
{{main|Spanish conquest of Yucatán}}
 
{{main|Spanish conquest of Yucatán}}
 
:''See also: [[Archdiocese of Yucatán]]''.
 
:''See also: [[Archdiocese of Yucatán]]''.
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According to [[Hernán Cortés]]' first letter (Cartas de relación) to the King of Spain, "Yucatan" represents a mis-naming of the land by his political antagonist [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar|Diego Velázquez]]. Cortés alleges that when Velazquez initially landed in Yucatan and asked about the name of the well-populated land, the indigenous people answered, "We don't understand your language."  This was supposedly rendered as Yucatan by the Spaniards, who were unfamiliar with the phonetics of Mayan. However, there was political antagonism between Cortés and Velázquez, and this story evidently represents an attempt to defame Velázquez. The actual source of the name "Yucatan" is the [[Nahuatl language|Nahuatl]] (Aztec) word ''Yokatlān'', "place of richness."
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According to [[Hernán Cortés]]' first letter (Cartas de relación) to the King of Spain, "Yucatan" represents a mis-naming of the land by his political antagonist [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar|Diego Velázquez]]. Cortés alleges that when Velazquez initially landed in Yucatan and asked about the name of the well-populated land, the indigenous people answered, "We don't understand your language."  This was supposedly rendered as Yucatan by the Spaniards, who were unfamiliar with the phonetics of Mayan. However, there was political antagonism between Cortés and Velázquez, and this story evidently represents an attempt to defame Velázquez. The actual source of the name "Yucatan" is the [[Nahuatl language|Nahuatl]] (Aztec) word ''Yokatlān'', "place of richness."
  
 
The conquest of the Maya city-states took decades of long fighting.  
 
The conquest of the Maya city-states took decades of long fighting.  
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African slaves brought by the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] also played a major role <!--how so? explain—> during Yucatan conquest, many of them declaring themselves free after a revolt led by [[Gaspar Yanga]] took place. A lot of the freed slaves settled in small towns called [[Palenque (village)|Palenques]] and declared themselves independent. They also interacted with the indigenous Maya mixing both cultures in to what is now know as [[Zambo]] or Afro-indigenous ancestry. {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
 
African slaves brought by the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] also played a major role <!--how so? explain—> during Yucatan conquest, many of them declaring themselves free after a revolt led by [[Gaspar Yanga]] took place. A lot of the freed slaves settled in small towns called [[Palenque (village)|Palenques]] and declared themselves independent. They also interacted with the indigenous Maya mixing both cultures in to what is now know as [[Zambo]] or Afro-indigenous ancestry. {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
  
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Three Spanish expeditions explored the coastal areas of Yucatan from 1517 to 1519, but no major effort was made to conquer the country until 1527 when the first expedition under [[Francisco de Montejo]] landed with Spanish crown authority to conquer and colonize Yucatán. While the chiefs of some states quickly pledged allegiance to the Spanish crown, others waged war against the Spanish. Montejo was forced to retreat from Yucatán in 1528. He came back with a large force in 1531, briefly established a capital at Chichén Itzá, but was again driven from the land in 1535. Montejo turned over his rights to his son, also named Francisco, who invaded Yucatán with a large force in 1540. In 1542 the younger Montejo set up his capital in the Maya city of T'ho, which he renamed [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]]. The lord (also known as Tutul Xiu in the [[Yucatec Maya language]]) of Mani converted to [[Roman Catholicism]] and became an ally, which greatly assisted in the conquest of the rest of the peninsula. When the Spanish and Xiu defeated an army of the combined forces of the states of eastern Yucatán in 1546, the conquest was officially complete.
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Three Spanish expeditions explored the coastal areas of Yucatan from 1517 to 1519, but no major effort was made to conquer the country until 1527 when the first expedition under [[Francisco de Montejo]] landed with Spanish crown authority to conquer and colonize Yucatán. While the chiefs of some states quickly pledged allegiance to the Spanish crown, others waged war against the Spanish. Montejo was forced to retreat from Yucatán in 1528. He came back with a large force in 1531, briefly established a capital at Chichén Itzá, but was again driven from the land in 1535. Montejo turned over his rights to his son, also named Francisco, who invaded Yucatán with a large force in 1540. In 1542 the younger Montejo set up his capital in the Maya city of T'ho, which he renamed [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]]. The lord (also known as Tutul Xiu in the [[Yucatec Maya language]]) of Mani converted to [[Roman Catholicism]] and became an ally, which greatly assisted in the conquest of the rest of the peninsula. When the Spanish and Xiu defeated an army of the combined forces of the states of eastern Yucatán in 1546, the conquest was officially complete.
  
