MERIDA

 

Located in the southeastern end of Mexico, this city is known for its hospitality and for being one of the main cities of the peninsula. It offers everything needed to make your visit a unique experience. Do not hesitate to spend a day walking through its streets and being welcomed by its friendly residents.

The city was founded on January 6, 1542, on the remains of the ancient Maya city called T'Hó, which was already uninhabited when the Europeans conquered the Yucatán Peninsula.

In the year 2000, the city was named American Capital of Culture, in recognition of its vocation and the strong support it has given to cultural activities, becoming the first city to receive this honor. The city has hosted two United States–Mexico binational meetings, the first in 1999 and the second in 2007. More recently, several international scientific events have also taken place in Mérida, such as the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2005, the International Olympiad in Informatics in 2006, the International Physics Olympiad in 2009, and JIISIC in 2010. In 2014, the city hosted the VI Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, welcoming more than 25 heads of state.

In 2010, the city had a population of 777,615 inhabitants, making it the largest population center in southeastern Mexico. Mérida is the central hub of the metropolitan area that includes five municipalities of Yucatán, with a total population of 957,883 inhabitants.