Calakmul (municipality)
Encyclopedia
Calakmul is a municipality in the Mexican
state of Campeche
, situated in the central part of the Yucatán Peninsula
.
) of Calakmul borders to the east with Quintana Roo
(municipalities of José María Morelos
, Bacalar, and Othón P. Blanco
) and Belize
(Orange Walk District
); to the south with Guatemala
(Petén Department); and to the north and west with other municipalities in Campeche (Candelaria, Champotón
, Escárcega and Hopelchén). It covers 13,839.11 km² (5,343.31 sq mi), accounting for 24.34% of the state's total surface area, and is the 10th-largest municipality in area in the country.
The municipality was created on 31 December 1996, from part of the territory of Champotón
. On 19 June 1998, the State Congress
enacted legislation creating the new municipality of Candelaria as of 1 July of that year, with which Calakmul lost 24% of its population and a portion of its territory.
, Tzotzil
, and others. The municipal seat is the town of Xpujil
, a small settlement of 3,222 inhabitants located on Federal Highway 186
as it crosses the base of the peninsula from Escárcega, Campeche, to Chetumal, Quintana Roo.
archaeological sites in the municipality include: Calakmul
, Becán
, Chicanna
, El Hormiguero
, Río Bec
and Xpuhil
. The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
also covers much of its southern portion.
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 of 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...
, situated in the central part of the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
.
History and geography
The municipality (municipioMunicipalities 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...
) of Calakmul borders to the east with Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
(municipalities of José María Morelos
José María Morelos, Quintana Roo
José María Morelos is one of the ten municipalities that make up the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.-Communities:There were 129 populated localities, as well as 132 unpopulated localities enumerated during the 2010 census....
, Bacalar, and Othón P. Blanco
Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo
On february 2nd, 2011, the municipality of Othón P. Blanco had undergone important changes. All information below may be outdated. Please remove this notice when data has been checked....
) and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
(Orange Walk District
Orange Walk District
Orange Walk District is a district in the northwest of the nation of Belize, with its district capital in Orange Walk Town.- Main settlements :...
); to the south with 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...
(Petén Department); and to the north and west with other municipalities in Campeche (Candelaria, Champotón
Champotón Municipality
Champotón Municipality is a municipality within the state of Campeche, including the city of Champotón and the surrounding area. In 2005 the municipality of Champotón had a population of 76,116 inhabitants...
, Escárcega and Hopelchén). It covers 13,839.11 km² (5,343.31 sq mi), accounting for 24.34% of the state's total surface area, and is the 10th-largest municipality in area in the country.
The municipality was created on 31 December 1996, from part of the territory of Champotón
Champotón
Champotón is a small city in Champotón Municipality in the Mexican state of Campeche, located at , about 60 km south of the city of Campeche where the small Champotón river meets the coast of the Gulf of Mexico...
. On 19 June 1998, the State Congress
Congress of Campeche
The Congress of Campeche is the state legislature of Campeche, a state of Mexico. The Congress is unicameral....
enacted legislation creating the new municipality of Candelaria as of 1 July of that year, with which Calakmul lost 24% of its population and a portion of its territory.
Demographics
The 2010 census reported a population of 26,882 persons. The languages spoken in Calakmul include Yucatec Maya, Ch'ol, ChontalChontal
The Chontal Maya are an indigenous people of the Mexican state of Tabasco. "Chontal", from the Nahuatl word for chontalli, which means "foreigner", has been applied to various ethnic groups in Mexico...
, Tzotzil
Tzotzil language
Tzotzil is a Maya language spoken by the indigenous Tzotzil Maya people in the Mexican state of Chiapas. According to an INEGI 2005 census, there are 329,937 speakers of Tzotzil in Mexico, making it the 6th most spoken indigenous language in the country...
, and others. The municipal seat is the town of Xpujil
Xpujil
Xpujil is a town in the Mexican state of Campeche. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Calakmul.Xpujil is located in the south-east of the state, close to the border with Quintana Roo to the east and Peten to the south...
, a small settlement of 3,222 inhabitants located on Federal Highway 186
Mexican Federal Highway
Mexican Federal Highways, are roads maintained and built by the federal government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation ....
as it crosses the base of the peninsula from Escárcega, Campeche, to Chetumal, Quintana Roo.
Towns and villages
The largest localities (cities, towns, and villages) are:| Name | 2010 Census Population |
|---|---|
| Xpujil Xpujil Xpujil is a town in the Mexican state of Campeche. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Calakmul.Xpujil is located in the south-east of the state, close to the border with Quintana Roo to the east and Peten to the south... |
3,984 |
| Constitución | 1,142 |
| Zoh-Laguna (Álvaro Obregón) | 1,074 |
| Pablo García | 699 |
| Ingeniero Ricardo Payro Jene (Polo Norte) | 648 |
| Santo Domingo | 547 |
| Xbonil | 518 |
| Manuel Castilla Brito | 516 |
| Nuevo Conhuás | 503 |
| Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (San Antonio Soda) | 502 |
| Total Municipality | 26,882 |
Heritage
MayaMaya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
archaeological sites in the municipality include: Calakmul
Calakmul
Calakmul is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands...
, Becán
Becan
Becan is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Becan is located near the center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the present-day Mexican state of Campeche, about 150 km north of Tikal. The Maya sites of Balamku, Calakmul, Chicanna and Xpuhil are nearby...
, Chicanna
Chicanna
Chicanná was a Maya town from the Classic period. The name means "House of the Serpent Mouth" in the Mayan language. The site is located just two kilometers west of Becan in the Mexican state of Campeche on the Yucatán peninsula. Chicanná was inhabited from 300 to 1100. There is evidence that...
, El Hormiguero
El Hormiguero
El Hormiguero is a Spanish television program with a live audience focusing on comedy, science, and politics running since September 2006. It is hosted and produced by screenwriter Pablo Motos and aired on Cuatro, a Spanish television station, until June 11, 2011 but since September 5, 2011 is...
, Río Bec
Rio Bec
Río Bec is a Pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site located in what is now southern portion of the Mexican state of Campeche. The name also refers to an architectural style that first appeared at Río Bec and subsequently spread to other nearby sites...
and Xpuhil
Xpuhil
Xpuhil Pronounced:/ʃpuχil̥/ is a Maya archaeological site located in the Mexican state of Campeche, in the vicinity of the modern-day town of Xpujil...
. The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve is located at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, in Calakmul Municipality in the state of Campeche, bordering the Guatemalan department of El Petén to the south. It occupies 7,231.85 km² and includes about 12% of the subperennial jungles of Mexico. Its...
also covers much of its southern portion.
External links
- Ayuntamiento de Calakmul Official website
- Municipio de Calakmul from official Campeche state government website