Yucatán

**Yucatán**, officially the **Second Yucatecan Republic**, is a semi-fictional sovereign state located in North America, bordering Mexico to the South-West and Guatemala to the South (to the East of counting from Belize). The first Republic of Yucatán, founded May 29, 1823, willingly joined the Mexican federation as the Federated Republic of Yucatán on December 23, 1823, less than seven months later. The Second Republic of Yucatán began in 1841, with its declaration of independence from the Centralist Republic of Mexico.

With a coast along the Gulf of Mexico in the North and the Caribbean Sea at the East, and being federally divided into 10 total districts, Yucatán encompasses a total land area of 190,811 km2 (73,672 mi2); with approximately 5,660,692 inhabitants as estimated in 2023, it is the 116th-most-populous country and one of the most populated Spanish-speaking countries in the world, just after Mexico and Colombia. Yucatán is organized as a federalist republic, comprising 14 states and Port Mérida, its capital. Other major urban areas include Chetumal, which is the country's largest city, Belmopan, Saint Christiánne, Saint Revillia, Nuevo Toledo, Belize City, Chicxulub, and Hovermént.

## Etymology

The name Yucatán, also assigned to the peninsula, came from early explorations of the Conquistadors from Europe. Three different explanations for the origin of the name have been proposed.

The first is that the name resulted from confusion between the Mayan inhabitants and the first Spanish explorers around 1517:

* According to one of them, Spaniards gave the name of Yucatán to the region, because the Mayan answered their questions with the phrase *uh yu ka t'ann*, which in the Maya language means *hear how they talk*.
* It is also said that it came from the answer of an indigenous Mayan to the question of a Spanish explorer, who wanted to know the name of the region. The Mayan probably replied *Ma'anaatik ka t'ann* which means in the Maya language *I do not understand your speech* or *I do not understand you*.

Probably the first person to propose the "I do not understand" version was the friar Toribio de Benavente Motolinia.

## History

### a. Prehistory

#### Pre-Columbian Era

The origin of the first settlements has not been scientifically confirmed, although the presence of first humans in the area dates from the late Pleistocene or ice age (about 10,000–12,000 years), according to the findings in the Loltún caves and caverns of Tulum (Women of the Palms).

The first Maya moved to the Peninsula circa 250 CE, from the Petén (today northern Guatemala), to settle the southeastern peninsula in the modern Bacalar, Quintana Roo. In 525, the Chanés (Mayan tribe that preceded the Itza), moved to the east of the peninsula, founding Chichén Itzá, Izamal, Motul, Ek' Balam, Ichcaanzihó (modern Mérida) and Champotón. Later, Tutul Xiúes, Toltec descent, who came from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, settled in the region causing displacement of the Itza and Cocomes—a diversified branch of Itzá—and finally, after years and many battles, the League of Mayapan (composed of the Itza, the Xiús and Cocomes) was formed, which eventually disintegrated circa 1194, giving way to a period of anarchy and fragmentation into small domains which the Spanish conquistadors found in the 16th CE.

#### Spanish Exploration

In 1513, Juan Ponce de León had already conquered the island of Borinquén (now Puerto Rico) and had discovered Florida. Antón de Alaminos, who was with Ponce de León on this latest discovery, suspected that west of Cuba they could find new land. Under their influence, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, supported by the governor of Cuba, organized an expedition commanded by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba to explore the seas west of the island.

This expedition sailed from port of Ajaruco on February 8, 1517, to La Habana and after circling the island and sailing southwest by what is now known as the Yucatán Channel, the expedition made landfall at the Yucatán Peninsula on March 1. There are discrepancies about where the first explorers arrived. Some say it was in Isla Mujeres. Bernal Díaz del Castillo places it at Cabo Catoche where they saw a great city which they named the «Gran Cairo».

### b. Colonial Era

#### Spanish Conquest

The conquest of Yucatán was completed two decades after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire; by Francisco de Montejo "el Adelantado", his son Francisco de Montejo y León "el Mozo" and his nephew, Francisco de Montejo "el Sobrino". El Adelantado was in the expedition of Juan de Grijalva and was with Hernán Cortés in the third expedition that eventually became the Conquest of the Aztec Empire. He was subsequently appointed for the conquest of the Maya of Yucatán, but failed in his first attempt in 1527–28. In 1529 he was appointed Governor of Tabasco, with the order to pacify Tabasco and conquer Yucatán and Cozumel.

From Tabasco, Montejo led a new campaign to Yucatán from the west (1531–35) and failed again in his attempt for conquest. Circa 1535, after many bloody battles with the natives, he reached the complete pacification of the Province of Tabasco and began planning his new foray to Yucatán.

