Veracruz (state, Mexico)

Veracruz (state, Mexico), state in eastern Mexico, located between the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, and bordered inland by the states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Tabasco. The topography and climate of Veracruz range from a hotter, flat coastal region in the east to a cooler area of high plains and rugged mountains toward the western boundaries. The state includes two major peaks, both of which are extinct volcanoes: Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl), the highest peak in Mexico at 5,610 m (18,406 ft); and the Cofre de Perote at 4,282 m (14,049 ft). A large river, the Pánuco, which originates in the Valley of Mexico, flows eastward across Veracruz and enters the Gulf of Mexico at Tampico. Mexico's main port city, Veracruz, is located in the state. The city is linked by highway and railroad to the country's capital, Mexico City. Veracruz is a leading agricultural state, producing maize, beans, sugarcane, coffee, rice, honey, fruit, cattle, and pork. The state also supports a fishing industry and is the location of the important Poza Rica petroleum fields and refinery. Besides Veracruz, other important cities in the state include Jalapa Enríquez, the state capital and location of Veracruz University (1944); Coatzacoalcos; Tuxpan de Rodríguez Cano; Minatitlán; Orizaba; and Poza Rica. About 10 percent of the state's population speaks indigenous languages, somewhat higher than the national average of 5 to 7 percent. These languages include Nahuatl, Totonaco, Huateco, Popoluca, and Otomí. The Huastec, Totonac, and Olmec peoples lived in what is now Veracruz state before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, and the remnants of their settlements are preserved in more than 1200 archaeological sites.

Veracruz is especially important in Mexican history, having been the initial base of operations for the conquest of central Mexico by the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés. It became a state in the republic of Mexico after independence from Spain in 1824. Because of its large population, the state plays an important role in Mexican national politics. Two of the country's presidents since 1946—Miguel Alemán Valdés and Adolfo Ruiz Cortines—came from Veracruz. Area 71,735 sq km (27,697 sq mi), population (2005 estimate) 7,110,214.