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Tabasco
To continue along Mexico’s Gulf coastline, you must first cut back through the
state of Campeche, in order to reach the small state of Tabasco. The name
comes from the Nahuatl word that means “waterlogged earth.” The name is
appropriate, since Tabasco has almost one-third of Mexico’s water resources.
The state’s low plains are dotted with lakes and swamps, crossed by rivers, and
covered with steamy jungles. The ancient Olmecs’ enormous heads are scattered
through the jungles, but the state has so few rocks that the Olmecs must have
had to travel miles to get the huge pieces of stone they used to create their
artwork.
Tabasco is one of Mexico’s main oil-producing areas. In addition to oil, many
maquiladoras have been constructed to produce products made from
petrochemicals, such as plastics, soaps, fertilizer, and paint. The oil industry is
bringing much-needed money to this state, but rickety shacks and shanties still
cluster around the states’ spreading refineries and factories.
The States of Mexico
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The ornate façade of this church
can be found in Cupilco,
Tabasco. Most Mexicans are
Christian, thanks to the
influence of the Spanish in the
16th century. The majority of
Mexicans (more than 82 percent
of the population) are Roman
Catholic, with various other
Christian denominations making
up another 10 percent).