State of Campeche

Update Date: August 31, 2023

The Mexican State of Campeche is located in the western part of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the southeastern part of the country. It is bordered to the north by another state, Yucatán; to the east by Quintana Roo and Belize; to the west by the Gulf of Mexico; and to the south by Tabasco and Guatemala. Campeche has approximately 928,000 inhabitants, with a 75% urban and 25% rural population. The most populated localities are Campeche (249,623 inhabitants in 2020), Ciudad del Carmen (191,238 inhabitants), Champotón (35,799) and Escárcega (31,375).

Campeche's economy is based mainly on oil extraction off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, along with the exploitation of limestone used in construction. One of the headquarters of the state-owned company Pemex (Petróleos Mexicanos) is located in Ciudad del Carmen, since in the 70's of the 20th century this company began to exploit off its coasts the so-called "Cantarell Complex", the second most important oil field in the world. In addition, agriculture has a strong weight, with the cultivation of rice, corn and henequen.

The vast majority of the territory of Campeche has a warm sub-humid climate, with abundant rainfall during the summer, making the state has tropical vegetation, with jungles covering more than 80% of the surface. This also helps the cultivation of tropical fruits such as mango or chicozapot. The rainforest is inhabited by a fauna composed mainly of the jaguarundi and the greater bulldog bat. In the dry forest we can find skunks, opossums, shrews or raccoons.

If you want to visit Campeche, you should not miss Edzná, a Mayan archaeological site with a Great Acropolis and incredible buildings, such as the "Five Floors". Another pre-Hispanic Mayan archaeological site you should not miss is Calakmul, in the southeast of the state and within the core of a biosphere reserve. You should also take a stroll through the walled city of Campeche and its Malecon.

And you should also enjoy its gastronomy, and taste typical dishes such as Panuchos (similar to those of Yucatan, but with dogfish instead of pork), Joroches, Chocolomo (a not very liquid broth with meat and cilantro) and the well-known Pan de cazón (dogfish bread), cooked with this white fish.

List of Municipalities in the State of Campeche. Click on the names of the Municipalities to find towns, cities, communities and villages in the State.