| 24th | Top female state governors in Mexico |
| Campeche Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche |
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| — State — | |||
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| Country |  Mexico |
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| Capital | San Francisco de Campeche | ||
| Municipalities | 11 | ||
| Largest City | San Francisco de Campeche | ||
| Admission | April 29, 1863[1] | ||
| Order | 25th | ||
| Government | |||
| - Governor | Fernando Ortega Bernés (PRI) | ||
| - Federal Deputies | PRI:2 | ||
| - Federal Senators | PRI:2 PAN:1 |
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| Area Ranked 18th |
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| - Total | 50,812 km2 (19,618.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - Total | 754,730 (Ranked 30th) | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| HDI | 0.825 - high Ranked 18th |
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| ISO 3166-2 | MX-CAM | ||
| Postal abbr. | Camps. | ||
| Website | State Government | ||
The State of Campeche is a state in the south-east region of the Mexican Republic. It is bordered by the Mexican states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west. To the south it is bordered by the Petén department of Guatemala and to the west by the Gulf of Mexico.
The area of Campeche is 56,798 square kilometers (21,929.8 sq mi), and the population was only 754,730 inhabitants at the 2005 census. This makes Campeche one of the states with the lowest population densities in Mexico (fifth behind Baja California Sur, Durango, Sonora, and Chihuahua).
The capital city of the state is the city of San Francisco de Campeche, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In addition to the city of Campeche, the state of Campeche includes the cities of Champotón, Ciudad del Carmen, and Escárcega, the towns of Bolonchén, Calkiní, Dzitbalché, Hecelchakán, Hopelchén, Lerma, Tenabo, and Sabancuy, and many ruins of the Maya civilization such as Becán, Calakmul, Silvituc, Dzibilnocac, Edzná, Hocchob, Holactún, Río Bec, Uxul, Xicalango, Xpuhil, and Xtampak.
Campeche derives from the name of the Mayan city of Kan pech, which became today's San Francisco de Campeche.
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Campeche was home to the ancient Mayan culture. Their advanced cultural and scientific development made the Maya's one of the most important pre-Hispanic cultures in Latin America. Many Maya ruins that still stand in Campeche, such as Calakmul, Chicanna, Becan, Edzna, Xpujil, Hormiguero, Balamku, and El Tigre, among many. The name Campeche has Maya origins, however its meaning has had different interpretations: the most accepted one is that Can means snake and Pech means tick, or “Site of Ticks and Snakes”; this matches the sculpture of a large snake with a tick on its head found within one of its temples.
When the Spaniards first landed on the coast of Campeche in 1517, they were defeated several times by the local leader Moch Couoh. After his death and thanks to territorial conflicts among the indigenous groups, the Spaniards were able to take control and in 1540 gave the settlement the official name of Villa de San Francisco de Campeche to honor Francisco de Montejo, “El Mozo”. The polytheist religion of the Maya civilization, which controlled every aspect of their lives, made the evangelization process of the Spaniards specially difficult to achieve in Mayan territory.
The new government readily took advantage of the geographical location of the port and this was soon reflected in a commercial boom. Salt; timber; and Palo de Tinta, timber from a tree called Tinta, were exported to foreign countries. This boom not only attracted the conquistadores, it attracted European pirates as well; during the XVII century Campeche was attacked repeatedly by them until 1704.
In 1821, at the end of the war for Independence, the new sovereign country was witness to political conflicts between liberals, conservatives, centralists and federalists. The indigenous rebellion known as the "Caste War" began at this time in the Yucatan peninsula, included the states of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The Mayas rebelled against the “white government” to regain control of their land.
The peninsula was also one of the regions in the country that rejected the imposition of a federal government. And to top it all, Campeche and Yucatan had economic conflicts between them at the same time. It wasn’t until May 3, 1858 that Campeche was formally separated from Yucatan. But it was only recognized as a sovereign region in 1863 by president Benito Juarez.
The state economy has been based on the exportation of timber and salt since the government of Porfirio Diaz. Corn and sugar cane are the main agricultural products. In 1975, the state’s economy was impelled by the discovery of an oil bed off its coasts in the Gulf of Mexico
The State of Campeche is divided into 11 municipalities (Spanish: municipios), each headed by a municipal president (mayor).
