Cozumel 1

Cozumel

Cozumel

Native name: KtzNickname: Cuzamil

Satellite image of Cozumel Island in 2001

Geography

Location Caribbean Sea

Coordinates 2025N 8655W [1]Coordinates: 2025N 8655W [1]

Total islands 2

Area 647.33km2 (249.94sqmi)

Highestpoint 14m

Country

Mexico

State Quintana Roo

Municipios (Municipality) Cozumel

Largest city San Miguel de Cozumel(pop. 77,236)

Presidente municipal (Municipal president) Juan Carlos Gonzlez Hernndez (PRI)

Demographics

Population 100,000 (as of 2011)

Density 154.5/km2 (400.2/sqmi)

Ethnic groups Maya

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Additional information

Official website Government website [2]

Time zone UTC 6DST: UTC 5

Cozumel (Yucatec Maya: Kutsmil, English: Island of the Swallows) is an island in the Caribbean Sea off theeastern coast of Mexico's Yucatn Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatn Channel.Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities (municipios) of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Cozumel is a touristdestination for its balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.

EtymologyThe name Cozumel was derived from the Mayan "Cuzamil" or "Ah Cuzamil Peten" in full, which means the Islandof Swallows (Spanish: Isla de las Golondrinas).

GeographyThe island is located in the Caribbean Sea along the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula about 90km (56mi) southof Cancn and 10km (6.2mi) from the mainland. The island is about 48km (30mi) long and 16km (9.9mi) wide.With a total area of 477.961km2 (184.542sqmi), it is Mexico's largest Caribbean island, and Mexico's third-largestisland, following Tiburn Island and Isla ngel de la Guarda.The majority of the population of island lives in the town of San Miguel (pop. 77,236 in 2010), which is on theisland's western shore. The municipality, which includes two small areas on the mainland enclaved within theMunicipality of Solidaridad with a land area of 10.423km (4.024sq mi), has a total land area of 647.33km(249.93sq mi).

Cozumel Southeast Coast

Landscape View of Cozumel.

The island is covered with an impenetrable jungle which has manyendemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestone,resulting in a karst topography. The highest natural point on the islandis less than 15m (49ft) above sea level. The cenotes are deep waterfilled sinkholes formed by water percolating through the soft limestonesoil during thousands of years. Cozumel's cenotes have very restrictedaccess available only to qualified cave divers with appropriateregistration. In the early 1990s, a group of cave explorers herediscovered the 5th largest underwater cave in theworld.Wikipedia:Citation needed

Cozumel has tropical savanna climate under the Kppen climateclassification that closely borders on a tropical monsoon climate. Thedry season is short, only occurring from February to April but even inthese months, precipitation is observed, averaging about 45 millimetres(1.8in) of rain per month. The wet season is lengthy, covering most ofthe months, with September and October being the wettest months,when precipitation averages over 240 millimetres (9.4in).Thunderstorms can occasionally occur during the wet season.Temperatures tend to remain stable with little variation from month tomonth though the temperatures are cooler from December to February

with the coolest month averaging 22.9C (73.2F). Owing to its proximity to the sea, the island is fairly humid, with an average humidity of 83%. The wettest recorded month was October 1980 with 792 millimetres (31.2in) of

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precipitation and the wettest recorded day was June 19, 1975 with 281 millimetres (11.1in). Extremes range from9.2C (48.6F) on January 18, 1977 to 39.2C (102.6F).

