The state of Quintana Roo, which includes the eastern and southern parts of the Yucatán peninsula, borders the Mexican states of Campeche and Yucatán, as well as Belize (formally British Honduras) in the south and Guatemala.
The predominantly flat land is overgrown with tropical jungle and savannahs and has an extensive coastline along the Caribbean Sea with magnificent beaches, lagoons, coral reefs and islands. There are a number of pre-Columbian sites both on the coast and inland in this hot and damp region. Only a fraction of these have so far been recorded or examined, and it is hoped that future excavations will produce important finds. The state is mainly populated by Maya Indians and Mestizos.
In 1986 the Sian Ka'an nature reserve was established. Shortly afterwards it was declared a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.
Maya Sites Quintana Roo's most important sites include Tulum, Cobá, Kohunlich and Xel-há, as well as El Rey, Xcaret, Tancah and Chunyaxché.
History
As can be concluded from the archaeological finds, the area of present-day Quintana Roo was densely populated during both the Maya Classic period (AD 300-900) and also during post-Classic period until the Conquista. Spanish seafarers had already made contact here by 1512. Later, the Spanish conquerors settled at only a few coastal places where they had to protect their forts against constant attacks by Indians and pirates. The greater part of the land was left to the Mayas. The first Spanish settlement, Salamanca Bacalar, was founded in 1544, but destroyed by pirates in 1652. The later settlement of Bacalar played a major role as a fortress and trading centre until the mid-19th c. It was destroyed in 1858 during the Caste War (from 1847) by the insurgent Mayas, who found support in the British colony of Honduras. It was not until 1901 that the Mexican army was finally able to suppress the Maya rebellion. Until 1910 this region housed a penal colony for political and criminal prisoners including rebellious Yaqui Indians from Sonora. The territory of Quintana Roo was created in 1902 from parts of the states of Campeche and Yucatán, and named after the Mexican poet and leader of the 19th c. independence movement, Andrés Quintana Roo. In 1974 the territory became incorporated as the 30th of the United Mexican States. In September 1988 Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage, mainly to the tourist centres of Cancún and Cozumel.
Communications
As well as regular flights to Isla Mujeres, Cancún, Cozumel and Chetumal, an efficient road network has recently been created. The MEX 180 leads from Mérida via Chichén Itzá and Valladolid to Cancún, Puerto Juárez and Punta Sam (ferries to Isla Mujeres). From here the new coastal road, the MEX 307, passes through Puerto Morelos (ferry to Cozumel), Playa del Carmen (ferry to Cozumel) and Akumal to Tulum and then inland via the intersection at Felipe Carillo Puerto and Bacalar to the capital Chetumal. Good roads now lead from Tumul to the Maya site of Cobá, from where there is a road link along the MEX 180 to Nuevo Xcan, 70km/44mi east of Valladolid. The MEX 295 connects Valladolid directly with Felipe Carillo Puerto. In addition there is a southern route along the MEX 184 from Mérida via Muna and Oxkutcab to Felipe Carillo Puerto and then to Tulum on the coast or directly south to Chetumal. From there a road connection exists to Belize City, the largest town in the state of Belize. The MEX 186 crosses the southern part of the Yucatán peninsula westwards to the intersection at Francisco Escárcega, where the road forks south to Palenque and Villahermosa and north to Champotõn and Campeche.
Economy
Until recently the economy of this isolated territory, far from the centre of the country, was mainly based on hardwoods, chicle, sisal fibres, coconuts and fishing. Improvement of its holiday resorts and its road network, and the construction of free trade areas, have made tourism by far the most important branch of the economy in the state of Quintana Roo.
Cobá
