CAPITAL:

Mérida

AREA:

43,257 Km, 2.0% of the National Territory

POPULATION:

1,362,940 people, 1.7% of the country (1990)

MUNICIPALITIES:

106

REGIONS:

Coastal plains, Savannas and Low Forest

ALTITUDES:

Minimum: Sea Level 

Maximum: Benito Juarez Hill, 630 feet.

FLORA:

Low mountains: cedro, caoba, ceiba, achiote; on the plains: henequen,
nopal, mora, pastizales; on the coast: manglar. 

FAUNA:

In the low mountains: codorniz de Yucatan, Dove escamosa, wild pig,
comadreja, tree squirrels; on the plain: jaguar, tepexcuintle, onza,
tapir, perdiz canela; On the coast: Ducks, Pheasant, cerceta de alas
azules, flamingos, Golondrino Ducks and armadillo; in the sea: sharks,
mero, cherna, pargo and guachinango.

PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS:

Ría Lagartos, Celestún, Dzilam de Bravo and Dzibilchaltún.

TERRAIN:

The extensive plains of the are formed over a substrata of limestone
made from the remnants of fossilized animal bones and marine life. The
peninsula was the last part of the country to emerge from the sea. 

Only in the south of the state, in the small hills, rises to around 300
feet near the towns of Muna and Ticul. The action of rainwater mixing
with the limestone formations causes a caustic formations and the
typical form of cenotes and aguadas.

 Hundreds of cenotes are found in
the central and west parts of the state. the north is mostly low plains
and sandy beaches. 

CLIMATE:

Mostly tropical with summer rains; average mean temperature is 26ºC,
with pronounced dry and rains seasons; the rainy season is normally from
June and July with an annual rainfall of 1,290 mm. Winds normally are
from the west and southeast. Hurricanes can occur between the months of
July and September. 

WATERSHED:

The Yucatan has no above ground rivers, but is crosses with underground
rivers which form caverns and cenotes. During the rainy season water can
collect in low areas called 'aguadas'.

COASTLINE:

440 km of coastline can be found in the Yucatan. From sandy beaches to
lagoons to areas where tide pools and estuary like formations make up
the coast. Boca Dzilam, Boca de Islote, Punta Bachul give way to sandy
beaches like Bancos Igles, Nuevo, Los Triángulos, del Obispo,
Arias and Sisal.

ARQUEOLÓGICAL SITES:

Dzibilchaltún, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Mayapán, Acanceh, Ake,
Balancanché, Chamoltún, Ek Balam, Kabah, Labná, Loltún, Sayil,
Xlapak, Izamal, Yaxuna and Oxkintok.

CULTURAL INFLUENCE:

Olmec, Teotihuacana, Zapotec, Tolteca and Mexica.

CULTURES:

Itzá in the central and north, Xiu in the Northeast and Cocom in the
Northwest.

ARTS AND CRAFTS:

Cotton made clothes in the hills and plains. Hammocks of cotton or
henequen in the east and carved bone, shell on the coast. 


POPULAR MUSIC:

Quartets and quintets playing romantics; jaranas, jarabes and rhythms
from a African style; dances using the head to carry glasses or bottles,
and dances on boxes of corn. 

INDIGENOUS GROUPS:

Maya in the region of the low hills and major populations of the coast
and plain.