Chetumal

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Chetumal (coordinates: Template:Coor dm) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo. In 2000 it had a population of 238,520 people.

The city is situated on the western side of Chetumal Bay, near the mouth of the Rio Hondo. Chetumal is an important port for the region, and operates as Mexico's main trading gateway with the neighboring country of Belize. Goods are transported via a road connecting Chetumal with Belize City to the south, and also via coastal merchant ships.

History

In Pre-Columbian times a city called Chactemal (sometimes rendered as "Chetumal" in early European sources) was the capital of a Maya state of the same name which controlled roughly the southern quarter of modern Quintana Roo and the north-east portion of Belize. This original Chetumal is now believed to have been on the other side of the Rio Hondo, in modern Belize, not at the site of modern Chetumal.

During the Spanish conquest of Yucatán the Maya state of Chetumal fought off several Spanish expeditions before finally being subjugated in the late 16th century.

The 1840s revolt of the indigenous Maya peoples against Mexican rule, known as the Caste War of Yucatán, drove all the Hispanic people from this region; many settled in British Honduras (modern Belize).

The current site of Chetumal was established as a Mexican port town in 1898, originally under the name Payo Obispo. The name was legally changed to Chetumal in 1936.

Two hurricanes in the 1940s leveled the entire town; Chetumal was devastated a third time in 1955 by Hurricane Janet. After this the town was rebuilt with more solid construction, with concrete blocks replacing wood as the usual material.

The population of Chetumal was small (about 5,000 in 1950) until the construction of highways linking it to the rest of Mexico in the 1960s and 1970s; the city then boomed with substantial migration here from other parts of Mexico.

Contemporary Chetumal

Image:Explanada.jpg Chetumal is a small growing city with an International Airport. The city has a Museum of Maya Culture as well as a zoo.

Chetumal's economy has been influenced by its proximity to the Mexico-Belize border. A goods and services tax-free zone (Corozal Free Zone) established on the Belizean side attracts many visitors to Chetumal, and also provides a ready market for Chetumal's retailers and traders. Chetumal itself was also once a Free Zone, and a notable destination for people from other parts of Mexico seeking to purchase high-value and bulk goods, free of government duty charges (a policy which was deliberately implemented to attract this business). The city retains a significant retail trade for the region, which supports many local businesses.

Several modern malls have been built, such as the Plaza de Américas mall, which houses a modern movie theater, various department store chains, food outlets and supermarkets.

In addition to its retail economy, Chetumal is also the capital of the state of Quintana Roo. Thus, all of the governmental offices are located here. This results in a large population of government employees, whose consumption of local goods and services injects additional revenue into the Chetumal economy.

In the early 1990s the University of Quintana Roo was established at Chetumal, providing training and advanced tertiary degrees over a range of subjects.

External link

Chetumail.com city's internet portal (in Spanish). This is a very complete site about Chetumal: news, culture, forums, city guides, regional weather, jobs, real estate, online radio etc. It also features a complete coverage of the hurricane season that affects the Yucatán Peninsula. News from Chetumales:Chetumal fr:Chetumal nl:Chetumal pl:Chetumal sv:Chetumal