n.
City (pop., 2000: 660,884), capital of Yucatán state, southeastern Mexico.
It lies near the northwestern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula , south of Progreso; its port is on the Gulf of Mexico. It was founded in 1542 on the site of the ancient Maya city of T'ho. It has numerous colonial buildings and a 16th-century cathedral. Yucatán University and the Regional Technical Institute of Mérida are located there. It serves as a tourist base for trips to nearby Maya cities, including Chichén Itzá , Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal , and Kabáh.