 
As of 1564 Yucatan became a [[captaincy|captaincy general]] and from 1786 an [[Intendente|''intendencia'']], as a result of the [[Bourbon Reforms]] in the administration of the Indies.
 
As of 1564 Yucatan became a [[captaincy|captaincy general]] and from 1786 an [[Intendente|''intendencia'']], as a result of the [[Bourbon Reforms]] in the administration of the Indies.
  
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The Spaniards were granted land and natives to work it for their benefit. Priests and monks set to bringing the population into the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. The first [[bishop]] of Yucatán, [[Diego de Landa]], burned all the [[Maya codices|Maya books]] that could be located (saying "they contained nothing but the lies of the [[Devil]]") and suppressed any remnants of pagan beliefs with such vigour that he was for a time recalled to Spain to answer charges of improper harshness. The book he wrote (in the 1560s) in his defense, ''Relación de las cosas de Yucatán'' ("Relation of the Things of Yucatán"), is one of the single-most detailed accounts of Yucatán and of indigenous life from the time of the Conquest. Segments of this work would much later prove to be of instrumental value in the much-later [[decipherment]] of the pre-Columbian Maya [[writing system]].  
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The Spaniards were granted land and natives to work it for their benefit. Priests and monks set to bringing the population into the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. The first [[bishop]] of Yucatán, [[Diego de Landa]], burned all the [[Maya codices|Maya books]] that could be located (saying "they contained nothing but the lies of the [[Devil]]") and suppressed any remnants of pagan beliefs with such vigour that he was for a time recalled to Spain to answer charges of improper harshness. The book he wrote (in the 1560s) in his defense, ''Relación de las cosas de Yucatán'' ("Relation of the Things of Yucatán"), is one of the single-most detailed accounts of Yucatán and of indigenous life from the time of the Conquest. Segments of this work would much later prove to be of instrumental value in the much-later [[decipherment]] of the pre-Columbian Maya [[writing system]].  
  
 
While the Maya embraced [[Christianity]], many took it on as an addition to rather than a replacement of pre-Columbian beliefs, and some Christian Maya continue to offer prayers to the ancient agricultural deities in addition to the Christian God and saints.
 
While the Maya embraced [[Christianity]], many took it on as an addition to rather than a replacement of pre-Columbian beliefs, and some Christian Maya continue to offer prayers to the ancient agricultural deities in addition to the Christian God and saints.
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=== Independence and the turbulent 1840s ===
 
=== Independence and the turbulent 1840s ===
 
{{Main|Republic of Yucatán}}
 
{{Main|Republic of Yucatán}}
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In February 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain. On [[2 November]] of that year, Yucatán became part of independent Mexico. The State of Yucatán at that time included the territory of what is now the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo as well.  
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In February 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain. On 2 November of that year, Yucatán became part of independent Mexico. The State of Yucatán at that time included the territory of what is now the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo as well.  
  
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In 1835, a conservative unitary system of government was instituted in Mexico (a centralized dictatorship unconstitutionally brought forth and held by the then-President: Santa Anna). Yucatán became a department, and authority was imposed from the center. Discontent increased and an insurrection erupted in [[Tizimín]] in May 1838, advocating Yucatecan independence. In 1840, the local Congress approved a declaration of independence of Yucatán. At first, Governor [[Santiago Méndez]] blocked it, saying that Yucatán would again recognize the rule of the central government in Mexico City if the [[1824 Constitution of Mexico|Mexican Constitution of 1824]] were reinstated. [[Andrés Quintana Roo]], sent to Mérida in 1841 by President [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], succeeded in settling the differences and signed a treaty with the local government. [[Image:Republic of Yucatan flag.svg|right|thumb|150px|Flag of the Republic of Yucatán]] But when Santa Anna later ignored the provisions of this treaty, hostilities resumed, and Governor Méndez ordered all Mexican [[flag]]s removed from Yucatecan buildings and shipping in favor of the flag of the "sovereign nation of the Republic of Yucatán", two red and one white stripe, with a [[quincunx]] of stars in a green field. The Yucatecan Constitution was modeled in part on the 1824 Mexican Constitution and the Yucatán state constitution of 1825.  
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In 1835, a conservative unitary system of government was instituted in Mexico (a centralized dictatorship unconstitutionally brought forth and held by the then-President: Santa Anna). Yucatán became a department, and authority was imposed from the center. Discontent increased and an insurrection erupted in [[Tizimín]] in May 1838, advocating Yucatecan independence. In 1840, the local Congress approved a declaration of independence of Yucatán. At first, Governor [[Santiago Méndez]] blocked it, saying that Yucatán would again recognize the rule of the central government in Mexico City if the [[1824 Constitution of Mexico|Mexican Constitution of 1824]] were reinstated. [[Andrés Quintana Roo]], sent to Mérida in 1841 by President [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], succeeded in settling the differences and signed a treaty with the local government. [[Image:Republic of Yucatan flag.svg|right|thumb|150px|Flag of the Republic of Yucatán]] But when Santa Anna later ignored the provisions of this treaty, hostilities resumed, and Governor Méndez ordered all Mexican [[flag]]s removed from Yucatecan buildings and shipping in favor of the flag of the "sovereign nation of the Republic of Yucatán," two red and one white stripe, with a [[quincunx]] of stars in a green field. The Yucatecan Constitution was modeled in part on the 1824 Mexican Constitution and the Yucatán state constitution of 1825.  
  
