Umán is a city in the Mexican state of

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. ...

and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Together with

Kanasín Kanasín (In the Yucatec Maya language: “tense or strongly tightened”) is a city in the Mexican state of Yucatán and the municipal seat of the Kanasín Municipality, municipality of the same name. It is located in the Noroeste, Yucatán, nor ...

, it is part of the Mérida metropolitan area. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 56,409 inhabitants, making it the 4th most populous city in the state behind

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

, Kanasín, and Mérida.

Topynym

The word "Umán" means “purchase” in the

Yucatec Maya language 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 ...

and it also means "your path" or "your walk".

History

There is no accurate data on when Umán 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 Ah Canul. At colonization, it 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 with Francisco Hernández recorded as one of the earliest encomenderos. Yucatán declared its independence from the Spanish Crown in 1821 and in 1825, the area was assigned to the Lower Camino Real with its headquarters in Hunucmá Municipality. In 1921, Umán was designated as seat of its own municipality.

Governance

Umán is the seat of its eponymous municipality in which its municipal president is elected for a three-year term. The town council has nine councilpersons, who serve as Secretary and councilors of heritage and sports, policing, education and health, public works, running water, rural development and social management, roads and markets, nomenclature and recruiting, ecology, public monuments.

Demographics

Local festivals

Every year from 13 to 15 September, Umán holds a celebration for the Christ of Love.

Tourist attractions

* The ex-convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi, built in the eighteenth century * Archaeological sites at Bolon, Hotzuc, and Kizil * Hacienda Xtepén * Hacienda Yaxcopoil

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uman Municipality seats in Yucatán Populated places in Yucatán