Campeche (city)
San Francisco de Campeche (pronounced [saɱ fɾanˈsisko ðe kamˈpetʃe]; Yucatec Maya: Ahk'ìin Pech, pronounced [aχkʼiːn˥˧ pʰetʃ]), 19th c., also known simply as Campeche, is a city in Campeche Municipality in the Mexican state of Campeche, on the shore of the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Both the seat of the municipality and the state's capital, the city had a population of 220,389 in the 2010 census, while the municipality had a population of 259,005.
San Francisco de Campeche
Campeche | |
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Clockwise from top: Historic Center of San Francisco de Campeche; Monumento la novia del mar; Malecón of the city of Campeche; Monument to Hispanidad; Fort of San Miguel; Parish of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Holy Cathedral Church; Colonial architecture; The Mayan Angel; View of the cathedral of campeche from the fortress; Historic Center of San Francisco de Campeche | |
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Coat of arms | |
San Francisco de Campeche San Francisco de Campeche | |
| Coordinates: 19°51′0″N 90°31′50″W | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Campeche |
| Municipality | Campeche |
| City Founded | October 4, 1540 (484 years ago) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Biby Karen Rabelo de la Torre (2021-2024) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 52.48 km2 (20.26 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
| • Total | 249,623 |
| • Density | 4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Campechano |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (US Central)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (Central) |
| Area code | 981 |
| Major Airport | Ing. Alberto Acuña Ongay International Airport |
| IATA Code | CPE |
| ICAO Code | MMCP |
| Website | Official Campeche Website |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Historic Fortified Town of Campeche |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Designated | 1999 (23rd session) |
| Reference no. | 895 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
The city was founded in 1540 by Spanish conquistadores as San Francisco de Campeche atop the pre-existing Maya city of Can Pech. Little trace remains of the Pre-Columbian city.
The city retains many of the old colonial Spanish city walls and fortifications which protected the city from pirates and buccaneers. The state of preservation and quality of its architecture earned it the status of a World Heritage Site in 1999. Campeche is (along with Quebec City) one of the only cities in North America with most of its historic old city walls intact. Originally, the Spaniards lived inside the walled city, while the indigenous Maya people lived in the surrounding barrios of San Francisco, Guadalupe, and San Román. These barrios still retain their original churches; the one in Guadalupe is almost 500 years old.