MERIDA

state, northwestern Venezuela. Except for a narrow neck extending northwestward to the shore of Lake Maracaibo, the territory of 4,400 square miles (11,300 square km) lies entirely within that portion of the Andes Mountains known as the Cordillera de Mrida. The cordillera, which rises to 16,427 feet (5,007 m) above sea level at Pico Bolvar (the highest point in Venezuela), is traversed from northeast to southwest by the Chama River. In the fertile Chama valley are most of the state's settlements, including Mrida (q.v.), the capital. Although it is known primarily for its agricultural produce (principally coffee, sugarcane, and corn ) and livestock (cattle and goats), the state also contains minerals. Oil is found under and around Lake Maracaibo, and there are deposits of mica, gold, and emeralds. The dairy industry is well developed. The Pan-American Highway traverses the state from northeast to southwest, as does another highway along the Chama valley. The eastwest road network is not well developed. Pop. (1990 est.) 622,372. city, capital of Mrida state, western Venezuela. The city lies on a large alluvial terrace near the Ro Chama in the Cordillera de Mrida; at an elevation of 5,384 ft (1,641 m), it is the highest city in Venezuela and enjoys one of the most pleasant climates in the nation. In the vicinity are five snowcapped peaks exceeding 15,000 ft in height. To one of them, Pico Espejo (Mirror Peak; about 15,600 ft), runs a cable-car system 7 2/3 mi (12 km) long, said to be the longest and highest in the world. Although Mrida was founded in 1558, frequent earthquakes and relative inaccessibility long hindered its development; it did become a religious and educational centre, with a cathedral, convents, and the Universidad de los Andes (founded in 1785). With the completion of all-weather highways to the major cities in the northeast, the northwest, and into the Llanos (plains) to the south, Mrida became a regional manufacturing and commercial centre. The city is renowned for its candied fruits, ruanas (Andean poncholike woolen cloaks), fishing, skiing, and mountaineering. Pop. (1981) 143,209. town, Badajoz province, in the autonomous community (region) of Extremadura, western Spain, on the north bank of the Guadiana River. The town was founded by the Romans in 25 BC as Augusta Emerita. As the capital of Lusitania (a Roman province that encompassed modern Portugal), it became one of the most important towns in Iberia and was large enough to contain a garrison of 90,000 men. It prospered anew in the 7th century under the Visigoths. Occupied in 713 by the Moors, who enlarged the alcazar, or citadel, originally the chief Roman fort, Mrida was recaptured in 1228 by Alfonso IX of Leon, who granted it to the Knights of Santiago. Chief among the town's Roman remains is a bridge constructed of granite near the end of the 1st century AD and restored by the Visigoths in 686 and by Philip III in 1610. It comprised 81 arches, 17 of which were destroyed during the siege of Badajoz (1812) by the French, and measured 2,575 feet (785 m) in length. There are a few remnants of Roman temples and of the colossal wall that encircled the town, as well as a Roman triumphal arch, commonly called the Arco de Trajano (Santiago), and a second Roman bridge. From the Pantano de Proserpina, also called Charca de la Albuera, a large Roman reservoir, 3 miles (5 km) north, water was conveyed to Mrida by a mighty aqueduct known as Los Milagros, of which there are extensive remains. The Roman theatre is well preserved; there are also vestiges of an amphitheatre and of a circus. The modern town's economy is based on agricultural trade and tourism. Pop. (1981) 41,783. city, capital of Yucatn state, southeastern Mexico. It lies near the northwestern tip of the Yucatn Peninsula, 23 miles (37 km) south of Progreso, its port on the Gulf of Mexico. It stands at the northern end of a limestone plain well-suited for growing the cactuslike agave (Agave fourcroyoides), from which henequen, or sisal hemp, fibres are extracted. Founded in 1542 on the site of the ancient Mayan city of T'ho, Mrida is also a tourist base for trips to nearby ruined Mayan cities, including Chichn-Itz, Dzibilchaltn, Uxmal, and Kabh. Indian influence is still strong in the area and is most evident in language and dress. The most notable of the city's numerous colonial buildings is the House of Montejo, built in 1549. Mrida also has a 16th-century cathedral, an archaeological museum, Yucatn University (1624; refounded 1922), and the Regional Technical Institute of Mrida (1961). The city can be reached by highway, railroad, and air. Pop. (1980) 400,142.