Wikipedia

Yucatán Peninsula

TheYucatán Peninsula(/ˌjuːkəˈtɑːn,-ˈtæn/YOO-kə-TA(H)N,[1][2][3][4]UKalso/ˌjʊk-/YUU-;[5]Spanish:Península de Yucatán[peˈninsulaðeʝukaˈtan]) is a largepeninsulain southeastMexicoand adjacent portions ofBelizeandGuatemala.The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating theGulf of Mexicoto the north and west of the peninsula from theCaribbean Seato the east. TheYucatán Channel,between the northeastern corner of the peninsula andCuba,connects the two bodies of water.

Yucatán Peninsula
Satellite image of the Yucatán Peninsula
Geography
LocationNorth America
Coordinates19°33′04″N89°17′47″W/ 19.55111°N 89.29639°W/19.55111; -89.29639
Adjacent to

The peninsula is approximately 181,000 km2(70,000 sq mi) in area. It has low relief and is almost entirely composed of porouslimestone.[6][7]

The peninsula lies east of theIsthmus of Tehuantepec,the narrowest point in Mexico separating the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, from the Pacific Ocean. Some consider the isthmus to be thegeographicboundary betweenCentral Americaand the rest ofNorth America,placing the peninsula in Central America.[6]Politically, all of Mexico, including the Yucatán, is generally considered part of North America, while Guatemala and Belize are considered part of Central America.

Etymology

edit

The proper derivation of the wordYucatánis widely debated. 17th-century Franciscan historianDiego López de Cogolludooffers two theories in particular.[8]In the first one,Francisco Hernández de Córdoba,having first arrived to the peninsula in 1517, inquired the name of a certain settlement and the response inYucatec Mayanwas "I don't understand", which sounded likeyucatánto the Spaniards.[note 1][9][8][10]There are many possibilities of what the natives could have actually said, among which "mathan cauyi athán","tectecán","ma'anaatik ka t'ann"and"ci u t'ann".[8][10][11]This origin story was first told byHernán Cortésinhis letters to Charles V.[12][13][14]Later 16th century historiansMotoliniaandFrancisco López de Gómaraalso repeat this version.[14]In some versions the expedition is not the one captained by Córdoba but instead the one a year later captained byJuan de Grijalva.[15]The second major theory is that the name is in some way related to theyucacrop, as written byBernal Díaz del Castillo.[8][14]Others theories claim that it is a derivative ofChontal Tabascanwordyokat'anmeaning speaker of theYoko ochocolanguage, or an incorrectNahuatltermyokatlanas supposedly "place of richness" (yohcāuhcannot be paired withtlán).[14]

History

edit
Artistic impression of the asteroid slamming into tropical, shallow seas of the sulfur-rich Yucatán Peninsula in what is todaySoutheast Mexico.[16]The aftermath of this immense asteroid collision, which occurred approximately 66 million years ago, is believed to have caused themass extinctionof non-avian dinosaurs and many other species on Earth.[16]The impact spewed hundreds of billions of tons of sulfur into the atmosphere, producing a worldwide blackout and freezing temperatures that persisted for at least a decade.[16]

Pre-human

edit
Main article:Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event

The Yucatán Peninsula is the site of theChicxulub craterimpact, which was created 66 million years ago[16]by an asteroid of about 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) in diameter at the end of theCretaceous Period.[17]

Prehistory

edit

In 2020, an underwater archaeological expedition led by Jerónimo Avilés excavated Chan Hol cave, near the Tulum archaeological site in the state of Quintana Roo on the peninsula, and revealed the skeleton of a woman approximately 30 years of age who lived at least 9,900 years ago. According to craniometric measurements, the skull is believed to conform to themesocephalicpattern, like the other three skulls found inTulumcaves. Three different scars on the skull of the woman showed that she was hit with something hard and her skull bones were broken. Her skull also had crater-like deformations and tissue deformities that appeared to be caused by a bacterial relative ofsyphilis.[18]

According to study lead researcher Wolfgang Stinnesbeck, "It really looks as if this woman had a very hard time and an extremely unhappy end of her life. Obviously, this is speculative, but given the traumas and the pathological deformations on her skull, it appears a likely scenario that she may have been expelled from her group and was killed in the cave, or was left in the cave to die there”.[citation needed]