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Santa Anna refused to recognize Yucatán's independence, and he barred Yucatecan ships and commerce in Mexico and ordered Yucatán's ports blockaded. He sent an army to invade Yucatán in 1843. The Yucatecans defeated the Mexican force, but the loss of economic ties to Mexico deeply hurt Yucatecan commerce. Yucatán's governor [[Miguel Barbachano]] decided to use the victory as a time to negotiate with Santa Anna's government from a position of strength. It was agreed that Yucatán would rejoin Mexico so long as various assurances of right to self-rule and adherence to the 1825 Constitution within the Peninsula were observed by Mexico City. The treaty reincorporating Yucatán into Mexico was signed in December 1843.
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Santa Anna refused to recognize Yucatán's independence, and he barred Yucatecan ships and commerce in Mexico and ordered Yucatán's ports blockaded. He sent an army to invade Yucatán in 1843. The Yucatecans defeated the Mexican force, but the loss of economic ties to Mexico deeply hurt Yucatecan commerce. Yucatán's governor [[Miguel Barbachano]] decided to use the victory as a time to negotiate with Santa Anna's government from a position of strength. It was agreed that Yucatán would rejoin Mexico so long as various assurances of right to self-rule and adherence to the 1825 Constitution within the Peninsula were observed by Mexico City. The treaty reincorporating Yucatán into Mexico was signed in December 1843.
  
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Once more, the central government rescinded earlier concessions and in 1845 Yucatán again renounced the Mexican government, declaring independence effective [[1 January]] [[1846]]. When the [[Mexican-American War]] broke out, Yucatán declared its neutrality.
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Once more, the central government rescinded earlier concessions and in 1845 Yucatán again renounced the Mexican government, declaring independence effective 1 January 1846. When the [[Mexican-American War]] broke out, Yucatán declared its neutrality.
  
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In 1847 the so-called "[[Caste War of Yucatan|Caste War]]" (''Guerra de Castas'') broke out, a major revolt of the [[Maya people]] against the Hispanic population in political and economic control. At one point in 1848, this revolt was successful to the point of driving all Hispanic Yucatecans out of almost the entire peninsula other than the walled cities of Mérida and Campeche.  
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In 1847 the so-called "[[Caste War of Yucatan|Caste War]]" ''(Guerra de Castas)'' broke out, a major revolt of the [[Maya people]] against the Hispanic population in political and economic control. At one point in 1848, this revolt was successful to the point of driving all Hispanic Yucatecans out of almost the entire peninsula other than the walled cities of Mérida and Campeche.  
  
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The government in Mérida appealed for foreign help in suppressing the revolt, with Governor Méndez taking the extraordinary step of sending identical letters to [[United Kingdom|Britain]], [[Spain]], and the [[United States]], offering sovereignty over Yucatán to whatever nation first provided sufficient aid to quash the Maya revolt. The proposal received serious attention in [[Washington, D.C.]]&mdash;the Yucatecan ambassador was received by [[President of the United States|US President]] [[James K. Polk]] and the matter was debated in the [[Congress of the United States|Congress]], with no action taken other than an invocation of the [[Monroe Doctrine]] to warn off any European power from interfering in the peninsula.
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The government in Mérida appealed for foreign help in suppressing the revolt, with Governor Méndez taking the extraordinary step of sending identical letters to [[United Kingdom|Britain]], [[Spain]], and the [[United States]], offering sovereignty over Yucatán to whatever nation first provided sufficient aid to quash the Maya revolt. The proposal received serious attention in [[Washington, D.C.]]&mdash;the Yucatecan ambassador was received by [[President of the United States|US President]] [[James K. Polk]] and the matter was debated in the [[Congress of the United States|Congress]], with no action taken other than an invocation of the [[Monroe Doctrine]] to warn off any European power from interfering in the peninsula.  
  
