Veracruz, Veracruz
Encyclopedia
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality
on the Gulf of Mexico
in the Mexican
state
of Veracruz
. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located 90 km (55.9 mi) along Federal Highway 140
from the state capital Xalapa
, and is the state's most populous city. The city's population is actually greater than the municipality's population, since part of the city extends into neighboring Boca del Río Municipality
. At the 2010 census the city had 554,830 inhabitants, 428,323 in Veracruz Municipality and 126,507 in Boca del Río Municipality. Veracruz is Mexico’s oldest, largest, and historically most significant port.
When Hernán Cortés
arrived in Mexico in 1519, this was the place where he founded a city with the name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, referring to the area’s gold and the fact he landed on a Good Friday
. The settlement became the first on the American mainland and the first to receive a coat-of-arms. During the colonial period, this city had the largest mercantile class and was at times wealthier even than Mexico City. This wealth made it attractive to pirates, against which fortifications such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa were built. In the 19th century, Veracruz saw a number of invasions, mostly by France and the United States with the last invasion occurring in 1914
. For much of the 20th century, the production of petroleum was more important for the state, but in the latter twentieth century and into the twenty-first, the port has re-emerged as the main economic engine, becoming the main port for most of Mexico’s imports and exports, especially for the automotive industry.
Veracruz’s status as a port has made the city a blend of cultures, mostly indigenous, Spanish and Afro-Cuban
. The influence of these three is best seen in the food and music of the area, which has strong Spanish, Caribbean and African influences.
Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva
first arrived to the island known as San Juan de Ulúa
in 1518, along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo
. The island was named San Juan because the expedition landed on the feast of John the Baptist
, and in honor of the captain. “de Ulúa” is derived from the local name for the Aztecs, “coluha” or “acolhua.” The story is that when the Spanish arrived, they found two young men who had been sacrificed. Then asked what happened, the local people stated that the Aztecs had ordered their sacrifice. The word for Aztec here evolved into Ulúa.
Because the first expedition detected the presence of gold in the region, a second expedition under the command of Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519. Cortés and his men landed at the shore opposite the island where Grijalva had moored, which has the pre-Hispanic name of Chalchihuecan. The Spanish settlement of Veracruz was founded by Hernán Cortés, Francisco de Montejo
and Alonso Hernández Portocarrero with the name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. The name “Villa Rica” (Rich village) referred to the gold that was found here and “Veracruz” (True Cross) was added because the Cortés expedition landed on Good Friday. Veracruz was established as the first city with the first city council on the American continent when Hernán Cortés and his soldiers elected a “Justicia Mayor” and a “Capitán General” establishing Villa Rica de Vera Cruz. The city was the first on mainland America to receive a coat of arms, which was authorized by Carlos V
in Valladolid
, Spain on 4 July 1523.
The original settlement was moved to what is now known as Antigua, at the mouth of the Huitzilpan or Antigua River shortly thereafter. This separated the city from the port, as ships could not enter the shallow river. Ships continued to dock at San Juan de Ulúa, with small boats being used to ferry goods on and off the ships. This led to large scale smuggling of goods to avoid customs officials. This prompted the Spanish Crown to order the settlements return to the original site that Cortés founded at the end of the 16th century. Docks were then constructed on the island as well as an observation tower to ensure that goods went through customs officials.
Like most of the rest of Mexico, European diseases and maltreatment decimated the indigenous population after the Spanish arrived. African slaves were brought to Mexico via the port of Veracruz to work on sugarcane plantations, with the state having the largest enslaved population in Mexico in the 16th century.
By the end of the 16th century, roads were constructed to link Veracruz with other cities such as Córdoba
, Orizaba, Puebla
, Xalapa
and Perote, as gold and silver became the principal exports. This caused the city problems with pirates, prompting the construction of Fort San Juan de Ulúa on the island where Grijalva landed in the mid 16th century. The city began to grow starting at the beginning of the 17th century, with the construction of what is now the municipal palace, the monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Merced and the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de Loreto. In 1618, a major fire here nearly reduced much of the city to ashes. In 1640, the Barlovento Armada was stationed here for further protection against pirates. Through the rest of the colonial period, this was the most important port in New Spain
, with a large wealthy merchant class that was more prosperous than Mexico City..
The pirates Van Hoorn, Laurens de Graaf
and Michel de Grammont
attacks Vera Cruz in 1683.
The 19th century was marked by armed conflicts. During the Mexican War of Independence
, Spanish troops were placed here to maintain Mexico City’s sea link with Spain. In 1816, Antonio López de Santa Anna
was in charge of royalist troops countering the insurgency. In 1820, insurgents took the city, despite Santa Anna’s failed attempts to stop them. The last viceroy of New Spain Juan O'Donojú
arrived here in 1821, signing the Treaty of Córdoba
with Agustín de Iturbide
at Fort San Juan de Ulúa. In 1823, Spanish troops left at Fort San Juan de Ulúa fired on the newly independent Mexican city of Veracruz. The city’s defense against this earned it its first title of “Heroic City.” The second title of "Heroic City" was earned for the French attack here during the Pastry War
in 1837.
The next battle was the 1847 U.S. invasion of Veracruz as part of the Mexican-American War. The city was defended by General Juan Morales and General José Juan de Landero, but they were forced to surrender a few days later. This would lead to Veracruz’s third title of “Heroic City.”
Ten years later, civil war between liberals and conservatives forced Benito Juárez
’s government to flee Mexico City. Juárez fled to Veracruz and governed from there in 1857. In the 1860s, the port was occupied by Spanish troops trying to enforce foreign debt payments suspended by Benito Juárez. French occupation under Maximiliano I
began when the emperor and his wife Carlota of Belgium arrived in 1864.
The conflicts and damaged trade relations with Europe took its toll on the port of Veracruz. By 1902, the port had degraded into one of the most dangerous on the American coast. President Porfirio Díaz
contracted with foreign enterprises to modernize the port’s infrastructure.
In 1914, the port was again attacked and occupied by the United States, which would lead to the city's fourth title of "Heroic City".
After the Mexican Revolution
, most port workers were unionized. Through most of the 20th century, a number of legal and political initiatives intended to better workers’ lives had effects on the operations of the port. Eventually, unions came to have great power over the operations and tariffs charged. By the latter part of the 20th century, competing unions made the operations of the port difficult, which included blocking access to the port from federal roads and corruption. In the 1970s, a commission was established to design a new administrative system for the ports of Mexico. This eventually resulted in federal laws allowing the government to take control over ports such as Veracruz. The federal government once again worked to modernize the port, especially with automation of loading and unloading, leading to a loss of 80% of the ports jobs and strikes. This led to a unification of the dockworkers' unions, giving most of them a stake in a new company to manage the port's functions called the Empresa de Servicios Portuarios de Veracruz, S.A. de C.V. The old Compañia Terminal de Veracruz was dissolved in 1988 and the new organization was fully in place in 1991.
In September 2010, Hurricane Karl, a small, strong Category 3 hurricane, caused widespread flooding and damage affecting approximately half a million people. Sixteen are confirmed dead with another eleven missing. Sixty five municipalities in the state were declared disaster areas. Preliminary damage estimates total up to $3.9 billion USD and $50 billion MXN.
Much of the most recent development is in the south of the city and in the neighboring municipality of Boca del Río, linked by a ten-kilometer road along the shore that caters to tourists and business travelers. The hotels in Veracruz are more rustic and traditional; the modern ones are in Boca del Río
, especially near Playa Mocambo.
