Quintana Roo

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State of Quintana Roo

Flag
Coat of arms
Country  Mexico
Capital Chetumal
Municipalities 9
Largest City Cancún
Government
 - Governor Félix González Canto (PRI)
 - Federal Deputies PRI:2
PAN:1
 - Federal Senators PRI: 1
PVEM: 1
PRD: 1
Area
Ranked 19th
 - Total 50,212 km2 (19,387 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 - Total 1,135,309 (Ranked 26th)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
HDI (2004) 0.8238 - high
Ranked 6th
ISO 3166-2 MX-ROO
Postal abbr. Q. Roo
Website http://www.qroo.gob.mx/qroo/index.php

Quintana Roo (Spanish pronunciation: [kinˈtana ˈro]) is a state of Mexico, on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. It borders the States of Yucatán and Campeche to the north and west, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the nation of Belize to the south. Quintana Roo also claims territory which gives it a small border with Guatemala in the south west of the state, although this disputed area is also claimed by Campeche.

The capital of Quintana Roo is the city of Chetumal. Quintana Roo also contains the resort city of Cancún, the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, the towns of Bacalar, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Juárez, Akumal, Xcalak, and Puerto Morelos, as well as the ancient Maya ruins of Chacchoben, Chakanbakán, Chamax, Coba, Dzibanché, El Meco, Ichpaatán, Kohunlich, Muyil, Oxtankah, Tancah, Tulum, Tupak, Xel-Há, and Xcaret. The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is also in Quintana Roo.

The state covers an area of 50,351 square kilometers (19,440.6 sq mi), and the 2005 census reported a population of 1,135,309. The statewide population is currently expanding at a rapid rate due to the construction of hotels and the demand for workers. Many immigrants to the state come from Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco, and Veracruz. The state, known as a resort area, is frequently hit by severe hurricanes due to its exposed location.

Contents

[edit] History

Quintana Roo's "embassy" (literally the "House of the Government of the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo") in Mexico City.

The area that makes up modern Quintana Roo was long part of Yucatán, sharing its history. With the Caste War of Yucatán starting in the 1840s, all non-natives were driven from the region and the independent Maya nation of Chan Santa Cruz was centered on what is now the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The region was for a time dominated by the religion of the "Talking Cross": in a church was a cross guarded by Maya priests that was said to speak and give them orders. The Mexican government continued to have very little control over this region until the early decades of the 20th century.[citation needed]

  • Quintana Roo was made a territory of Mexico by decree of President Porfirio Díaz on November 24, 1902. It was named after an early patriot of the Mexican Republic, Andrés Quintana Roo. The Mexican army succeeded in defeating most of the Maya population of the region during the 1910s, and in 1915 the area was again declared to be legally part of the state of Yucatán. In 1931 the territory of Quintana Roo was again separated from Yucatán.[citation needed]
  • Quintana Roo was granted statehood within the United Mexican States on October 8, 1974. It is the Mexican Republic's youngest state. Around the same time Cancún, Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel were developed as tourist destinations.[citation needed]

[edit] Geopolitics

Quintana Roo is one of thirty-one federal entities, states, of Mexico. It occupies the eastern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula. It shares its southern border with Belize. The Caribbean Sea defines the eastern coastline, while the northern tip touches the Gulf of Mexico. The entities of Campeche and Yucatán define the western border. Quintana Roo is the youngest entity of the country, declared by the Federal Territory to be 'Estado Libre y Soberano', a free and sovereign state on October 8, 1974. Generally considered to be sparsely populated, Quintana Roo had an official population of 1,135,309 in 2005, up from 874,963 in 2000 [1].

During the 1990s, Quintana Roo was governed by Mario E. Villanueva Madrid. His administration was alleged to be so corrupt it developed relations with drug traffickers in Colombia. By 1998 the state had become the first "Narco-Political Subdivision" in Mexico[citation needed]. Villanueva was such a problem for Mexican-American relations that the Mexican Government of Ernesto Zedillo began seeking indictments against Villanueva once the governor left office in 1999. Villanueva fled the country but was finally arrested and returned to Mexican soil to face justice in 2001.[2][3] Joaquín Hendricks Díaz succeeded Villanueva as governor. The current governor of Quintana Roo is Félix González Canto since 2005.

[edit] Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Quintana Roo

The State of Quintana Roo is divided into 9 municipalities (Spanish: municipios), each headed by a municipal president.