Climate data for Cozumel (19511980)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record highC (F)

36.4(97.5)

36.0(96.8)

34.7(94.5)

39.0(102.2)

36.6(97.9)

36.4(97.5)

39.2(102.6)

36.8(98.2)

36.6(97.9)

36.1(97)

35.2(95.4)

32.6(90.7)

39.2(102.6)

Average highC (F)

28.6(83.5)

29.1(84.4)

30.9(87.6)

32.0(89.6)

32.7(90.9)

32.4(90.3)

32.6(90.7)

33.0(91.4)

31.9(89.4)

30.7(87.3)

29.7(85.5)

28.6(83.5)

31.0(87.8)

Daily meanC (F)

22.9(73.2)

23.2(73.8)

24.7(76.5)

26.0(78.8)

26.9(80.4)

27.2(81)

27.2(81)

27.2(81)

26.7(80.1)

25.9(78.6)

24.8(76.6)

23.4(74.1)

25.5(77.9)

Average lowC (F)

19.4(66.9)

19.4(66.9)

20.7(69.3)

21.8(71.2)

22.9(73.2)

23.8(74.8)

23.5(74.3)

23.5(74.3)

23.6(74.5)

23.1(73.6)

21.7(71.1)

20.3(68.5)

22.0(71.6)

Record lowC (F)

9.2(48.6)

9.7(49.5)

11.4(52.5)

14.6(58.3)

15.2(59.4)

18.8(65.8)

17.0(62.6)

20.8(69.4)

20.8(69.4)

17.0(62.6)

11.2(52.2)

12.7(54.9)

9.2(48.6)

Precipitationmm (inches)

81.4(3.205)

60.0(2.362)

32.2(1.268)

44.8(1.764)

110.6(4.354)

191.7(7.547)

115.5(4.547)

141.7(5.579)

240.2(9.457)

242.5(9.547)

122.5(4.823)

106.8(4.205)

1,489.9(58.657)

Avg.precipitation

days (0.1mm)

8.66 6.46 4.03 3.73 7.20 12.63 11.83 13.37 15.43 15.70 11.06 9.76 119.86

% humidity 82 81 79 79 80 84 84 84 87 85 83 83 83

Meanmonthlysunshine

hours

198.0 192.3 232.0 257.0 231.9 206.5 220.1 221.7 181.5 193.7 183.9 192.2 2,510.8

Source: Colegio de Postgraduados

History

Maya ruins of San Gervasio

The Maya are believed to have first settled Cozumel by the early partof the 1st millennium AD, and older Preclassic Olmec artifacts havebeen found on the island as well. The island was sacred to Ix Chel, theMaya Moon Goddess, and the temples here were a place of pilgrimage,especially by women desiring fertility. There are a number of ruins onthe island, most from the Post-Classic period. The largest Maya ruinson the island were near the downtown area and have now beendestroyed.[3] Today, the largest remaining ruins are at San Gervasio,located approximately at the center of the island.

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Chan Santa Cruz Monument in Cozumel

The first Spanish expedition to visit Cozumel was led by Juan de Grijalva in1518; in the following year Hernn Corts stopped by the island on his way toVeracruz. The Grijalva and Corts expeditions were both received peacefullyby the Maya of Cozumel, unlike the expeditions experiences on other parts ofthe mainland. Even after Corts destroyed some of the Maya idols onCozumel and replaced them with an image of the Virgin Mary, the nativeinhabitants of the island continued to help the Spanish re-supply their shipswith food and water so they could continue their voyages. As many as 10,000Maya lived on the island then, but in 1520, infected crew members of thePnfilo Narvez expedition brought the smallpox contagion to the island andby 1570 only 186 men and 172 women were left alive on Cozumel. In theensuing years Cozumel was often the target of attacks by pirates, and in 1650many of the islanders were forcibly relocated to the mainland town of XcanBolon to avoid the buccaneers predation. Later, in 1688, most of the rest ofthe islands population, as well as many of the settlements along the QuintanaRoo coast, were evacuated inland to towns such as Chemax.

