Sucilá Municipality (,

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 ...

: "zacate (grass) water") 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

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 256.76 km² (99.14 sq mi) of land and is located roughly northeast of the city of Mérida.

History

There is no accurate data on when the town was founded, but 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 ...

, it was part of the chieftainship of Cupules. At colonization, Sucilá 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 though an encomienda was established by the seventeenth century, no names were discovered before the encomendera Josefa Chacón y Salazar, who served in 1745. Yucatán declared its independence from the Spanish Crown in 1821, and in 1825 the area was assigned to the

Tizimín Municipality Tizimín Municipality is a Municipalities of Yucatán, municipality in the Mexico, Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Yucatán. The municipality is located in the north-east of the Mexican state of Yucatán (state), Yucatán, and it is th ...

. In 1837, it was assigned to the Espita Municipality. As with other areas of the state, Sucilá was depopulated 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 1988, the area was confirmed as its own municipality.

Governance

The municipal president is elected for a three-year term. The town council has four councilpersons, who serve as Secretary and councilors of public services, public security, urban development and ecology.

Communities

The head of the municipality is Sucilá, Yucatán. The municipality has 63 populated places besides the seat including La Hacienda Xmabalam, San Antonio, San Pedro II, San Miguelito, San Román, Santa Rosa, Santa Teresa, Tierra Blanca, Xmihuan, and Yohches. The significant populations are shown below:

Local festivals

Every year from 2 to 10 September there is a festival in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Tourist attractions

* Church of Saint James the Apostle, built during the seventeenth century * Cenote Dzibiak * Cenote K' Aax' Eek * Cenote San Pedro Iii * Cenote Sukil-Ha

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sucila Municipalities of Yucatán