Yucatán Peninsula

Yucatán Peninsula

Peninsula, northeastern Central America. It lies between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; its 76,300-sq-mi (197,600-sq-km) territory includes the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán and, in the south, large parts of Belize and Guatemala. It is about 200 mi (320 km) wide and has a coastline of about 700 mi (1,100 km). The area had long been home to many pre-Columbian civilizations before Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés traversed its inland portion in 1525. Spanish rule was subsequently established, but since that time many independent Maya Indians have kept to its inland rural areas and resisted the authority of the central government. Its coastal area, with many beaches and resorts, and its ancient archaeological sites, including Chichén Itzá, Uaxactún, and Uxmal, are major tourist destinations, as is the resort city of Cancún.