The newly discovered skeleton was 140 meters away from the Chan Hol 2 site. Although archaeologists assumed the divers had found the remains of the missing Chan Hol 2, the analysis soon proved that these assumptions were erroneous. Stinnesbeck compared the new bones to old photographs of Chan Hol 2 and showed that the two skeletons represent different individuals.[19]

Due to their distinctive features, study co-researcher Samuel Rennie suggest the existence of at least two morphologically diverse groups of people living separately inMexicoduring the transition fromPleistocenetoHolocene.[20]

Maya

edit
Main article:Maya civilization
Relief map of the Yucatán Peninsula showing majorPre-Columbian Mayaarcheological sites

The Yucatán Peninsula constitutes a significant proportion of the ancient Maya lowlands and was the central location of the Maya Civilization. The Maya culture also extended south of the Yucatán Peninsula intoGuatemala,Honduras,and the highlands ofChiapas.[7]There are manyMaya archaeological sitesthroughout the peninsula; some of the better-known areChichen Itza,Coba,Tulum,andUxmal.[21]IndigenousMayaandMestizosof partial Maya descent make up a sizable portion of the region's population, andMayan languagesare widely spoken there.

Further information:Putún

Spanish conquest

edit
Main article:Spanish conquest of Yucatán

Geology

edit
Sedimentoff the Yucatán Peninsula
Location of the "Ring of Cenotes" on the Yucatán Peninsula

The peninsula is the exposed portion of the largerYucatán Platform,all of which is composed ofcarbonateand soluble rocks, being mostlylimestonealthoughdolomiteandevaporitesare also present at various depths. The whole of the Yucatán Peninsula is an unconfined flat lyingkarstlandscape.[7]Sinkholes, known locally ascenotes,are widespread in the northern lowlands.

According to theAlvarez hypothesis,themass extinctionof the non-avian dinosaurs at the transition from the Cretaceous to the Paleogene Period, theCretaceous–Paleogene boundary(K–Pg boundary), 66 million years ago was caused by an asteroid impact somewhere in the greaterCaribbean Basin.[22]The deeply buriedChicxulub crateris centered off the north coast of the peninsula near the town ofChicxulub.The now-famous "Ring of Cenotes," a geologic structure composed ofsinkholesarranged in a semi-circle, outlines one of the shock-waves from this impact event in the approximately 66-million-year-old rock. The existence of the crater has been supported by evidence including the aforementioned "Ring of Cenotes", as well as the presence of impact debris such asshocked quartzandtektites,a type of glass formed duringmeteorite impacts.[23]

TheArrowsmith Bankis asubmerged banklocated off the northeastern end of the peninsula.[24]

Climate

edit

The peninsula has a tropical climate, which ranges from semi-arid in the northwest to humid in the south. Average annual rainfall ranges from less than 800 mm (30 inches) in the driest parts of the northwest up to 2,000 mm (80 inches) in thePetén Basinto the south. Rainfall varies seasonally, with August and September generally the wettest months.[25]

Like much of theCaribbean,the peninsula lies within the Atlantic Hurricane Belt, and with its almost uniformly flat terrain it is vulnerable to these large storms coming from the east, and the area has been devastated by many hurricanes, such asHurricane Gilbert,Hurricane Emily,Hurricane Wilma,andHurricane Dean.

Strong storms callednortescan quickly descend on the Yucatán Peninsula any time of year. Although these storms pummel the area with heavy rains and high winds, they tend to be short-lived, clearing after about an hour. The average percentage of days with rain per month ranges from a monthly low of 7% in April to a high of 25% in October. Breezes can have a cooling effect,humidityis generally high, particularly in the remaining rainforest areas.[26]

Water resources

edit

Due to the extremekarstnature of the whole peninsula, the northern half is devoid of aboveground rivers. Wherelakesandswampsare present, the water is marshy and generally unpotable. Due to its coastal location, the whole of the peninsula is underlain by an extensive contiguous density stratified coastalaquifer,where a fresh water lens formed frommeteoric waterfloats on top of intruding saline water from the coastal margins. The thousands of sinkholes known ascenotesthroughout the region provide access to the groundwater system. The cenotes have long been relied on by ancient and contemporaryMayapeople.[7][27]