[edit] Tourism, ecotourism, and globalization

[edit] Issues of tourism and globalism

Of the many catch phrases today both in popular society and in the social sciences, 'globalism' is one that is widely interpreted. Many experts talk about the advances and developments of globalism; they choose to focus on the improvements that have resulted from our more all-encompassing international connectedness [1]. Others focus on loss of autonomy, economic pressures and cultural extinction that can be the result of an international culture of McDonald's [4]. In terms of a region such as Quintana Roo, the tourist boom beginning in the 1970s [5] can be viewed from both angles. Firstly, the tourism of the coastal hotels and resorts, in addition to the ecotourism of the inland and coastal regions, have increased the development of the region as well as increased the gross domestic product [6]. Quintana Roo ranks sixth among Mexican states according to the United Nations Human Development index (HDI) [1].

[edit] Biotic crisis of the Yucatán Peninsula

The Yucatán Peninsula is one of the most forested areas of the world when considering biotic mass per hectare [5]. Yet, anthropological, biological and governmental experts have determined that Quintana Roo is 'facing a faunal crisis' [5]. Many medium to large game animals are disappearing due to hunting and habitat loss. Animals dependent on old growth forests are quickly becoming extinct. While its population is relatively small, Quintana Roo is experiencing both a migratory population influx and an increase in tourism [1][5]. This only increases the pressure on the plants and animals native to Quintana Roo. The effects of globalization are rapidly affecting the entire globe, and the ecosystems of Quintana Roo are no exception.[original research?]

[edit] Ecosystems and animals

There are four generalized ecosystems in Quintana Roo—tropical forests, or jungle, savanna, mangrove forests, and coral reefs. One of the byproducts of traditional and large-scale agriculture is the creation of additional habitats, such as second growth forests and fields/pastures [7]. Tourism has caused Quintana Roo to become famous around the world in the last thirty or so years for its beaches and coastline. Biological experts consider the coastline of Quintana Roo one of the best manatee habitats worldwide [8]. Queen conchs are also noted for their inhabitation of coastal territory [8]. The wide variety of biotic organisms such as these has decreased drastically in the last fifteen years [4][6]. The animals most severely affected were those game animals routinely hunted.

[edit] Avifauna

Also affected by the loss of habitat due to both agriculture and development, birds are one of the regions most varied animal assets [5]. Hundreds of species reside in Quintana Roo permanently, with still hundreds of others either wintering there or using it as a stop over on the long journey into South America [8]. As a result, many birders come to the area annually search of the rare and unexpected [5].

[edit] Environmental damage

Many debates on the cause of the environmental damage in Quintana Roo look to point a finger, either at the regional government or to outside investors [6]. Some say that the investment in hotels and resorts along the Caribbean Sea caused the drastic increase in population which in turn resulted in issues of sanitation. Others say that that very problem is the fault of the government for not enforcing and or expanding sanitation codes [5]. Still others point to Swidden agriculture, shifting the pointing finger to natives practicing subsistence agriculture.

[edit] Effects of tourism

Tourism is a double-edged sword. Resorts and hotels have created jobs and increased the general economic activity, which in turn has resulted in dramatic growth for Quintana Roo [4][6]. Many credit ecotourism for both saving and supporting the ecological beauty and variety [5]. However, growth without planning can have drastic consequences. Tourism often results in rapid development. Often government cannot or will not respond fast enough to the created demand [6]. This in turn often results in health and safety issues concerning construction, sanitation and transportation [5]. The effects for humans manifest as disease. In terms of flora and fauna, whole species are easily wiped out during periods of urban expansion or development. Additionally, niche conquest is made easier for invasive species, who have now acquired roads and tourists and other organisms or technologies that make relocation much easier [8].

[edit] Tourism projections and the native Maya

Projections for the tourism economy of Quintana Roo were exceedingly optimistic. It houses multiple tourist attractions from the Maya ruins to the lush forests to the beautiful beaches. However, long-term effects were not calculated or foreseen. The effect on the local environment was not properly considered. Economic stresses of development and population were virtually ignored [4]. The effect on the native population was not properly considered. The 'economic marginalization' of the Maya has had drastic effects on their sense of place and identity [6]. For tourism to truly benefit the region of Quintana Roo, attention must go to both the environment [4][5][8] and the area's original occupants.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Encyclopedia Britannica 2008. "Quintana Roo". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9062295. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  2. ^ DEA press release
  3. ^ DOJ website
  4. ^ a b c d e Juarez, Ana M. 2002. "Ecological Degradation, Global Tourism, and Inequality: Maya Interpretations of the Changing Environment in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Human Organization 61.2, 113-124.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Anderson, E. N. and Felix Medina Tzuc. 2005. Animals and the Maya in Southeast Mexico. University of Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Daltabuit, Magali and Oriol Pi-Sunyer. 1990. Tourism Development in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Cultural Survival Quarterly 14.2, 9-13.
  7. ^ Villa Rojas, Alfonso. 1945. The Maya of East Central Quintana Roo. Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication 559. Washington D.C.
  8. ^ a b c d e Schlesinger, Victoria. 2001. Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya--A Guide. University of Texas Press. Austin, Texas.

