{{Short description|State of Mexico}}{{About|the Mexican state of this name|the Mexican city|Veracruz (city)|other uses}}{{Pp-move}} {{Use American English|date=July 2026}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Veracruz | native_name = ''Kuetlaxkoapan'' ([[Huasteca Nahuatl]]) | official_name = {{raise|0.2em|Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave}}
{{nobold|''Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave'' {{small|([[Mexican Spanish|Spanish]])}}}}
{{nobold|{{lang|nah|Tlahtohcayotl Cuetlaxcoapan}} {{small|([[Nahuatl]])}}}} | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = [[States of Mexico|State]] | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_shield = Coat of arms of Veracruz.svg | shield_size = 80px | nickname = | motto = ''[[Plus Ultra (motto)|Plus Ultra]]''{{Clear}}''(Beyond)'' | anthem = {{ill|Himno Veracruzano|es}} | image_map = Veracruz in Mexico (location map scheme).svg | map_caption = State of Veracruz within Mexico | coordinates = {{Coord|region:MX-VER_type:adm1st|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = [[Country]] | subdivision_name = [[Mexico]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Capital (city)|Capital]] | subdivision_type2 = [[List of cities in Mexico|Largest city]] | subdivision_type3 = [[Metropolitan areas of Mexico|Largest metro]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Xalapa|Xalapa-Enríquez]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Veracruz (city)|Heroica Veracruz]] | subdivision_name3 = [[Veracruz metropolitan area|Greater Veracruz]] | subdivision_name4 = [[Municipalities of Veracruz|212]] | subdivision_type4 = [[Municipalities of Mexico|Municipalities]] | established_title = [[Sovereign state|Admission]] | established_date = December 22, 1823{{cite news |title=Las Diputaciones Provinciales |url=http://biblio.juridicas.unam.mx/libros/6/2920/11.pdf |page=15 |language=es |access-date=April 10, 2011 |archive-date=May 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528111641/http://biblio.juridicas.unam.mx/libros/6/2920/11.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite book |author1=Nettie Lee Benson |author2=Colegio de México. Centro de Estudios Históricos |author3=Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |title=La diputación provincial y el federalismo mexicano |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i_GK_-6deKIC&pg=PA227 |access-date=February 20, 2011 |year=1994 |publisher=UNAM |isbn=978-968-12-0586-7 |pages=227– |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018194103/https://books.google.com/books?id=i_GK_-6deKIC&pg=PA227#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }} | established_title2 = [[Territorial evolution of Mexico|Order]] | established_date2 = [[Territorial evolution of Mexico|7th]] | founder = Hernán Cortés | seat_type = | seat = Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz | government_footnotes = | leader_title = [[List of Mexican state governors|Governor]] | leader_name = [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Rocío Nahle García]] | leader_title1 = [[Senate of Mexico|Senators]]{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Senadores por Veracruz LXVI Legislatura |trans-title=Veracruz State Senators to the LXVI Congress |url=https://www.senado.gob.mx/66/senadores/por_entidad_federativa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201225930/https://www.senado.gob.mx/66/senadores/por_entidad_federativa |archive-date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2024-12-01 |publisher=Senado de la Republica}} | leader_name1 = [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Raquel Bonilla Herrera]]{{refn|group=nb|Substitute for Claudia Tello Espinosa, who requested a leave from the Senate on November 26, 2024{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Senadora Claudia Tello Espinosa (Licencia) |url=https://www.senado.gob.mx/66/senador/1590 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201232309/https://www.senado.gob.mx/66/senador/1590 |archive-date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=Senado de la República}} to occupy the State's Secretariat of Education in the government of Rocío Nahle.}}
[[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Manuel Huerta Ladrón de Guevara]]
[[File:Logo candidato independiente.png|23px]] [[Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez]]{{refn|group=nb|After having voted in favor of president López Obrador's Judicial Reform, Senator Yunes was expelled from the PAN on September 11, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Cayetano |first=Pilar |date=2024-09-11 |title=¡PAN expulsa a los Yunes por VOTAR a favor de reforma judicial de AMLO! |trans-title=PAN expels the Yunes for voting in favor of AMLO's judicial reform! |url=https://politico.mx/pan-expulsa-a-los-yunes-por-votar-a-favor-de-reforma-judicial-de-amlo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241118101105/https://politico.mx/pan-expulsa-a-los-yunes-por-votar-a-favor-de-reforma-judicial-de-amlo |archive-date=2024-11-18 |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=Político MX |language=es}}}} | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = {{cite web |title=Resumen |url=http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/default.aspx?tema=me&e=30 |publisher=Cuentame INEGI |access-date=February 12, 2013 |archive-date=October 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010234333/http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/default.aspx?tema=me&e=30 |url-status=live }} | area_total_km2 = 71826 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note = [[List of Mexican states by area|Ranked 11th]] | elevation_m = | elevation_min_m = | elevation_min_ft = | elevation_max_m = 5610 | elevation_max_ft = 18410 | elevation_max_point = [[Pico de Orizaba]] | elevation_footnotes = {{cite web |title=Relieve |url=http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/territorio/relieve.aspx?tema=me&e=30 |publisher=Cuentame INEGI |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617030802/http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/territorio/relieve.aspx?tema=me&e=30 |archive-date=June 17, 2010 |url-status=dead }} | population_total = 8,062,579 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_footnotes = {{Cite web |url=https://www.inegi.org.mx/app/areasgeograficas/#tabMCcollapse-Indicadores |title=México en cifras |date=January 2016 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-date=July 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718104723/https://www.inegi.org.mx/app/areasgeograficas/#tabMCcollapse-Indicadores |url-status=live }} | population_density_km2 = auto | population_rank = [[List of Mexican states by population|4th]] | population_density_rank = [[List of Mexican states by population density|10th]] | population_demonym = {{plainlist| * ''Veracruzano, -na'' (formal) * ''[[Jarocho]], -cha'' (colloquial) }} | population_note = | timezone1 = [[Central Time Zone|CST]] | utc_offset1 = −06:00 | postal_code_type = [[Postal codes in Mexico|Postal code]] | postal_code = 91–96 | area_code = {{Collapsible list | title = [[Area codes in Mexico by code|Area codes]] | frame_style = border:none; padding: 0; | title_style = | list_style = text-align:left;display:none; |1 = • [[Area codes in Mexico by code (200-299)|1]] |2 = • [[Area codes in Mexico by code (400-499)|1]] |3 = • [[Area codes in Mexico by code (700-799)|1]] |4 = • [[Area codes in Mexico by code (800-899)|1]] |5 = • [[Area codes in Mexico by code (900-999)|1]] }} | area_code_type = [[Area code]] | iso_code = MX-VER | blank_name_sec1 = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] | blank_info_sec1 = {{increase}} 0.757 high [[List of Mexican states by HDI|Ranked 28th of 32]] | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://www.banamex.com/sitios/analisis-financiero/pdf/revistas//IRAE/IRAE2023.pdf |title=Indicadores Regionales de Actividad Económica 2023 |author=Citibanamex |language=es |date=June 13, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2023 }} | demographics2_title1 = Total | demographics2_info1 = MXN 1.467 trillion
(US$80.1 billion) (2024) | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = (US$9,900) (2024) | leader_title2 = [[Chamber of Deputies of Mexico|Deputies]]{{cite web |title=Álbum de Diputados y Diputadas Federales 2018-2021. Segundo año de ejercicio constitucional |url=http://sitl.diputados.gob.mx/LXIV_leg/album_foto_tc.pdf |publisher=Camara de Diputados |access-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-date=May 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517075402/http://sitl.diputados.gob.mx/LXIV_leg/album_foto_tc.pdf |url-status=live }} | leader_name2 = {{Collapsible list |title = [[LXV Legislature of the Mexican Congress#Chamber of Deputies 2|Federal Deputies]] |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0; |title_style = |list_style = text-align:left;display:none; |1 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Logo Partido Verde (México).svg|link=Ecologist Green Party of Mexico|23px]] [[Armando Antonio Gómez Betancourt]] ([[I Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|1st]])}} |2 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Logo Partido Verde (México).svg|link=Ecologist Green Party of Mexico|23px]] [[María del Carmen Pinete Vargas]] ([[II Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|2nd]])}} |3 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Rocío Hernández Villanueva]] ([[III Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|3rd]])}} |4 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Rosa Hernández Espejo]] ([[IV Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|4th]])}} |5 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Raquel Bonilla Herrera]] ([[V Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|5th]])}} |6 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Jaime Humberto Pérez Bernabé]] ([[VI Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|6th]])}} |7 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Mónica Herrera Villavicencio]] ([[VII Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|7th]])}} |8 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Natalia García Molina]] ([[VIII Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|8th]])}} |9 = {{nowrap|• [[File:PRI logo (Mexico).svg|link=Institutional Revolutionary Party|23px]] [[José Yunes Zorrilla|José Francisco Yunes Zorrilla]] ([[IX Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|9th]])}} |10 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Rafael Hernández Villalpando]] ([[X Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|10th]])}} |11 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Flora Tania Cruz Santos]] ([[XI Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|11th]])}} |12 = {{nowrap|• [[File:PAN Party (Mexico).svg|link=National Action Party (Mexico)|23px]] [[María Josefina Gamboa Torales]] ([[XII Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|12th]])}} |13 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Logo Partido Verde (México).svg|link=Ecologist Green Party of Mexico|23px]] [[Angélica Peña Martínez]] ([[XIII Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|13th]])}} |14 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Rosalba Valencia Cruz]] ([[XIV Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|14th]])}} |15 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Dulce María Corina Villegas Guarneros]] ([[XV Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|15th]])}} |16 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Martha Rosa Morales Romero]] ([[XVI Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|16th]])}} |17 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Valentín Reyes López]] ([[XVII Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|17th]])}} |18 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Logo Partido Verde (México).svg|link=Ecologist Green Party of Mexico|23px]] [[Itzel Aleli Domínguez Zopiyactle]] ([[XVIII Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|18th]])}} |19 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Paola Tenorio Adame]] ([[XIX Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|19th]])}} |20 = {{nowrap|• [[File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg|link=Morena (political party)|23px]] [[Esteban Bautista Hernández]] ([[XX Federal Electoral District of Veracruz|20th]])}} }} | website = {{URL|http://www.veracruz.gob.mx/}} | footnotes = {{reflist|group=nb}} }} '''Veracruz''',{{efn|{{IPA|es-419|beɾaˈkɾus|lang|VeracruzPronunciation.ogg}}}} officially the '''Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave''',{{efn|{{langx|es|Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave}}}} is one of the 31 states that, along with [[Mexico City]], comprise the 32 [[Political divisions of Mexico|Federal Entities]] of [[Mexico]]. Located in eastern Mexico, it is bordered by seven states: [[Tamaulipas]], [[San Luis Potosí]], [[Hidalgo (state)|Hidalgo]], [[Puebla]], [[Oaxaca]], [[Chiapas]], and [[Tabasco]]. Veracruz is divided into [[Municipalities of Veracruz|212 municipalities]], and its capital city is [[Xalapa|Xalapa-Enríquez]], commonly called just Xalapa. Eastern Veracruz has a significant share of the coastline of the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The state is noted for its mixed ethnic and Indigenous populations, and [[Cuisine of Veracruz|its cuisine]] reflects the many cultural influences that have come through the state because of the importance of the port of the city of [[Veracruz (city)|Veracruz]]. In addition to Xalapa-Enríquez, the state's largest cities include , [[Boca del Río, Veracruz|Boca Del Río]], [[Coatzacoalcos]], [[Córdoba, Veracruz|Córdoba]], [[Minatitlán, Veracruz|Minatitlán]], [[Orizaba]], [[Poza Rica]], and Veracruz. ==Etymology== The official name of the state is Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, named after its largest city and main port, Veracruz, which was originally founded as [[Villa Rica de Vera Cruz|Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz]]{{Cite web |title=Veracruz - 7 Wonders |url=https://7wonders.org/north-america/mexico/veracruz/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=7wonders.org |language=en-US}} (Rich Town of the True Cross) by Spanish ''conquistadores'' (conquerors) in 1519. The name Vera Cruz combines Latin and Spanish elements meaning "True Cross."{{Cite web |title=What does Veracruz mean? |url=https://www.definitions.net/definition/Veracruz |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=www.definitions.net}} The suffix is in honor of [[Ignacio de la Llave|Ignacio de la Llave y Segura Zevallos]] (1818–1863), governor of Veracruz from 1855 to 1857{{Cite web |last=Municipal |first=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo |title=Ignacio de la Llave: natalicio e historia |url=https://www.gob.mx/inafed/articulos/conmemoramos-el-natalicio-de-general-del-ejercito-y-como-gobernador-del-estado-de-veracruz-ignacio-de-la-llave |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=gob.mx |language=es}} and once again from 1861 to 1863. The state's official seal, adopted in 1954 by the state legislature through Law No. 92,{{Cite web |title=Escudo de Veracruz |url=https://paratodomexico.com/estados-de-mexico/estado-veracruz/escudo-veracruz.