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MERIDA

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 165 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MERIDA , a See also:

city of See also:Mexico and See also:capital of the See also:state of See also:Yucatan, 23 M. by See also:rail S. of Progreso, its See also:port on the Gulf of Mexico. Pop. (1900), 43,630, the See also:Maya See also:element being predominant. Merida is the centre of an isolated railway See also:system, connected with the ports of Progreso and See also:Campeche, and having See also:short lines radiating in all directions to See also:Peto, See also:Valladolid and Izamal. It stands on a broad, partly open See also:plain near the See also:northern border of the See also:peninsula, where the thin loose See also:soil covering a See also:limestone See also:foundation permits the rapid percolation and evaporation of the rainfall, and therefore supports a comparatively scanty vegetation. It is highly favourable to maguey cultivation, however, and Merida is the centre of the henequen, or sisal fibre, See also:industry. There is an imposing 16th-See also:century See also:cathedral facing upon the See also:principal plaza, together with the See also:government and episcopal palaces. There are also an old university, with See also:schools of See also:law, See also:medicine and See also:pharmacy, an episcopal See also:seminary and other educational institutions. The most interesting See also:building in the city is a Franciscan See also:convent, dating from 1547, which covers an See also:area of 6 acres and is surrounded by a See also:wall 40 ft. high and 8 ft. thick. It once harboured no less than 2000 friars, but has been allowed to fall into See also:complete decay since the See also:expulsion of the See also:order in 1820. The manufactures include See also:straw hats, hammocks, cigars, See also:soap, See also:cotton fabrics, See also:leather goods, artificial See also:stone, and a See also:peculiar distilled beverage called estabentun. The exports are henequen, or sisal fibre, hides, See also:sugar, See also:rum, chicle and See also:indigo—all products of the vicinity.

Merida was founded in 1542 by the younger Francisco de Montejo on the site of a native city called Tihoo, or Th6, whose stone pyramids furnished building material in abundance for the invaders. It became an episcopal see in 1561.

End of Article: MERIDA

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