 
[[Image:Yucatan1910s.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Yucatán, circa 1910]]
 
[[Image:Yucatan1910s.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Yucatán, circa 1910]]
  
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After the end of the Mexican-American War, Governor Barbachano appealed to Mexican President [[José Joaquín de Herrera]] for help in suppressing the revolt, and in exchange Yucatán again recognized the central government's authority. Yucatán was again reunited with Mexico on [[17 August]] [[1848]].
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After the end of the Mexican-American War, Governor Barbachano appealed to Mexican President [[José Joaquín de Herrera]] for help in suppressing the revolt, and in exchange Yucatán again recognized the central government's authority. Yucatán was again reunited with Mexico on 17 August 1848.
  
 
Frequent skirmishes and occasional large battles between the forces of the Yucatecan government and independent Maya of the eastern part of the peninsula continued through 1901, when the Mexican army occupied the Maya capital of  [[Chan Santa Cruz]]. Some Maya communities in Quintana Roo continued to refuse to acknowledge [[Black Ladino|Ladino]] or Mexican sovereignty as late as the 1910s.
 
Frequent skirmishes and occasional large battles between the forces of the Yucatecan government and independent Maya of the eastern part of the peninsula continued through 1901, when the Mexican army occupied the Maya capital of  [[Chan Santa Cruz]]. Some Maya communities in Quintana Roo continued to refuse to acknowledge [[Black Ladino|Ladino]] or Mexican sovereignty as late as the 1910s.
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=== Mid-19th century through mid-20th century ===
 
=== Mid-19th century through mid-20th century ===
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In 1857 [[Campeche]] broke off from Yucatán to become a separate state. On [[24 November]], [[1902]], President [[Porfirio Díaz]] proclaimed the creation of the territory of [[Quintana Roo]], separating that territory from the state of Yucatán.
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In 1857 [[Campeche]] broke off from Yucatán to become a separate state. On 24 November, 1902, President [[Porfirio Díaz]] proclaimed the creation of the territory of [[Quintana Roo]], separating that territory from the state of Yucatán.
  
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[[Sisal]] for making rope was probably the first major export crop of the Yucatán Peninsula. The region prospered from this lucrative crop until alternative [[rope]] materials came into wider use after [[World War I]] and [[henequen]] (sometimes called "green gold") was planted in other places around the world, setting up competing industries. The decades of the henequen boom was a fairly progressive era for Yucatán; the city of Mérida had electric streetlights and trolley cars before [[Mexico City]]. It is said there were more millionaires in Mérida at that time than anywhere else in the Americas. Today, the Paseo de Montejo, an avenue patterned after the [[Champs-Élysées]] in Paris, is lined with both abandoned and renovated mansions from that era. And the Yucatan countryside has over 300 [[haciendas]], also built during that time, which are also in varying states of disrepair and renovation.
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[[Sisal]] for making rope was probably the first major export crop of the Yucatán Peninsula. The region prospered from this lucrative crop until alternative [[rope]] materials came into wider use after [[World War I]] and [[henequen]] (sometimes called "green gold") was planted in other places around the world, setting up competing industries. The decades of the henequen boom was a fairly progressive era for Yucatán; the city of Mérida had electric streetlights and trolley cars before [[Mexico City]]. It is said there were more millionaires in Mérida at that time than anywhere else in the Americas. Today, the Paseo de Montejo, an avenue patterned after the [[Champs-Élysées]] in Paris, is lined with both abandoned and renovated mansions from that era. And the Yucatan countryside has over 300 [[haciendas]], also built during that time, which are also in varying states of disrepair and renovation.
  
 
=== Late 20th century: An end to relative isolation ===
 
=== Late 20th century: An end to relative isolation ===
 
[[Image:Village street in Yucatan.jpg|thumb|Typical village street in Yucatán]]
 
[[Image:Village street in Yucatan.jpg|thumb|Typical village street in Yucatán]]
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Until the mid-20th century most of Yucatán's contact with the outside world was by sea; trade with the [[United States|USA]] and [[Cuba]], as well as Europe and other Caribbean islands, was more significant than that with the rest of Mexico. In the 1950s Yucatán was linked to the rest of Mexico by railway, followed by highway in the 1960s, ending the region's  comparative isolation. Today Yucatán still demonstrates a unique culture from the rest of Mexico, including its own style of food.
+
Until the mid-20th century most of Yucatán's contact with the outside world was by sea; trade with the [[United States|USA]] and [[Cuba]], as well as Europe and other Caribbean islands, was more significant than that with the rest of Mexico. In the 1950s Yucatán was linked to the rest of Mexico by railway, followed by highway in the 1960s, ending the region's  comparative isolation. Today Yucatán still demonstrates a unique culture from the rest of Mexico, including its own style of food.
  
