1897 Garcia Cubas Map of Campeche

An appealing map of Campeche state, Mexico, published in 1897 in the Atlas Geográfico de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

A Closer Look

Campeche is one of Mexico's easternmost states, on the Yucatán Peninsula. Characteristic of maps in the Atlas Geográfico, towns and cities, haciendas, ranchos, historical and (Mayan) archaeological sites ('abandoned places'), roads (including a projected road to Bacalar), waterways, mountains, and administrative divisions are indicated. As with the atlas as a whole, longitude is measured from a Prime Meridian at Mexico City.

At left, a large inset map and nautical chart of the state's eponymous capital city and main port is included. Due to its well-preserved city walls and architecture, as well as its importance to the history of Caribbean piracy, the historic core of Campeche was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Contesting Campeche

Campeche state is a relatively recent creation, having been a part of Yucatán state until the latter attempted to form an independent republic in the 1820s. As a result of the decades-long struggle of the federal government to crush separatism, the state of Campeche was created in 1862. On top of this was a political rivalry between liberal Campeche city and more conservative Mérida (at top-right), as well as tensions between the indigenous population and Spanish-descended settlers, which led to several conflicts and revolts throughout the 19th century.

The region's economy in the late 19th century was driven by exports, especially products of the distinctive local plant Haematoxylum campechianum, which was used widely for creating dyes in the European textile industry.

Publication History and Census

This map was published in Mexico City in 1897 by Vega y Cie. It is based on the 1887 work of Antonio García Cubas, and was updated with additional border work for the 1897 issue of the Atlas Geográfico de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. The atlas is represented in several institutional collections but is extremely scarce on the market. The individual maps, likewise, are scarce to the market.