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=paratodomexico.com |language=es}} is based on the colonial coat of arms granted by King Charles I of Spain to Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz in 1523, recognizing Veracruz as the first Spanish settlement in [[New Spain]]. ==History== ===Pre-Columbian=== [[File:Olmec Head from San Lorenzo, Veracruz.jpg|thumb|[[Olmec colossal heads|Colossal Olmec stone head]] from around 900 BC]] During the pre-Columbian era, Veracruz was populated mainly by four Indigenous groups: the [[Huastec people|Huastecs]] and [[Otomi]]s in the north, the [[Totonac]]s in the center north, and the [[Olmec]]s in the south.{{cite web |url=http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/veracruz.html |title=The History of Veracruz |first=John P. |last=Schmal |year=2004 |publisher=Houston Institute for Culture |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013224021/http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/veracruz.html |url-status=live }} Archaeological remains of these civilizations are preserved at sites including [[Cempoala]], [[Castillo de Teayo (Mesoamerican site)|Castillo de Teayo]], [[El Tajín]], [[El Zapotal]], Las Higueras, [[Quiahuiztlan]], [[Pánuco, Veracruz|Pánuco]], [[San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán]], and [[Tres Zapotes]].{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Historia |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=History |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }} The first major civilization in the territory of the current state was that of the Olmecs, centered in the [[Coatzacoalcos River]] region. Its principal ceremonial site was San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, with other important centers including Tres Zapotes in the city of Veracruz and La Venta in Tabasco. Olmec civilization reached its peak about 2,600 years ago, producing [[Olmec colossal heads|colossal stone heads]] that remain its most recognizable artistic achievement. These ceremonial sites were among the most complex of their era, leading many anthropologists to regard the Olmecs as the "mother culture" of Mesoamerican civilizations. Nevertheless, historian John Schmal notes that by 300 BCE, the Olmecs had been "eclipsed by other emerging civilizations in Mesoamerica." The Totonacs, who continue to exist as a distinct group today, traditionally inhabited a region known as [[Totonacapan]], located between the Cazones and Papaloapan Rivers in northern Veracruz. Pre-Columbian Totonacs subsisted on hunting, fishing, and agriculture, cultivating maize, beans, chili peppers, and squash.[[Vanilla bean]]s are also native to the region. Characteristic artifacts include clay sculptures depicting smiling faces. [[El Tajín]], located near [[Papantla]], is a major Totonac archaeological site; however, the culture reached its peak at Cempoala, situated about {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} inland from the modern port of Veracruz, before falling under [[Aztecs|Aztec]] control. At the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519, the Totonac population numbered approximately 250,000, distributed across 50 settlements and speaking four dialects, with about 25,000 inhabitants in Cempoala alone. The [[Huastec people|Huastecs]] traditionally inhabited the far north of Veracruz, and still do, extending into Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, [[Querétaro]], and Puebla. Their language and agricultural practices are similar to those of the [[Mayan peoples|Maya]], but only limited architectural and ceramic remains survive from the early [[Huastec people|Huastec]] culture. The civilization reached its height between 1200 and 1519 CE, prior to Spanish conquest. During the 15th and early 16th centuries, the [[Aztec Empire|Aztecs]] established control over much of Veracruz, dividing the territory into the tributary provinces of [[Cempoala|Cempoallan]], [[Cotaxtla|Cuetlaxtlan]], [[Misantla]], [[Huatusco (archaeological site)|Quauhtochco]], [[San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec|Tochtepec]], [[Tlatlauquitepec|Tlatlauhquitepec]], and [[Xalapa|Xalapan]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} They valued the region for its vegetation and crops such as cedar, fruit, cotton, cacao, maize, beans, and vanilla. The Huastecs were incorporated into the provinces of Atlan and [[Tuxpan|Tochpan]]. Due to frequent Totonac resistance to Aztec rule, however, rulers from [[Axayacatl]] in 1480 to [[Moctezuma II]] in the early 1500s were forced to dispatch troops to suppress uprisings. ===Colonial period, 1519–1821=== [[File:Playa Villa Rica desde Quiahuiztlan01.jpeg|thumb|Playa Villa Rica (Villa Rica Beach), where the Spanish built the first city of Veracruz]] [[File:EstatuaYanga.jpg|thumb|left|Statue of rebel leader Gaspar Yanga, a fugitive slave]] Veracruz played an important part in the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire]] by [[Hernán Cortés]] and his expedition members. They founded Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz on May 18, 1519, as the first Spanish town in what is now Mexico. By doing so, Cortés overthrew the authority of the governor of Cuba, [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar|Diego Velázquez]], claiming authority directly from the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish Crown]]. A small contingent of the expedition remained at Veracruz, but the main body of conquerors moved inland.Ida Altman, Sarah Cline, and Javier Pescador, ''The Early History of Greater Mexico''. Prentice Hall 2003, p. 57. Among the first groups encountered by the Spanish in the Americas were the Totonacs. [[Juan de Grijalva]] was the first Spaniard to make contact with them near present-day Veracruz. Seeking to free his people from Aztec rule, Totonac ruler [[Tlacochcalcatl]] offered ''conquistador'' Cortés 50,000 warriors to take Tenochtitlan. With Spanish assistance, the Totonacs expelled Aztec tax collectors and took over some Aztec outposts. The city of Veracruz was established as the first Spanish-controlled municipality on the coast. Cortés then advanced towards Tenochtitlan, initiating the Spanish conquest. As Cortés's campaign progressed, certain Totonac factions sided with the Spanish, but the Huastecs, also under Aztec rule, resisted Cortés's forces. After the Aztecs were defeated at Tenochtitlan, Cortés sent a unit to conquer the Huastecs as well. During the early conquest era, Cortés established ''[[encomienda]]s'' (literally "parcels" but in actual meaning, "forced labor grants"), which rewarded the conquerors with the labor of conquered Indigenous people. The Indigenous ruler of a settlement was charged with mobilization of labor and tribute owed to the holder of the encomienda. Multiple ''encomiendas'' were established in Veracruz, which changed ownership over time but early on came under the direct control of the Spanish Crown rather than individual ''encomenderos''.Peter Gerhard, ''A Guide to the Historical Geography of New Spain, Revised Edition''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press 1993. During the Colonial Era, Veracruz was the main port of entry for immigrants from Spain, [[Atlantic slave trade|enslaved Africans]], and luxury goods for import and export. The first group of [[Franciscans]] arrived in Veracruz in 1524, walking barefoot to the capital of the Spanish colony of New Spain.Altman, et al. ''The Early History of Greater Mexico'', p. 119. The route between Veracruz and the Spanish capital of Mexico City, built on the site of the Aztec capital [[Tenochtitlan]], was the key trade route during the colonial era. Much of the state's history is involved with the [[City of Veracruz|port city]] of the same name founded by Cortés in 1519. Veracruz became the principal, and often only, port to export and import goods between the colony of New Spain and Spain itself. To ensure the port's monopoly, Veracruz established control over almost all of New Spain's Gulf coastline. New Spain's silver and [[cochineal]] red dye were the two most important exports from the port, along with chocolate, vanilla, and chili peppers. Imports included livestock (sheep, cows, goats, horses), wheat and other cultivars. Slaves, pineapple, and sugar cane were introduced from the Caribbean. Such valuable trade made the port a highly prized target for pirates during the Colonial Period, resulting in frequent attacks and sackings. This led to the building of the fort of [[San Juan de Ulúa]], a site Juan de Grijalva visited in 1518,Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico. p. 173 and the fortification of the city overall. Much of Totonac and Huastec culture has survived the colonial period into the present day, largely due to northern Veracruz's rugged terrain and thick vegetation and lack of resources that the Spanish sought. Veracruz is considered to be where the ''[[mestizo]]'' or mixed European/Indigenous ethnicity began, which is a large part of Mexican cultural identity. Arriving with the Spanish conquerors, new diseases made their first appearance in the continent. [[Influenza|European diseases]]{{cite web |last1=Magner |first1=Lois N. |title=The Impact of European Disease on Native Americans |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/impact-european-diseases-native-americans |website=Encyclopedia.com |publisher=Cengage |access-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216171230/https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/impact-european-diseases-native-americans |url-status=live }} decimated the native population of the state, prompting the importation of enslaved Africans during the Colonial Period, starting in the 16th century. The Spanish imported between 500,000 and 1,000,000 West African slaves into Mexico between 1535 and 1767. As New Spain had no laws prohibiting interracial marriage, [[miscegenation]] between Indigenous and African populations began almost immediately. People of this mixed heritage are called Afro-Mestizo, which includes all three ethnicities: Indigenous, African, and Spanish. Runaway slaves (''cimarrones'') became problematic to public order because they frequently formed robber bands that attacked travelers on highways. The Spanish Crown took action against these groups beginning in the late 16th century, but a major rebellion broke out in 1606 in the Villa Rica, Nueva Veracruz, Antón Lizardo, and Rio Blanco (White River) areas. The most consequential rebellion occurred in the Orizaba area, involving about 500 fugitive slaves. In 1609, [[Gaspar Yanga]], a fugitive slave, led an insurrection against the Spanish. Unrest continued until 1618, when the Spanish government eventually signed an amnesty pact that gave the Africans the right to form their own community in exchange for suppressing bandit activity. The town of San Lorenzo de Zerral was established, later renamed the [[Yanga, Veracruz|municipality of Yanga]]. Yanga's rebellion marked the first time slavery was abolished in the Americas. In the first half of the 17th century, cities such as Córdoba, Orizaba, and Xalapa were established or expanded to safeguard the trade route between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz. During this time, the Spanish and mixed-ethnicities population increased as the purely Indigenous population continued to fall to a fraction of pre-Conquest levels—this time due to ethnic mixing rather than disease. Trade through Veracruz was restricted mainly to Spain, and only limited commerce permitted with England and other Spanish colonies until the ''Decreto de Libre Comercio'' (Decree of Free Commerce) authorized free trade within Spanish-held realms in 1778, opening up more of Europe. The reform increased the importance of the port and the prosperity of its inhabitants. Beyond the port in other areas of the state, the economy was based on agriculture, livestock, and commerce. In 1720, Xalapa hosted its first trade fair, establishing the city as a key point of exchange between inland Mexican goods and foreign imports. This role contributed to iXalapa's later designation as the state capital. In 1746, the state was divided into 14 civil jurisdictions: Córdoba, Cosamaloapan, Cotaxtla, Huayacocotla, Huauchinango, Jalacingo, Misantla, Pánuco, Papantla, Orizaba, Tampico, Tuxtla, Veracruz, and Xalapa. In 1824, soldiers loyal to the Spanish Crown made their last stand against the independence movement at the port city of Veracruz and the fort of San Juan de Ulúa, where Cortés had landed 300 years earlier. ===Independence=== [[File:Nebel Mexican War 04 Bombardment of Vera Cruz (cropped).jpg|thumb|Depiction of the [[siege of Veracruz]] during the Mexican–American War]] During the [[Mexican War of Independence]], there was support for the insurgents in many parts of the state, with skirmishes erupting in various parts as early as 1811. A major conspiracy against the colonial government was discovered in the port in 1812, with rebels taking [[Ayahualulco]] and [[Ixhuacán]] during the same year, forcing royalist troops to withdraw to Xalapa. Eventually, this city and the port were cut off from Mexico City. Most of the state remained in rebel hands during the rest of the war, although the port's commercial class did not support the effort. In 1821, [[Juan de O'Donojú]], the last [[viceroy]] of New Spain, came to the port to leave for Spain. However, until 1823, Spanish troops continued to occupy San Juan de Ulúa Fort. In 1826, the city would receive the first of its four titles of "heroic city" for confronting these remaining Spanish troops. Although the last of the Spanish held on in San Juan de Ulúa, [[Agustín de Iturbide]] had been declared emperor of Mexico in 1822. His reign quickly encountered resistance from those favoring a republican form of government, including from [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]] from his stronghold in Veracruz state. Months later, Iturbide went into exile and Santa Anna held nine terms as president. The French intervened in Mexico through Veracruz for the first time in the 1838, in what became the [[Pastry War]]. The port was blockaded. Efforts to defend the country were coordinated from Xalapa. The port was bombarded, but eventually a settlement was reached. During the [[Mexican–American War]], the port was again blockaded, this time by the Americans. Initial American attempts in 1847 to land in Alvarado were checked, but the Americans then landed a few miles south of Veracruz, which surrendered after [[Siege of Veracruz|a 20-day siege]]; defeated General [[Antonio López de Santa Anna|Santa Anna]]'s forces at the [[Battle of Cerro Gordo]]; and marched inland through Xalapa towards Mexico City, led by General [[Winfield Scott]]. Mexico surrendered shortly after. The municipalities of [[Tuxpan]] and [[:es:Chicontepec de Tejada|Chicontepec]] belonged to Puebla until 1853, when they were annexed to Veracruz to give the state its final form. In 1855, the State Government Palace was constructed. During the [[Reform War]], the major player was Ignacio de la Llave {{Clarify|reason=Unless this Ignacio is the same person as Ignacio de la Llave, the Wiki article on the Reform War does not indicate Ignacio de la Llave as a major player at that time.