San Miguel Church

In 1848, refugees escaping the tumult of the Caste War of Yucatnsettled on the island and in 1849 the town of San Miguel de Cozumelwas officially recognized by the Mexican government.[4]

In 1861, American President Abraham Lincoln ordered his Secretaryof State, William Henry Seward (who was later to purchase theRussian Territory of Alaska for the US in 1867), to meet with theMexican charge daffaires Matias Romero to explore the possibility ofpurchasing the island of Cozumel for the purpose of relocating freedAmerican slaves offshore. The idea was summarily dismissed byMexican President Benito Juarez, but in 1862 Lincoln did manage toestablish a short-lived colony of ex-slaves on le Vache off the coastof Haiti.Wikipedia:Citation needed

Cruise Port in San Miguel de Cozumel.

In 1956, Mexican film director Rene Cardona shot the movie UnMundo Nuevo under the waters of Cozumel at what is now known asCardona Reef. In 1957, this film was translated into English andbroadcast over American television as A New World. Cardona's movieis often confused with Jacques Yves Cousteau's 1956 documentaryMonde du Silence, but Cousteau's film was shot entirely in the EasternHemisphere, and it was Cardona's film that brought the crystal clearwaters of Cozumel to the attention of American divers. Cousteau didnot visit the island for the first time until the late 1960s, years after theisland's dive industry was well established.Wikipedia:Citation needed

Although the original airport was a World War II relic and was able to handle jet aircraft and international flights, amuch larger airport was built in the late 1970s. This resulted in much greater tourism to Cozumel.Scuba diving is still one of Cozumel's primary attractions, mainly due to the healthy coral reef marine communities. These coral reefs are protected from the open ocean by the island's natural geography. In 1996, the government of Mexico also established the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, forbidding anyone from touching or removing any marine life within the park boundaries. Despite the importance of healthy reefs to Cozumel's tourist trade, a deepwater pier was built in the 1990s for cruise ships to dock, causing damage to the reefs, and it is now a regular

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stop on cruises in the Caribbean.The island was struck directly by two Category 5 hurricanes during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. First toarrive was Hurricane Emily in July. Despite Emily being a powerful storm, it was the slower moving HurricaneWilma that caused the most destruction when it hit the island in October.There was some damage to the underwater marine habitat. This included the coral reefs, which suffered particularlyat the shallower dive sites, and the fish that inhabit the reefs.

Tourism

Small bars and restaurants along the east coast ofthe island.

Tourism, diving and charter fishing comprise the majority of theislands economy. There are more than 300 restaurants on the islandand many hotels, some of which run dive operations, have swimmingpools, private docks, and multiple dining facilities.

Other water activities include para-sailing, kitesurfing, and a touristsubmarine. There are also two dolphinariums. At the cruise ship docksthere are several square blocks of stores selling Cuban cigars,jewellery, t-shirts, tequila, and a large variety of inexpensive souvenirs.There are many restaurants in San Miguel that have a huge variety ofdifferent cuisines. In downtown Cozumel there are several

discothques, bars, cinemas, stages and restaurants. The main plaza includes; seasonal vendors, Mayan fire showsand a fixed stage where Cozumelenians and tourists celebrate the Sunday evening with a dance into the night.

All food and manufactured supplies are shipped to the island. Water is provided by three different desalinationfacilities located on the island.

EducationThere are two universities on the island: the University of Quintana Roo and Partenon. In addition to teachingEnglish as a degree, they offer five other career options including natural resources research, tourism andcommercial systems.

GovernmentCozumel is part of the State of Quintana Roo (Q-Roo). The Municipality of Cozumel consists of the island ofCozumel (with its offshore islets) and two pieces of adjacent mainland surrounded by the Municipality ofSolidaridad. They are Calica and the Xel-H Water Park. During the 2010 census there were 122 populated localitiesand 86 unpopulated localities enumerated.In the July 7, 2013 municipal elections Fredy Marrufo Martn was voted the new Cozumel municipal president(mayor) for the 2013-2016 term and on July 14, 2013 officially became "president-elect".

