Veracruz

Veracruz (officially Veracruz Llave), city in eastern Mexico, on the Bay of Campeche (an arm of the Gulf of Mexico). Situated in an important petroleum-producing region, it is a major seaport and a commercial and manufacturing centre. Landmarks include the massive Castillo de San Juan de Ulúa, a fortress begun by the Spanish in 1528 to guard the harbour, and the Plaza de la Constitución, the city's main square since colonial times. A technological institute is here. The site of Veracruz was first settled in 1519 by the Hermán Cortés, who subsequently abandoned the area; the city was permanently established by the Spanish in about 1600. It was captured by US forces in 1847, during the Mexican-American War. The French occupied Veracruz in the 1860s, and the United States landed troops here for a short time in 1914. Population (1990) 328,607.