Campeche
[key], state, 21,924 sq mi (56,798 sq km), SE Mexico, on the Gulf of
Campeche. The city of Campeche is the capital. Comprising most of the
western half of the Yucatán
peninsula, much of the state lies in hot, humid, and unhealthy lowlands.
Rainfall in the southwestern sector is heavy. The state had extensive
forests, and logwood (campeche in Spanish) has been one of
the chief exports. Agriculture and stock raising are important in the more
arid northeastern sector. Using Campeche as a base, the Spanish explorer
Francisco de Montejo led (1531–35) expeditions against the Maya. The
coast was a haunt of pirates from the 17th cent. to the 19th cent. The
principal ports are Campeche and Carmen, a small town on an island at the
entrance to the Laguna de Términos.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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