9781422286890

MEX I CO Leading the Southern Hemisphere

Mexico’s Gulf States Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz, and Yucatán

26 ° N

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50 100 Miles

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Albers Conic Equal-Area Projection

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24 ° N

G u l f o f M e x i c o

Tampico

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Mérida

YUCATÁN

B a y o f C a m p e c h e

20 ° N

VERACRUZ

Campeche

I. Cozumel

Xalapa

QUINTANA ROO

Veracruz

Orizaba

Chetumal

CAMPECHE

TABASCO

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Villahermosa

BELIZE

M E X I CO

Car ibbean Sea

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GUATEMALA

HONDURAS

P A C I F I C O C E A N

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98 ° W

96 ° W

94 ° W

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90 ° W

88 ° W

MEX I CO Leading the Southern Hemisphere

Mexico’s Gulf States Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz, and Yucatán

Mason Crest Philadelphia

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D

Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com

©2015 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #M2014. For further information, contact Mason Crest at 1-866-MCP-Book. First printing 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file at the Library of Congress

ISBN: 978-1-4222-3224-8 (hc) ISBN: 978-1-4222-8689-0 (ebook)

Mexico: Leading the Southern Hemisphere series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3213-2

Table of Contents

Timeline

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1. The Land

11 19 33 43 49 56 58 59 60 61 62 64

2. The History 3. The Economy 4. The Culture

5. Cities and Communities

For More Information Things to Do and See Series Glossary Further Reading Internet Resources

Index

About the Author

MEX I CO Leading the Southern Hemisphere

Beautiful Diversity: The Geography of Mexico Famous People of Mexican History Spirit of a Nation: The People of Mexico Fiesta! The Festivals of Mexico Ancient Land with a Fascinating Past: The History of Mexico Vital and Creative: The Art and Architecture of Mexico Victoria! The Sports of Mexico Finding a Financial Balance: The Economy of Mexico Zesty and Colorful Cuisine: The Food of Mexico

Meeting Future Challenges: The Government of Mexico Mexico’s Gulf States Mexico’s Pacific North States Mexico’s Pacific South States Mexico’s Northern States Mexico’s Central States Mexican Facts and Figures

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Text-dependent questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Words to understand: ;OLZL ^VYKZ ^P[O [OLPY LHZ` [V \UKLYZ[HUK KLÄUP[PVUZ ^PSS increase the reader's understanding of the text, while building vocabulary skills.

Series glossary of key terms: This back-of-the book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader's HIPSP[` [V YLHK HUK JVTWYLOLUK OPNOLY SL]LS IVVRZ HUK HY[PJSLZ PU [OPZ ÄLSK Research projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives.

7

Mexico’s Gulf States

Timeline 1150 B . C . Mexican civilization begins with the Olmec Indians. 1000 B . C . Mayan agricultural society begins.

1450 Aztecs conquer the Totonacs in Veracruz. 1518 Hernán Cortés lands on the coast of Tabasco. 1542 Mérida is founded by the Spanish. 1596 Villahermosa is settled by the Spanish. 1821 Mexico becomes independent from Spain. 1822 Tabasco becomes a state.

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1847–1904 The Caste War is fought.

1863 Campeche becomes an independent state. 1872 Mexico City-Veracruz railway is completed. 1898 Chetumal is founded to block arms shipments to Mayan rebels. 1910–1921 Mexican Revolution. 1937 Birth of the union movement in Veracruz. 1974 Quintana Roo becomes a state. 2006 Archaeologists announce the discovery of a stone tablet in Veracruz that may represent the oldest example of New World writing; Felipe Calderón becomes president of Mexico. 2007 In March, President Calderón meets with U.S. President George

W. Bush in Mérida, where they set out a framework for U.S. aid to help Mexico wage the narco war; Hurricane Dean, a category 5 storm, strikes the Yucatán Peninsula, forcing over 30,000 people to evacuate; widespread floods hit Tabasco and the neighboring state of Chiapas, killing several people.