The cultural center of the city is its main plaza, officially named Plaza de las Armas but commonly called the Zocalo. In this tree-filled square, in which have camped a number of foreign invading armies, is occupied from morning to night with people playing dominos, selling food, cigars, etc. playing music, dancing and other activities. It is more crowded in the evening where just about every night the danzón
is danced. This dance was brought over to Mexico from Cuba by refugees in the 1870s. It was originally restricted to the lower classes but eventually gained accepted by all levels of society. This is sponsored by several dance schools dedicated to keeping the tradition alive. Around the plaza there are numerous shops and restaurants as well as the municipal palace and the cathedral.
The Municipal Palace was built for the city council in 1608, though the building was extensively remodeled in the 18th century. Its architectural style is a sober Baroque
with a tower at one of the corners. It is said that this tower was used to keep watch on the ships entering and leaving the port. It has a large courtyards surrounded by wide arches and is the oldest city government building in Mexico.
The city's cathedral, named Virgen de la Asunción, is also located on the Zocalo. This cathedral was begun in the 17th century and finished in 1731. It was modified in the 19th century but did not become a cathedral until 1963. The building has five nave
s, with an octagonal cupola
covered in Puebla tiles
. The tower was begun in the early 20th century and has its own small cupola. The main facade is Neoclassic
with two levels and a crest. The lower level contains an arched entrance flanked by two Doric columns
and the upper level contains the choral window, above which is a medallion. The interior is simple with crystal candelabras.
In the port area are the Pemex
Tower, the old lighthouse, which was the seat of government for Venustiano Carranza
, and the Crafts Market. Also here on Marina Mercante Street is the Old Customs Building, the Postal and Telegraph twin buildings as well as the old railroad terminal, which was luxurious enough that it had its own hotel in the 1920s. The Juarez Hemicycle Monument is also here, in front of the Civil Registry Building that contains the first birth certificate issued in the country.
The malecón (boardwalk) stretches for kilometers along the Gulf of Mexico leading away from the city center into the suburbs. This area is popular at night, when people stroll and exercise, enjoying the ocean breezes. Near the city center, the malecón is crowded with merchants selling knick-knacks, souvenirs, jewelry made with seashells and t-shirts.
Fort San Juan de Ulúa is located on an island, now connected to land, of the same name. The island is part of the La Gallega coral reef and has about 2,500 meters of beach. The full reef covers about 100 hectares and varies in depth between sixty and ninety centimeters, forming a natural break. In the pre-Hispanic era, this island was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca. The site where the Spanish first landed is now the container ship terminal of the port. However, most of the island is occupied by the fort. This fort was where the Spanish first landed to conquer Mexico and was also their last stand during and just after the Mexican War of Independence. For the time in-between, the location also serves as a reminder of the days of piracy and the Inquisition
. The fort was begun here in 1582 to protect the city from pirates. The danger of attack by foreign powers prompted the Spanish to enlarge the fort in 1635. It was finished in 1707.
After the War of Independence ended in 1821, the Spanish kept control of the island and fort, and occasionally would bombard Mexican forces on land. This area was finally handed over to Mexico in 1825. The fort next saw action in 1838 during the Pastry War with the French. In 1847, it would witness the invasion of U.S. forces during the Mexican-American War.
In the 19th century, the fort was converted into a military prison. The fort’s narrow stone passageways lead to a series of dungeons with walls 24-feet thick in some places. Those cells which were darker and hotter were reserved for those charged with more serious crimes. A few of the most dreaded dungeons were nicknamed "Heaven", "Purgatory" and "Hell". Some of prison’s more famous prisoners include Fray Servando Teresa de Mier
and Benito Juárez, both political prisoners. But the most famous is Jesús Arriaga, better known as "Chucho el Roto
". Most people visit San Juan de Ulúa due to the legend of this bandit.
Jesús Arriaga, better known as "Chucho el Roto", was held at Fort San Juan de Ulúa where he died. It is not known whether he died of natural causes, as a result of a fight with other prisoners or by other means. Chucho was a Robin Hood
figure who lived during the 19th century. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, inspiring songs and poetry such as the verses penned by Rafeal de Zayas Enriquez. Chucho was arrested in Querétaro after a jewelry store heist. He was sent to the Belen Prison in Mexico City, then to Veracruz. He was also renowned as a seducer of women, especially those who were rich and lonely. Most of his targets were jewelry shops, pawnshops and the homes of the wealthy.
Along with Fort San Juan de Ulúa, the city used to be walled in for protection against pirates and invasions. All that is left of these walls is the "Baluarte", a small fortress. The 1635 structure has thick, sturdy walls with cannons outwards to the sea. Inside is a tiny museum that has an exquisite exhibition of pre-Hispanic jewelry discovered by a fisherman in the 1970s.
The Veracruz Aquarium was built in 1992 and is the largest and most important in Latin America. The Freshwater Gallery consists of thirteen exhibitions containing 562,177 liters of water. These exhibitions contain aquatic species from Asia, Africa, South America as well as Mexico. The Reef Tank is best known for its sharks. The Salt Water Gallery contains fourteen tanks with tanks dedicated to the species of Veracruz, the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There is also another exhibit dedicated to sharks, which contains 25 species that swim around visitors as they pass through a glass tunnel built through the tank. There is also an exhibit dedicated entirely to manatee
s.
The Heroica Escuela Naval (Heroic Naval School) was founded here in 1897 by José María de Vega, then Secretary of the Navy
. The school was founded because at the time, Mexico was dependent on the hiring of foreign sailors and foreign training of its officers to staff its Navy as prior attempts to establish an academy had failed. The project to establish the school here was approved by Porfirio Diaz to train both Navy and Merchant Marine officers, to be based on similar schools in Western Europe.
The City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad) is located at the intersections of Zaragoza and Esteban Morales streets in the historic center. It is housed in a two-story building which is of neoclassic
design built between the mid and latter 19th century. The main facade on Zaragoza Street has an enormous main door with posts, framed by Ionic
pilaster
s, which reach to the upper floor, and toped by a pediment
and a cornice
. The building was originally constructed to be an asylum, but in 1861, the French invaded Veracruz
and the building was commandeered for other purposes until 1870. The asylum then operated here for almost 100 years, until the construction of new facilities in the south of the city, and work was undertaken to restore and modify the building for a museum. The City Museum was inaugurated in 1970 and contains exhibits relating to the history of the city of Veracruz.
The Agustín Lara House Museum exhibits works, photographs and personal effects of the poet Agustín Lara
, located in what was his house just outside Veracruz city in Boca del Río. News clips, caricatures and a replica of the radio studio where he hosted "La Hora Azul" ("The Blue Hour") are among the items on display. Lara was one of the city's most famous sons as a popular songwriter and singer in Mexico. Lara began his career playing the piano in brothels and later became a bullfighter. Lara had seven wives, one of whom was Mexican screen diva María "La Doña" Félix, for whom he wrote the song, "María Bonita". To be a gentleman, when he and Félix were about to break up, he married her to "make an honest woman of her" even though they had lived together for years.
Veracruz is primarily a commercial port, but there are some beaches and other sea attractions. The most contentious attraction is the island called Isla de Sacrificios
, which lies just off the coast of the city and measures 450 meters long and 198 meters wide. The island is part of a system of twenty three coral reefs called the Veracruz Reef System which is a national park. It is possible to kayak to the Isla de Sacrificios to observe seagulls, pelicans and the fish that inhabit the coral reef. In 1983, a study and initial cleanup project was undertaken at the island, which collected fifty tons of trash. Shortly thereafter, the island was closed to the public and since then, there has been a struggle between authorities, tour operators and fisherman as to the fate of the island. There are those who would like to build hotels, restaurants and other facilities for ecotourism. However, access to the island has been restricted to research, teaching and the occasional sporting event.