 
Commercial jet airplanes began arriving in Mérida in the 1960s, and additional international airports were built first in [[Cozumel]] and then in the new planned resort community of [[Cancún]] in the 1980s, making tourism a major force in the economy of the Yucatán Peninsula.
 
Commercial jet airplanes began arriving in Mérida in the 1960s, and additional international airports were built first in [[Cozumel]] and then in the new planned resort community of [[Cancún]] in the 1980s, making tourism a major force in the economy of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Line 204: Line 201:
 
The Constitution of the State of Yucatán provides that the [[government]] of Yucatán, like the government of every other state in Mexico, consists of three [[political power|powers]]: the [[executive (government)|executive]], the [[legislature|legislative]] and the [[judiciary]].
 
The Constitution of the State of Yucatán provides that the [[government]] of Yucatán, like the government of every other state in Mexico, consists of three [[political power|powers]]: the [[executive (government)|executive]], the [[legislature|legislative]] and the [[judiciary]].
  
−
Executive power rests in the [[governor of Yucatán]], who is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, to a six-year term with no possibility of reelection. Legislative power rests in the [[Congress of Yucatán]] which is a [[unicameral legislature]] composed of  25  deputies. Judicial power is invested in the Superior Court of Justice of Yucatán.
+
Executive power rests in the [[governor of Yucatán]], who is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, to a six-year term with no possibility of reelection. Legislative power rests in the [[Congress of Yucatán]] which is a [[unicameral legislature]] composed of  25  deputies. Judicial power is invested in the Superior Court of Justice of Yucatán.
  
−
The most recent local election in Yucatán was held on [[May 20]], [[2007]]. (''See main article: [[Yucatán state election, 2007]].'')
+
The most recent local election in Yucatán was held on May 20, 2007. ''(See main article: [[Yucatán state election, 2007]].)''
  
 
=== Municipalities ===
 
=== Municipalities ===
 
{{main|Municipalities of Yucatán}}
 
{{main|Municipalities of Yucatán}}
−
The State of Yucatán is divided into 106 municipalities, each headed by a [[municipal president]] (mayor). Usually municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; e.g. the municipal seat of the [[Mérida (municipality)|Municipality of Mérida]] is the City of [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]].
+
The State of Yucatán is divided into 106 municipalities, each headed by a [[municipal president]] (mayor). Usually municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; e.g. the municipal seat of the [[Mérida (municipality)|Municipality of Mérida]] is the City of [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]].
  
 
== Food ==
 
== Food ==

Revision as of 06:20, 28 December 2008

Yucatán
Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán
—  State  —
Flag of Yucatán
Flag		 Coat of arms of Yucatán
Coat of arms
Location within Mexico
Location within Mexico
Country Flag of Mexico Mexico
Capital Mérida
Municipalities 106
Government
 - Governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco PRI
 - Federal Deputies PAN: 4
PRI: 1
 - Federal Senators Beatriz Zavala Peniche (PAN)
Alfredo Rodríguez (PAN)
Cleominio Zoreda (PRI)
Area
Ranked 20th
 - Total 38,402 km² (14,827.1 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 - Total 1,818,948 (Ranked 21st)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
HDI (2004) 0.7778 - medium
Ranked 19th
ISO 3166-2 MX-YUC
Postal abbr. Yuc.
Website: http://www.yucatan.gob.mx

Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Yucatan peninsula includes three states: Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo; all three modern states were formerly part of the larger historic state of Yucatán in the 19th century. The state capital of Yucatán is Mérida.

Geography

The State of Yucatán is located on the Yucatán Peninsula. It borders the states of Campeche to the southwest, Quintana Roo to the east and southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west.

The state’s topography includes coastal wetlands, semiarid hills and plains, and limestone lowlands dotted with cenotes (water-filled sinkholes). Yucatán is relatively flat, with the exception of the Puuc hills, the large karstic range of hills in the southern portion of the state. The Puuc hills extend into northern Campeche and western Quintana Roo.

