Chemax Municipality (, in the
Yucatec Maya
Yucatec Maya (; referred to by its speakers simply as Maya or as , is one of the 32 Mayan languages of the Mayan language family. Yucatec Maya is spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula and northern Belize. There is also a significant diasporic commu ...
Language: “monkey's tree”) is one of the 106
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
state of
Yucatán
Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...
containing 1,098.6 km
2 of land and located roughly 185 km east of the city of
Mérida.
History
There is no accurate data on when the town was founded, though it existed before the
conquest
Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms.
Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...
as part of the province of Cupules. At colonization, Chemax became part of the
encomienda
The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. The labourers, in theory, were provided with benefits by the conquerors for whom they laboured, including military ...
system with the first encomendero noted in 1549 as Juan López de Mena.
Yucatán declared its independence from the Spanish Crown in 1821 and during the
Caste War of Yucatán
The Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1915) began with the revolt of Native Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula against Hispanic populations, called ''Yucatecos''. The latter had long held political and economic control of the region. A lengthy w ...
the city was abandoned but repopulated after federal troops regained possession of it.
In 1865, the area was assigned to the partition of
Valladolid Municipality.
In 1918, it was designated as its own municipality.
Governance
The municipal president is elected for a three-year term. The town council has nine councilpersons, who serve as Secretary and councilors of public works, public lighting, police commissaries, public security, public monuments, nomenclature, ecology, and public sanitation.
Communities
The head of the municipality is
Chemax
Chemax, the Mayan word meaning "tree of monkeys", is a town located in the east of Yucatán State, Mexico. It is from 1918, the head of Chemax Municipality
Chemax Municipality (, in the Yucatec Maya Language: “monkey's tree”) is one of the ...
, Yucatán. There are 170 populated areas of the municipality
with the most important locations being: Además, Catzim, Chemax, Chen, Cocoyol, Kuxeb, Lolbé, Mucel, Punta Laguna, San Juan, San Pedro, Santa Cruz, Santa Elena, Sisbichén, Uspibil, Xalaú, X-Can, X-mab, X-maben, Xochmil, X-tejas and Xuneb. The significant populations are shown below:
Local festivals
*From 10 to 13 June, festival in honor of San Antonio de Padua, patron saint of the town of Chemax.
Tourist attractions
* Churches of San Antonio de Padua, built in the sixteenth century
* Church of La Purísima Concepción, built in the seventeenth century
* Church of San Pedro, built in the seventeenth century
* Archaeological sites at Bolmay, Palaban, Petul, Poxil, Sotpol, Tamba, Xalau, Xcan, Xcoom, Xmaos and Xuyap
* Cenotes at Abli, Aktun Eek, Aktun Teel, Aktun Uspibil and Alamo I
Climate
Considered a tropical savanna climate typically with a pronounced dry season. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is
''Aw'' (Tropical Savanna Climate).
Climate Summary for Chemax
/ref>
References
{{Yucatán
Municipalities of Yucatán