Other small islands and shoals off the coast include: Isla de Enmedio, Isla Verde
, Anegada de Adentro, Santiaguillo and Anegada de Afuera, the last two next to Anton Lizardo beach. All of them are enclosed into the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano national park and make fine sites for SCUBA diving. There are several operators offering scuba equipment and tours both in Veracruz and in Boca del Rio as well. The best season for scuba diving is May to August.
For 400 years, the island has suffered ecologically from the pillaging of its coral reefs and archeological pieces and pollution. Current pollution problems are mostly due to untreated wastewater that flows into the ocean from the city and from the polluted Jamapa River. Its coastline has been modified and more than 200 hectares of reefs in its littoral zone have been pillaged. Coral and other marine species have been taken for commercial and craft purposes, as well as by fishermen. Some of these reefs are already dead due to pollution. Since the island was closed, there has been some recuperation of marine life here.
Ruins here have not been extensively studied but cover more than 700 years of history. In the pre-Hispanic era, the island was considered sacred and sanctuary on which to perform religious rites. Human sacrifice
was frequently performed and the remains buried here. There was a small altar here but it has not been found. The Spanish built a hospital here, but all that is left of this is part of one wall. Later, a storage faculty to store gunpowder was built, as well as an obelisk during the French Intervention, but these have crumbled as well. Only a small lighthouse currently exists. About 800 archeological pieces have been partially excavated on the island but cannot be exhibited because the humidity and weather would damage them.
Reopening the island is difficult because the ecosystem here is delicate, and any construction could damage archeological sites and valuable pieces. Any plans to reopen the island to visitors will require the participation of the Veracruz Reef System Park, to which it belongs, as well as Secretariat of the Navy, INAH, the Veracruz Aquarium and other government agencies negotiating with the local associations of hotels, tour operators and fishermen. So far, government agencies have blocked efforts to develop anything on the island. An ecotourism project consisting of guided tours is considered the most viable, such as that proposed by the Veracruzana University
and the Aquarium, but there is concern on the part of INAH and the Secretariat of the Navy.
On the mainland, there are a number of beaches. Playa Martí is located between the city of Veracruz and Boca del Río, five km from the historic center. This beach is equipped with goals and nets for soccer and volleyball. The Playa de Hornos is located next to the Veracruz Aquarium. It is safe to swim here and there are tables, chairs and umbrellas to rent, as well as food stands. During the high seasons there are lifeguards and banana boats to rent. There are also boats that take tourist to the Isla de Sacrificio and Canuncito. Villa del Mar is just south of Playa de Hornos and is more popular.
Sugar and rum production which in colonial times demanded slave labor and an immigrant workforce after independence has brought forth this mixture of cultures. Moreover, as the home of the Naval Academy of Mexico, one can see not only Mexican sailors but also foreign travelers wandering the town. The city has a reputation for being boisterous, with people in the squares listening to music late into the night - only then to wake up early the next morning to drink coffee at sidewalk cafes.
Veracruz recipes use corn, beans and squash, much like the rest of Mexico, but Veracruzians' diets are also typically supplemented by tropical foods such as chili pepper
s, tomatoes, avocado
s, papaya
, mamey
and sapote
fruit. The Spanish introduced herbs such as parsley
, thyme
, marjoram
, bay laurel
and cilantro as well as saffron
, wheat, rice, almonds, olives/olive oil, garlic and capers. These are far more prevalent in Veracruz cooking than in other parts of the country. Slaves who brought their own culture added pineapples, sugar cane and peanuts to flavor meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Other pan-Caribbean foods incorporated here include plantain
s, yuca
and sweet potato
es.
A signature dish of the area (red snapper
) uses local fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, chili peppers) and Spanish ingredients (olive oil, garlic and capers). (chicken in peanut sauce) descends from West African culinary tradition. Other popular dishes include , a rice dish baked with a variety of seafood and , a seafood soup reputed to cure hangover
s.
Coffeehouses are a center of social life in the city, and the Gran Café del Portal and the Café de la Parroquia are the two best known establishments. To request a refill, customers clink the sides of their glasses (not cups) with their spoons. This clinking can be heard from the early morning to late at night. The story behind this custom is that a trolley driver used to ring his bell when he was a block away from the Gran Café del Portal to let the waiters know he was coming. When the driver died, his casket was borne on the trolley and when it passed the establishment, the customers and waiters clinked glasses in his honor.
The song "La Bamba
" made famous by Ritchie Valens
has it roots in the Veracruz "son"
style of music, which originated in southern Veracruz state, with African and Caribbean influence, and is popular throughout Mexico, Latin America and the United States. Traditional Veracruzian music is called "Son Jarocho
". Although there are many types of son music found in Mexico, the Son Jarocho is typically associated with the city of Veracruz. Other types of son include "Son Comercial". This style is faster and flashier than the traditional Son Jarocho and can be heard in Mexican folkdance exhibitions
, when Veracruz women with long white dresses and fans dance with partners also dressed in white. The Son Comercial developed in the 1940s from the Son Jarocho, and is so pervasive that today many incorrectly consider it the original. The Casa de Cultura has a workshops for traditional music and son singers can be heard just about anytime on the main plaza (Zocalo)
The Veracruz Carnaval has been celebrated every year since 1866, during the empire of Maximilian I. At that time, a request was made to sponsor "Festival of Masks" which would consist of dances at the principal social gathering sites of the city such as the main theater. While the events were officially held at these locations, others took advantage of the celebration on the streets, near these sites. Eventually, the event became based in the historic center of the city and focused on the Carnaval Parade of Veracruz. Today, the event begins with the "Burning of Bad Humor" and ends wIth the "Burial of Juan Carnaval". Carnaval here is the largest in the country. Filmmaking is also done in the municipality.
serves the city with daily service to Mexico City as well as international service to Houston and Dallas. The commercial passenger airlines to currently serve VER airport are Aeromexico
, Interjet
, United-Continental, American Airlines
, Aeromar
Vivaaerobus and Mayair.
Veracruz is linked to Mexico City by a four-lane toll highway which also passes through Cordoba and Puebla. Half-way between Veracruz and Cordoba it is connected to the La Tinaja-Cosoleacaque toll highway which goes as far as Villahermosa, Tabasco. There is another toll highway to the state capital Xalapa
.
was established in 1944. It was created by joining a number of professional and higher education establishments together. It is now the main center of higher education in the state of Veracruz, with five campuses and twenty-two satellite locations in the state. The student population is approximately 70,000, offering degrees in sixty different fields.
The Technological Institute of Veracruz was founded in 1946 by Ismael Lagunes Lastra. It started out as the School of Arts and Letters, with a mission to train students for the jobs associated with the developing port and industrial base of the city. It started teaching students at the secondary and high school level, later adding bachelor's degree programs. In 1952, the school received a grant of lands by the federal and state governments to expand. Technical programs were added in the 1960s and have become the main part of the school’s work.
There are many other private universities such as Cristóbal Colón University, mainly dedicated to architecture and administration http://www.ver.ucc.mx/ and UNIMEX, which was founded in 1991 and focuses on marketing, graphic design and law.http://www.unimexver.edu.mx/
and John Hawkins
. As the Spanish did initially, Veracruz was the point of invasion for other countries such as France and the United States.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Veracruz's importance waned as trade to Europe diminished. The port was refurbished at the beginning of the 20th century, but petroleum production was the primary income for the state rather than the port. This began to change in the latter half of the 20th century, and the port has surged back to the state's economic forefront,
In 1991, the federal government took over the port of Veracruz to correct the handling of merchandise through here. Later that same year, the first private shipping companies began operations. In 1993, the Law of Ports was passed regularizing the operations of ports in the country. Under this law was created the Administración Portuaria de Veracruz (Port Authority of Veracruz).