|date=July 2026}}, whose name is part of the state's official designation. In 1858, the port became the site for the liberal government under [[Benito Juárez]] after he was forced out of Mexico City during the Reform War. Control of the port and its customs duties allowed liberal forces to gather resources. Conservative forces attacked the state but were repelled from both the port and Xalapa. The Reform War devastated Mexico's economy, leaving it unable to repay its European debts. As a result, Juárez annulled the country's foreign debt, prompting Britain, Spain, and France to occupy the Mexican Gulf Coast in October 1861 to force repayment. Under normal conditions, this move would have been blocked by the United States under the [[Monroe Doctrine]]; however, the United States was occupied with a Civil War at the time, and the European powers believed that the Americans could not act. Spanish troops under General Manuel Gasset occupied the port of Veracruz without local resistance.''The New York Times'', "The Expedition to Mexico," January 3, 1861 Then, in November, the port was also occupied by British and French forces. The Spanish and the British withdrew after making deals with Juárez, but [[Second French intervention in Mexico|the French pushed on]] to establish the reign of [[Maximilian I of Mexico]]. However, this was short-lived and the French were expelled through Veracruz in 1866-1867. In 1863, the state was officially named Veracruz-Llave. After the French were expelled, the state government was in the port of Veracruz. In 1878, the capital was transferred to Orizaba but later moved to Xalapa in 1885. By the end of the century, many infrastructure improvements such as roads and railways—especially the [[Interoceanic Railway of Mexico|Ferrocarril Interoceánico]] (Interoceanic Railway)—had been completed with the major cities being Veracruz, Orizaba, Xalapa, Córdoba, [[Jalacingo]], Chicontepec and [[Tantoyuca]]. Discovery of oil in the north of the state attracted foreign firms, which brought machinery needed for its extraction. These companies included Huasteca Company Petroleum and El Aguila {{Clarify|reason=Please recheck accuracy of this sentence, because it would seem the first two companies were not foreign but Mexican, judging by their names.|date=July 2026}}along with American and English firms. During the same time period, uprisings against the government under [[Porfirio Díaz]] in the agricultural south of the state were brutally repressed. ===20th century to the present=== Unrest against Díaz's regime continued until the outbreak of the [[Mexican Revolution]] ousted him from power. The major event leading up to this war in Veracruz was the cigar-makers strike of 1905, when more than 5,000 workers of the El Valle Nacional company walked off the job. The governor, Teodoro A. Dehesa, unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a settlement. The strike went on for months until the strikers won. This victory encouraged more actions, until strikes at the factories in Rio Blanco, Nogales, Santa Rosa, and Contón de Orizaba resulted in [[Río Blanco strike|dramatic violence in January 1907]]. No major battles of the Mexican Revolution were fought in the state, although there were skirmishes and attacks on the port. By 1914 the rebel Cándido Agular occupied a number of municipalities in the state and in 1917, [[Venustiano Carranza]] transferred the federal government there temporarily. In April 1914, the [[Tampico Affair]], which concerned US sailors in the city of Tampico, caused President Woodrow Wilson to send American troops to Veracruz for six months, following which Mexico severed diplomatic relations with the United States. After the Revolution, agrarian reform, including the redistribution of land and the creation of ''ejidos'' (communal lands) took place. The oil companies in the north of the state were nationalized and consolidated into [[PEMEX]] in the 1930s by [[Lázaro Cárdenas]]. In the 1950s, more roads, such as the Mexico City-Poza Rica, Veracruz-Alvarado-Coatzacoalco, and Tinajas-Ciudad Aleman-Tlacoatalpan highways, were constructed and the [[Universidad Veracruzana]] (Veracruz University) expanded. In 1960, the [[Xalapa Museum of Anthropology]] was inaugurated as well as the Coatzacoalco-[[Salina Cruz]] highway. The [[Veracruz International Airport|Veracruz City International Airport]] was opened in the 1970s. In the 10 years after 2006, at least 3,600 people have disappeared within the state{{cite news |author= |title=Mexico finds 166 bodies in mass grave |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180907-mexico-finds-166-bodies-mass-grave-veracruz-drug-cartels |work=France24 |date=September 7, 2018 |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001003240/https://www.france24.com/en/20180907-mexico-finds-166-bodies-mass-grave-veracruz-drug-cartels |url-status=live}}
{{cite news |last=Woody |first=Christopher |title=A former Mexican governor has been accused of involvement in forced disappearances, and it points to a sinister problem with Mexico's police |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/javier-duarte-former-veracruz-mexico-governor-accused-disappearances-2018-6 |work=Business Insider |date=June 11, 2018 |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906212653/https://www.businessinsider.com/javier-duarte-former-veracruz-mexico-governor-accused-disappearances-2018-6 |url-status=live }} and multiple mass graves have been found.{{cite news |author=José de Córdoba |date=March 15, 2017 |title=Grieving Mothers Lead Authorities to Mass Grave in Mexico |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/grieving-mothers-lead-authorities-to-mass-grave-in-mexico-1489612745 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907071056/https://www.wsj.com/articles/grieving-mothers-lead-authorities-to-mass-grave-in-mexico-1489612745 |url-status=live}}
{{cite news |last=Garrido |first=Edgar |editor1-last=Cameron-Moore |editor1-first=Simon |date=March 19, 2017 |title=Mexico drug war investigators unearth 47 more skulls in mass graves |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-violence/mexico-drug-war-investigators-unearth-47-more-skulls-in-mass-graves-idUSKBN16R07X |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907110310/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-violence/mexico-drug-war-investigators-unearth-47-more-skulls-in-mass-graves-idUSKBN16R07X |url-status=live }} They are viewed as connected with the over 28,000 individuals missing during the [[Mexican drug war]].{{cite magazine |last=Wade |first=Lizzie |date=December 14, 2016 |title=How forensic anthropologists are helping the families of Mexico's disappeared seek justice |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/how-forensic-anthropologists-are-helping-families-mexicos-disappeared-seek-justice |magazine=Science |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205221557/https://www.science.org/content/article/how-forensic-anthropologists-are-helping-families-mexicos-disappeared-seek-justice |url-status=live }} Within the state, the [[Gulf Cartel]] and [[Los Zetas]] have battled for control,{{cite news |author= |title=Mexico drugs war: Mass grave found in Veracruz |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27915986 |work=BBC News |date=June 19, 2014 |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907110215/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27915986 |url-status=live }} which has led to journalists there being [[List of journalists and media workers killed in Mexico|targeted and killed]].{{cite news |last=Imison |first=Paul |date=August 17, 2015 |title=How Veracruz Became the Most Dangerous State in Mexico for Journalists |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-veracruz-became-the-most-dangerous-state-in-mexico-for-journalists/ |work=Vice |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018194046/https://www.vice.com/en/article/zm74b5/how-veracruz-became-the-most-dangerous-state-in-mexico-for-journalists |url-status=live }} ==Geography== ===Political geography=== The state is a crescent-shaped strip of land wedged between the Sierra Madre Oriental (Eastern Sierra Madre) to the west and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.{{cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2085-the-cuisine-of-veracruz-a-tasty-blend-of-cultures |title=The cuisine of Veracruz: a tasty blend of cultures |first=Karen |last=Hursh Graber |date=January 1, 2006 |publisher=Mexconnect |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008141050/http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2085-the-cuisine-of-veracruz-a-tasty-blend-of-cultures |url-status=live }} Its total area is {{convert|78815|km2|mi2|abbr=on|0}}, accounting for about 3.7% of Mexico's total territory.{{cite web |url=http://portal.veracruz.gob.mx/portal/page?_pageid=33,3784603&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |title=Estado de Veracruz |year=2006 |publisher=Secretaria de Desarrollo Economico y Portuario |location=Veracruz |language=es |trans-title=State of Veracruz |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=January 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112043947/http://portal.veracruz.gob.mx/portal/page?_pageid=33,3784603&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |url-status=live }} It stretches about {{convert|650|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} north to south, but its width varies from between {{convert|212|and|36|km|mi|abbr=on|0}}, with an average of about {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on|0}} in width.{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Medio Fisico |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Environment |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }}{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/625799/Veracruz |title=Veracruz |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=July 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722052049/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/625799/Veracruz |url-status=live }} Its coastline along the Gulf of Mexico extends for {{convert|690|km|mi|abbr=on|0}}. Veracruz borders the states of [[Tamaulipas]] to the north; [[Chiapas]] and Oaxaca to the south; [[Tabasco]] to the southeast; and Hidalgo, Puebla, and [[San Luis Potosí]] to the west. ===Natural geography=== [[File:Pico_de_Orizaba_desde_Hidalgo,_Puebla.jpg|thumb|[[Pico de Orizaba|Citlaltépetl]], the highest mountain in Mexico at 5,636 m (18,490.81 ft)]] [[File:JamapaRiver-Near CasaBlancaTown VeracruzMexico.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Jamapa River]]]] The state's natural geography can be categorized into nine regions: the Central Region; the [[Laguna de Alvarado]] Region; the Laguna del Castillo Region; the Metlac River area; the Pueblo Viejo-Tamiahua Region; the [[Sierra de Zongolica]]; the Tecolutla Region; and the [[Los Tuxtlas|Tuxtlas]] Region. The topography of Veracruz changes drastically, rising from the narrow coastal plains to the highlands of the eastern Sierra Madre. Elevation varies from sea level to the [[Pico de Orizaba]] (Orizaba Peak), Mexico's highest peak, at {{convert|5636|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} above sea level. The coast is home to numerous tidewater streams and lagoons alternating with low strips of sand. Most of the long coastline is narrow and sandy with unstable dunes, small shifting lagoons, and points{{Clarify|reason="Points" is too vague a word to use.|date=July 2026}}. The mountains are of the Sierra Madre Oriental and the [[Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt]]. Mountain ranges include the Sierra de Axocuapan; the [[Sierra de Chiconquiaco]]; the Sierra de Coxquihui; the Sierra de Huatusco; the Sierra de Huayacocotla; the Sierra de Jalacingo; the [[Sierra de Los Tuxtlas]]; the Sierra de Otontepec; the Sierra de Topila; and the [[Sierra de Zongolica]]. Major peaks include the Cofre de Perote (Perote’s Coffer) ({{convert|4282|m|ft|1|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}); the Cerro de Tecomates (Tecomates Hill) ({{convert|3227|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}); the Cerro del Vigía Alta (High Watch Hill) ({{convert|3055|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}); the Cerro de 3 Tortas (Three Cake Hill) ({{convert|2997|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}); and the Pico de Orizaba ({{convert|5636|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}})—of which the Pico de Orizaba is covered in snow year round and the Cofre de Perote in winter. Major valleys include the Acultzingo; the Córdoba, the Maltrata; the Orizaba; and the San Andrés. Veracruz has over 40 rivers and tributaries, which transport rich silt from the state's highlands to its coastal regions and valleys and also provide water for hydroelectric power and irrigation. All rivers and streams that cross the state begin in the Sierra Madre Oriental or in the Central Mesa, flowing eastward to the Gulf of Mexico. The important rivers include the [[Actopan River|Actopan]]; the Acuatempan; the Río Blanco; the [[Cazones River|Cazones]]; the [[Coatzacoalcos River|Coatzacoalcos]]; the Río de La Antigua; the Ayyappan; the [[Jamapa River|Jamapa]]; the Nautla; the [[Pánuco River|Pánuco]]; the [[Papaloapan River|Papaloapan]]; the [[Tecolutla River|Tecolutla]]; the [[Tonalá River|Tonalá]]; the [[Tuxpan River (Veracruz)|Tuxpan]]; and the [[Xoloapa River|Xoloapa]]. The largest rivers in terms of water discharge are the Coazocoalcos; the Pánuco; the Papaloapan; the Tuxpan; and the [[Uspanapa River|Uxpanapa]]—of which all but the Uxpanapa are navigable. Two of Mexico's most polluted rivers, the Coatzacoalcos and the Río Blanco, are located in Veracruz. Much of the pollution comes from industrial sources, but discharge of sewage and uncontrolled garbage disposal are also major contributors. The state has very few sewage treatment plants, with only 10% of sewage being treated before discharge.{{cite web |url=http://www.imta.mx/potamologia/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:-en-el-estado-de-veracruz-los-dos-rios-mas-contaminados-de-mexico-salvemos-el-agua&catid=41:noticias&Itemid=102 |title=En el estado de Veracruz, los dos ríos más contaminados de México: Salvemos el Agua |date=January 1, 2010 |work=Potamología |publisher=Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=In the state of Veracruz, the two most contaminated rivers in Mexico: Lets sabe the water |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722225617/http://www.imta.mx/potamologia/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:-en-el-estado-de-veracruz-los-dos-rios-mas-contaminados-de-mexico-salvemos-el-agua&catid=41:noticias&Itemid=102 |url-status=live }} The state has only one significant lake: [[Lake Catemaco]], but there also 10 major waterfalls and 10 major coastal lagoons.