Veracruz (Estado de Veracruz-Llave)
Veracruz has a significant share of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico on the east of the state. The state is noted for its mixed ethnic and indigenous populations. Its cuisine reflects the many cultural influences that have come through the state because of the importance of the port of Veracruz. In addition to the capital city, the state's largest cities include Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, Córdoba, Minatitlán, Poza Rica, Boca Del Río and Orizaba.
The full name of the state is Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave. Veracruz was named after the city of Veracruz (From Latin Vera Crux, "True Cross"), which was originally called the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. The suffix is in honor of Ignacio de la Llave y Segura Zevallos (1818–1863), who was the governor of Veracruz from 1861 to 1862. The state's seal was authorized by the state legislature in 1954, adapting the one used for the port of Veracruz and created by the Spanish in the early colonial days of the 16th century.
Yanga was a city formed by enslaved Africans who escaped after being brought here from West Africa by Spanish colonists; they reached the mountains, escaping plantations, and lived with the Indigenous people there. The song La Bamba was originally sung by these escapees, who harassed Mexico City with uprisings and attacks on haciendas. Slavery was abolished in this area, years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in what became the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The enormous mountain range behind Veracruz lowlands was the site of independent communities of refugees, known as maroons, who mixed with the Indigenous peoples in the mountains. In the late 1500s more enslaved people arose and fled to these mountains. The most memorable war, fought by Gaspar Yanga, an enslaved man from Gabon, led to a revolt and a newly developed mountain town. Yanga led raids along the Camino Real pass between Veracruz and Mexico City. In January 1609, the Viceroy of Spain sent royal troops to crush Yanga's rebels. After negotiations and vicious battles, a truce finally was reached.
After 300 years, in 1918, during World War I, the Yangans agreed to move to a town closer to the lowlands, and to accept some local authority. They settled the town of “San Lorenzo de los Negros” within Veracruz. It was officially renamed as “Yanga,” in 1956 and known as the first free town for formerly enslaved people. Descendants in contemporary Veracruz tend to have visual signs of their African ancestry: “negrito” skin tone and some other physical features.
Some Mexicans are unaware or avoid speaking about Afro-descendancy: but terms such as Afro-Mexican, Afro-mestizo or “jarocho,” a term used in and outside Veracruz, refer to this blended cultural legacy. It is featured in street names, music and food, all culled from African roots.
Map - Veracruz (Estado de Veracruz-Llave)
Map
Country - Mexico
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
MXV | Mexican Unidad de Inversion | 2 | |
MXN | Mexican peso | $ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
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ES | Spanish language |