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Towns and villages

San Miguel de Cozumel view from cruise ship port.The largest localities (cities, towns, and villages) are:

Name 2010 Census population

San Miguel de Cozumel 77,236

Las Fincas 746

Kilmetro Cuatro y Medio 411

La Estrella 154

San Lorenzo 134

La Esperanza 115

Huerto Familiar 104

Villa Cozumel 75

Las Palmeras 72

Iberostar 52

Dos Arbolitos 44

San Carlos 34

Total Municipality 79,535

CultureThe Festival of El Cedral in Cozumel is to this day a historic festival is held in the small town of El Cedral, in thesouth of Cozumel Island at the end of April. This annual event is said to have been started over 150 years ago byCasimiro Crdenas. Crdenas was one of a group that fled to the island from the village of Saban, on the mainland,after an attack during the War of the Castes. The attackers killed many other villagers, but Crdenas survived whilstclutching a small wooden cross.Legend has it that Crdenas vowed to start an annual festival wherever he settled, to honor the religious power of thiscrucifix. Today, the original Holy Cross Festival forms part of the wider Festival of El Cedral, which includes fairs,traditional feasts, rodeos, bullfights, music and competitions. The celebrations last about 5 days in all and are heldevery year at the end of April or beginning of May.Wikipedia:Citation neededThe Cozumel Carnival or Carnaval de Cozumel has been celebrated as a tradition beginning from the late nineteenthcentury that fills Cozumels streets with numerous parades. It begins the week before Mardi-Gras and Fat Tuesday inFebruary.

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Natural historyCozumel has a number of endemic species and subspecies of bird including: the Cozumel Emerald the Cozumel Great Curassow, which is highly endangered the Cozumel Thrasher, which is nearly, if not already, extinct the Cozumel Vireo the Cozumel WrenEndemic dwarf mammals are found on the island: the Cozumel Fox, which is nearly, if not already, extinct the Cozumel Island Coati, which is endangered. the Cozumel Island Raccoon, which is critically endangered[5]

The island also harbors three rodents that are larger than their mainland counterpart: Oryzomys couesi, Peromyscusleucopus, and critically endangered Reithrodontomys spectabilis, the latter of which is also endemic to the island.Endemic marine life: the Splendid toadfishOther native wildlife includes: the American crocodile the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana the Blue Land Crab (Cardisoma guanhumi)

References[1] http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Cozumel&

params=20_25_N_86_55_W_region:MX-ROO_type:isle_scale:500000[2] http:/ / www. cozumel. gob. mx/[3] Hajovsky, Ric, 2011, Bases, Bulldozers and Bullshit, (http:/ / everythingcozumel. com/ history/ Cozumelairport2. pdf) Retrieved June 29,

2012[4] Hajovsky, Ric The Yellow Guide to the Mayan Ruins of San Gervasio, Cozumel, Amazon Books, 2012, p. 8-10[5] K. McFadden, D. Vasco, A. Cuaron, D. Valenzuela and M. Gompper. 2009. Conservation and population assessment of the endangered dwarf

carnivores from Cozumel Island. Biodiversity and Conservation 13:317331

External links Cozumel (http:/ / www. dmoz. org/ Regional/ North_America/ Mexico/ States/ Quintana_Roo/ Localities/

Cozumel) at DMOZ Cozumel travel guide from Wikivoyage Cozumel Parks and Museums (http:/ / www. cozumelparks. com/ eng/ about-ecological. asp) official site for the

Quintana Roo State Foundation that manages Chankanaab Park, Punta Sur, San Gervasio and the Island Museum

