Cozumel (Spanish pronunciation: [kosuˈmel]; Yucatec Maya: Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen.

[7] Cozumel is a municipality which also includes two small areas on the mainland, the ecotourism park of Xel-Ha and the Calica limestone quarry.

The cenotes are water-filled sinkholes formed by water percolating through the soft limestone soil for thousands of years.

[17] The sun represents the position of the island in the eastern region of the country, and the swallow indicates the meaning of the word Cozumel in the Mayan language.

[19] The reefs are primarily found on underwater cliffs; some exist in coastal lagoons and on sand bars at the north tip of the island.

[23] A large portion of the reef on the south side of the island is sectioned off into the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park.

The marine life that inhabit the reefs include zoanthids, polychaetes, actinarians, hydroids, sponges, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, and many varieties of Caribbean fish.

[25] Due to the abundant marine life and coral reefs, as well as the clear and warm Caribbean water, Cozumel is considered one of the best scuba-diving destinations in the world.

The wet season is lengthy, covering most of the months, with September and October being the wettest, when precipitation averages over 240 millimeters (9.4 in).

[32] The Maya are believed to have first settled Cozumel by the early part of the 1st millennium AD, and older Preclassic Olmec artifacts have been found on the island as well.

In the ensuing years, Cozumel was often the target of attacks by pirates, and in 1650, many of the islanders were forcibly relocated to the mainland town of Xcan Boloná to avoid the buccaneers' predation.

Later, in 1688, most of the rest of the island's population, as well as many of the settlements along the Quintana Roo coast, were evacuated inland to towns such as Chemax.

[37] In 1848, refugees escaping the tumult of the Caste War of Yucatán settled on the island, and in 1849 the town of San Miguel de Cozumel was officially recognized by the Mexican government.

In 1862, Lincoln did manage to establish a short-lived colony of ex-slaves on Île à Vache off the coast of Haiti.

[39] Work on the original Cozumel airport began when the US needed a stopover to aid World War II planes.

On December 18, 2000, 41-year-old British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, died while holidaying there with her sons and her boyfriend musician, James Knight, when a powerboat fatally struck her.

In July, Hurricane Emily passed just south of Cozumel, exposing the island to the storm's intense inner core.

[44][45] Trees, power lines, and cell phone towers were blown down, cars over-turned, piers washed away, windows smashed, roads collapsed, and new rivers appeared.

[43] The economy of Cozumel is based on tourism, including daily visits from cruise ship passengers, as well as tourists scuba diving, snorkeling, and charter fishing.

[46] In addition to restaurants, hotels, and dive shops, vendors near the ports sell a variety of souvenirs and jewelry.

San Miguel de Cozumel, the main town on the island, is home to many restaurants with a variety of cuisines, along with several discothèques, bars, cinemas, and outdoor stages.

[51] In addition to teaching English as a degree program, they offer other career options including natural resources research, tourism and commercial systems.

Cárdenas was one of a group that fled to the island from the village of Saban, on the mainland, after an attack during the Caste War of Yucatán in 1848.