In the 2000s, the port continues to handle all kinds of cargo, moving 16.1 million tons of products in 2004. This figure is expected to rise once modernization efforts have finished, especially a truck bypass that leads directly from the highway to the port. Veracruz is the gateway for Mexico's automobile industry, which is concentrated in the center of the country, in the states around Mexico City. This port has several advantages. It is the first to be equipped specifically for shipping automobiles. Located on the south-central coast, Veracruz is closer to car manufacturers and has better access to both import and export markets in the U.S., Europe, Central and South America than other Mexican ports. In 2004, the port handled 70% of the automobiles exported. With traffic expected rise the port authorities unveiled a program to enlarge the port's infrastructure and expand operations by 2010.
to the northeast, and has an average altitude of ten meters above seal level. The area is flat with little in the way of elevations and is crossed by the Medio, Grande and Tonayán Rivers. There are also beaches here such as the Sacrificios and Verde. Its climate is tropical with an average temperature of 25.3 °C (77.4 °F). Vegetation is mostly of the rainforest type, with many trees losing leaves during the winter dry season. Fauna mostly consists of birds, small mammals and insects.
Much of the land in the municipality outside of the city is used for agriculture and livestock. Principal crops include corn, beans, watermelon, oranges, sorghum
, mango
, pineapple and sugar cane. Livestock raised includes cattle, pigs, sheep, fowl and horses. There is also some forestry. The municipality contains deposits of marble, lime, cement, sand and clay. In and around the city there are a number of industrial sites producing paints and solvents, food products, plastics, petrochemicals and metals.
;
Cuba
;
Finland
;
Germany
;
Guatemala
;
Holland;
Honduras
;
Italy
;
El Salvador
;
Switzerland
Aw), for its coastal location on the warm coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in southeastern Mexico. There is a prominent wet season, typically lasting from June to October, when a vast majority of the yearly precipitation falls, and most afternoons witness rainfall in the form of large tropical thunderstorms; originating in the moist atmosphere above the Gulf of Mexico. The dry season of the year spans from November to May, and ushers in clear skies, substantially lower humidity, and slightly cooler temperatures; making it the much more desirable part of the year for visiting tourists as oppose to the stormy, humid wet season. Many tourists visit Veracruz during Christmas and March Break, in the midst of the winter's comfortably warm dry season. Veracruz receives an average of 1757 mm (69.2 in) of precipitation annually. The wettest month of the year is July with an average monthly total of 419.9 mm (16.5 in) of rainfall, while the driest month of the year is March with an average monthly total of 14.5 mm (0.570866141732284 in) of rainfall. Temperature-wise, the warmest months of the year are June and August, both sharing mean temperatures of 27.7°C, while the coolest month of the year is January with a mean temperature of 21.5°C.
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
in the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located 90 km (55.9 mi) along Federal Highway 140
Mexican Federal Highway 140
Mexican Federal Highway 140 is a Federal Highway of Mexico....
from the state capital Xalapa
Xalapa
Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of...
, and is the state's most populous city. The city's population is actually greater than the municipality's population, since part of the city extends into neighboring Boca del Río Municipality
Boca del Río, Veracruz
Boca del Río is a city and municipality located in the center of the state of Veracruz. The small city of Boca del Río serves as the seat of the municipality. The municipality lies just south of Veracruz Municipality, and contains a part of the city and port of Veracruz, Mexico...
. At the 2010 census the city had 554,830 inhabitants, 428,323 in Veracruz Municipality and 126,507 in Boca del Río Municipality. Veracruz is Mexico’s oldest, largest, and historically most significant port.
When Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
arrived in Mexico in 1519, this was the place where he founded a city with the name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, referring to the area’s gold and the fact he landed on a Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
. The settlement became the first on the American mainland and the first to receive a coat-of-arms. During the colonial period, this city had the largest mercantile class and was at times wealthier even than Mexico City. This wealth made it attractive to pirates, against which fortifications such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa were built. In the 19th century, Veracruz saw a number of invasions, mostly by France and the United States with the last invasion occurring in 1914
Tampico Affair
The Tampico Affair started off as a minor incident involving U.S. sailors and Mexican land forces loyal to General Victoriano Huerta during the guerra de las facciones phase of the Mexican Revolution...
. For much of the 20th century, the production of petroleum was more important for the state, but in the latter twentieth century and into the twenty-first, the port has re-emerged as the main economic engine, becoming the main port for most of Mexico’s imports and exports, especially for the automotive industry.
Veracruz’s status as a port has made the city a blend of cultures, mostly indigenous, Spanish and Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
. The influence of these three is best seen in the food and music of the area, which has strong Spanish, Caribbean and African influences.
History
Juan de Grijalva
Juan de Grijalva was a Spanish conquistador. Some authors said he was from the same family as Diego Velázquez.He went to Hispaniola in 1508 and to Cuba in 1511....
first arrived to the island known as San Juan de Ulúa
San Juan de Ulúa
San Juan de Ulúa, also known as Castle of San Juan de Ulúa is a large complex of fortresses, prisons and one former palace on an island overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico.-History:...
in 1518, along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Bernal Díaz del Castillo was a conquistador, who wrote an eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards for Hernán Cortés, himself serving as a rodelero under Cortés.-Early life:...
. The island was named San Juan because the expedition landed on the feast of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, and in honor of the captain. “de Ulúa” is derived from the local name for the Aztecs, “coluha” or “acolhua.” The story is that when the Spanish arrived, they found two young men who had been sacrificed. Then asked what happened, the local people stated that the Aztecs had ordered their sacrifice. The word for Aztec here evolved into Ulúa.
Because the first expedition detected the presence of gold in the region, a second expedition under the command of Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519. Cortés and his men landed at the shore opposite the island where Grijalva had moored, which has the pre-Hispanic name of Chalchihuecan. The Spanish settlement of Veracruz was founded by Hernán Cortés, Francisco de Montejo
Francisco de Montejo
Francisco de Montejo y Alvarez was a Spanish conquistador in Mexico and Central America.Francisco de Montejo was born in Salamanca, Spain, in 1479 to Juan de Montejo and Catalina Alvarez de Tejeda. He left Spain in 1514, and arrived in Cuba in time to join Grijalva's expedition along the coast of...
and Alonso Hernández Portocarrero with the name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. The name “Villa Rica” (Rich village) referred to the gold that was found here and “Veracruz” (True Cross) was added because the Cortés expedition landed on Good Friday. Veracruz was established as the first city with the first city council on the American continent when Hernán Cortés and his soldiers elected a “Justicia Mayor” and a “Capitán General” establishing Villa Rica de Vera Cruz. The city was the first on mainland America to receive a coat of arms, which was authorized by Carlos V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, Spain on 4 July 1523.
The original settlement was moved to what is now known as Antigua, at the mouth of the Huitzilpan or Antigua River shortly thereafter. This separated the city from the port, as ships could not enter the shallow river. Ships continued to dock at San Juan de Ulúa, with small boats being used to ferry goods on and off the ships. This led to large scale smuggling of goods to avoid customs officials. This prompted the Spanish Crown to order the settlements return to the original site that Cortés founded at the end of the 16th century. Docks were then constructed on the island as well as an observation tower to ensure that goods went through customs officials.
Like most of the rest of Mexico, European diseases and maltreatment decimated the indigenous population after the Spanish arrived. African slaves were brought to Mexico via the port of Veracruz to work on sugarcane plantations, with the state having the largest enslaved population in Mexico in the 16th century.
By the end of the 16th century, roads were constructed to link Veracruz with other cities such as Córdoba
Córdoba, Veracruz
Córdoba, officially known as Heroica Córdoba, is a city and the seat of the municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It was founded in 1618....