[edit] References

  • Dumond, Don E.1985 The Talking Crosses of Yucatan: A New Look at their History. Ethnohistory 32(4):291–308.
  • Freidel, David., Schele, Linda., et al. 1993 Maya Cosmos: Three thousand years on the Shaman's Path. New York: W. Morrow
  • Harrison, Peter D. 1985 Some Aspects of Preconquest Settlement in Southern Quintana Roo, Mexico. Lowland Maya Settlement Patterns edited by Wendy Ashmore Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, A School of American Research Book.
  • Villa Rojas, Alfonso. 1945 The Maya of East Central Quintana Roo:The Pagan-Christian Religious Complex. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institution.

[edit] Further reading

  • Anderson, E. N. and Felix Medina Tzuc. Animals and the Maya in Southeast Mexico. University of Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona. 2005.
  • Brannon, Jeffery T. and Gilbert M. Joseph. Eds. 1991 Land, labor & capital in modern Yucatán: essays in regional history and political economy. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
  • Barton Bray, David, Marcelo Carreon, Leticia Merino, and Victoria Santos. "On the Road to Sustainable Forestry: The Maya of Quintana Roo are Striving to Combine Economic Efficiency, Ecological Sustainability, and a Democratic Society." Cultural Survival Quarterly 17.1, 38-41. 1993.
  • Daltabuit, Magali and Oriol Pi-Sunyer. 1990. Tourism Development in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Cultural Survival Quarterly 14.2, 9-13. http://209.200.101.189/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=837
  • Dumond, Don E. 1997 The Machete and the Cross. Campesino Rebellion in Yucatan. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica 2008. Quintana Roo. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Accessed 2008-02-21.
  • Forero, Oscar A. and Michael R. Redclift. "The Role of the Mexican State in the Development of Chicle Extraction in Yucatán, and the Continuing Importance of Coyotaje." Journal of Latin American Studies 38.1, 65-93. 2006.
  • Gabbert, Wolfgang. Becoming Maya—Ethnicity and Social Inequality in Yucatan Since 1500. University of Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona. 2004.
  • Hervik, Peter. Mayan People Within and Beyond Boundaries—Social Categories and Lived Identity in Yucatan. Harwood Academic Publishers. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 1999.
  • Jones, Grant D. Maya Resistance to Spanish Rule—Time and History on a Colonial Frontier. University of New Mexico Press. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 1989.
  • Juarez, Ana M. 2002. "Ecological Degradation, Global Tourism, and Inequality: Maya Interpretations of the Changing Environment in Quintana Roo, Mexico". Human Organization 61.2, 113-124.
  • Morely, Sylvanus Griswold. The Ancient Maya. Stanford University Press. Stanford, California. 1947.
  • Morely, Sylvanus Griswold and George W. Brainerd. The Ancient Maya, 3rd ed. Stanford University Press. Stanford, California. 1956.
  • Pi-Sunyer, Oriol and R. Brooke Thomas. 1997. Tourism, Environmentalism, and Cultural Survival in Quintana Roo. "In" Life and Death Matters: Human Rights at the End of the Millennium. Barbara R. Johnston, ed. p.187-212. Walnut Creek, California. Altamira Press.
  • Roys, Ralph L. The Political Geography of the Yucatan Maya. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication 613. Washington, D. C. 1957.
  • Rugeley, Terry. 2004 Yaxcab´a and the Caste War of Yucat´an: An Archaeological Perspective. Rani T. Alexander. Albuquerque:University of New Mexico Press
  • Schlesinger, Victoria. Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya—A Guide. University of Texas Press. Austin, Texas. 2001.
  • Sharer, Robert J. The Ancient Maya, 4th ed. Stanford University Press. Stanford, California. 1983.
  • Villa Rojas, Alfonso. The Maya of East Central Quintana Roo. Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication 559. Washington, D. C. 1945.
  • Young, Peter A, ed. Secrets of the Maya. Hatherleigh Press. Long Island City, New York. 2003
  • Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática

[edit] External links

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State of Quintana Roo
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Coordinates: 19°35′44″N 87°54′47″W / 19.59556°N 87.91306°W / 19.59556; -87.91306

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