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Offshore islands include Isla del Ídolo (Idol Island); Isla Frijoles (Bean Island); Isla de Lobos (Wolf Island); Isla de los Burros (Donkey Island); [[Isla de Sacrificios]] (Island of Sacrifices); Isla de Salmendina (Salmendina Island); Isla del Toro (Bull Island); Isla Juan A. Ramírez (Juan A. Ramírez Island); Isla Pajaros (Bird Island); and Isla Terrón (Terrón Island). Ocean reefs include Anegada de Adento; Anegada de Afuera; Blanquilla; Cabezo; Gallega; Gualleguilla; Medio; Tangüillo; and Tuxpan. === Major communities === {{Div col|colwidth=20em}} * [[Acayucan]] * [[Alvarado, Veracruz|Alvarado]] * [[Boca del Río, Veracruz|Boca del Río]] * [[Camarón de Tejeda]] * [[Catemaco]] * [[Coatepec, Veracruz|Coatepec]] * [[Coatzacoalcos]] * [[Córdoba, Veracruz|Córdoba]] * [[El Jícaro, Veracruz]] * [[Martínez de la Torre]] * [[Minatitlán, Veracruz|Minatitlán]] * [[Orizaba]] * [[Papantla|Papantla (Papantla de Olarte)]] * [[Poza Rica]] * [[Santiago Tuxtla]] * [[San Andrés Tuxtla]] * [[Tuxpan]] (Túxpam/Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) * [[Veracruz (city)|Veracruz]] * [[Xalapa|Xalapa (Xalapa-Enríquez)]] {{Div col end}} ==== Localities ==== *[[La Martucha]]{{cite web |title=La Martucha (Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave) |url=https://mexico.pueblosamerica.com/i/la-martucha/ |website=mexico.pueblosamerica.com |access-date=July 26, 2023 |language=Spanish |archive-date=July 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726183154/https://mexico.pueblosamerica.com/i/la-martucha/ |url-status=live }} ===Climate=== [[File:MountainVeracruzTabascoBorder03.JPG|thumb|Mountain formation in southern Veracruz ]] {{climate chart|Veracruz |14|24|50 |16|28|32 |16|28|18 |19|31|48 |21|33|73 |20|29|308 |19|29|250 |21|31|125 |20|28|387 |18|27|204 |14|25|54 |14|25|36 |float=right |source=[http://smn.cna.gob.mx/productos/productos.html Comisión Nacional del Agua] }} The large variation of altitude results in a wide mixture of climates, ranging from cold, snow-topped mountain peaks to hot, humid tropical areas on the coast. Thirty-two percent of the state is classified as hot and humid; 52% as hot and semi humid; 9% as warm and humid; 6% as temperate and humid; and 1% as cold. Hot/humid and hot/semi-humid climates dominate from sea level to about 1,000 m (3,281 ft) above sea level. Average annual temperature ranges from {{convert|22|to|26|C|F}}, with precipitation varying from {{convert|2000|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} to just over {{convert|3500|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} per year. Cooler and humid climates are found at elevations between {{convert|1000|and|1600|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}, with an average temperature between 18 and 22 °C (64 and 72 °F) and precipitation varying between {{convert|2000|and|2500|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}. Temperate climates are found at higher altitudes, between {{convert|1600|and|2800|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}, with temperatures varying from {{convert|12|to|18|C|F}} and precipitation even more—between {{convert|500|and|2500|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}. Cold climates are found at the highest elevations, reaching up to the Cofre de Perote and the Pico de Orizaba. There is also a small semiarid region around the city of Perote and west of the Huasteca area, due to a [[rain shadow]] caused by the [[Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt]] and the Sierra Madre Oriental that prevent the flow of moist Gulf air to this region. ===Ecosystems=== [[File:Laguna catemaco shore.jpg|thumb|Shore of [[Lake Catemaco]]]] [[File:Buganvilia.jpg|thumb|Bougainvillea]] The state's ecology is of great importance for many plant and animal species. It is a center of plant [[endemism]] and also has two separate endemic bird areas.{{WWF ecoregion |id=nt0176 |name= Veracruz moist forests|access-date=August 3, 2010 }} Various types of forest cover the state, dominated by evergreen [[tropical forest]]. The northern part of the state and higher mountain areas are convergence zones between lowland evergreen tropical forests and more temperate flora and fauna. It is also the northernmost location of subhumid tropical forest in Mexico, although little of it remains, and mostly on steep slopes. The tropical forests of the [[Veracruz moist forests]] ecoregion are situated in the northeastern coastal plain and extend into southern Tamaulipas state, on the east side of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The soils here are volcanic and shallow, but with rich organic matter. Predominant species include Mayan breadnut (''[[Brosimum alicastrum]]''); sapodilla (''[[Manilkara zapota]]''); rosadillo (''[[Celtis monoica]]''); gumbo-limbo (''[[Bursera simaruba]]''); white gumbo-limbo (''[[Dendropanax arboreus]]'')'';'' and tempisque (''[[Sideroxylon capiri]]'')''.'' This ecoregion extends into the central part of the state, with vegetation changing to include mahogany (''[[Swietenia macrophylla]]''); sapodilla (''Manilkara zapota''); red poinsettia tree (''[[Bernoullia flammea]]'')'';'' and glassywood (''[[Astronium graveolens]])''. In the central part of the state, the [[Veracruz dry forests]] extend from the Sierra to the coast, south of the [[Sierra de Chiconquiaco]]. The [[Petén–Veracruz moist forests]] occupy the southern part of the state, extending eastward through neighboring Chiapas and Tabasco states into Guatemala.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Veracruz has been described as having one of the richest varieties of wildlife in the Western Hemisphere.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} There is an especially diverse array of endemic insects like the conspicuous giant silkworm moth ''([[Arsenura armida]]''). The state is also known for its many arachnids, including over 25 species of [[tarantula]] (''Theraphosidae''), of which many are endemic. The state is part of [[Birdlife International]]'s Endemic Bird Area (EBA) project, including the green-cheeked amazon (''[[Amazona viridigenalis]]''); the Tamaulipas crow (''[[Corvus imparatus]]''); the Altamira yellowthroat (''[[Geothlypis flavovelata]]''); and the crimson-collared grosbeak (''[[Rhodothraupis celaeno]]''). Despite much deterioration of the forest areas, Veracruz is still an important stopover for migratory birds. Wildlife species includes 102 mammal, 49 amphibian, 109 reptilian, 561 bird, and more. Species in danger of extinction include the jaguar, the [[spider monkey]], and the [[anteater]]. Many endangered mammal species can be found here, including two endemic rodents (''[[Peromyscus ochraventer]]'' and ''[[Neotoma angustapalata]]''); the [[jaguar]] (''Panthera onca''); the [[ocelot]] (''Leopardus pardalis''); the [[jaguarundi]] (''Herpailurus yaguarondi''); and the [[white-nosed coati]] (''Nasua narica''). The endangered [[Baird's tapir]] may occasionally be spotted in the state's southern jungle regions, such as [[Biósfera Los Tuxtlas]]. This region is also the northernmost extent of the primate [[mantled howler]] ''([[Alouatta palliata]]''). Most of Veracruz's native forests have been destroyed and replaced by scrub and secondary communities of trees. From 1900 to 1987, over {{convert|18553|km2|mi2|abbr=on|1}} of forest were logged, resulting in loss of habitat and biodiversity. Much of the logging is for commercial timber, the search for tropical hardwoods, and the clearing of land for local farmers, especially for cattle grazing. Only 20% of the state's original ecosystem remains, with 64% transformed by human exploitation. Despite some efforts at conservation and reclamation, exploitation continues to put pressure on remaining wild areas. The state has 31 environmentally protected areas in 21 different municipalities. Nine are urban parks; three are national parks ([[Pico de Orizaba National Park|Pico de Orizaba]], [[Cofre de Perote National Park|Cofre de Perote]], and [[San José de los Molinos National Park|San José de los Molinos]]). The Cofre de Perote National Park, created in 1937, is 11,700 hectares (19,027.1 acres) of pine and [[oyamel]] (a species of conifer) forest. The [[Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve]] covers the municipalities of [[Ángel R. Cabada (municipality)|Ángel R. Cabada]], [[Catemaco]], [[Mecayapan]], [[Pajapan]], [[San Andrés Tuxtla]], [[Santiago Tuxtla]], [[Soteapan]], and [[Tatahuicapan]] for a total of 155,122 hectares (383,314.8 acres). It contains various volcanoes, such as San Martín and Santa Marta, and rich biodiversity as it stretches from sea level to higher elevations, with 16 climate regions grouped into four climate types.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Forest types range from evergreen tropical rainforest to pine. Seventy-five percent of the species here are also found in [[Central America]] and there is a total of 2,368 plant species. Some—such as ''[[Costus dirzoi]]; [[Daphnopsis megacarpa]]; [[Eugenia sotoesparzae]]; [[Inga sinacae]]; [[Miconia ibarrae]]; [[Mormodes tuxtlensis]];'' and ''[[Thelypteris rachyflexuosa]]—''are native only to this area.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} [[Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano National Marine Park|The Veracruz Reef System]]—mostly off the coast of the city of Veracruz, [[Boca del Río, Veracruz|Boca del Río]], and Alvarado—is also considered a national park. The area includes coral reefs, seaweed beds, and other marine vegetation, covering an area of 52,239 hectares (129,085.4 acres). There are 17 reefs in total, some of which jut above the surface to form small islands. This system links with the [[reef]] systems of [[Campeche]] and [[Yucatán (state)|Yucatán]]. ==Economy== Veracruz has one of Mexico's leading economies, based on agriculture and petroleum. ===Agriculture=== [[File:Vanilla beans.jpg|thumb|Vanilla beans, one of Veracruz's main crops]] The primary sector of the economy (agriculture, forestry, and fishing) has been important since pre-Hispanic times and continues to be so both as a source of income as well as culturally. The state has abundant rainfall and extremely fertile soils, as well as a long coastline and forest containing a wide variety of trees and other plants.{{cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/939-traveling-the-central-high-plains-part-one |title=Veracruz: traveling the Central High Plains of Mexico |first=Charles E. |last=Moritzky |date=January 1, 2006 |publisher=Mexconnect |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=August 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819002101/http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/939-traveling-the-central-high-plains-part-one |url-status=live }} Cultivable land covers about 1 million hectares (2,471,053.8 acres), half of which are privately owned and 43% are ''[[ejido]]'' or communal. The rest is occupied by human settlements. There are 3,620 units are parceled out to 270,000 ejido members. Fifty-two and a half percent of agricultural land is used for the growing of crops or used as pasture; 43.1% is forest or rainforest.{{Clarify|reason=As of when? A source will need to be provided for that information.|date=July 2026}} The chief agricultural products include coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, tobacco, bananas, coconuts, and vegetables, but local farmers depend mainly on corn and beans. Two corn crops are generally produced annually, planted on 644,936 hectares (1,593,671.6 acres) with a production of 1,114,325 tons. The state is the leading national producer of coffee, sugarcane, corn, and rice. Coffee is grown on 152,993 hectares (378,053.9 acres), producing 400,575 tons. Export earnings from this crop are about US$232 million annually. Most coffee is grown in the mountain areas of Córdoba-Huatusco, Coatepec-Teocelo-Cosautlán, and Misantla-Tlapacoyan-Atzalan. Sugarcane is cultivated on 254,000 hectares (627,647.7 acres), producing 16,867,958 tons annually. Veracruz is the largest producer of rice{{Clarify|reason=In Mexico?|date=July 2026}} with 24,000 hectares (59,305.3 acres) producing 120,000 tons. Much of this crop is protected by import bans from Asia.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} The state grows half of Mexico's citrus fruit and produces the largest number of citrus varieties. Citrus cultivation occupies 180,577 hectares (446,215.5 acres) and yields 2,575,140 tons annually, including oranges, tangerines, [[Mandarin orange|mandarin]]s, limes, and grapefruit. The majority of citrus is grown in the northern part of the state. Most of the limes grown are exported, which supports the packing and shipping industry. Veracruz is the largest mango producer in the country, with 31,640 hectares (78,184.1 acres) in cultivation, producing 287,000 tons, primarily of the manila variety that is preferred in Mexico. Ninety-five percent of mangoes grown in Veracruz are consumed fresh within Mexico, although exports to Canada have begun. Vanilla beans, another major Mexican crop, are native to Veracruz, grown mostly in the area known as Totonacapan in and around Papantla.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Livestock raising is critical to the state's economy. There are over 300,000 production units in the state, most of which raise cattle. Veracruz is Mexico's main beef producer, producing 14% of the country's total beef. In addition to beef cattle, other livestock species include dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and domestic fowl, as well as horses and bees. The state's inland tropical forests supply [[dyewood]]s, hardwoods, and rubber. About 20% of Veracruz is forested, with 220,000 hectares of temperate forest and 1,200,000 hectares (2,965,265.6 acres) of tropical forests. Logging in the state produces 128,254 cubic m (4,529,247.2 cubic ft) of wood products per year. The most exploited species include pine, oyamel, cypress, and oak. Some tropical hardwoods are harvested as well. {{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Veracruz's long coastline supports a large fishing industry, producing 20% of Mexico's catch. Most of the country's [[mojarra]], oysters, and shrimp come from the state. Other major seafood catches include crab, [[white seabass|sea bass]], and [[Northern red snapper|red snapper]]. {{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Agroindustry focuses on the processing of coffee and sugar products, with citrus packers holding an important position as well. {{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} ===Natural resources=== [[File:Torre Petrolera Poza Rica.jpg|thumb|100px|Petroleum tower, [[Poza Rica]]]] As a resource-rich state, Veracruz plays a significant role in Mexico's economy. It has about 35% of the country's water supply, and is a key hub for oil production. Although the state's mountains contain unexploited coal, iron, gold, and silver reserves, its mining activity focuses primarily on non-metallic minerals such as [[calcium]], [[feldspar]], [[kaolin]], [[marble]], and [[silica]]. The state ranks fourth in the country for non-metallic mineral output. In total, mining contributes 1.5% to the state's economy. Veracruz was a pioneer in both the extraction and refining of petroleum products. The state has about one-fourth of Mexico's petroleum reserves and ranks third in petroleum production. Most of this production is concentrated in the northern part of the state. Approximately 40,000,000 barrels (6,400,000 cubic meters) of oil are produced each year and {{convert|109870000000|cuft|m3}} of natural gas. Petrochemicals represent 28.1% of the state's manufacturing, in which Veracruz ranks first nationally. There are 22 petrochemical plants, with the most important being [[Cosoleacaque]], [[Jáltipan de Morelos]], [[La Cangrejera]], Poza Rica, Pajaritos, and Minatitlán. ====Golden Lane Oil Fields==== [[File:Golden Lane Map.pdf|thumb|300px|Map of the Golden Lane Oil FieldsViniegra O., F., and Castillo-Tejero, C., 1970, Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, AAPG Memoir 14, Halbouty, M.T. editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 310.]] The "Golden Lane" ("Dos Bocas-Alamo structure" or "The Ridge") refers to a series of oil fields aligned in an arc onshore and a symmetrical alignment offshore, forming two sides of an [[atoll]] from the [[Cretaceous]] period,180 km (111.9 mi) long.Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, p. 309, 1970. The structure was discovered in 1908 by [[Weetman Pearson]]'s [[Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company]]'s San Diego de la Mar No. 1 well, which produced 2,500 [[Barrel (unit)|barrels]] per day. The Golden Lane oil fields penetrate a massive elliptical reef platform, identified as the Sierra del Abra limestone (consisting of reef, backreef, and [[lagoon]]al [[facies]]), which dips southeast.Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, pp. 314 and 316, 1970. Selection of the discovery well site was opportune, due to the presence of [[petroleum seep]]s, as had been [[Edward Laurence Doheny]]'s La Pez No. 1 well in the Ebano-Panuco petroleum district west of [[Tampico]], Tamaulipas, which was the first Mexican discovery well in 1904.Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, pp. 309–311, 1970. In 1908, the infamous [[Dos Bocas oil fire]] occurred after the San Diego de la Mar No. 3 [[Blowout (well drilling)|blowout]].Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, p. 311, 1970. This fire was followed by another at the Potrero del Llano No. 4 well, which produced 100,000 barrels per day during the three months it was out of control. Doheny's Cerro Azul No. 4 well, located by Ezequiel Ordonez, became the largest daily production record holder in 1916 at 260,000 barrels. Geophysical studies, in particular [[gravimetry]], starting in 1920, led to discovery of the Poza Rica Field in 1932 and Moralillo Field in 1948, on the west flank of the Golden Lane in the Tamabra fore-reef facies.Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, pp. 311 and 317, 1970. Refraction [[seismography]] surveys started in 1930, augmented in 1948 by [[Reflection seismology|reflection seismography]], leading to the discovery of the atoll's southern extent, with the Ezequiel Ordonez No. 1 well in 1952 and additional discoveries through 1968.Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, p. 312, 1970. Marine seismic and [[magnetometer]] surveys starting in 1957 showed the extent of the atoll offshore and led to the first offshore well, Isla de Lobos No. 1-B, in 1963. The well depths are on the order of 500 meters onshore and 2,000 meters offshore.Viniegra O., L., and Castillo-Tejero, C., Golden Lane Fields, Veracruz, Mexico, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Fields, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 14, pp. 311–312, 1970. ===Industry, transportation and commerce=== [[File:PortVeracruz55.JPG|thumb|Portion of the port of Veracruz]] [[Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant]] (Green Lagoon Nuclear Power Plant) in Alto Lucero, Veracruz, produces about 4.5% of Mexico's electrical energy. Twenty-one percent to 33% of the state's [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) is derived from manufacturing, with the chemical and petrochemical sectors contributing about 64% of the manufacturing GDP. Other products include metals, processed foods, beverages, printing and publishing, textiles, and machinery. Most of the state's industry takes place in the municipalities of Coatzacoalcos, Córdoba, Cosoleacaque, Minatitlán, Orizaba, Poza Rica, Tuxpan, and Veracruz with over 5,000 establishments. The rest is divided among nearly 11,000 smaller establishments. There are five major industrial parks: Bruno Pagliai, Ixtac, Petroquímico Morelos, Córdoba-Amatlán, and Parque 2000. The largest of these is Bruno Pagliai, covering {{convert|300.8|ha}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Transportation and commerce are important forces in the state, mostly linked to importing and exporting through Veracruz's four deepwater ports. The focus of most of these activities is the port city, the location of which on the Gulf Coast of Mexico makes it a key export hub. The port of Veracruz handles 75% of Mexico's port activity, with exports going elsewhere in [[Latin America]] as well as to Europe and the United States.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} The state's primary exports include coffee, fertilizer, fish, crustaceans, and fresh fruits. Other ports include those in Tuxpan and Coatzacoalcos. Most highway, rail, and air connections link to the port of Veracruz and other ports to the south. The state has 73 companies classified as high-volume exporters, and it is ranked sixth in the country for exports.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Veracruz contains five major food wholesale markets, 146 government-sponsored markets, about 75,000 private stores, and 201 supermarkets.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Wholesale vendors focus on agricultural products such as wood, livestock, and food products. The major focal point for international business is the [[World Trade Center Veracruz]], also known as EXPOVER, in Boca del Río. Inaugurated in 1989, the center has facilities to accommodate 5,000 people in {{convert|7,000|m2}}; an exhibition hall of {{convert|12,000|m2}}; a business center; and parking for over 800 vehicles.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} In the industrial sector, relatively poor ''municipios'' (municipalities) are not catching up to relatively rich ones, although the latter are not diverging, either.{{Clarify|reason=Not clear what "diverging" means here.|date=July 2026}} A policy of encouraging much more domestic and/or foreign investment has been recommended for poorer areas to prosper and the outflow of residents is to stop.{{cite journal |author=Brock, Gregory |title="The Long Run Industrial Growth of Veracruz State, 1955-2008 |journal=Journal of Economic Studies |volume=41 |issue=6 |date=2014 |pages=821–832 |url=http://www.emeraldinsight.com/toc/jes/41/6 |doi=10.1108/JES-02-2013-0020 |s2cid=154695456 |access-date=November 7, 2014 |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018194047/https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0144-3585/vol/41/iss/6 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }} ===Handicrafts=== In the more rural and Indigenous areas of the state, a number of handicrafts are still made and sold to local buyers and tourists alike. Many of these crafts are produced by communities that specialize in one or more types. Wood furniture and other items are made by the Huasteca people, mostly from cedar and palm, although the best work comes from the towns of Ozulama and Castillo de Teayo.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Teocelo and Monte Blanco are known for bamboo furniture and other items. Musical instruments of wood, such as a type of guitar called a ''jarana,'' are constructed in the Los Tuxtlas area, especially in Catemaco, and flutes made in Papantla. Wooden masks are made in Teocelo, and items made of coffee wood are made in Misantla, [[Coatepec, Veracruz|Coatepec]], Huastusco, and Xico. Corn husks are used to make decorative figures, often religious, in Nautla and Naranjos de Amatlán. Palm fronds are woven into fans, shoes, and baskets in Jalcomulco, Ozulama, and Tlalixcoyan.González, pp. 40–42 Ceramics have been made in almost all parts of Veracruz since the time of the Olmecs. One area known for its ceramic work is Papantla, which also includes life-sized representations of folk dancers from the area, along with more mundane glazed and unglazed pottery items. Minatitlán is known for its production of ceramic cooking utensils that are also popular in the neighboring municipalities of Actopan and Naolinco. San Miguel Aguasuelos and Jalcomulco are known for their white clay ware, including water jars, toys, [[Nativity scene|nativity scenes]], bells, and more. Traditional clothing and embroidery can be most easily found in the [[Huasteca|La Huasteca]] area, where elaborately decorated women's blouses can be seen, especially in the El Higo and Tlalixcoyan area. In Totonacalpan, men are still often seen in white shirts and pants with a bag to hold personal items. This dress dates back to the early colonial period and has changed little since then. Other areas like Naranjos de Amatlán, Minatilán, and the city of Veracruz specialize in wool items such as dresses, skirts, and jackets, often decorated with cross-stitching as are other textile crafts like tablecloths and napkins. Leather items include shoes, jackets, bags, wallets, belts, and boots and are usually made in the La Huasteca region, Teocolo, Citlaltépetl, and Naolinco. ==Culture== ===Cuisine=== {{Main|Cuisine of Veracruz}} [[File:HuachinangoVeracruzana.JPG|thumb|Huachinango ([[red snapper (fish)|red snapper]]) a la Veracruzana]] The cuisine of the state is unique in Mexico, mixing Spanish, Indigenous, and Caribbean influences{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Atractivos Culturales y Turísticos |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Cultural and Tourist Attractions |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }} and dating back to the pre-Hispanic period. The staple food triumvirate of corn, beans, and squash is supplemented by tropical fruits, vanilla beans, and an herb called ''acuyo'' or ''[[hoja santa]]''. Another important native contribution is seafood, which is featured in many dishes such as ''[[arroz a la tumbada]]'', a soupy seafood rice, and ''caldo de mariscos'', a seafood soup. During the colonial period, a variety of spices and ingredients were introduced to Veracruz, which made a significant impact on the local cuisine. Among spices introduced by the Spanish were [[bay laurel]], [[cilantro]], [[parsley]], and [[thyme]] from Europe and [[cloves]], [[cinnamon]], and [[black pepper]] from Asia. They also brought almonds, capers, garlic, olives, olive oil, rice, and wheat. Capers, garlic, and olive oil are essential ingredients in what is perhaps the most famous specialty of the region, ''[[huachinango a la Veracruzana]]'' (red snapper in a spicy tomato sauce). Caribbean imports such as [[sugar cane]] and pineapple were adapted, as well as the peanut, brought from Africa by the Portuguese although it is originally from South America. Veracruz cuisine divides into six regions, each with its own specialties: Centro Norte (North Central), Centro Sur (South Central), Costa Norte (North Coast), Los Tuxtlas, Sierra, and Sotavento: * The Centro Norte is centered on Xalapa, with dishes that tend to be more Indigenous in nature, strongly flavored with mild chili peppers. Common dishes include ''chilehuates (''similar to tamales), stuffed chile peppers, and enchiladas, with less seafood and more pork and domestic fowl. * The Centro Sur area is mostly Indigenous, encompassing the area of Amatlán; Córdoba; Coscomatepec; Cotaxtla; Fortín de las Flores; Huatusco; Huilango, Orizaba; Negra Yanga; and San Lorenzo de los Negros. Dishes there are similar to Centro Norte, but [[chayote|''chayotes'']] (a type of gourd) appear more often because this region is a major producer of the vegetable. Meats in ''[[adobo]]'' (a type of dressing) are common as well. * The Costa Norte and Sierra area encompass the northern part of the state, such as the Pánuco River area and Totonacapan. This area is noted for a number of unique dishes such as ''frijoles en achuchutl'', which is made with black beans, pork rind, chayotes, squash seeds, and [[jalapeño pepper]]s. [[Bocole]]s are a kind of filled tortilla made with corn dough and stuffed with black beans, ''chorizo'' (pork sausage), eggs, or seafood, and then fried in lard. Tamales are often made with banana leaves. The area is also known for its breads, especially [[anise]]–flavored rolls. * The Los Tuxtlas area encompasses the communities of Santiago, San Andrés, and Catemaco, an area that was once the center of Olmec civilization. There the cuisine features yucca; ''chocos'' (a type of edible flower); fish, especially ''mojarra''; and exotic meats such as monkey and [[iguana]]. * The Sotovento area is in the south of the state, and dishes there are heavily based on rice. Common dishes include ''arroz a la tumbada'' (rice cooked with seafood or meat) and rice with fried bananas. Seafood dishes are also prominent, based mostly on fish and shrimp. ''Hoja santa'' or ''hierba santa'', a plant of the family [[Piperaceae]], is a common ingredient.. ===Museums=== [[File:San Martin Pajapan Monument 1 retouched.jpg|thumb|300px|The Olmec [[San Martín Pajapan Monument 1|San Martín Pajapan Monument 1]], on exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology, Xalapa]] The Veracruz state capital of Xalapa is also home to a number of important museums: * The Xalapa Museum of Anthropology contains the second most important collection of Mesoamerican artifacts in the country. Building began in 1959 on {{Convert|6|ha|acre}}. The complex is divided into various halls and galleries by theme, focusing on the Olmec and Totonac cultures. The Patio Olmeca (Olmec Patio) contains the colossal head known as El Rey (The King), found in 1945. Other important artifacts include giant [[Stele|stelae]] and the [[San Martin Pajapan Monument 1|San Martín Pajapan Monument 1]] (at right). * The Xalapa Museum of Science and Technology, contains more than 400 exhibitions in eight halls: Life, Ecology, Space, Transportation, Sciences, Energy, Water, and Earth. * The [[Pinacoteca Diego Rivera|Pinoteca Diego Rivera]] (Diego Rivera Public Art Gallery) was established by the state in the former Monastery of San Francisco in Xalapa, primarily to preserve and display Rivera's works owned by the state;but it also contains early works by [[José María Velasco Gómez|José María Velasco]], [[Jorge Cuesta (writer)|Jorge Cuesta]], and [[Teodoro A. Dehesa]] {{Clarify|reason=Is this the same Teodoro A. Dehesa mentioned earlier as a governor in the 20th century to the present subsection of "History"?