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Sorry we missed this — October 8, 2014, was the 40th anniversary of Quintana Roo becoming a State of Mexico. Before that it was a territory with a very interesting past. Just want to share some interesting facts .
Congratulations, Quintana Roo, on 40 years of Statehood! Q.Roo, formerly a territory, is the youngest state in Mexico. It was sparsely populated until the late 20th century when it became one of Mexico’s top vacation spots. It’s home to both Maya ruins and resort areas like Cancun, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen. Despite the substantial growth in tourism, Quintana Roo contributes just 1.34% of the national gross domestic product, ranking it at 24 among 31 states. Tourism accounts for 91% of the state’s economy. After tourism, the most significant industries are agriculture, livestock, forestry, beekeeping, and fishing.
HISTORY Pre-Mayan cultures inhabited the Yucatán Peninsula as early as 3000 B.C. During the 10th century, a Mayan group known as the Itzáes migrated into the area and built the cities of Cobá, Xcaret, Xel Ha and Tulum. They also founded Chichén-Itzá and Champotón nearby in what would become the state of Yucatán.
In 1502, members of Christopher Columbus’ final expedition became the first Spaniards to make contact with the inhabitants of Quintana Roo when they came upon several native fishing boats off the coast. Nine years later, a Spanish ship was stranded in the area. Natives captured the survivors and killed all but two, Gonzalo Guerrero and Jerónimo de Aguilar, who were spared and assimilated into Mayan society.
In the first quarter of the 16th century, several Spanish explorers ventured into the vicinity of Quintana Roo without establishing any settlements, even Hernán Cortés. In 1526, King Carlos V authorized Francisco de Montejo to conquer the Yucatán Peninsula, which he failed to do. Years later his son founded the cities of Mérida and Campeche. During both the 16th and 17th centuries, coastal settlements including Bacalar were frequently attacked by pirates.
When Mexico began its fight for independence from Spain in 1810, it found an ardent supporter in the young lawyer Andrés Quintana Roo, a native of Mérida. Quintana Roo helped shape Mexico’s formal declaration of independence, and then served in a wide variety of legislative and judicial posts. In recognition of his contributions, President Porfirio Díaz named the new state after Quintana Roo in 1902.
QUINTANA ROO TODAY
In the early 1970s (about the same time that Quintana Roo achieved statehood), Cancún, Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel began to rapidly develop as tourist destinations. Until 1970, Cancún was a small fishing settlement of about 100 Maya descendants. Then, after a three-year study by the Mexican government and private interests, the area was selected as the site for an international vacation center. A building boom in the 1980s transformed Cancún into a major resort for tourists from the United States, Europe, and elsewhere.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT QUINTANA ROO
Quintana Roo’s coat of arms uses stylized images to represent natural features. At the top is the sun whose rays correspond to the state’s municipalities. In the upper left corner of the shield, a snail’s spiral signifies earth. To the right, a star stands for heaven. The large panel at the bottom displays the Maya symbol for wind. Thus, the four Maya elements are represented: Day (sun), Night (star), Earth (snail,) and Wind (three triangles).
Cancún is Mayan for nest of vipers. (So true in many ways . . .)
The state’s abundant fauna include deer, monkeys, manatees and alligators. This diversity arises from Quintana Roo’s four distinct ecosystems: reef, forest, savannah, and mangrove.
The Palancar coral reefs were discovered by marine explorer Jacques Cousteau off the island of Cozumel in 1961. He said that Palancar was one of the world’s best places for scuba diving.