, Orizaba, Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
, Xalapa
Xalapa
Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of...
and Perote, as gold and silver became the principal exports. This caused the city problems with pirates, prompting the construction of Fort San Juan de Ulúa on the island where Grijalva landed in the mid 16th century. The city began to grow starting at the beginning of the 17th century, with the construction of what is now the municipal palace, the monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Merced and the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de Loreto. In 1618, a major fire here nearly reduced much of the city to ashes. In 1640, the Barlovento Armada was stationed here for further protection against pirates. Through the rest of the colonial period, this was the most important port in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
, with a large wealthy merchant class that was more prosperous than Mexico City..
The pirates Van Hoorn, Laurens de Graaf
Laurens de Graaf
Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf (ca. 1653, Dordrecht, Dutch Republic – probably 24 May 1704, Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue, alias Laurencillo/Lorencillo & El Griffe (Spanish); Sieur de Baldran, alias de Graff (French); or...
and Michel de Grammont
Michel de Grammont
Michel de Grammont was a French pirate. He was born in Paris, France and was lost at sea, north-east Caribbean, April 1686. His pirate career was from c.1670 - 1686. His flagship was the Hardi.-Pirate career:...
attacks Vera Cruz in 1683.
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
, Spanish troops were placed here to maintain Mexico City’s sea link with Spain. In 1816, Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
was in charge of royalist troops countering the insurgency. In 1820, insurgents took the city, despite Santa Anna’s failed attempts to stop them. The last viceroy of New Spain Juan O'Donojú
Juan O'Donojú
Juan O'Donojú y O'Rian was a Spanish military officer and jefe político superior of New Spain from July 21, 1821 to September 28, 1821, during Mexico's war of independence...
arrived here in 1821, signing the Treaty of Córdoba
Treaty of Córdoba
The Treaty of Córdova established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guarantees, Agustín de Iturbide, and acting on behalf of the...
with Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
at Fort San Juan de Ulúa. In 1823, Spanish troops left at Fort San Juan de Ulúa fired on the newly independent Mexican city of Veracruz. The city’s defense against this earned it its first title of “Heroic City.” The second title of "Heroic City" was earned for the French attack here during the Pastry War
Pastry War
The Pastry War was an invasion of Mexico by French forces in 1838.-Background:The war arose from the widespread civil disorder that plagued the early years of the Mexican republic. In 1828, President Manuel Gómez Pedraza ejected Lorenzo de Zavala from the office of governor of the state of México...
in 1837.
The next battle was the 1847 U.S. invasion of Veracruz as part of the Mexican-American War. The city was defended by General Juan Morales and General José Juan de Landero, but they were forced to surrender a few days later. This would lead to Veracruz’s third title of “Heroic City.”
Ten years later, civil war between liberals and conservatives forced Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
’s government to flee Mexico City. Juárez fled to Veracruz and governed from there in 1857. In the 1860s, the port was occupied by Spanish troops trying to enforce foreign debt payments suspended by Benito Juárez. French occupation under Maximiliano I
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
began when the emperor and his wife Carlota of Belgium arrived in 1864.
The conflicts and damaged trade relations with Europe took its toll on the port of Veracruz. By 1902, the port had degraded into one of the most dangerous on the American coast. President Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
contracted with foreign enterprises to modernize the port’s infrastructure.
In 1914, the port was again attacked and occupied by the United States, which would lead to the city's fourth title of "Heroic City".
After the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, most port workers were unionized. Through most of the 20th century, a number of legal and political initiatives intended to better workers’ lives had effects on the operations of the port. Eventually, unions came to have great power over the operations and tariffs charged. By the latter part of the 20th century, competing unions made the operations of the port difficult, which included blocking access to the port from federal roads and corruption. In the 1970s, a commission was established to design a new administrative system for the ports of Mexico. This eventually resulted in federal laws allowing the government to take control over ports such as Veracruz. The federal government once again worked to modernize the port, especially with automation of loading and unloading, leading to a loss of 80% of the ports jobs and strikes. This led to a unification of the dockworkers' unions, giving most of them a stake in a new company to manage the port's functions called the Empresa de Servicios Portuarios de Veracruz, S.A. de C.V. The old Compañia Terminal de Veracruz was dissolved in 1988 and the new organization was fully in place in 1991.
In September 2010, Hurricane Karl, a small, strong Category 3 hurricane, caused widespread flooding and damage affecting approximately half a million people. Sixteen are confirmed dead with another eleven missing. Sixty five municipalities in the state were declared disaster areas. Preliminary damage estimates total up to $3.9 billion USD and $50 billion MXN.
Much of the most recent development is in the south of the city and in the neighboring municipality of Boca del Río, linked by a ten-kilometer road along the shore that caters to tourists and business travelers. The hotels in Veracruz are more rustic and traditional; the modern ones are in Boca del Río
Boca del Río, Veracruz
Boca del Río is a city and municipality located in the center of the state of Veracruz. The small city of Boca del Río serves as the seat of the municipality. The municipality lies just south of Veracruz Municipality, and contains a part of the city and port of Veracruz, Mexico...
, especially near Playa Mocambo.
Notable sites
Veracruz is not as popular a tourist destination as many other resort areas. However the city has been promoting itself as a tourist location with new attractions such as the Veracruz Aquarium and the City Museum and the renovation of old ones such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa and the Naval Academy.The cultural center of the city is its main plaza, officially named Plaza de las Armas but commonly called the Zocalo. In this tree-filled square, in which have camped a number of foreign invading armies, is occupied from morning to night with people playing dominos, selling food, cigars, etc. playing music, dancing and other activities. It is more crowded in the evening where just about every night the danzón
Danzón
Danzón is the official dance of Cuba. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and is still beloved in Puerto Rico where Verdeluz, a modern danzón by Puerto Rican composer Antonio Cabán Vale is considered the unofficial national anthem...
is danced. This dance was brought over to Mexico from Cuba by refugees in the 1870s. It was originally restricted to the lower classes but eventually gained accepted by all levels of society. This is sponsored by several dance schools dedicated to keeping the tradition alive. Around the plaza there are numerous shops and restaurants as well as the municipal palace and the cathedral.
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
with a tower at one of the corners. It is said that this tower was used to keep watch on the ships entering and leaving the port. It has a large courtyards surrounded by wide arches and is the oldest city government building in Mexico.
The city's cathedral, named Virgen de la Asunción, is also located on the Zocalo. This cathedral was begun in the 17th century and finished in 1731. It was modified in the 19th century but did not become a cathedral until 1963. The building has five nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
s, with an octagonal cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
covered in Puebla tiles
Talavera (pottery)
Talavera pottery of Puebla, Mexico is a type of majolica pottery, which is distinguished by a milky-white glaze. Authentic Talavera pottery only comes from the city of Puebla and the nearby communities of Atlixco, Cholula, and Tecali, because of the quality of the natural clay found there and the...
. The tower was begun in the early 20th century and has its own small cupola. The main facade is Neoclassic
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
with two levels and a crest. The lower level contains an arched entrance flanked by two Doric columns
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
and the upper level contains the choral window, above which is a medallion. The interior is simple with crystal candelabras.
Pemex
Petróleos Mexicanos or Pemex is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. As of 2010, with a total asset worth of $415.75 billion, it is the second non-publicly listed largest company in the world by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009...
Tower, the old lighthouse, which was the seat of government for Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
, and the Crafts Market. Also here on Marina Mercante Street is the Old Customs Building, the Postal and Telegraph twin buildings as well as the old railroad terminal, which was luxurious enough that it had its own hotel in the 1920s. The Juarez Hemicycle Monument is also here, in front of the Civil Registry Building that contains the first birth certificate issued in the country.
The malecón (boardwalk) stretches for kilometers along the Gulf of Mexico leading away from the city center into the suburbs. This area is popular at night, when people stroll and exercise, enjoying the ocean breezes. Near the city center, the malecón is crowded with merchants selling knick-knacks, souvenirs, jewelry made with seashells and t-shirts.