|date=July 2026}}. * The [[Hacienda del Lencero]], which was the home and headquarters of President Antonio López de Santa Anna in the 19th century, preserved and converted into a museum near Xalapa. Other museums are scattered across the state: * The [[Regional Museum of Anthropology and History of Chiapas|Regional Museum of Anthropology]] in Tuxpan displays imore than 400 pieces in four halls from pre-Hispanic groups in the region, most of which from the center of the state and the Huasteca region on the edge of the Tuxpan River. * Tuxpan also has the Mexican-Cuban Museum, containing a collection of photographs from the [[Cuban Revolution]] and a statue of [[José Martí]]. * The Tuxteco Regional Museum in [[Santiago Tuxtla|Santiago de Tuxtla]] contains Olmec and Totonac artifacts including art objects, farming implements, utensils, and more, with giant stone sculptures in the garden from the Tres Zapotes site. * The Salvador Ferrando Museum, located in [[Tlacotalpan]] in the 19th-century home of local painter [[Salvador Ferrando]], displays regional art, colonial history, and everyday items from the 16th to the 19th centuries. * The Jardín Central (Central Garden) of the municipality of [[Tierra Blanca, Veracruz|Tierra Blanca]] has a number of Totonac archeological pieces on display. * The Archeological Museum of Córdoba, located in the city of the same name, has three exhibition halls containing artifacts from the Maya, Olmec, Toltec, and Huastec cultures, as well as a collection of historical photographs of the city. * The Veracruz State Art Museum (Museo de Arte del Estado de Veracruz), located in Orizaba in what was the monastery associated with the Concordia Church, has a collection including works by Diego Rivera, [[Ignacio Rosas]], and [[Gonzalo Argüelles]], as well as a collection of historical photographs related to Veracruz and to art. * The Malintzin Archeological Museum in the municipality of [[Nogales, Veracruz|Nogales]], a small museum with one hall containing photographs and documents, is located in the church where [[La Malinche]] and [[Juan de Jaramillo]] were reportedly married. ===Fairs and festivals=== The state is noted for its quantity and variety of festivals. The most important of these is [[Carnival]], a Christian festival just before the season of [[Lent]] in the city of Veracruz. This city's version of the event begins with the "burning of bad humor," which is represented in effigy. A number of kings and queens are "crowned," including categories for children; but the most important of these is the ''Rey Feo'' (Ugly King) and the ''Reina del Carnaval'' (Queen of the Carnival). The latter is accompanies by cadets from the Naval Academy during the parade. This celebration is repeated all along the Veracruz coastline, with other significant festivities taking place in Alvarado, Coatzacoalcos, [[San Rafael, Veracruz|San Rafael]], and [[José Cardel, Veracruz|Villa José Cardel]]. Minatitlán's celebration draws people from the nearby states of Oaxaca and Tabasco.González, p. 23 The [[Day of the Dead]] is celebrated in almost all of Mexico from October 31 to November 2, but there are local variances in Veracruz. In some places, the festival is commemorated during the months of August and September. In Papantla, boards or tables adorned with flowers, plant matter, and more on rooftops. In Tantoyuca, the festival is commemorated with costumes and music, similar to Carnival. The Christian celebration of [[Candlemas]], commemorating the [[presentation of Jesus at the Temple]] by [[Saint Joseph|St. Joseph]] and [[Mary, mother of Jesus|the Virgin Mary]], is fused with traditions associated with [[Chalchiuhtlicue|Chalchiuhtlicua]], the goddess of water, rivers, lakes, and ocean. She was replaced by the Virgin of Candlemas, protectress of fishermen, which has made this celebration particularly important on the coast—especially in Tlacotalpan, where it is celebrated with much pomp. In Jáltipan de Morelos, ethnic [[Nahua peoples|Nahuas]] and [[Popoluca|Popolucas]] dress in elaborate costumes and arrange their hair in intricate styles. In Santa María Magdalena on July 22, the commemoration day of [[Mary Magdalene|St. Mary Magdalene]], bulls are set free to roam the streets. Corn harvest festivals are prominent in the Huasteca region in municipalities such as [[Chontla]], Chicontepec, and [[Ixhuatlán de Madero]], which generally include native dances and corn-based foods. ===Dance and music=== {{Listen | filename = Malague a Master 44.ogg | title = "La malagueña" | description = "Son huasteco," performed by Los Hijos de la Malinche of Jáltipan, Veracruz | pos = left }} Veracruz is well known in the country for its music and dance. The [[fandango]] is a dance brought over from Spain. Today the state has two varieties: the ''jarocho'' and the ''huasteco''. Indigenous and folk dances in the state are most often associated with rituals and religious festivals. These include a dance called ''los lisceres'' (a local dialectical variation of ''los leopardos (''the leopards or the jaguars), also called ''los tigres'' (the tigers'','' from the Los Tuxtlas region, in which participants wear Olmec style masks representing the rain god Tlalóc. Another dance is ''los guaguas'' (the buses), in which the participants pay homage to the sun, and ''los Santiagos'', which is related to the veneration of Saint James, the patron saint of Cortés. Still another dance is ''los negritos'' (the little black ones), created by African slaves and according to tradition, originating from a story about a boy who was bitten by a snake and the rituals done by his family for his healing.González, p. 22 The state's most famous dance, ''la danza de los voladores'' (the dance of the flyers), is as much a ritual and daredevil act as movements performed to music. The dance is a ceremony/ritual with roots in the pre-Hispanic period, presently best known as associated with the town of Papantla. It is believed to have originated with the Nahuas, Huastec, and Otomi in central Mexico, and then spread throughout most of [[Mesoamerica]]. The ritual consists of the dance and the climbing of a 30-meter (98.43-ft) pole from which four of the five participants tied with ropes then launch themselves to descend to the ground while the fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum. According to myth, the ritual was created to petition the gods to end a severe [[drought]]. Although the ritual did not originate with the Totonacs, today it is most strongly associated with them, especially those in and around Papantla, as the ceremony has died off in most other places.{{Cite book |title=El Tajin: A Guide for Visitors |last=Wilkerson |first=S. Jeffrey K |year=1987 |isbn=968-499-293-9 |pages=75–76 |publisher=Universidad Veracruzana }} The ceremony was named an [[Intangible Cultural Heritage]] by [[UNESCO]] in order to help the ritual survive and thrive in the modern world.{{Cite news |title='Flying Men' are now Cultural Heritage |newspaper=McClatchy – Tribune Business News |location=Washington, DC |date=October 1, 2009 }} The state's best-known musical style is called the [[son (music)|''son'']], a musical variation that traces its origins to Spain and was developed during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is the state's most popular musical style shows, with influences from the many peoples who have lived there, including Indigenous groups, Portuguese, Italians, Africans, French, and others. The music is generally performed on harps, violins, and guitars, with an occasional wind instrument. [[huapango|Son Huasteco (also called Son Huapango)]] is a variety of ''son'' played in the north of the state, mostly among the Totonacs; [[Son jarocho|Son Jarocho]] is the better known and more popular variety played in the south. The famous Grammy award-winning song "La Bamba" by the [[Los Lobos]] rock band is said have its roots in a traditional folk song from Veracruz—hence the reference to the ''marinero'' sailor in that song).González, pp. 20–21 The state has produced a number of musicians famous in the country. One of the best known is [[Francisco Gabilondo Soler]]. Gabilondo Soler is best known for creating a character known as ''Cri-cri'', a singing cricket for a radio show in the first half of the 20th century. As a musician, he specialized in writing children's songs such as "Abuelito" (an affectionate way to refer to a grandfather); "Caminito de la escuela" ("On the Way to School"); "El baile de los muñecos" ("The Dance of the Dolls)"; "El burrito" (The Little Donkey"); and "La negrita Cucurumbé" ("Cucurumbé, the Little Black Girl"). A number of Gabilondo Soler's works have been translated into other languages.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Another famous musician from Veracruz is Agustín Lara, who has had even more international fame.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Nicknamed "Flaco de oro" ("Skinny Golden One"), he always insisted that he was born in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz and not Mexico City as shown by records. Lara formed his first band in 1930 called ''El Son de Marabú'' and toured almost continuously in Mexico and abroad during his career. His most famous compositions include "Veracruz," "Noche de Ronda" ("Nighttime Rounds"), and "Solamente una vez" ("Only Once"). Other prominent musicians of the state include [[Toña la Negra|Toña La Negra]] or María Antonia del Carmen Peregino; [[Narciso Serradell Sevilla|Narcisco Serradel]]; [[Lorenzo Barcelata]]; and [[María Grever|María Greever]]. ===Art and architecture=== [[File:MuralChurchCanoPap.JPG|thumb|Mural by Teodoro Cano García depicting history of Papantla in the town square]] During the colonial era, a movement called the ''estilo veracruzano'' (Veracruz style) developed mostly by focusing on landscapes in the state with a certain amount of Indigenous influence, although the painters themselves were ''criollo'' or Mexico-born Spanish. These paintings focus on mountains, valles, coasts, volcanoes, and other natural phenomena in the state. Most of the proponents of this style were born in Veracruz itself, including [[José Justo Montiel]]; [[Gonzalo Argüelles Bringas]]; [[Eugenio Landecio]] (the teacher of [[José María Velasco Gómez|José María Velasco]]); [[Natal Pesado]]; and [[Ignacio Rosas]].González, pp. 12–15 However, most of Veracruz's best-known artists have come from the 19th and 20th centuries.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} In the 19th century, these include [[Miguel Mata Reyes]], Salvador Ferrando, [[José María Jara]], [[Enrique Guerra]], and [[Alberto Fuster]]. * Miguel Mata Reyes is best known for his contributions to the design of the Palacio de Bellas Artes as well a portrait of [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]]. * Salvador Ferrando was a portrait and landscape artist from the north of the state. Until recently, most of his work had been hidden in a museum named after him in the Tlacotalpan region. Much of it now is on display at the Museo de Arte de Veracruz (Veracruz Art Museum) in Orizaba. * José María Jara is noted for his paintings of Veracruz customs, whose works include ''El Velorio'' (The Wake), which was presented at the World's Fair in Paris. * Enrique Guerra was an important sculptor at the end of the 19th century. His best-known works are bas reliefs and include ''Asesinato de César'' (Assassination of Caesar), ''Coroliano'' (Coriolanus), ''Thais'', and ''Crisálida'' (Chrysalis). * Alberto Fuster was most active at the end of the century, noted for bringing symbolism painting to Mexico from his stay in Europe. His works include ''El progreso'' (Progress), ''Safo en el templo de Delfos'' (Sappho at the Temple of Delphi)'','' and ''Nativa con loro'' (Native Woman with a Parrot). From the 20th century, there are three important artists, Carlos Bracho, [[Norberto Martínez]], and [[Teodoro Cano García]]. * Carlos Bracho, active in the first half of the century, was a sculptor. His works have been done in plaster, bronze, terracotta and green onyx and include monumental works which can be found in the cities of Xalapa, Puebla, [[Pachuca]], and Mexico City. His best-known works are ''El abrazo'' (The Embrace); ''Cabeza verde'' (Green Head), and ''El campesino se apodera de la tierra'' (The Peasant Takes Possession of the Land). * Norberto Martínez lived only 45 years but is considered one of the most prolific Mexican painters, dedicating most of his works to social themes. A number of these are early murals such as ''El comercio'' (Commerce) in the Jáuregi de Xalapa market as well as an untitled work in a private home in Córdoba that deals with the fusion of the Spanish, Indigenous, and African ethnicities in Mexico. Later works include three murals in the main stairwell of the School of Law at the [[University of Xalapa]] and ''El hombre y el conocimiento'' (Man and Knowledge) at the Universidad Veracruzana.. * Teodoro Cano García is one of Mexico's most famous muralists of the late 20th century, famous for promotion of the Totonac culture of his home town of Papantla. He has created paintings, sculptures, etchings, photography, and mixed media works with his murals and sculptures most acclaimed. Examples of his work can be seen in various parts of public buildings in Papantla. Most of Veracruz's older architecture can be found in the inland cities of Xalapa and Córdoba rather than the city of Veracruz, because although it was the first Spanish settlement in Mexico, it lost most its older structures to various invasions. Architecture from the 16th to the 19th century includes colonial Spanish, Moorish, Neo-gothic, and Neoclassical. From the 20th century on, a number of names stand out, including [[Armando Bravo Ramírez]], who remodeled the State Government Palace and the facade of the Capillas de Ánimas, both in Xalapa. Other prominent names responsible for many projects in the state include [[Luis González Aparicio]], [[Bernal Lascuraín Rangel]], and [[Luis Manuel Tello Deschamps]]. ===Literature=== The literary arts reached their peak in Veracruz starting in the 19th century and extending to the "Generation of the 1950s." * [[Salvador Díaz Mirón]] is one of Veracruz's most-distinguished poets. Over his lifetime from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, he worked as a professor, politician, and journalist, contributing to periodicals such as ''El Veracruzano'' (The Veracruz Native), ''El Orden'' (The Order), and ''El Imparcial'' (The Impartial). His creative works include some of the first Romantic pieces produced in Mexico, such as ''Oda a Víctor Hugo'' (Ode to Victor Hugo); ''Ojos verdes'' (Green Eyes); ''Gloria'' (Glory); and ''Voces interiores'' (Inner Voices). Other of his works include ''Poesías A Tirsa'' (Poems to Tirsa); ''Nox'' (Latin for Night, although the poem is also known as ''Claudia''); and his last works such as ''Al buen cura'' (To the Good Priest) and ''La mujer de nieve'' (The Snow Woman). Mirón became a member of the [[Academia Mexicana de la Lengua]] (Mexican Academy of Language) and is buried at the [[Panteón de Dolores|Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres]] (Rotunda of Illustrious Persons; originally named the ''Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres'' [Rotunda of Illustrious Men]) in Mexico City. * [[María Enriqueta Camarillo]] was one of a number of women writers to gain prominence in Mexico at the end of the 19th century. Although she wrote a number of works such as ''Jirón del mundo'' (Fragment of the World), ''Sorpresas de la vida'' (Surprises of Life), and ''El Secreto'' (The Secret), she is best known for ''Rosas de la infancia'' (Roses of Childhood), with which many Mexicans learned to read.González, pp. 16–18 Writers born at the end of the 19th century, such as [[Gregorio López y Fuentes]], [[Manuel Maples Arce]], and [[Jorge Mateo Cuesta Porte-Petit]] were often concerned with social issues: for instance, ''El Indio'' (The Indian) by López; ''Metrópolis'' by Maples; and ''Canto a un dios mineral'' (Song to a Mineral God) by Cuesta. The next generation, born in the first decades of the 20th century, became known as the Generation of the 1950s. During this time, Veracruz's literary tradition consolidated and decided to break type. One example is [[Juan Hernández Ramírez]]'s writing of poetry in the [[Nahuatl]] spoken in the La Huasteca area of Veracruz. One important name from this generation is [[Emilio Carballido]], who wrote some 100 plays as well as scripts for radio and television. Among his works are ''Rosalba y los llaveros'' (Rosalba and the Keychains), ''Felicidad'' (Happiness), and ''Las visitaciones del Diablo'' (The Visitations of the Devil). In 1996, he won the [[National Prize of Arts and Sciences (Mexico)|Premio Nacional de Literatura]] (National Literature Prize) and in 2002 the [[Ariel de Oro]] (Golden Ariel) for his work in cinema. ===Religion=== The overwhelming majority of people in the state are Catholic, however, there is a significant Protestant minority and a number who profess Judaism. The patron saint of Veracruz is [[Rafael Guízar y Valencia]], a Mexican [[Catholic]] bishop canonized as a saint in 2006.