Yucatán

Yucatán (), offeecially the Free an Sovereign State o Yucatán (), is ane o the 31 states which, wi the Federal Destrict, comprise the 32 Federal Entities o Mexico. It is dividit in 106 municipalities, an its caipital ceety is Mérida.

It is locatit in Sootheastren Mexico, on the north pairt o the Yucatán Peninsulae. It is bordered bi the states o Campeche tae the soothwast, Quintana Roo tae the northeast an the Guwf o Mexico lees aff its north coast.

Afore the arrival o Spaniards tae the Yucatán Peninsulae, the name o this region wis el Mayab. In Mayan leid, "ma' ya'ab" is translatit as "a few". It wis a vera important region for the Mayan ceevilization, which reached the peak o its development on this place, where they foondit the ceeties o Chichen Itza, Izamal, Motul, Mayapan, Ek' Balam an Ichcaanzihóo (cried T'Hó), now Mérida.

Efter the Spanish conquest, Yucatán Peninsulae wis a single admeenistrative an poleetical entity, the Caiptaincy General o Yucatán. Follaein unthirldom an the breakup o the Mexican Empire in 1823, the first Republic o Yucatán wis proclaimit which then wis voluntarily annexed tae the Federal Republic o Unitit Mexican States on 21 December 1823. Later on 16 Mairch 1841, as result o cultural an poleetical conflicts aroond the federal pact, Yucatán declared unthirldom frae Mexico tae form a seicont Republic o Yucatán, but eventually on 14 Julie 1848, Yucatán wis definitely rejoined tae Mexico. In 1858, in the middle o the caste war, the state o Yucatan wis dividit for the first time, establishin Campeche as separate state (offeecially in 1863). Durin the Porfiriato, in 1902, the state o Yucatan wis dividit again tae form the Federal territory that later became the present state o Quintana Roo.

The day, Yucatán is the safest state in Mexico an Mérida wis awairdit Ceety o Peace in 2011.

Toponymy
The name Yucatán, assigned tae the peninsulae an aw, came frae early splorations o the Conquistadors frae Europe. There are reliable versions that the name wis result frae confusion atween the Mayan inhabitants an the first Spainyie splorers aroond 1517:

 Accordin tae ane o them, wis the answer o a Mayan indigenous tae the question o a Spainyie splorer, syne he wantit tae ken the name o the region. The Mayan probably replied Ma'anaatik ka t'ann which means Maya leid A dae no unnerstaund your speech or I dae no unnerstaund you.

 It is said that the Spaniards gave the name o Yucatán tae the region an aw, acause the Mayan answered their questions wi the phrase uh yu ka t'ann, in Mayan leid means hear hou they talk.

Probably the first narrator's o "A dae no unnerstaund" version wis the friar Toribio de Benavente, in his beuk Historia de los indios de la Nueva España (History o the Indians o New Spain) says: {{cquote|"acause talkin wi those Indians o the coast, whaiver the Spainyie asked the Indians respondit: «Tectetán, Tectetán», which means: «A daena unnerstaund you, A daena unnerstaund you»: ...they corruptit the wird, an no unnerstaundin wha the Indians said, they said: «Yucatán is the name o this land»; an the same happened in a place..., a cape, which they cried cape Cotoch an aw; an Cotoch in that leid means hoose".}}

Anither version is frae Bernal Díaz del Castillo.  In his beuk Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España (True History o the Conquest o New Spain), he says Yucatá'' means "land o yucas", a plant that wis cultivatit bi the Maya an wis an important fuid source for them.

References

 Freemit airtins 

Pictur frae Space


Category:States o Mexico
Category:1540 in Mexico
Category:States an territories established in 1823