Like much of the Caribbean, the peninsula lies within the Atlantic Hurricane Belt, and with its almost uniformly flat terrain it is unsheltered from large storms coming from the east. Strong storms called nortes can quickly descend on the Yucatán Peninsula any time of year. Although these storms pummel the area with heavy rains and high winds, they tend to be short-lived, most often clearing after about an hour. The average percentage of days with rain per month ranges from a monthly low of 7 percent in April to a high of 25 percent in October. Breezes can have a cooling effect, humidity is generally high, particularly in the remaining rainforest areas.

Geology

The entire peninsula is the surface exposed portion of the larger Yucatán Platform, all of which is composed of carbonate and soluble rocks, being mostly limestone although dolomite and evaporites are also present at various depths. The whole of the Yucatán peninsula is a karst landscape. Sinkholes, locally called cenotes are widespread in the northern lowlands.

According to the Alvarez hypothesis, the Yucatán Peninsula was the site of an ancient asteroid impact which is likely to have caused the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous Period. The Chicxulub Crater is centered off the north coast of the modern town of Chicxulub. The now-famous "Ring of Cenotes" (visible in NASA imagery) outlines one of the shock-waves from this impact event in the rock of ~65 millions years of age, which lies more than 1 km below the modern ground surface, with the rock above the impact strata all being younger in age. The mechanism by which this deeply buried impact crater is observed and defined is through mass spectrometers and digital radar imagers.

History

Pre-Columbian era

El Castillo, Chichen Itza, a pre-Columbian Maya temple-pyramid

Before the arrival of the Spanish in the area, Yucatán was the home of the Maya civilization, and in particular the Yucatecan Maya people. Archaeological remains show ceremonial Mesoamerican architecture dating back some 3000 years; some Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions found in the area date back to the Maya Preclassic period (200 B.C.E.]]). Maya cities of Yucatán continued to flourish after the central and southern lowland Classic period Maya cities collapsed (c. A.D. 900), including the Puuc flouresence during the Terminal Classic, the rise of Chichen Itza at roughly the same time, and the subsequent rise of other sites, such as Mayapan, during the Postclassic. Several sites continued to be occupied up to and beyond the 16th century arrival of the Spanish. The ruins of well over a hundred Maya sites of varying sizes can still be found on the peninsula, such as Chichen Itza and Uxmal, though most sites have not been extensively investigated. Other important ancient Maya cities were built over by the Spanish, and their sites are still occupied today, such as Izamal (Itsmal in Yucatecan Maya) and Mérida (T'ho in Yucatecan Maya).

Arrival of the Spanish

See also: Archdiocese of Yucatán.

According to Hernán Cortés' first letter (Cartas de relación) to the King of Spain, "Yucatan" represents a mis-naming of the land by his political antagonist Diego Velázquez. Cortés alleges that when Velazquez initially landed in Yucatan and asked about the name of the well-populated land, the indigenous people answered, "We don't understand your language." This was supposedly rendered as Yucatan by the Spaniards, who were unfamiliar with the phonetics of Mayan. However, there was political antagonism between Cortés and Velázquez, and this story evidently represents an attempt to defame Velázquez. The actual source of the name "Yucatan" is the Nahuatl (Aztec) word Yokatlān, "place of richness."

The conquest of the Maya city-states took decades of long fighting.

African slaves brought by the Spanish also played a major role during Yucatan conquest, many of them declaring themselves free after a revolt led by Gaspar Yanga took place. A lot of the freed slaves settled in small towns called Palenques and declared themselves independent. They also interacted with the indigenous Maya mixing both cultures in to what is now know as Zambo or Afro-indigenous ancestry. [citation needed]

Three Spanish expeditions explored the coastal areas of Yucatan from 1517 to 1519, but no major effort was made to conquer the country until 1527 when the first expedition under Francisco de Montejo landed with Spanish crown authority to conquer and colonize Yucatán. While the chiefs of some states quickly pledged allegiance to the Spanish crown, others waged war against the Spanish. Montejo was forced to retreat from Yucatán in 1528. He came back with a large force in 1531, briefly established a capital at Chichén Itzá, but was again driven from the land in 1535. Montejo turned over his rights to his son, also named Francisco, who invaded Yucatán with a large force in 1540. In 1542 the younger Montejo set up his capital in the Maya city of T'ho, which he renamed Mérida. The lord (also known as Tutul Xiu in the Yucatec Maya language) of Mani converted to Roman Catholicism and became an ally, which greatly assisted in the conquest of the rest of the peninsula. When the Spanish and Xiu defeated an army of the combined forces of the states of eastern Yucatán in 1546, the conquest was officially complete.

As of 1564 Yucatan became a captaincy general and from 1786 an intendencia, as a result of the Bourbon Reforms in the administration of the Indies.