Fort San Juan de Ulúa is located on an island, now connected to land, of the same name. The island is part of the La Gallega coral reef and has about 2,500 meters of beach. The full reef covers about 100 hectares and varies in depth between sixty and ninety centimeters, forming a natural break. In the pre-Hispanic era, this island was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca. The site where the Spanish first landed is now the container ship terminal of the port. However, most of the island is occupied by the fort. This fort was where the Spanish first landed to conquer Mexico and was also their last stand during and just after the Mexican War of Independence. For the time in-between, the location also serves as a reminder of the days of piracy and the Inquisition
Mexican Inquisition
The Mexican Inquisition was an extension of the Spanish Inquisition into the New World. The Spanish Conquest of Mexico was not only a political event for the Spanish, but a religious event as well. In the early 16th century, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation and the Inquisition were in full...
. The fort was begun here in 1582 to protect the city from pirates. The danger of attack by foreign powers prompted the Spanish to enlarge the fort in 1635. It was finished in 1707.
After the War of Independence ended in 1821, the Spanish kept control of the island and fort, and occasionally would bombard Mexican forces on land. This area was finally handed over to Mexico in 1825. The fort next saw action in 1838 during the Pastry War with the French. In 1847, it would witness the invasion of U.S. forces during the Mexican-American War.
In the 19th century, the fort was converted into a military prison. The fort’s narrow stone passageways lead to a series of dungeons with walls 24-feet thick in some places. Those cells which were darker and hotter were reserved for those charged with more serious crimes. A few of the most dreaded dungeons were nicknamed "Heaven", "Purgatory" and "Hell". Some of prison’s more famous prisoners include Fray Servando Teresa de Mier
Servando Teresa de Mier
Fray Servando Teresa de Mier was a Roman Catholic priest and a preacher and politician in New Spain....
and Benito Juárez, both political prisoners. But the most famous is Jesús Arriaga, better known as "Chucho el Roto
Chucho el Roto
Chucho el Roto was a Mexican bandit active in the late 19th century, whose life story has been the basis of number of books, plays and other media since before his death. His real name was Jesús Arriaga; the nickname Chucho is a common dimmunutive of Jesús in Mexico and roto, literally...
". Most people visit San Juan de Ulúa due to the legend of this bandit.
Jesús Arriaga, better known as "Chucho el Roto", was held at Fort San Juan de Ulúa where he died. It is not known whether he died of natural causes, as a result of a fight with other prisoners or by other means. Chucho was a Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
figure who lived during the 19th century. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, inspiring songs and poetry such as the verses penned by Rafeal de Zayas Enriquez. Chucho was arrested in Querétaro after a jewelry store heist. He was sent to the Belen Prison in Mexico City, then to Veracruz. He was also renowned as a seducer of women, especially those who were rich and lonely. Most of his targets were jewelry shops, pawnshops and the homes of the wealthy.
Along with Fort San Juan de Ulúa, the city used to be walled in for protection against pirates and invasions. All that is left of these walls is the "Baluarte", a small fortress. The 1635 structure has thick, sturdy walls with cannons outwards to the sea. Inside is a tiny museum that has an exquisite exhibition of pre-Hispanic jewelry discovered by a fisherman in the 1970s.
The Veracruz Aquarium was built in 1992 and is the largest and most important in Latin America. The Freshwater Gallery consists of thirteen exhibitions containing 562,177 liters of water. These exhibitions contain aquatic species from Asia, Africa, South America as well as Mexico. The Reef Tank is best known for its sharks. The Salt Water Gallery contains fourteen tanks with tanks dedicated to the species of Veracruz, the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There is also another exhibit dedicated to sharks, which contains 25 species that swim around visitors as they pass through a glass tunnel built through the tank. There is also an exhibit dedicated entirely to manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
s.
The Heroica Escuela Naval (Heroic Naval School) was founded here in 1897 by José María de Vega, then Secretary of the Navy
Secretary of the Navy (Mexico)
In Mexico, the Secretary of the Navy is a member of the federal executive cabinet with responsibility for managing the country's navy and marine forces. The secretary is appointed by the President of the Republic and heads the Secretariat of the Navy...
. The school was founded because at the time, Mexico was dependent on the hiring of foreign sailors and foreign training of its officers to staff its Navy as prior attempts to establish an academy had failed. The project to establish the school here was approved by Porfirio Diaz to train both Navy and Merchant Marine officers, to be based on similar schools in Western Europe.
The City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad) is located at the intersections of Zaragoza and Esteban Morales streets in the historic center. It is housed in a two-story building which is of neoclassic
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
design built between the mid and latter 19th century. The main facade on Zaragoza Street has an enormous main door with posts, framed by Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s, which reach to the upper floor, and toped by a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
and a cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. The building was originally constructed to be an asylum, but in 1861, the French invaded Veracruz
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
and the building was commandeered for other purposes until 1870. The asylum then operated here for almost 100 years, until the construction of new facilities in the south of the city, and work was undertaken to restore and modify the building for a museum. The City Museum was inaugurated in 1970 and contains exhibits relating to the history of the city of Veracruz.
Agustín Lara
Agustín Lara was a Mexican singer and songwriter.-Biography:Lara was born in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. Later, the Lara family had to move again to Mexico City, establishing their house in the borough of Coyoacán. After Lara's mother died, Agustín and his siblings lived in a hospice run by their...
, located in what was his house just outside Veracruz city in Boca del Río. News clips, caricatures and a replica of the radio studio where he hosted "La Hora Azul" ("The Blue Hour") are among the items on display. Lara was one of the city's most famous sons as a popular songwriter and singer in Mexico. Lara began his career playing the piano in brothels and later became a bullfighter. Lara had seven wives, one of whom was Mexican screen diva María "La Doña" Félix, for whom he wrote the song, "María Bonita". To be a gentleman, when he and Félix were about to break up, he married her to "make an honest woman of her" even though they had lived together for years.
Veracruz is primarily a commercial port, but there are some beaches and other sea attractions. The most contentious attraction is the island called Isla de Sacrificios
Isla de Sacrificios
Isla de Sacrificios is an island in Gulf of Mexico waters, situated off the Gulf coastline near the port of Veracruz, in Mexico. The waters surrounding the island are part of the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano National Marine Park...
, which lies just off the coast of the city and measures 450 meters long and 198 meters wide. The island is part of a system of twenty three coral reefs called the Veracruz Reef System which is a national park. It is possible to kayak to the Isla de Sacrificios to observe seagulls, pelicans and the fish that inhabit the coral reef. In 1983, a study and initial cleanup project was undertaken at the island, which collected fifty tons of trash. Shortly thereafter, the island was closed to the public and since then, there has been a struggle between authorities, tour operators and fisherman as to the fate of the island. There are those who would like to build hotels, restaurants and other facilities for ecotourism. However, access to the island has been restricted to research, teaching and the occasional sporting event.
Other small islands and shoals off the coast include: Isla de Enmedio, Isla Verde
Isla Verde
Isla Verde can refer to:*Isla Verde, Puerto Rico*Isla Verde Passage, Batangas, Philippines...
, Anegada de Adentro, Santiaguillo and Anegada de Afuera, the last two next to Anton Lizardo beach. All of them are enclosed into the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano national park and make fine sites for SCUBA diving. There are several operators offering scuba equipment and tours both in Veracruz and in Boca del Rio as well. The best season for scuba diving is May to August.
For 400 years, the island has suffered ecologically from the pillaging of its coral reefs and archeological pieces and pollution. Current pollution problems are mostly due to untreated wastewater that flows into the ocean from the city and from the polluted Jamapa River. Its coastline has been modified and more than 200 hectares of reefs in its littoral zone have been pillaged. Coral and other marine species have been taken for commercial and craft purposes, as well as by fishermen. Some of these reefs are already dead due to pollution. Since the island was closed, there has been some recuperation of marine life here.