[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/djala.html/ Patron saint of Veracruz] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313022403/http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/djala.html |date=March 13, 2013 }} at Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 06.April 2013 ==Education== Public education in the state is supervised by the state's ''Dirección General de Educación Popular'' (General Directorate of Popular Education) and the ''Dirección General de Educación Media Superior y Superior'' (General Directorate of Upper Secondary and Higher Education). The current system is the result of a number of reforms made in the 1980s and 1990s. In the late 1990s, 302 new school campuses were created statewide and 257 were remodeled. The new ones included new schools for special education and distance learning, as well as technological institutes, giving the state one of the country's highest number of school campuses for a total of 20,479, with nearly 2 million students and about 85,000 teachers.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Ninety-three percent of the schools are in the basic education category (preschool, primary, and middle schools). Preschools also include those geared towards the Indigenous populations, focusing on bilingual and bicultural education in both the Indigenous language and Spanish. A major focus of these and other schools is to eliminate illiteracy in Indigenous communities. The ''Medio Superior'' level includes vocational high school and technical colleges, which account for 6.6% of schools in the public system. The ''Superior'' level includes teachers' colleges and universities, with 166 institutes at this level and about 68,000 students studying 221 different majors.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} There are also 63 master's degree programs and six PhD programs.{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Infraestructura |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Infrastructure |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }} These institutions serve about 135,000 students, about 19% of the college-aged population (19-to 24-year-olds), slightly below the national average of 24%.{{cite web |url=http://www.oecd.org/document/49/0,3343,en_2649_35961291_41830833_1_1_1_1,00.html |title=Higher education and research in the State of Veracruz |publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924130712/http://www.oecd.org/document/49/0,3343,en_2649_35961291_41830833_1_1_1_1,00.html |url-status=live }} The major state university is the Universidad Veracruzana in the capital of Xalapa—offering 56 bachelor's degrees, 37 master's degrees, and five PhDs, and noted for its large and varied sports programs—with campuses in 14 other cities. About 37% of university students{{Clarify|reason=Of all university students in the state of Veracruz? Or ... of all Veracruz University students?|date=July 2026}} attend the main public university, with a student population of 47,000 undergraduates and 2,000 postgraduates. Other important schools in the state include the ''Instituto Tecnologico de Veracruz (''Veracruz Institute of Technology), in Veracruz; the Universidad Anáhuac ([[Universidad Anáhuac México|Anahuac University]]), in Xalapa; the [[Universidad de Xalapa]] (University of Xalapa), in Xalapa; the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey ([[Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education]]), in Córdoba; the Universidad Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus University), in Veracruz; the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar ([[Veracruz Naval Academy]]), in Antón Lizardo; and the Instituto Tecnológico del Mar (Marine Technology Institute), in Boca del Rio. ==Demographics== === Largest cities=== {{Largest cities | country = Veracruz, as of 2020 | stat_ref = Source:{{cite web |url=https://inegi.org.mx/contenidos/programas/ccpv/2020/tabulados/cpv2020_b_ver_01_poblacion.xlsx |title=Censo Veracruz 2020 |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801095109/https://inegi.org.mx/contenidos/programas/ccpv/2020/tabulados/cpv2020_b_ver_01_poblacion.xlsx |url-status=live }} | list_by_pop = | div_name = | div_link = Municipalities of Veracruz{{!}}Municipality | city_1 = Veracruz, Veracruz{{!}}Veracruz| div_1 = Veracruz, Veracruz{{!}}Veracruz/ Boca del Río| pop_1 = 537,963 | city_2 = Xalapa-Enríquez | div_2 = Xalapa-Enríquez{{!}}Xalapa| pop_2 = 443,063 | city_3 = Coatzacoalcos| div_3 =Coatzacoalcos| pop_3 = 212,540 | city_4 = Poza Rica| div_4 = Poza Rica| pop_4 =180,057 | city_5 = Minatitlán, Veracruz{{!}}Minatitlán| div_5 = Minatitlán, Veracruz{{!}}Minatitlán/ Cosoleacaque| pop_5 =149,192 | city_6 = Córdoba, Veracruz{{!}}Córdoba | div_6 = Córdoba, Veracruz{{!}}Córdoba | pop_6 = 139,075 | city_7 = Orizaba | div_7 = Orizaba| pop_7 = 120,500 | city_8 = Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano | div_8 = Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano{{!}}Tuxpan| pop_8 = 89,557 | city_9 = Martínez de la Torre | div_9 = Martínez de la Torre| pop_9 = 64,692 | city_10 = San Andrés Tuxtla| div_10 = San Andrés Tuxtla| pop_10 = 64,445 }} {{Historical populations |type = |footnote = |1895{{cite web |url=http://www.geohive.com/cntry/subspop/mx-pop.aspx |title=Mexico: extended population list |publisher=GeoHive |access-date=July 29, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311141056/http://www.geohive.com/cntry/subspop/mx-pop.aspx |archive-date=March 11, 2012 }} | 863220 |1900 | 981030 |1910 | 1132859 |1921 | 1159935 |1930 | 1377293 |1940 | 1619338 |1950 | 2040231 |1960 | 2727899 |1970 | 3815422 |1980 | 5387680 |1990 | 6228239 |1995 | 6737324 |2000 | 6908975 |2005 | 7110214 |2010 | 7643194 |2015 | 8112505 |2020 | 8062579 }} [[File:Abrazando un burrito selva Uxpanapa Veracruz Mexico.jpg|thumb|Two children with their [[donkey]] in the state of Veracruz, 2008]] The state of Veracruz, especially its port, has been a crossroads for various cultures since the very early colonial period. The port of Veracruz has brought cargo, sailors, seamen, and slaves from various parts of the world, especially from the [[Caribbean]] and Europe. The state has Indigenous cultural influences mixed with those from Europe, Africa, and the [[wikt:Afro-Caribbean|Afro-Caribbean]]. These can be best found in the state's music, its culinary traditions, and the people themselves.{{Update inline|date=July 2026}} The number of ethnic communities in the state has been calculated at 2,062.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} The most numerous include the Nahuas, Totonacs, Huastecs, Popoluca, [[Zapotec peoples|Zapoteca]]s, [[Chinanteca (people)|Chinanteca]]s, Otomi, [[Mazatec]], [[Tepehuas]], [[Mixtec]]s, [[Zoque people|Zoque]], [[Mixe people|Mixe]]s, [[Maya peoples|Mayas]], and [[Tzotzil people|Tzotzil]]s, all Indigenous groups.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} The largest community is the Nahuas, who make up over half the Indigenous population.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Most native communities can be found in 68 municipalities, especially [[Tehuipango]], [[Mixtla de Altamirano]], [[Astacinga]], [[Soledad Atzompa]], [[Atlahuilco]], [[Tequila, Veracruz|Tequila]], Tlaquilpan, Los Reyes, Magdalena, San Andres Tenejapan, Tantoyuca, Zongolica, Chicontepec, Papantla, Ixhuatlán de Madero, Soteapan, Playa Vicente, Mecayapan y Coyutla, Benito Juárez, Coxquihi, Espinal, Filomeno Mata, Ixcatepec, Mecatlán, and Zozocolco de Hidalgo.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} In 1998, about 10% of the population reportedly spoke an Indigenous language; however, this does not take into account all Indigenous peoples. The census of 2005 counted 605,135 as speaking an Indigenous language.{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Perfil Sociodemografico |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Socio-demographic profile |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }}{{Update inline|date=July 2026}} There are also small immigrant communities of Spaniards, Basques, Italians, and [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] in the state. Africans were first brought to Mexico through slavery to the Veracruz port. At one point, they outnumbered Europeans. A significant number ran away from ''haciendas'' (estates) and plantations to form their own communities, sometimes allied with Indigenous groups, including the rebellion led by Gaspar Yanga, who successfully negotiated a free African community with Spanish authorities in 1609. Like other groups, many of African descent intermarried with other groups, with the category of ''mulatto'' existing in the old colonial caste system for those with African blood. Today, the vast majority of [[Afro-Mexican]]s in Veracruz and other parts of the country are spread out and intermixed with the rest of the population.{{cite web |url=http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1935-african-roots-stretch-deep-into-mexico |title=African Roots Stretch Deep Into Mexico |author=Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez |date=March 3, 1996 |publisher=Mexconnect |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=August 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819085749/http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1935-african-roots-stretch-deep-into-mexico |url-status=live }} According to the 2020 Census, 2.67% of Veracruz's population identified as Black, Afro-Mexican, or of African descent.{{Cite web |url=https://www.inegi.org.mx/programas/ccpv/2020/tableros/panorama/ |title=Panorama sociodemográfico de México |website=www.inegi.org.mx |access-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126013823/https://www.inegi.org.mx/programas/ccpv/2020/tableros/panorama/ |url-status=live }}{{Clarify|reason=If this single reference is for the whole paragraph, this is too much reliance on just one reference. More sources are required ... and each statement of fact in the paragraph needs its own reference. To avoid a huge amount of references in a paragraph, some sentences that use the same reference might be joined together.|date=July 2026}} With a population of 7,110,214 in 2005,{{Update inline|date=July 2026|reason=That source is quite old.}} Veracruz is the third most populous entity in the country, after the Federal District of Mexico City and the [[State of Mexico]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Population growth has slowed in the state in the last decades{{Clarify|reason=Give dates, not a vague "in recent years." The word "recent" could already be inaccurate in this statement, after all.|date=July 2026}}, due to lower birthrates and the exodus of migrants, mostly men.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Women outnumber men.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} The migration of men outside the state has put more women into the state's workforce. The decline in birthrates is the elevation of education levels, especially among women, and urbanization, with about one-third of the state's population living in urban centers, especially Veracruz, Xalapa, Coatzacoalcos, Minatitlán, and Papantla.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} Most (90%) of the state's communities outside of municipal seats have fewer than 500 people, containing only 21% of the total population. Approximately 75% of the population is under 45 years of age, and 30% under the age of 15.{{cite web |url=http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/poblacion/default.aspx?tema=me&e=30 |title=Veracruz Ignacio de la Llave Número de habitantes |year=2005 |publisher=[[INEGI]] |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Veracruz Ignacio de la Llave Number of inhabitants |access-date=August 3, 2010 |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723191612/http://cuentame.inegi.gob.mx/monografias/informacion/ver/poblacion/default.aspx?tema=me&e=30 |url-status=live }}{{Clarify|reason=If this single reference is for the whole paragraph, this is too much reliance on just one reference. More sources are required ... and each statement of fact in the paragraph needs its own reference. To avoid a huge amount of references in a paragraph, some sentences that use the same reference might be joined together.|date=July 2026}} Life expectancy is just under the norm for the rest of the country.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} ==Tourism== Tourism mostly centers on the port city of Veracruz, but other tourist destinations exist throughout the state as well. There are over 1,000 hotels in the state, over half of which are small, family-owned enterprises. Almost all of the four- and five-star establishments are located in metropolitan areas of Veracruz. Many of the state's major historical and cultural monuments are located in the port of Veracruz, including the aquarium ([[Acuario de Veracruz]]); the Museum of the City (Museo de la Ciudad); the Agustín Lara Museum; the Santiago Fortress ([[Baluarte de Santiago]]); the Museo de Las Atarazanas (Royal Shipyards Museum; and the San Juan de Ulúa Fort. To the north of the port city is the Sierra or Totonacalpan area of the state, home to the Totonac people, including the important pre-Hispanic city of El Tajín and the present day city of Papantla. The modern city is best known as the home of the Totonac version of the dance of the flyers, in which dancers spin from poles {{convert|80|foot|m|abbr=on|1}} high. The area is also the native habitat of the vanilla bean. [[Catemaco]], another prominent tourist city, is located along the coast to the south of the port city. The area's two main features are [[Lake Catemaco]], located in the crater of an extinct volcano, and [[Isla Tanaxpillo]], located just off the coast, which is also called the "island of the monkeys" or "island of the baboons" due to a group of feral monkeys that escaped and found refuge there. Inland is the coffee-growing region in and around the cities of Coatepec and Xalapa. Another inland city, Orizaba, is best known for a nearby volcano, but also has a large waterfall called El Elefante (The Elephant) and a canyon called the Cañon de Río Blanco (Río Blanco Canyon, or White River Canyon). ==Archeological sites== {{One source section | date = July 2026 }}[[File:El Tajín, Nischenpyramide.