The Spaniards were granted land and natives to work it for their benefit. Priests and monks set to bringing the population into the Roman Catholic Church. The first bishop of Yucatán, Diego de Landa, burned all the Maya books that could be located (saying "they contained nothing but the lies of the Devil") and suppressed any remnants of pagan beliefs with such vigour that he was for a time recalled to Spain to answer charges of improper harshness. The book he wrote (in the 1560s) in his defense, Relación de las cosas de Yucatán ("Relation of the Things of Yucatán"), is one of the single-most detailed accounts of Yucatán and of indigenous life from the time of the Conquest. Segments of this work would much later prove to be of instrumental value in the much-later decipherment of the pre-Columbian Maya writing system.

While the Maya embraced Christianity, many took it on as an addition to rather than a replacement of pre-Columbian beliefs, and some Christian Maya continue to offer prayers to the ancient agricultural deities in addition to the Christian God and saints.

There were periodic native revolts against Spanish rule, including a large one led by Can Ek in 1761.

Independence and the turbulent 1840s

In February 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain. On 2 November of that year, Yucatán became part of independent Mexico. The State of Yucatán at that time included the territory of what is now the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo as well.

In 1835, a conservative unitary system of government was instituted in Mexico (a centralized dictatorship unconstitutionally brought forth and held by the then-President: Santa Anna). Yucatán became a department, and authority was imposed from the center. Discontent increased and an insurrection erupted in Tizimín in May 1838, advocating Yucatecan independence. In 1840, the local Congress approved a declaration of independence of Yucatán. At first, Governor Santiago Méndez blocked it, saying that Yucatán would again recognize the rule of the central government in Mexico City if the Mexican Constitution of 1824 were reinstated. Andrés Quintana Roo, sent to Mérida in 1841 by President Antonio López de Santa Anna, succeeded in settling the differences and signed a treaty with the local government.

Flag of the Republic of Yucatán

But when Santa Anna later ignored the provisions of this treaty, hostilities resumed, and Governor Méndez ordered all Mexican flags removed from Yucatecan buildings and shipping in favor of the flag of the "sovereign nation of the Republic of Yucatán," two red and one white stripe, with a quincunx of stars in a green field. The Yucatecan Constitution was modeled in part on the 1824 Mexican Constitution and the Yucatán state constitution of 1825.

Santa Anna refused to recognize Yucatán's independence, and he barred Yucatecan ships and commerce in Mexico and ordered Yucatán's ports blockaded. He sent an army to invade Yucatán in 1843. The Yucatecans defeated the Mexican force, but the loss of economic ties to Mexico deeply hurt Yucatecan commerce. Yucatán's governor Miguel Barbachano decided to use the victory as a time to negotiate with Santa Anna's government from a position of strength. It was agreed that Yucatán would rejoin Mexico so long as various assurances of right to self-rule and adherence to the 1825 Constitution within the Peninsula were observed by Mexico City. The treaty reincorporating Yucatán into Mexico was signed in December 1843.

Once more, the central government rescinded earlier concessions and in 1845 Yucatán again renounced the Mexican government, declaring independence effective 1 January 1846. When the Mexican-American War broke out, Yucatán declared its neutrality.

In 1847 the so-called "Caste War" (Guerra de Castas) broke out, a major revolt of the Maya people against the Hispanic population in political and economic control. At one point in 1848, this revolt was successful to the point of driving all Hispanic Yucatecans out of almost the entire peninsula other than the walled cities of Mérida and Campeche.

The government in Mérida appealed for foreign help in suppressing the revolt, with Governor Méndez taking the extraordinary step of sending identical letters to Britain, Spain, and the United States, offering sovereignty over Yucatán to whatever nation first provided sufficient aid to quash the Maya revolt. The proposal received serious attention in Washington, D.C.—the Yucatecan ambassador was received by US President James K. Polk and the matter was debated in the Congress, with no action taken other than an invocation of the Monroe Doctrine to warn off any European power from interfering in the peninsula.

Map of Yucatán, circa 1910

After the end of the Mexican-American War, Governor Barbachano appealed to Mexican President José Joaquín de Herrera for help in suppressing the revolt, and in exchange Yucatán again recognized the central government's authority. Yucatán was again reunited with Mexico on 17 August 1848.

Frequent skirmishes and occasional large battles between the forces of the Yucatecan government and independent Maya of the eastern part of the peninsula continued through 1901, when the Mexican army occupied the Maya capital of Chan Santa Cruz. Some Maya communities in Quintana Roo continued to refuse to acknowledge Ladino or Mexican sovereignty as late as the 1910s.