Ruins here have not been extensively studied but cover more than 700 years of history. In the pre-Hispanic era, the island was considered sacred and sanctuary on which to perform religious rites. Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
was frequently performed and the remains buried here. There was a small altar here but it has not been found. The Spanish built a hospital here, but all that is left of this is part of one wall. Later, a storage faculty to store gunpowder was built, as well as an obelisk during the French Intervention, but these have crumbled as well. Only a small lighthouse currently exists. About 800 archeological pieces have been partially excavated on the island but cannot be exhibited because the humidity and weather would damage them.
Reopening the island is difficult because the ecosystem here is delicate, and any construction could damage archeological sites and valuable pieces. Any plans to reopen the island to visitors will require the participation of the Veracruz Reef System Park, to which it belongs, as well as Secretariat of the Navy, INAH, the Veracruz Aquarium and other government agencies negotiating with the local associations of hotels, tour operators and fishermen. So far, government agencies have blocked efforts to develop anything on the island. An ecotourism project consisting of guided tours is considered the most viable, such as that proposed by the Veracruzana University
Universidad Veracruzana
Universidad Veracruzana a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the south-east region of México and has a good projection in all México...
and the Aquarium, but there is concern on the part of INAH and the Secretariat of the Navy.
On the mainland, there are a number of beaches. Playa Martí is located between the city of Veracruz and Boca del Río, five km from the historic center. This beach is equipped with goals and nets for soccer and volleyball. The Playa de Hornos is located next to the Veracruz Aquarium. It is safe to swim here and there are tables, chairs and umbrellas to rent, as well as food stands. During the high seasons there are lifeguards and banana boats to rent. There are also boats that take tourist to the Isla de Sacrificio and Canuncito. Villa del Mar is just south of Playa de Hornos and is more popular.
Culture
Because of its importance as Mexico's principal Caribbean and Atlantic sea port, Veracruz has always been a locus for the mixture of different cultures, particularly native Mexican, Spanish and African. During the colonial period, African slaves were brought to work in the fields and shipyards. Since Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, other groups of immigrants, such as Italians and Cubans, have made their homes in the city.Sugar and rum production which in colonial times demanded slave labor and an immigrant workforce after independence has brought forth this mixture of cultures. Moreover, as the home of the Naval Academy of Mexico, one can see not only Mexican sailors but also foreign travelers wandering the town. The city has a reputation for being boisterous, with people in the squares listening to music late into the night - only then to wake up early the next morning to drink coffee at sidewalk cafes.
Veracruz recipes use corn, beans and squash, much like the rest of Mexico, but Veracruzians' diets are also typically supplemented by tropical foods such as chili pepper
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
s, tomatoes, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
s, papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
, mamey
Mamey
Mamey is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine...
and sapote
Sapote
Sapote is a term for a soft, edible fruit. The word is incorporated into the common names of several unrelated fruit-bearing plants native to Mexico, Central America and northern parts of South America....
fruit. The Spanish introduced herbs such as parsley
Parsley
Parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region , naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.- Description :Garden parsley is a bright green hairless biennial herbaceous plant in temperate...
, thyme
Thyme
Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
, marjoram
Marjoram
Marjoram is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours...
, bay laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
and cilantro as well as saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
, wheat, rice, almonds, olives/olive oil, garlic and capers. These are far more prevalent in Veracruz cooking than in other parts of the country. Slaves who brought their own culture added pineapples, sugar cane and peanuts to flavor meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Other pan-Caribbean foods incorporated here include plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
s, yuca
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
es.
A signature dish of the area (red snapper
Red Snapper
Red Snapper may refer to:Fish:* Several species from the genus Lutjanus, for example the red snapper .* Several species from the genus Sebastes, for example the vermilion rockfish and yelloweye rockfish Red Snapper may refer to:Fish:* Several species from the genus Lutjanus, for example the red...
) uses local fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, chili peppers) and Spanish ingredients (olive oil, garlic and capers). (chicken in peanut sauce) descends from West African culinary tradition. Other popular dishes include , a rice dish baked with a variety of seafood and , a seafood soup reputed to cure hangover
Hangover
A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the...
s.
The song "La Bamba
La Bamba
La Bamba may refer to:*La Bamba , a 1987 film based on the life and death of Ritchie Valens*"La Bamba" , a folk song best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens*"La Bomba" , a 2000 Latin pop song by King Africa...
" made famous by Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
has it roots in the Veracruz "son"
Son (music)
The Son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin...
style of music, which originated in southern Veracruz state, with African and Caribbean influence, and is popular throughout Mexico, Latin America and the United States. Traditional Veracruzian music is called "Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the...
". Although there are many types of son music found in Mexico, the Son Jarocho is typically associated with the city of Veracruz. Other types of son include "Son Comercial". This style is faster and flashier than the traditional Son Jarocho and can be heard in Mexican folkdance exhibitions
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Ballet Folklórico de México is a folkloric ballet ensemble in Mexico City. For five decades it has presented dances in costumes that reflect the traditional culture of Mexico...
, when Veracruz women with long white dresses and fans dance with partners also dressed in white. The Son Comercial developed in the 1940s from the Son Jarocho, and is so pervasive that today many incorrectly consider it the original. The Casa de Cultura has a workshops for traditional music and son singers can be heard just about anytime on the main plaza (Zocalo)
The Veracruz Carnaval has been celebrated every year since 1866, during the empire of Maximilian I. At that time, a request was made to sponsor "Festival of Masks" which would consist of dances at the principal social gathering sites of the city such as the main theater. While the events were officially held at these locations, others took advantage of the celebration on the streets, near these sites. Eventually, the event became based in the historic center of the city and focused on the Carnaval Parade of Veracruz. Today, the event begins with the "Burning of Bad Humor" and ends wIth the "Burial of Juan Carnaval". Carnaval here is the largest in the country. Filmmaking is also done in the municipality.
Transportation
General Heriberto Jara International AirportGeneral Heriberto Jara International Airport
General Heriberto Jara International Airport or Veracruz International Airport is an international airport located at Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic for the city of Veracruz.-Expansion and Renovation Works:...
serves the city with daily service to Mexico City as well as international service to Houston and Dallas. The commercial passenger airlines to currently serve VER airport are Aeromexico
Aeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
, Interjet
Interjet
ABC Aerolíneas, S.A. de C.V., operating as Interjet, is a low-cost airline with its headquarters in Lomas de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico. The airline operates scheduled flights to 24 domestic and 3 international destinations out of Toluca Airport and Mexico City International...
, United-Continental, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Aeromar
Aeromar
For the Dominican Republic airline, see Aeromar Líneas Aéreas DominicanasTransportes Aeromar, S.A. de C.V, doing business as Aeromar, is an airline based in Hangar 7 of Zone D of the General Aviation Terminal at Mexico City International Airport in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City, Mexico. Aeromar...
Vivaaerobus and Mayair.
Veracruz is linked to Mexico City by a four-lane toll highway which also passes through Cordoba and Puebla. Half-way between Veracruz and Cordoba it is connected to the La Tinaja-Cosoleacaque toll highway which goes as far as Villahermosa, Tabasco. There is another toll highway to the state capital Xalapa
Xalapa
Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of...
.
Education
The Universidad VeracruzanaUniversidad Veracruzana
Universidad Veracruzana a public autonomous university located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Established in 1944, the university is one of the most important in the south-east region of México and has a good projection in all México...
was established in 1944. It was created by joining a number of professional and higher education establishments together. It is now the main center of higher education in the state of Veracruz, with five campuses and twenty-two satellite locations in the state. The student population is approximately 70,000, offering degrees in sixty different fields.