Ecology

edit

The vegetation and plant communities of the peninsula vary from north to south. TheYucatán dry forestsoccupy the dry northwestern peninsula, and include dry forests and scrublands and cactus scrub. TheYucatán moist forestsoccur across the middle and east of the peninsula, and are characterized by semi-deciduous forests where 25 to 50% of the trees lose their leaves during the summer dry season. TheBelizian pine forestsare found in several enclaves across central Belize. The southernmost portion of the peninsula is in thePetén–Veracruz moist forestsecoregion, an evergreen rain forest.[28]

Northern Guatemala (El Petén), Mexico (CampecheandQuintana Roo), and westernBelizeare still occupied by the largest continuous tracts oftropical rainforestinCentral America.However, these forests are suffering extensivedeforestation.[29]

Mangroves occur along the coast, with theUsumacinta mangrovesaround theLaguna de Términosin the southwest, thePetenes mangrovesalong the west coast,Ría Lagartos mangrovesalong the northern shore of the peninsula, and theMayan Corridor mangrovesandBelizean Coast mangrovesto the east along the Caribbean Sea.[28]

TheMesoamerican Barrier Reef Systemis an immense coralbarrier reefwhich stretches over 1,100 km (700 miles) along the eastern coast of the peninsula.

Governance

edit

Thepeninsulacomprises theMexican statesofYucatán,Campeche,andQuintana Roo,as well asGuatemala'sPetén Departmentand almost all ofBelize.[30]

Economy

edit
Cantarell Field

In the late historic and early modern eras, the Yucatán Peninsula was largely a cattle ranching, logging,chicleandhenequenproduction area. Since the 1970s, the Yucatán Peninsula has reoriented its economy towards tourism, especially in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Aside from tourism, another source of income that is important in the Peninsula is logging as well as chicle industries specifically in Belize. Oil was also found in certain parts of the Yucatán, bringing in more economic opportunities.[31]Once a small fishing village,Cancúnin the northeast of the peninsula has grown into a thriving city. TheRiviera Maya,which stretches along the east coast of the peninsula betweenCancúnandTulum,houses over 50,000 beds. The best-known locations are the former fishing town ofPlaya del Carmen,the ecological parksXcaretandXel-Háand the Maya ruins ofTulumandCoba.

Population

edit

The population of the Yucatán Peninsula is very different throughout each part of the Peninsula. Population density and ethnic composition are two factors that play into the total population. The most populated area isMéridain Yucatán state and the surrounding region, contrasted by the state of Quintana Roo, the least populated part of the peninsula. In terms of ethnic composition, a majority of the population consisted of both Maya and Mestizos.[31]

