n.
State (pop., 2000: 6,908,975), east-central Mexico.
Bordering the Gulf of Mexico , it occupies 27,683 sq mi (71,699 sq km); its capital is Jalapa . The state's low, sandy gulf area rises inland to a central plateau, where the volcano Citlaltépetl , Mexico's highest peak, reaches 18,406 ft (5,610 m) high. The area was inhabited by pre-Columbian cultures, including the Olmec . The first European landing was made by Hernán Cortés in 1519. A state since 1824, Veracruz has more than one-fourth of Mexico's petroleum reserves and several of the country's refineries. Its economy is supplemented by agriculture, forestry products, and manufacturing.