Data from the II Conteo de Población y Vivienda 2000, INEGI.
 Jungle and Archaeological Zone of Calakmul. |
 Hacienda Uayamón. |
 San Francisco de Campeche. |
 Isla Aguada Beach. |
 Edzná Archaeological Zone. |
 Mangroves in the Terminos Lagoon. |
 Bahamitas Beach, Carmen Island. |
 Chicanná Archaeological Zone. |
 Chenkán Beach. |
 Palizada River. |
 Champotón River. |
 Becán Archaeological Zone. |
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Coordinates: 18°50′11″N 90°24′12″W / 18.83639°N 90.40333°W
Campeche has a population around 300,000 people and is growing rapidly. It sits in the northwestern area of the state, roughly 155 kilometres from Merida in Yucatan. The city is still relatively compact and easy to get around, although as the city grows even bigger, that is slowly changing. Campeche was founded in the early 16th century at the site of a Mayan village called Ah Kim Pech (roughly, "place of the ticks"). The center of the city has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its meticulously preserved walls which were built in the 16th century to guard against frequent pirate attacks. The rest of the city is a fairly laid back place and feels more like a small town than a fast growing city.
Campeche City has an airport, although it only has daily flights to Mexico City. Ciudad del Carmen, two hours to the south, has flights to Mexico City as well as to Houston Texas. Neither are cheap. The best bet is to fly into Mérida, Yucatan and bus to Campeche. This can also be done from Cancún, although it may take an extra day just to get to the state.
From the Autobuses del Oriente (ADO) station in Mérida, buses leave almost every hour for the two hour drive to Campeche, which costs roughly 100 pesos (US$10). Since it is a short run, second class buses can also be taken, although this offers only small savings (10 or 20 MXM).
From Ciudad del Carmen, buses to Campeche are also very frequent and cost roughly 130 pesos (US$13). The trip is about two hours and three quarters, longer by second class bus.
From Cancun, the trip to Campeche takes six hours and a half to complete and costs roughly 300 pesos (US$30). There are four buses to Campeche every day.
From Mexico City, Campeche is a lengthy 17 hour drive and this trip costs from 800 to 950 pesos (US$80-US$95). A first class bus is recommended.
Because Campeche is still a small city, it can be easy to navigate on foot, although the oppressive heat and humidity that dominates most of the year may make this impossible. If you are staying in the historic center, this is the best option.
Otherwise, it is best to get around the city by taxi. Taxi fares are charged by zone; to go from the ADO bus station to downtown, the cost is roughly 30 pesos, or $3 US.
The city also runs many public buses, although these are small, hot, usually cramped and in varying states of disrepair. The fare, however, is cheap at just 3 pesos. The driver will make change, but don't try to offer large bills as they likely won't be accepted.
There are tourist oriented shops in the historic center, although their prices are relatively high. The central market is quite small by Mexican standards and it doesn't offer handicrafts like many other do in the country. Outside the market, vendors hawk various items, the most interesting of which are hammocks, a Yucatan specialty.
For travellers looking for a piece of home or just wanting to buy clothing, there are several grocery/department stores located around the city. Super San Fransisco de Assiss has four locations in the city, one of which is on the Gulf of Mexico near the cinema. Another is located by the university, but it's not a central location. The biggest, and cheapest store, is Chedraui, located on Avenida Gobernadores about a 10 minute walk north of the old bus station. It features a full department store, a grocery store and a small restaurant, and has several banks in the vicinity.
Unfortunately, because Campeche is not very tourist oriented, knickknacks and handicrafts are hard to come by.
The only North American chains in the city are Burger King and Church's Chicken (located north of the cinema), so visitors will definitely have to step out of their comfort zone when in the city. The are many small restaurants located in the historic center, all ranging in price, but try to watch food preparation before you buy. Outside of the historic centre, Avenida Gobernadores offers a plethora of eating establishments, but again, watch the food preparation and then decide.
Campeche is well known for its seafood, especially shrimp (camarón) and shark (cazón) and both are widely available.
