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History of Campeche Mexico

About Mexico Campeche

About Mexico Campeche

Campeche is one of the three states of Yucatan Peninsula. It is located to the Northeast of the state of the same name, between Quintana Roo and Tabasco, bordering Belize, the Republic of Guatemala and the Gulf of Mexico in the West. It has an area of 57 924 km ², with a population of 822 441 inhabitants.

About Campeche in Mexico

There are different theories as to the origin of the word Campeche, the most accepted is the detachment of the word into Can and Peche, whose union could be understood according to the Mayas as “Place of God and Priests”.

About Campeche Mexico

In its territory, the Mayan people lived and developed for more than a millennium, before the Spanish conquest during the sixteenth Century. The first settlements could be the result of either migratory waves from the low lands of the South, or groups coming from the interior of the Peninsula.

champotón campeche

The early inhabitants carried knowledge and a wisdom that places them as part of an advanced culture for their time. They worked in agricultural tasks both extensive and intensive, and they use marine resources, with a development in pottery. To learn more about Mexico Campeche please visit our other pages and official information.

campeche champotón

With the Spanish conquest, missionaries arrive to Champoton port, among them Fray Diego de Landa, Fray Luis de Villalpando, Fray Juan de la Puerta, Fray Melchor de Benavente and Fray Diego de Béjar. They imposed both their evangelizing function and the knowledge of letters and numbers on native peoples.

By the year 1543, Spanish people begin to populate Campeche, local people seek refuge in rural areas like the Chenes and the Campeche jungle. In 1564, it was founded the General Captaincy of Yucatán, the first Governor and General Captain was Mr. Luis de Céspedes and Oviedo, who established the fortification of the village of San Francisco de Campeche.

 

Concluding the Conquest of the Yucatan Peninsula in 1548, this territory joined the viceroyalty of the New Spain, being part of the General Captaincy of the Province of Yucatan, which later was divided in four states: Merida, Valladolid, Campeche and Bacalar.

 

Due to its geographical position, the place was a constant target of sea and land conflicts, it was attacked by pirates for the first time in 1557. These events prevented the population to develop with a proper order, suffering a hard colonization. Pirates turned this zone of Campeche into the most dangerous strip of sea. They were mostly of British origin and among them stand out Henry Morgan, William Parker and Jacob Jackson; there were also of other nationalities, like Dutch Cornelius Jol, “Stick foot” and Rock Brasiliano, and French Juan David Nau, the Olones and Gramont.