- Veracruz is the name of both a state in Mexico and that state's largest city. This article is about the state. For the city, see Veracruz, Veracruz. For other uses, see Veracruz (disambiguation).
| Veracruz |
|
| Location |
|
| Statistics |
| Capital |
Xalapa |
| Largest City |
Veracruz City |
| Area |
71,699 km²
Ranked 11th |
Population
(2005 census) |
7,110,214
Ranked 3rd |
| HDI (2004) |
0.7457 - medium
Ranked 28th |
Governor
(2004-2010) |
Fidel Herrera Beltrán (PRI) |
| Federal Deputies |
PRI: 14
PAN: 9 |
| Federal Senators |
PRI: 2
PAN: 1 |
ISO 3166-2
Postal abbr. |
MX-VER
Ver. |
The state of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that compose Mexico (does not include the Mexican Federal District).
It is located in the east central part of the country, between 17°10' and 22°38' North and between 93°55' and 98°38' West. It has a mainland area of 72,815 km² and includes several islands in the Gulf of Mexico totalling another 58 km².
Veracruz borders the states of Tamaulipas to the north, Oaxaca and Chiapas to the south, Tabasco to the southeast, Puebla, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosi to the west, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.
Its capital is Xalapa. With 6.9 million inhabitants, the state of Veracruz is the third most populous in the nation, after the Federal District and the state of México.
On the coastal plains and throughout most of the state, the climate is hot and humid. On the foothills of the mountains, the climate is cool and humid. The climate only becomes cold in the mountain regions, where it also rains copiously. From June to October, Veracruz is "occasionally" affected by hurricanes.
Its formal name is Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave in honor of General Ignacio de la Llave, who died in 1863 after wounds received during the French invasion of Mexico. The official name was Veracruz-Llave from 1863 to 2004.
Main streets and avenues:
- Independencia, 5 de Mayo and Zaragoza cross downtown. The main public bus routes drive on Zaragoza, 5 de Mayo, and Valentin Gomez Farias all day long. If you are in the south of the city and want to go downtown, you must take any bus that reads "Centro". Some of the lines include "Boca del Rio"(white and brown buses), "Playa Villa del Mar" (green and white), "Primero de Mayo" (blue and white).
For a great coffee while mingling with the locals (politicians and journalist gather there between 8 and 10 in the morning) you must go to "Cafe La Parroquia", located few blocks from the main square downtown on Paseo del Malecon (beach side). The main square is known as "Zocalo" or "Plaza de Armas", which houses the "Palacio Municipal" (city hall) and the impressive "Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion"(Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption), built in 1721.
- Boulevard Manuel Avila Camacho and Boulevard Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez will take you south towards the "new Veracruz" where nice hotels, great restaurants and a couple of malls ("Plaza Americas" and "Plaza Mocambo"), along with the World Trade Center are located.
Among other attractions, there's the "Miguel Angel de Quevedo" Zoo, home of more than 140 animals and a old-fashioned railroad that goes around the park on Sundays. You can also visit the Aquarium ("Acuario de Veracruz") or go to "Castillo de San Juan de Ulua", a Spanish fort really similar to the one in St. Agustin, FL.
Spanish
In Veracruz and Tabasco, unlike the rest of Mexico, the accent is considered Caribbean Spanish, partly due to the heavy Cuban influence.
Municipalities
The state of Veracruz is subdivided into more than 210 municipalities (municipios). See municipalities of Veracruz.
External links
- (English) Veracruz state government
- (English) Veracruz Photos and History
- (Spanish) Veracruz Gallery
- (Spanish) museum of the city
- (Spanish) Facultad de Pedagogia – Facultad de Pedadogia Veracruz
| States of Mexico |
|
Aguascalientes • Baja California • Baja California Sur • Campeche • Chiapas • Chihuahua • Coahuila • Colima • Durango • Guanajuato • Guerrero • Hidalgo • Jalisco • México • Michoacán • Morelos • Nayarit • Nuevo León • Oaxaca • Puebla • Querétaro • Quintana Roo • San Luis Potosí • Sinaloa • Sonora • Tabasco • Tamaulipas • Tlaxcala • Veracruz • Yucatán • Zacatecas
Federal District: Mexican Federal District |
Category: States of Mexico