As noted above, there are a few grocery stores in the city. All have a small restaurant, deli, bakery, grocery, meat and produce departments. If you have a sweet tooth, the Chedraui bakery is a must. Donuts, sweet bread, danishes, muffins and cookies are all sold in bulk and baked fresh in store, and the prices are cheap. You can also pick up bread from the bakery and meat from the deli to make your own sandwiches. These grocery stores, especially Chedraui, are impressive and offer all of the variety of an American store. For travellers on a budget, or those not comfortable with food from small establishments with questionable cleanliness standards, these stores are a godsend.
There are a few hotels on the malecon (Av. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines), which runs the entire length of the city along the Gulf of Mexico. Most are relatively expensive, but offer clean and comfortable accommodations. There are also a few hotels located in the historic center, particularly near the center square, and they are much cheaper in price. Unfortunately, because Campeche has a very small tourist industry, accommodations can be hard to find.
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CAMPECHE, Or Campeche De Baranda, a fortified city and port of Mexico, and capital of a state of the same name, situated on the Bay of Campeche, 825 m. E. of the city of Mexico and 90 m. S. W. of Merida, in lat. 20° 5' N., long. 90° 16' W. Pop. (1900) 17,109. Campeche was one of the three open ports of this coast under the Spanish regime, and its walls, general plan, fine public edifices, shady squares and comfortable stone residences are evidence of the wealth it once possessed. It is still one of the most attractive towns on the Gulf coast of Mexico. It had a monopoly of the Yucatan trade and enjoyed large profits from its logwood exports, both of which have been largely lost. It was formerly the principal port for the state and for a part of Yucatan, but the port of Carmen at the entrance to Laguna de Terminos is now the chief shipping port for logwood and other forest products, and a considerable part of the trade of Campeche has been transferred to Progreso, the port of Merida. The port of Campeche is a shallow roadstead defended by three forts and protected by a stone pier or wharf 160 ft. long, but vessels drawing more than 9 ft. are compelled to lie outside and discharge cargo into lighters. The exports include logwood, cotton, hides, wax, tobacco, salt and cigars of local manufacture. The principal public buildings are the old citadel, some old churches, the town hall, a handsome theatre, hospital and market. The streets are traversed by tramways, and a railway runs north-eastward to Merida. Campeche stands on the site of an old native town, of which there are interesting remains in the vicinity, and which was first visited by Hernandez de Cordoba in 1517. The Spanish town was founded in 1540, and was sacked by the British in 1659 and by buccaneers in 1678 and 1685. During the revolution of 1842 Campeche was the scene of many engagements between the Mexicans and people of Yucatan.
Categories: CAM-CAN | Central America
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From the city of Campeche, from a Mayan language.
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Singular |
Plural |
Campeche
From the city of Campeche, from a Mayan language.
Campeche m.
Campeche on the Spanish Wikipedia.es.Wikipedia| State of Campeche | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Location within Mexico | |||
| Country | |||
| Capital | Campeche | ||
| Municipalities | 11 | ||
| Largest City | San Francisco de Campeche | ||
| Government | |||
| - Governor | Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez (PRI) | ||
| - Federal Deputies | PRI:2 | ||
| - Federal Senators | PRI:2 PAN:1 |
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| Area Ranked 18th | |||
| - Total | 50,812 km2 (19,618.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - Total | 754,730 (Ranked 30th) | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| HDI (2004) | 0.8189 - high Ranked 9th |
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| ISO 3166-2 | MX-CAM | ||
| Postal abbr. | Camps. | ||
| Website | http://www.campeche.gob.mx | ||
Campeche is a state in the south-east of Mexico. Its capital is also called Campeche. About 750,000 people live in Campeche.
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   | Towns, cities, and postal codes in Campeche - Buscador de Códigos Postales en Campeche, México - Busca tu Código Postal |
| | Campeche on Yucatan Today - general tourist guide - Campeche | Yucatan Today |
| | Yucatan Living - living, working and playing in the Yucatan - Yucatan Living - Welcome to Merida & Yucatan, Mexico! |
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