El Adelantado was appointed governor of Honduras and then of Chiapas. Therefore, he gave his son "El Mozo", the mission to consummate the conquest of Yucatán. Francisco de Montejo y León "el Mozo" founded the cities of San Francisco de Campeche on October 4, 1540, and Mérida on January 6, 1542 (in honor of Mérida, Extremadura). The city of Mérida was founded over the ruins of the Mayan city of Ichkanzihóo (T'ho) and the stones of old Mayan pyramids were used for the new buildings. Later, government powers were changed from Santa María de la Victoria, Tabasco, to Mérida on June 11, 1542. The newly founded Mérida was besieged by the Mayan troops of Nachi Cocom (overlord or 'Halach uinik' in Mayan language). It was a definitive battle for the Conquest of Yucatán. With that victory, the Spaniards consolidated their control of the western part of the peninsula.

Francisco de Montejo "El Adelantado" appointed his nephew, Francisco de Montejo "el Sobrino", to head the conquest of the eastern Yucatán, which was achieved after many bloody battles, ending with the foundation of the city of Valladolid on May 28, 1543.

#### Canek Rebellion

Oppressive policies of inequality and prejudice were imposed on the native Mayans by the Spanish colonial government. In November 1761, Jacinto Canek, a Mayan from the town of Cisteil (now located in Yaxcabá Municipality), led an armed uprising against the government, which was quickly put down. Captured insurgents were taken to Mérida, where they were tried and tortured. As a warning to the population against rebellion, Cisteil was burned and covered with salt.

This abortive rebellion was not of great consequence to the colonial regime, but it marked the history of the peninsula and clearly delineated anti-colonial tensions in the region. The uprising was a precursor to the social upheaval that would explode less than a century later, as the Caste War. The Canek rebellion is remembered today as a symbol of the racial and social conflict that predominated for centuries in the Spanish colonies.

## Geography

### a. Political Geography

Geographically, Yucatán is the easternmost neighbouring country of Mexico and separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea. The northwest coast of the peninsula is 600 miles from New Orléans and the North-Eastern coast is about 150 miles from the western tip of Cuba. To the south, the Yucatán merges with the countries of Belize and Guatemala.

### b. Physical Geography

The physical landscape of the northern Yucatán lacks the spectacular mountainous terrain that dominates much of Mexico. Instead, the region is made of limestone similar to Florida. It has a northern section of low hills and sinkholes and very few surface streams; most water flows underground through flooded caverns emerging in sinkholes and springs along the shores. The Caribbean coast consists of cliffs in several locations with Cozumel Island and the reefs of the Chinchorro Bank well offshore. In contrast, the North and West coasts have sandy beaches and a lagoon (La Cienega) behind which is collected. An area of hills located across the interior of the peninsula contains beautiful Classic Period Maya archaeological sites. The entire peninsula has a tropical climate with mostly warm, sunny winters with occasional fronts while the summers are known for showers and tropical depressions with some developing into hurricanes.

## Politics

### a. Internal Politics

Yucatán is officially a unitary democratic presidential republic with a unicameral legislature. The Constitution of Yucatán serves as the supreme law of Yucatán, which establishes a clear separation of powers. However, for much of its history, Yucatán was an autocracy. From 1915, Yucatán was ruled as a Marxist-Leninist single-party state that ended in 1950, following peaceful street protests around Yucatán that became known as the Orchid Revolution. In 1950, Yucatán adopted its current constitution, becoming a democracy. Nevertheless, former members of the Communist Party of Yucatán still dominate politics.

The Premier of Yucatán serves both as the head of state and the head of government with the Vice-Premier being their deputy. Yucatecan politics are split between various parties with the the largest being the *Yucatecan Democratic Party*, a nationalist big tent party which has continually governed since 2002. Currently, the Yucatecan Democratic Party is in government with the current premier, and Y.D.P. leader María Romero is the first female head of state and government of Yucatán. The main opposition parties include the centrist populist New Progressive Party and the centre-left democratic socialist Socialist Party of Yucatán. The legislature of Yucatán is known as the *Yucatecia* and consists of 685 seats.

## Culture

The culture of Yucatan is illustrated by the Maya culture; the Maya were a Mesoamerican civilization that developed in Mexico (in the states of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas and Tabasco), Guatemala, Belize and the western part of Honduras and El Salvador. Throughout more than two millennia in numerous socio-cultural aspects such as their writing, one of the few fully developed writing systems of the pre-Columbian American continent, their art, architecture, mythology and their remarkable numbering systems, as well as in astronomy and mathematics. It can be seen represented in dozens of ancient Maya temples, pyramids and caves in the area such as Chichen-Itza and Uxmal and many of them are open to the public for visits and exploration activities, in their theaters, art galleries, libraries and museums. Particularly noteworthy is the Gran Museo de la Cultura Maya.

Yucatán has a great cultural attraction that has managed to stand out thanks to governmental effort and cooperation among its inhabitants to help preserve archaeological sites and colonial cities. In addition, Yucatecans have been responsible for highlighting their musical styles regionally and nationally. For example, the *jarana* is one of the native dances of the territory that sometimes accompanies them. The mixture of Hispanic influence and indigenous origin has characterized these cultural representations for several centuries.