Timeline

A colorful street in the city of San Francisco de Campeche, capital of the

state of the same name.

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2009 More than 6,500 people are killed in drug-related violence, making it the deadliest year of the narco conflict to date. 2011 In February, two American law-enforcement officers are killed near San Luis Potosí by gunmen from the cartel Los Zetas. 2012 Enrique Peña Nieto is elected president of Mexico, receiving 38 percent of the vote. His election returns the PRI to power after 12 years of PAN rule. He is sworn in as president on December 1. 2013 The Mexican government reports that the Sinaloa, Gulf, and Los Zetas cartels are fighting for control over drug smuggling routes around Cancun. 2014 Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, leader of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, is arrested by the Mexican military, with the assistance of U.S. authorities.

Words to Understand

coral reefs —accumulations beneath the ocean of the skeletal remains of a sea creature. ecotourism —a form of tourism that attempts to minimize ecological damage to areas visited for their natural or cultural interest. lagoon —a shallow sound or lake that leads into the ocean or another body of water. tropical —characteristic of a region or climate that is always frost-free, with temperatures warm enough and enough moisture to support year-round plant life.

Tropical fish swim around the Palancar coral reef off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. Tourism is an important part of Mexico’s economy, as foreign visitors come to see the country’s clear waters and sun-drenched beaches, ancient Indian ruins, and steaming jungles.

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The Land I magine you’re about to make your first visit to Mexico, also known as the United Mexican States. Your travels will take you to five states along the Gulf of Mexico: Tabasco, Veracruz, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. The name Tabasco comes from a Nahuatl word meaning “waterlogged earth.” The state’s low plains are dotted with lakes and swamps, crossed by rivers, and covered in dense jungle. Tabasco has almost one-third of Mexico’s water resources. The Grijalva River and the Usumacinta River, Mexico’s largest rivers, flow through the state. The state has so few rocks that the Olmecs had to travel several miles to find material for the colossal heads that are still scattered across this state. Tabasco and Campeche contain Mexico’s only rainforests. Veracruz has the longest coastline of the Gulf states and is Mexico’s 10th largest state. Its tropical land is filled with wooded areas, valleys, jungles, and over 40 rivers. About 35 percent of Mexico’s rivers flow across the land. The Sierra Madre Oriental range and the Sierra Volcánica Transversal form a group of highlands. The Sierra Madre Oriental range includes Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s tallest peak. There is year-round snow on the highest peaks. Campeche is an ideal place to enjoy a new type of tourism in Mexico called ecotourism , a mixture of ecology (caring for the environment), adventure, and

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Mexico’s Gulf States

The Spanish castle of San Juan de Ulúa overlooks the harbor at Veracruz. It was built in 1528 to protect the harbor from Caribbean pirates. Veracruz was the first city founded by Europeans on the American mainland. Today, it is Mexico’s largest and most important seaport.

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history. The land is a dry plain to the north but green and tropical to the south where abundant lakes and rivers flow. Thick rainforest covers the south and eastern parts of the state. The water along the coast is filled with barracuda, swordfish, tuna, and dolphins. Bird watchers can enjoy flamingos, parrots, and herons. A short distance from the coast, small hills give rise to low mountains. Yucatán is covered with a flat, porous, limestone surface. There are no rivers on

The Land

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Dancers perform a Mayan ritual at Xcaret. A modern tourist resort has been built near the site of the ancient Mayan city that exists there.

the surface, because rainwater filters through the porous surface. However, underground rivers have built caverns and cenotes (deep wells), mostly in the center and western part of the state. Near the white beaches along the turquoise coasts are many lagoons and sandbanks. Yucatán’s green jungles surround the remains of the Mayan culture. Quintana Roo is Mexico’s youngest and 19th-largest state. A visit here is like a trip to paradise. White beaches are guarded by a chain of coral reefs in the

Mexico’s Gulf States

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Uxmal, in Yucatán, is the site of important Mayan ruins. These ancient buildings, and the ones at nearby Chichén Itzá, draw many visitors to the state each year.