Conkal Municipality (In the

Yucatec Maya Yucatec Maya ( ; referred to by its speakers as or ) is a Mayan languages, Mayan language spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula, including part of northern Belize. There is also a significant diasporic community of Yucatec Maya speakers in San Fra ...

Language: "place of twenty sales" or "place of the parasitic plant ''cuunka''") is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Yucatán Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida. ...

containing (57.48 km²) of land and located roughly 16 km northeast of the city of Mérida.

History

There is no accurate data on when the town was founded, though it existed before the

conquest Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or Coercion (international relations), coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or ...

and in antiquity belonged to the chieftainship of Ceh Pech. At colonization, Conkal became part of the

encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish Labour (human activity), labour system that rewarded Conquistador, conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including mil ...

system and was part of the parcels taken by

Francisco de Montejo the Younger Francisco de Montejo y León (; 1508 – 8 February 1565), known as "the Younger" (), was a Spanish conquistador, who in 1542 founded the city of Mérida, capital of State of Yucatán, Mexico. The son of Francisco de Montejo, ca. June 1527 he ...

. The fourth convent established by the

Franciscan Order The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

in the colonial period was begun in this area, St. Francis of Assisi. In 1821, Yucatán was declared independent of the Spanish Crown. In 1825 the area was part of the Coastal region with its headquarters in Izamal. During the

Caste War of Yucatán The Caste War of Yucatán or ''ba'atabil kichkelem Yúum'' (1847–1915) began with the revolt of Indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous Maya peoples, Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula against Hispanic populations, called ''Yucatecos''. Th ...

, in the mid-1840s, the state government issued orders for punishment of any indigenous inhabitants who were found to be conspiring against the Spanish descendants. Under the territorial redistribution in the middle of the nineteenth century, Conkal was assigned to the Tixkokob Municipality. Conkal was designated as its own municipality in 1918.

Governance

The municipal president is elected for a term of three years. The president appoints seven Councilpersons to serve on the board for three year terms, as the Secretary and councilors who oversee commissaries, sports, special events, nomenclature, public monuments, public health, ecology, education and culture. The Municipal Council administers the business of the municipality. It is responsible for budgeting and expenditures and producing all required reports for all branches of the municipal administration. Annually it determines educational standards for schools. The Police Commissioners ensure public order and safety. They are tasked with enforcing regulations, distributing materials and administering rulings of general compliance issued by the council.

Communities

The head of the municipality is Conkal, Yucatán. There are thirty-five population areas in the municipality, among them, three haciendas Kantoyná, Santa María Rosas, and Xcuyún; and three ranches Los Reyes, San Antonio, and San Román. The major population areas are shown below:

Local festivals

Every year from the 1st to 8 May is the Festival in honor the Holy Cross.

Tourist attractions

* Convent of St. Francis of Assisi *

Hacienda Kantoyná A ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or '' finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards) ...

* Hacienda San Jose Conkal * Hacienda San Lorenzo Kantul * Hacienda Santa María Rosas *

Hacienda Xcuyún A ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...

References

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