Chetumal

Chetumal
Emblem of Othon P. Blanco
Coordinates: 18°30′N 88°18′W / 18.5°N 88.3°W / 18.5; -88.3
Country	Mexico
State	Quintana Roo
Municipality	Othon P. Blanco
Founded	May 5, 1898 (Othon P. Blanco)
Current site	1898
Government
- Mayor	Andrés Ruiz Morcillo
Elevation	10 m (33 ft)
Population (2005)
- Total	136,825
- Demonym	Chetumaleño(a)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
Postal code	77000
Area code(s)	983, 912
Website	www.chetumal.gob.mx

Front of the palace of the Governor of the state of Quintana Roo in Chetumal

Chetumal (Chactemàal which means: "Place of the red wood" Modern Maya) (coordinates: 18°30′N 88°18′W / 18.5°N 88.3°W / 18.5; -88.3) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco. In 2005 it had a population of 136,825 people.

The city is situated on the western side of Chetumal Bay, near the mouth of the Río 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. Because of its location on the Caribbean coastline, it is vulnerable to tropical cyclones; Hurricane Janet and Hurricane Dean, both Category 5 storms, made landfall near Chetumal in 1955 and 2007 respectively.^[1]

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 that roughly controlled the southern quarter of modern Quintana Roo and the northeast portion of Belize. This original Chetumal is now believed to have been on the other side of the Río 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 officially 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 from other parts of Mexico.

Contemporary Chetumal

Chetumal is a small growing city with an international airport. The city has a Museum of Maya Culture as well as a zoo.

Museum of Maya Culture

Chetumal's economy has been influenced by its proximity to the border with Belize. 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 that 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 (which belongs to the Mexican chain Cinepolis), various department store chains, fast-food outlets, and supermarkets. In addition to its retail economy, Chetumal is also the capital of the state of Quintana Roo. Since it is the location of all of the state's central offices, there is a large population of government employees whose consumption of local goods and services injects additional revenue into the Chetumal economy.

The city has a music school which offers lessons of various instruments as well as music theory and history. The school is the main music school of the state and is the home of the Junior symphonic orchestra of the state Quintana Roo ("Orquesta sinfonica juvenil del estado de Quintana Roo") which is directed by Silvia Alcantara Chavero.

The city houses two theaters. The "Teatro minerva", which is an open air theater and belongs to the state's music school , and the "Teatro Constitullentes", which is a private-owned theater.

There is a Country club, which features tennis, football and basketball courts, a gym, a swimming pool, a steam-bath and a lounge for parties.

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

References

External links

• Chetumaljoven.com - Chetumal
• Chetumal Mosaico

Coordinates: 18°30′N 88°20′W / 18.5°N 88.333°W / 18.5; -88.333

v • d • e   State of Quintana Roo Chetumal (capital) Municipalities (Seats) and Places of Interest Municipalities (Seats) Cozumel (San Miguel de Cozumel) · Felipe Carrillo Puerto (Felipe Carrillo Puerto) · Isla Mujeres (Isla Mujeres) · Othón P. Blanco (Chetumal) · Benito Juárez (Cancún) · José María Morelos (José María Morelos) · Lázaro Cárdenas (Kantunilkín) · Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen) · Tulum (Tulum) Places of Interest Akumal  · Bacalar  · Coba  · Kohunlich  · Mahahual  · Muyil · Puerto Morelos  · Punta Allen  · San Gervasio  · Tulum  · Xcalak  · Xelha

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