Campeche (redirected from Campeche (state))

Campeche, city, Mexico

Campeche, city (1990 pop. 150,518), capital of Campeche state, SE Mexico, on the Yucatán peninsula. It is fortified and surrounded by 18th-century walls. Although it remains an export center for the surrounding region, Campeche's economy is increasingly linked to the offshore oil fields in the Bay of Campeche. The city, once the site of the pre-Columbian town called Kimpech (whose remains are still observable), was founded in 1540 by the son of the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo. It was sacked frequently by English buccaneers. From 1862 to 1864, French forces blockaded the city. The city has a 16th-century cathedral.

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Campeche, state, Mexico

Campeche (kämpā`chā), state (1990 pop. 535,185), 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.

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Campeche

State (pop., 2000: 690,689), southeastern Mexico. Covering 19,619 sq mi (50,812 sq km), its capital is Campeche. Located on the Yucatán Peninsula, it is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico. Named for the ancient Mayan province of Kimpech (Campech), it comprises much of the western part of the peninsula. Rivers in the southern part drain into Términos Lagoon, at whose gulf entrance is the area's chief depot, Ciudad del Carmen. Forest products and commercial fishing are important to the economy.

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Campeche

City (pop., 2000: 190,813), capital of Campeche state, Mexico. The Spanish town was founded in 1540 on the site of a Mayan village, the remains of which are still visible. It became the capital of the newly created Campeche state in 1863. It is a service centre for offshore oil drilling facilities.

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Campeche

1. a state of SE Mexico, on the SW of the Yucatán peninsula: forestry and fishing. Capital: Campeche. Pop.: 205 000 (2005 est.). Area: 56 114 sq. km (21 666 sq. miles)

2. a port in SE Mexico, capital of Campeche state. Pop.: 195 000 (2000 est.)

3. Bay of. Also called: Gulf of Campeche. the SW part of the Gulf of Mexico.