(fcm).jpg|thumb|230px|Pyramid of the Niches, [[El Tajín]]]] The remnants of pre-Hispanic Huastec, Olmec, and Totonac sites can be found in Veracruz. The ruins of one city, El Tajín, the apex of which occurred between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. * [[El Zapotal]] is an archeological site discovered in 1971 in the Mixtequilla region, between the Blanco (White) and Papaloapan Rivers. This site is noted for its clay figurines with smiling faces, part of an very large offering in honor of the god of death, [[Mictlantecuhtli]]. * [[Cempoala]] is an archeological site located on the coast between the modern settlements of [[La Antigua, Veracruz|La Antigua]] (The Ancient) and Ciudad Cardel (Cardel City). It was occupied when Cortés arrived, and he managed to form an alliance with the Totonacs here against the Aztecs. In the center of the site is a large plaza surrounded by temples and the palace of the Totonac chief. There is also a small museum. * [[Quiahuiztlan|Quiahuiztlán]] is on the coast on a small mountain named Bernal, cut into the mountain as a series of terraces, located very close to where Cortés founded the initial Spanish settlement of Villa Rica de la Vera-Cruz. * The Castillo de Teayo (Teayo Castle) is really a pyramid, the original name of which was Zapotitlán, located on the border between Huasctec and Totonac lands. It was abandoned in the 19th century. * El Tajín, located near the city of Papantla, is the largest and most important archeological site. The name is from the Totonac language and means "thunder," but no one knows what the true name of this city was. It is also unknown whether the Totonac built the site, but they lay claim to it because they have dominated the region for centuries. The city developed from the end of the Classic Period and the beginning of the Post-Classic Period, between 800 and 1150 CE {{Clarify|reason=The name of the period is needed; for instance, is it the Classic Period of the state, or of Mexico, or of Mesoamerican culture?|date=July 2026}}. It is divided into five zones: the Plaza del Arroyo Group, the Central Zone, the Gran Xicalcoliuhqui (Great Xicalcoliuhqui), Tajín Chico (Little Tajín), and the Column Complex. Its signature building is the Pyramid of the Niches (see above), named after the 365 niches built into the levels of the structure. The site has a large number of Mesoamerican ball game courts, one with details reliefs showing the beheading of a ballplayer and his role in the afterlife. The Tres Zapotes site is located the community of the same name. Covering 1.5 hectares (3.71 acres), the square-based main building is surrounded by gardens and trees. The most important find at this site is [[National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico)|Stele C]], won display at the [[Museo Nacional de Antropología]] (National Museum of Anthropology) in Mexico City, because it contains one of the oldest-known [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|Mesoamerican Long Count]] dates. El Pital, a site in the municipality of [[Martínez de la Torre]], consists of a mound with a pyramid base and stairs on the east side. The culture of the site is considered a link between the coastal and highland cultures of the region. Los Ídolos (The Idols), a site in the municipal city of Misantla, was an important ceremonial site for the Totonacapan region. It consists of four rectangular patios linked by platforms and flat-topped mounds. Many of the structures are decorated with smooth river stone, thought to have come from the [[Misantla River]]. The Centro Ceremonial Cuajilote (Cuajilote Ceremonial Center), located on the [[Bobos River (Mexico)|Bobos River]], consists of a large plaza 400 m (1,312.34 ft) long, lined with structures. In the center of the plaza are three shrines, one of which contains [[Phallic architecture|phallic]] figures. ==Administrative hierarchy== Veracruz was officially established as a state in 1824.{{Clarify|reason=Although 1824 is given as the date of Veracruz's admission to Mexico here, in the infobox at the top of the article shows an admission date of December, 1823.|date=July 2026}} Its government consists of a governor, elected to a single six-year term, and a unicameral State Congress, the members of which serve three-year terms.{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} The state is divided into 212 [[municipalities of Mexico|''municipios'']] (municipalities), the newest of which are the municipalities of [[San Rafael, Veracruz|San Rafael]] and [[Santiago Sochiapan]], created in 2003.{{Clarify|reason=As that date was so long ago, if's time to see if any more municipalities have been created since.|date=July 2026}}{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Gobierno |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Government |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }} The municipalities are grouped into regions:{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |title=Regionalización |year=2005 |work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |publisher=Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Regions |access-date=August 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191401/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/veracruz/ |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }} * Capital (33 municipalities) * De las Montañas (57 municipalities) * De los Tuxtlas (4 municipalities) * Huasteca Alta (10 municipalities) * Huasteca Baja (23 municipalities) * Nautla (11 municipalities) * Olmeca (25 municipalities) * Papaloapan (22 municipalities) * Sotavento (12 municipalities) * Totonac (15 municipalities) ==Infrastructure== ===Transport=== {{Update section|date=July 2026}}{{More citations needed section|date=July 2026}} The road system in the state covers {{convert|16039|km|mi|abbr=on|1}}, representing 5.1% of the roads nationwide. For each 100 sq km (38.6 sq mi) of territory, there are {{convert|22|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} of roads. Of these {{convert|3144.5|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} are part of the federal highway system. State roads comprise {{convert|2176|km|mi|abbr=on|1}}, and the rest are maintained by local authorities. Although there are over {{convert|3000|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} of rural roads, only {{convert|71.5|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} are paved. The state also contains {{convert|1675.3|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} of railway. Most of it is conceded by the federal government to private companies, including [[Kansas City Southern de México]] and [[Ferrosur]], although strategic stretches of rail are maintained directly by the government. These lines are used almost exclusively for the transportation of freight, which in 1999 added up to 37 million tons. Three rail lines serve the port of Veracruz exclusively, and one is dedicated to the port of Coatzacalcos. The ports of the state are Alvarado, Coatzacoalcos, Minatitlán-Nanchital, [[Nautla]], Pajaritos, Tecolutla, Tlacotalpan, Tuxpan, and Veracruz. Coatzacoalcos, Tuxpan, and Veracruz are the ports for heavy cargo ships, with Veracruz the most important. The others are small ports for small ships, fishing boats, and tourism. All ports are operated privately except Pajaritos, which is operated by PEMEX. Port traffic in Veracruz accounts for 10% of all commercial traffic in the country, 23.4% of the port traffic of Mexico, and 21% of all port traffic in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Goods imported through the state reach 16 out of Mexico's 31 states plus Mexico City. The port of Veracruz alone handles over 12 million tons of freight per year. Coatzacoalcos is important for its handling of petroleum products. The state contains three major airports. El Tajín in Tihuatlán, serving Poza Rica, and Canticas in Minatitlán provide national service; Heriberto Jara Corona in the city of Veracruz provides national and international service. There are also 31 smaller regional airfields in municipalities such as Acayucán, [[Cazones de Herrera]], Córdoba, [[Cuitláhuac, Veracruz|Indigenous]], [[Juán Rodríguez Clara]], [[Ozuluama]], [[Platón Sánchez (municipality)|Platón Sánchez]], [[Playa Vicente]], [[Soconusco]], [[Tamalín]], [[Tamiahua]], [[Tecolutla]], [[Temapache]], [[Tempoal de Sánchez, Veracruz|Tempoal]], and [[Tierra Blanca, Veracruz|Tierra Blanca]]. ===Media=== Fifty-nine local [[List of newspapers in Mexico|newspapers]] and 40 magazines are published in the state, includin ''El Dictamen'' (The Ruling);{{Cite web |title=Noticias de Veracruz |url=https://www.eldictamen.mx/ |access-date=July 1, 2022 |website=El Dictamen |language=es-MX |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701023646/https://www.eldictamen.mx/ |url-status=live }} ''El Sol del Centro'' (The Sun of the Center)'';''{{Cite web |title=Veracruz - El Sol del Centro {{!}} Noticias Locales, Policiacas, sobre México, Aguascalientes y el Mundo |url=https://www.elsoldelcentro.com.mx/tags/editoras/veracruz |access-date=July 1, 2022 |website=www.elsoldelcentro.com.mx |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018194046/https://www.elsoldelcentro.com.mx/tags/editoras/veracruz |url-status=live }} ''La Opinión de Minatitlán'' (The Minatitlán Opinion;{{Cite web |title=Noticias de minatitlán |url=https://laopinion.com/tema/minatitlan/ |access-date=July 1, 2022 |website=La Opinión |date=November 7, 2019 |language=es |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701212042/https://laopinion.com/tema/minatitlan/ |url-status=live }} ''Diario de Xalapa'' (Xalapa Daily); ''El Diario de Minatitlán'' (The Minatitlán Daily); ''El Mundo de Córdoba'' (The Córdoba World); ''El Mundo de Orizaba'' (The Orizaba World); ''El Sol de Córdoba'' (The Córdoba Sun); ''El Sol de Orizaba (''The Orizaba Sun)'';'' ''Esto de Veracruz'' (The Situation in Veracruz); ''Imagen de Veracruz'' (The Image of Veracruz); ''La Jornada Veracruz'' (The Veracruz Day); ''La Opinión de Poza Rica'' (The Poza Rica Opinion); ''Liberal del Sur'' ''(''Southern Liberal); ''Milenio El Portal'' (Milenio The Portal)'';'' ''Noreste Diario Regional Independiente'' (Northeast Independent Regional Daily); and ''Sotavento'' (Leeward)''.''{{cite web |work=Sistema de Información Cultural |publisher=Gobierno de Mexico |language=es |access-date=March 7, 2020 |url=https://sic.gob.mx/lista.php?table=impresos&disciplina=&estado_id=30 |title=Publicaciones periódicas en Veracruz |archive-date=May 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528035255/https://sic.gob.mx/lista.php?table=impresos&disciplina=&estado_id=30 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://libguides.utsa.edu/latamnews |title=Latin American & Mexican Online News |work=Research Guides |publisher=[[University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries]] |location=US |archive-date=March 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307192643/http://libguides.utsa.edu/latamnews }} According to many journalist organizations, Veracruz is one of the most dangerous places for journalists, especially after Governor [[Javier Duarte de Ochoa]] came to power in December 2010.{{cite web |url=http://en.rsf.org/mexico-threats-and-censorship-at-peak-in-30-09-2013,45259.html |title=Threats and censorship at peak in Veracruz, Oaxaca, Michoacán and Zacatecas - Reporters without borders |website=RSF |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085204/http://en.rsf.org/mexico-threats-and-censorship-at-peak-in-30-09-2013,45259.html |url-status=dead }} There are 202 radio stations in the state: 57 AM, 35 FM. Most are commercial or private, although some are operated by non-profits and governmental agencies. There are 22 television station, of which two channels are local, and the rest are repeaters from national broadcasters. Five companies provide cable and satellite television. The Mexican telecommunications agency [[Telmex]] controls over 75% of the telephone service in Veracruz state.{{Update inline|date=July 2026|reason=Out-of-date reference.}} == Notable people == * [[Lorena Alarcon-Casas Wright]], [[Endocrinology|endocrinologist]] and [[associate professor]] at the [[University of Washington School of Medicine]]{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2018 |title=Defying the Odds |url=https://www.acceleratemed.org/stories/defying-the-odds/ |access-date=May 30, 2021 |website=UW Medicine: Shortening the Distance to Healthier Lives |language=en-US |archive-date=June 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619191101/https://www.acceleratemed.org/stories/defying-the-odds/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2020 |title=LatinX Diabetes Clinic opens at UW Medicine in SLU |url=https://newsroom.uw.edu/news/latinx-diabetes-clinic-opens-uw-medicine-slu |access-date=May 30, 2021 |website=newsroom.uw.edu |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427183527/https://newsroom.uw.edu/news/latinx-diabetes-clinic-opens-uw-medicine-slu |url-status=live }} * [[Raquel Torres Cerdán]], anthropologist and restaurateur * [[Eduardo Santamarina]], telenovela actor * [[Salma Hayek]], actress and film producer * [[Verónica Valerio]], singer, harpist, and composer * [[Adolfo Ruiz Cortines]], [[president of Mexico]] from 1952 to 1958 * [[Irán Castillo]], actress, singer ==See also== * [[Misantla Totonac]] * [[Municipalities of Veracruz|Municipalities of Veracuz]] {{portal bar|Geography|North America|Latin America|Mexico}} ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * Booker, Jackie R. (1993). ''Veracruz Merchants, 1770–1829: A Mercantile Elite in Late Bourbon and Early Independent Mexico''. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. * {{cite book | last = Frierson | first = Karma | title = Local Color: Reckoning with Blackness in the Port City of Veracruz | year = 2025 | isbn = 9780520413405 | publisher = University of California Press | url = https://www.ucpress.edu/books/local-color/paper}} * {{Cite book |editor1-first=Victor Manuel |editor1-last=Jiménez González |year=2010 |title=Veracruz Guia para descubrir los encantos del estado |trans-title=Veracruz Guide to Discover the Charms of the State |language=es |edition=First |location=Océano, Mexico |publisher=Editorial Oceano de Mexico SA de CV |isbn=978-607-400-323-9}} * Knaut, Andrew L. (November 1997). "Yellow Fever and the Late Colonial Public Health Response in the Port of Veracruz". ''Hispanic American Historical Review'' 77:4. 619–644. {{doi|10.2307/2516981}}. {{JSTOR|2516981}}. ==External links== {{Commons category|Veracruz}} * {{OSM relation|2415761}} * [http://www.veracruz.gob.mx/ Veracruz State government official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923173030/http://www.veracruz.gob.mx/ |date=2011-09-23 }} {{in lang|es}} {{Veracruz}} {{States of Mexico}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Veracruz| ]] [[Category:1824 establishments in Mexico]] [[Category:Gulf Coast of Mexico]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1824]] [[Category:States of Mexico]]