See also Caste War of Yucatán.

Mid-19th century through mid-20th century

In 1857 Campeche broke off from Yucatán to become a separate state. On 24 November, 1902, President Porfirio Díaz proclaimed the creation of the territory of Quintana Roo, separating that territory from the state of Yucatán.

Sisal for making rope was probably the first major export crop of the Yucatán Peninsula. The region prospered from this lucrative crop until alternative rope materials came into wider use after World War I and henequen (sometimes called "green gold") was planted in other places around the world, setting up competing industries. The decades of the henequen boom was a fairly progressive era for Yucatán; the city of Mérida had electric streetlights and trolley cars before Mexico City. It is said there were more millionaires in Mérida at that time than anywhere else in the Americas. Today, the Paseo de Montejo, an avenue patterned after the Champs-Élysées in Paris, is lined with both abandoned and renovated mansions from that era. And the Yucatan countryside has over 300 haciendas, also built during that time, which are also in varying states of disrepair and renovation.

Late 20th century: An end to relative isolation

Typical village street in Yucatán

Until the mid-20th century most of Yucatán's contact with the outside world was by sea; trade with the USA and Cuba, as well as Europe and other Caribbean islands, was more significant than that with the rest of Mexico. In the 1950s Yucatán was linked to the rest of Mexico by railway, followed by highway in the 1960s, ending the region's comparative isolation. Today Yucatán still demonstrates a unique culture from the rest of Mexico, including its own style of food.

Commercial jet airplanes began arriving in Mérida in the 1960s, and additional international airports were built first in Cozumel and then in the new planned resort community of Cancún in the 1980s, making tourism a major force in the economy of the Yucatán Peninsula.

The first Maya governor of Yucatán, Francisco Luna Kan, was elected in 1976.

Today, the Yucatán Peninsula is a major tourism destination, as well as home to one of the largest indigenous populations in Mexico, the Maya people.

Government and politics

The Constitution of the State of Yucatán provides that the government of Yucatán, like the government of every other state in Mexico, consists of three powers: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.

Executive power rests in the governor of Yucatán, who is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, to a six-year term with no possibility of reelection. Legislative power rests in the Congress of Yucatán which is a unicameral legislature composed of 25 deputies. Judicial power is invested in the Superior Court of Justice of Yucatán.

The most recent local election in Yucatán was held on May 20, 2007. (See main article: Yucatán state election, 2007.)

Municipalities

The State of Yucatán is divided into 106 municipalities, each headed by a municipal president (mayor). Usually municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; e.g. the municipal seat of the Municipality of Mérida is the City of Mérida.

Food

Yucatecan food is its own unique style and is very different from what most people would consider "Mexican" food. It includes influences from the local Mayan culture, as well as Caribbean, Mexican, European (French) and Middle Eastern cultures.

There are many regional dishes. Some of them are:

  • Poc Chuc, a Mayan/Yucateco version of barbecued pork.
  • Salbutes and Panuchos. Salbutes are soft, cooked tortillas with lettuce, tomato, turkey and avocado on top. Panuchos feature fried tortillas filled with black beans, and topped with turkey or chicken, lettuce, avocado and pickled onions. Habanero chiles accompany most dishes, either in solid or purée form, along with fresh limes and corn tortillas.
  • Queso Relleno is a "gourmet" dish featuring ground pork inside of a carved edam cheese ball served with tomato sauce
  • Pavo en Relleno Negro is turkey meat stew cooked with a black paste made from roasted chiles, a local version of the mole de guajalote found throughout Mexico. The meat soaked in the black soup is also served in tacos, sandwiches and even in panuchos or salbutes.
  • Sopa de Lima A turkey, lime and tortilla soup.
  • Papadzules. Egg tacos bathed with Pumpkin Seed sauce and Tomatoes.
  • Cochinita Pibil is a marinated pork dish and by far the most renowned from the Yucatecan food.
  • Xcatik, a type of chilli.

Notes


References
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External links

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Coordinates: 20°50′0″N 89°0′0″W / 20.83333, -89

Political divisions of Mexico
States of Mexico: Aguascalientes · Baja California · Baja California Sur · Campeche · Chiapas · Chihuahua · Coahuila · Colima · Durango · Guanajuato · Guerrero · Hidalgo · Jalisco · Mexico State · Michoacán · Morelos · Nayarit · Nuevo León · Oaxaca · Puebla · Querétaro · Quintana Roo · San Luis Potosí · Sinaloa · Sonora · Tabasco · Tamaulipas · Tlaxcala · Veracruz · Yucatán · Zacatecas
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