The Technological Institute of Veracruz was founded in 1946 by Ismael Lagunes Lastra. It started out as the School of Arts and Letters, with a mission to train students for the jobs associated with the developing port and industrial base of the city. It started teaching students at the secondary and high school level, later adding bachelor's degree programs. In 1952, the school received a grant of lands by the federal and state governments to expand. Technical programs were added in the 1960s and have become the main part of the school’s work.
There are many other private universities such as Cristóbal Colón University, mainly dedicated to architecture and administration http://www.ver.ucc.mx/ and UNIMEX, which was founded in 1991 and focuses on marketing, graphic design and law.http://www.unimexver.edu.mx/
The port
Veracruz is Mexico's oldest and largest port and the port most connected with its history. During the colonial period, it was the most important port in New Spain, with a large wealthy merchant class that was more prosperous than Mexico City. From the port of Veracruz were exported turkeys, corn, beans, avocados, and cotton to Spain. From Spain came fava beans, wheat, rice, cattle, pigs, fabric, wine and other goods. In the mid 16th century, so much gold and silver was found in Veracruz that it became the bulk of the exports to Spain. This attracted pirates, mostly from Britain and Holland, such as Francis DrakeFrancis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
and John Hawkins
John Hawkins
Admiral Sir John Hawkins was an English shipbuilder, naval administrator and commander, merchant, navigator, and slave trader. As treasurer and controller of the Royal Navy, he rebuilt older ships and helped design the faster ships that withstood the Spanish Armada in 1588...
. As the Spanish did initially, Veracruz was the point of invasion for other countries such as France and the United States.
In 1991, the federal government took over the port of Veracruz to correct the handling of merchandise through here. Later that same year, the first private shipping companies began operations. In 1993, the Law of Ports was passed regularizing the operations of ports in the country. Under this law was created the Administración Portuaria de Veracruz (Port Authority of Veracruz).
In the 2000s, the port continues to handle all kinds of cargo, moving 16.1 million tons of products in 2004. This figure is expected to rise once modernization efforts have finished, especially a truck bypass that leads directly from the highway to the port. Veracruz is the gateway for Mexico's automobile industry, which is concentrated in the center of the country, in the states around Mexico City. This port has several advantages. It is the first to be equipped specifically for shipping automobiles. Located on the south-central coast, Veracruz is closer to car manufacturers and has better access to both import and export markets in the U.S., Europe, Central and South America than other Mexican ports. In 2004, the port handled 70% of the automobiles exported. With traffic expected rise the port authorities unveiled a program to enlarge the port's infrastructure and expand operations by 2010.
The municipality
As municipal seat, the city of Veracruz is the governing authority for 128 other named localities during the 2010 census, forming a municipality with a territory of 241 km² (93.1 sq mi). The population of the municipality is 552,156 inhabitants, of whom 428,323 or approximately 77.6% live in municipality's portion of the city proper. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of La Antigua, Boca del Río, Manlio Fabio Altamirano, Medellín, and Paso de Ovejas, with the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
to the northeast, and has an average altitude of ten meters above seal level. The area is flat with little in the way of elevations and is crossed by the Medio, Grande and Tonayán Rivers. There are also beaches here such as the Sacrificios and Verde. Its climate is tropical with an average temperature of 25.3 °C (77.4 °F). Vegetation is mostly of the rainforest type, with many trees losing leaves during the winter dry season. Fauna mostly consists of birds, small mammals and insects.
Much of the land in the municipality outside of the city is used for agriculture and livestock. Principal crops include corn, beans, watermelon, oranges, sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, pineapple and sugar cane. Livestock raised includes cattle, pigs, sheep, fowl and horses. There is also some forestry. The municipality contains deposits of marble, lime, cement, sand and clay. In and around the city there are a number of industrial sites producing paints and solvents, food products, plastics, petrochemicals and metals.
Towns and villages
The largest localities (cities, towns, and villages) are:| Name | 2010 census population |
|---|---|
| Veracruz (part) Veracruz, Veracruz Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most... |
428,323 |
| Valente Díaz | 25,700 |
| Las Amapolas | 14,553 |
| Fraccionamiento Geovillas los Pinos | 12,840 |
| Colinas de Santa Fe | 6,211 |
| Las Bajadas | 4,829 |
| Los Torrentes | 4,665 |
| Delfino Victoria (Santa Fe) | 3,896 |
| Fraccionamiento Costa Dorada | 3,660 |
| Fraccionamiento el Campanario | 3,543 |
| Las Amapolas Dos | 3,386 |
| Oasis | 3,325 |
| Río Medio [Granja] | 2,895 |
| Lomas de Río Medio Cuatro | 2,882 |
| Vargas | 2,519 |
| Total for municipalities | 552,156 |
Sister cities
| Flag | City | Region | Country |
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Campeche | Campeche Campeche Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west... |
Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
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Xalapa Xalapa Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of... |
Veracruz Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is... |
Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
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Ensenada Ensenada, Baja California Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific... |
Baja California Baja California Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North... |
Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
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Tijuana Tijuana Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics... |
Baja California Baja California Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North... |
Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
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Honolulu | Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County, Florida Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States... |
Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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San Jose | California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the... |
Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Mobile Mobile, Alabama Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest... |
Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Galveston | Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Laredo Laredo, Texas Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,... |
Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Valencia | Valencia Province | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
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Almeria Almería Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"... |
Almeria Province | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
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Oviedo Oviedo Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city.... |
Asturias Asturias The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages... |
Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
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Cadiz Cádiz Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.... |
Cadiz Province | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
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Bratislava Bratislava Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava... |
Bratislava Region Bratislava Region The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:... |
Slovakia Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south... |
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Valparaíso Valparaíso Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region... |
Valparaíso Province Valparaíso Province Valparaíso Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso . Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso Valparaíso Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso (V). Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso Valparaíso... |
Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
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Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... |
La Habana Province La Habana Province Havana Province was one of the provinces of Cuba, prior to being divided into two new provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque on January 1, 2011. It had 711,066 people in the 2002 census. The largest city was Artemisa .-Geography:... |
Cuba Cuba The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city... |
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Cartagena de Indias | Bolívar Department Bolívar Department Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its... |
Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
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Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
Bristol | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Consulates
BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
;
Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
;
Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
;
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
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Holland;
Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
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Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
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El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
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Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Climate
Like the majority of the coastal part of Veracruz Province in which the city lies, the city of Veracruz experiences a dry-winter humid equatorial climate (KoppenKoppen
Koppen may refer to:*Dan Koppen , American football offensive lineman*Edlef Köppen , German author*Jens Köppen, German rower*Karl Friedrich Köppen, German Young Hegelian philosopher...
Aw), for its coastal location on the warm coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in southeastern Mexico. There is a prominent wet season, typically lasting from June to October, when a vast majority of the yearly precipitation falls, and most afternoons witness rainfall in the form of large tropical thunderstorms; originating in the moist atmosphere above the Gulf of Mexico. The dry season of the year spans from November to May, and ushers in clear skies, substantially lower humidity, and slightly cooler temperatures; making it the much more desirable part of the year for visiting tourists as oppose to the stormy, humid wet season. Many tourists visit Veracruz during Christmas and March Break, in the midst of the winter's comfortably warm dry season. Veracruz receives an average of 1757 mm (69.2 in) of precipitation annually. The wettest month of the year is July with an average monthly total of 419.9 mm (16.5 in) of rainfall, while the driest month of the year is March with an average monthly total of 14.5 mm (0.570866141732284 in) of rainfall. Temperature-wise, the warmest months of the year are June and August, both sharing mean temperatures of 27.7°C, while the coolest month of the year is January with a mean temperature of 21.5°C.