Mérida, city, Mexico

Mérida (mā`rēthä), city (1990 pop. 523,422), capital of Yucatán state, SE Mexico. It is the chief commercial, communications, and cultural center of the Yucatán peninsula. Founded (1542) by Francisco de Montejo Montejo, Francisco de (fränthēs`kō dā mōntā`hō), c.1479–c.1548, Spanish conquistador.
..... Click the link for more information. , the younger, on the site of a ruined Mayan city, Mérida has many fine examples of Spanish colonial architecture, notably the 16th-century cathedral. Rooftop windmills, characteristic of this region, are used to pump water from underground wells and streams. The limited nature of the soil has made Mérida commercially dependent upon the large crops of henequen (see sisal hemp sisal hemp (sī`səl, sĭs`əl, sēsäl`)
..... Click the link for more information. ) from the surrounding region, and on tourists visiting nearby Mayan ruins, notably Chichén Itzá Chichén Itzá (chēchān` ētsä`), city of the ancient Maya , central Yucatán, Mexico.
..... Click the link for more information. and Uxmal Uxmal (

shmäl`,
..... Click the link for more information. .

Mérida, city, Spain

Mérida, city (1990 pop. 53,732), Badajoz prov., SW Spain, in Extremadura, on the Guadiana River. It is a rail hub and agricultural center producing textiles, leather, and cork. The colony Emerita Augusta, founded by the Romans in the 1st cent. B.C., it became the capital of Lusitania Lusitania (l
..... Click the link for more information. . Its Roman remains, among the most important in Spain, include a magnificent bridge, a triumphal arch, a theater with marble columns, an aqueduct, a temple, an imposing circus, and an amphitheater. Mérida was later the chief city of Visigothic Lusitania. It fell (713) to the Moors, under whom it prospered. Conquered (1228) by Alfonso IX of León, it was given to the Knights of Santiago but quickly declined.

Mérida, city, Venezuela

Mérida (mārē`dĕ), city (1990 pop. 170,902), capital of Mérida state, W Venezuela. The highest city in Venezuela, Mérida has fishing and a variety of light manufacturing, in addition to such popular tourist activities as skiing and mountaineering. Founded in 1558, it became a religious and educational center. It is the site of the Universidad de los Andes (1785).

Mérida

ancient Emerita Augusta

Town (pop., 2001: 50,271), capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western Spain. Situated on the northern bank of the Guadiana River, it was founded by the Romans in 25 BC. It served as the capital of the province of Lusitania and became one of the most important towns in Iberia. Occupied in AD 713 by the Moors, it was recaptured in 1228 by Alfonso IX of Leon, who granted it to the Knights of Santiago. It is known for its Roman ruins, including a bridge, an amphitheatre, and an aqueduct. The modern town's economy is based on agricultural trade and tourism.

Mérida

City (pop., 2000: 660,884), capital of Yucatán state, southeastern Mexico. It lies near the northwestern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, south of Progreso; its port is on the Gulf of Mexico. It was founded in 1542 on the site of the ancient Maya city of T'ho. It has numerous colonial buildings and a 16th-century cathedral. Yucatán University and the Regional Technical Institute of Mérida are located there. It serves as a tourist base for trips to nearby Maya cities, including Chichén Itzá, Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal, and Kabáh.