Article Sources and Contributors 8

Article Sources and ContributorsCozumel Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=615987357 Contributors: -Erick-, .:Ajvol:., AMAPO, Akerbeltz, Alansohn, AlbertR, Allstarecho, Amarie918, Amtrakfan4,Anitanesbitt, Arch dude, Backspace, Bejnar, Bhuck, BlueJaeger, BorgQueen, Brian Crawford, Bz3rk, CJLL Wright, CZMMX, CambridgeBayWeather, Canned Soul, Casg, ChrisGualtieri,Clotho, Conti, Cookies1226, CopperSquare, CrazyC83, Crispas, DMS, DO'Neil, Darwinek, Ddiscovery, DeVaro, DerBorg, Discospinster, Dither, Dysepsion, Dysmorodrepanis, El C,Enemyusuar, EoGuy, Eric Shalov, Fieldday-sunday, Fordan, Fottry55i6, Fvw, Gouerouz, Grenavitar, Gurch, Gypsy18, Gyrofrog, Hajor, Hallibrah, Hemanetwork, Hibsch, Hmoul, Holmes Mike,Hugo999, Hurricanefan25, Icampbell, Ida Shaw, Ikeinthemed, Infrogmation, InverseHypercube, Inwind, J.delanoy, J1 Formidable, Jawfish, Jeff G., Jj137, Joe howes, John, John Carter,Johnmperry, JohnnyMrNinja, Johnpseudo, Joseph Solis in Australia, Kaare, Kaseman519, Ke4roh, Ken Thomas, Kushboy, Kyng, KyraVixen, Laban712, Lightspeedx, LilHelpa, Lotje, Ltd divers,Man vyi, Markhuntley12, McSly, MeegsC, Messesrule, Metalmatt1, Mhockey, Mike Rosoft, Moncrief, Moondyne, N2e, N5iln, Neurolysis, Nick Cooper, Notmyrealname, Noyolcont, Nposs,O1ive, OfficialCozumel, Ohnoitsjamie, PBP, Pax85, PenguinCDF, Plastikspork, Q43, Qui1che, RKlaus1975, RandomWalk, Rgcozumel, Richard001, Ricraider, Ruiz, SD5, SP-KP, Sagitario,Sbidny, Scanlan, Scoelho86, Shyam, Silversink, Simoneau, Skinsmoke, Slowmover, Snowmanradio, Spalding, Ssbbplayer, Stan Shebs, Stan2525, Stephenb, Steven Zhang, StonePeter, Student7,Subtropical-man, Sun Creator, Supaman89, TShilo12, Tbhotch, That Guy, From That Show!, Thatcher, TheVenge21483, Tide rolls, Tigerofdoom, Tim Chambers, Ubiquity, Ucucha, UteFan16,Verrai, Versus22, Vsmith, Vvven, Wamshatley, Webclient101, Werieth, WhisperToMe, Widr, Wik, Wizardofcoz, Wmahan, WolfmanSF, Xxxmex, Yardcock, Yintan, Youssefsan, Zkino, .,332 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Isla cozumel April17-2001-crop.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Isla_cozumel_April17-2001-crop.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: NASAFile:Cozumel en Quintana Roo.svg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cozumel_en_Quintana_Roo.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: BattroidFile:Southeast Coast.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Southeast_Coast.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:RicraiderFile:View of the Interior.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:View_of_the_Interior.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors:User:RicraiderFile:Los Murcielagos, San Gervasio.JPG Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Los_Murcielagos,_San_Gervasio.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0Contributors: User:PuchkuFile:Santa Cruz Monument.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Santa_Cruz_Monument.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors:User:RicraiderFile:SAN MIGUEL COZUMEL CHURST.JPG Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:SAN_MIGUEL_COZUMEL_CHURST.JPG License: Creative CommonsAttribution-Sharealike 2.5 Contributors: MarroviFile:Cruise Port San Miguel.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cruise_Port_San_Miguel.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors:User:RicraiderFile:East Coast (Beach in Cozumel).jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:East_Coast_(Beach_in_Cozumel).jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0Contributors: User:RicraiderFile:Cozumel Panorama.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cozumel_Panorama.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:Bz3rkFile:Magnify-clip.png Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Magnify-clip.png License: Public Domain Contributors: User:Erasoft24file:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors:User:AleXXw

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CozumelEtymologyGeographyHistoryTourismEducationGovernmentTowns and villages

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