See also

edit

Footnotes

edit
  1. ^For discussion of the different interpretations of this somewhat mythic encounter, see Castañeda 2002
  1. ^Wells, John C.(2000). "Yucatan".Longman Pronunciation Dictionary(2nd ed.). Longman.ISBN0-582-36467-1.
  2. ^"Yucatán".Collins English Dictionary.HarperCollins.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2019.Retrieved26 July2019.
  3. ^"Yucatán".The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language(5th ed.). HarperCollins.Retrieved26 July2019.
  4. ^"Yucatán".Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Merriam-Webster.Retrieved26 July2019.
  5. ^"Yucatán".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.[dead link‍]
  6. ^abMcColl, R. W. (2005).Encyclopedia of World Geography.New York: Facts On File. pp. 1002–1003.ISBN0816057869.
  7. ^abcdScheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980).Natural Wonders of the World.United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 420.ISBN0-89577-087-3.
  8. ^abcdMayr, Renate Johanna (2014).Belize: tracking the path of its history: from the heart of the Maya Empire to a retreat for buccaneers, a safe-haven for ex-pirates and pioneers, a crown colony and a modern nation.LIT Verlag Münster. p. 36.ISBN9783643904812.Retrieved9 February2020.
  9. ^Castaneda, Quetzil (1 August 2002). "Post/Colonial Toponymy: Writing Forward 'in Reverse'".Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies Travesia.11(2): 119-134.doi:10.1080/1356932022000004166.S2CID161263168.
  10. ^abKane, Njord (2016).The Maya: The Story of a People.Spangenhelm Publishing.ISBN9781943066049.Retrieved9 February2020.
  11. ^González, John Morán; Lomas, Laura (2018).The Cambridge History of Latina/o American Literature.Cambridge University Press. p. 36.ISBN9781316873670.Retrieved9 February2020.
  12. ^Cartas y relaciones de Hernan Cortés al emperador Carlos V(in Spanish). Paris: A. Chaix y ca. 1866. p.1footnote 2.Retrieved13 December2010.
  13. ^"Ibero-American Electronic Text Series: Primera Carta de Relación, PREÁMBULO"(in Spanish). Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. 1945.Retrieved13 December2010.
  14. ^abcdHajovsky, Ric (2011)."How Yucatan got its name".Everything Cozumel.Retrieved3 February2020.
  15. ^Beding, Silvio A. (2016).The Christopher Columbus encyclopedia.Springer. p. 304.ISBN9781349125739.Retrieved9 February2020.
  16. ^abcdOsterloff, Emily (2018)."How an asteroid ended the age of the dinosaurs".London:Natural History Museum.Archivedfrom the original on 26 April 2022.Retrieved18 May2022.
  17. ^Renne, P. R.; Deino, A. L.; Hilgen, F. J.; Kuiper, K. F.; Mark, D. F.; Mitchell, W. S.; Morgan, L. E.; Mundil, R.; Smit, J. (2013). "Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary".Science.339(6120): 684–687.Bibcode:2013Sci...339..684R.doi:10.1126/science.1230492.PMID23393261.S2CID6112274.
  18. ^Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang; Rennie, Samuel R.; Olguín, Jerónimo Avilés; Stinnesbeck, Sarah R.; Gonzalez, Silvia; Frank, Norbert; Warken, Sophie; Schorndorf, Nils; Krengel, Thomas; Morlet, Adriana Velázquez; González, Arturo González (5 February 2020)."New evidence for an early settlement of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico: The Chan Hol 3 woman and her meaning for the Peopling of the Americas".PLOS ONE.15(2): e0227984.Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1527984S.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0227984.ISSN1932-6203.PMC7001910.PMID32023279.
  19. ^PLOS (5 February 2020)."9,900-Year-Old Skeleton Discovered in Submerged Mexican Cave Has a Distinctive Skull".SciTechDaily.Retrieved19 March2020.
  20. ^Geggel, Laura (5 February 2020)."9,900-year-old skeleton of horribly disfigured woman found in Mexican cave".livescience.Retrieved19 March2020.
  21. ^"Yucatan Peninsula Archaeological Map | 27 Ancient Maya Sites".mayaruins.
  22. ^Yarris, Lynn (9 March 2010)."Alvarez Theory on Dinosaur Die-Out Upheld: Experts Find Asteroid Guilty of Killing the Dinosaurs".News Center.Retrieved8 December2020.
  23. ^"Chicxulub Crater and Ring of Cenotes".Karst Geochemistry and Hydrogeology.4 April 2018.Retrieved8 December2020.
  24. ^"Arrowsmith Bank, Undersea Features - Geographical Names, map, geographic coordinates".geographic.org.
  25. ^Torrescano-Valle, Nuria, et al. (2015). "Physical Settings, Environmental History with an Outlook on Global Change." In Islebe, Gerald Alexander, Sophie Calmé, et al. (eds.)Biodiversity and Conservation of the Yucatán Peninsula.Springer International Publishing, 2015.ISBN978-3-319-06529-8.
  26. ^http:// kwintessential.co.uk/articles/mexico/Yucatan-Weather-Climate/704[dead link‍]
  27. ^BBC:Planet Earth,part 4:Caves.
  28. ^abOlson, D. M, E. Dinerstein; et al. (2001)."Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth".BioScience.51(11): 933–938.doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2.{{cite journal}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ^Heilprin, Angelo (1891)."Observations on the Flora of Northern Yucatan".Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society.29(136): 137–144.JSTOR982931.
  30. ^"Yucatán Peninsula".Encyclopaedia Britannica.Retrieved7 August2018.
  31. ^ab"Yucatán Peninsula | peninsula, Central America".Encyclopedia Britannica.Retrieved10 December2020.
  • Juan Luis Pena Chapa, Manuel Martin Castillo, and Juan Carlos Gonzalez Avila,The Performance of the Economy of the Yucatan Peninsula from 1970–1993[1]
  • Marcio L. Teixeira,The Impact of the Geologic History of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Present Day Aquifer,2004[2]
  • Angelo Heilprin,Observations on the Flora of Northern Yucatan[3]
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yucatán_Peninsula&oldid=1258035933"