Mérida (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmeɾiða] ⓘ, Yucatec Maya: Joꞌ)[4] is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico.

[9] In 2015, the city was certified as an International Safe Community by the Karolinska Institute of Sweden for its high level of public security.

[citation needed] This nickname may be due to the white color of the limestone used to paint the façades of the city's colonial buildings.

This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the city can be seen from outer space as a large whitish area in the middle of the immense green forest that covers the Yucatán Peninsula.

Other arches served only decorative purposes, like the one Juan Quijano had erected in 1760 in front of his house at the intersection of 65th and 56th streets, which has since been demolished.

From colonial times through the mid-19th century, Mérida was a walled city designed to protect the peninsulares and criollos from periodic revolts by the indigenous Maya people.

[20] The city has been host to two bilateral United States – Mexico conferences, the first in 1999 (Bill Clinton – Ernesto Zedillo) and the second in 2007 (George W. Bush – Felipe Calderón, which resulted in the creation of the Mérida Initiative).

There are many important Maya archae sites in the area, including Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Oxkintok, Sayil and Kabah.

Almost no surface water exists, but several cenotes (sinkholes that provide access to underground springs and rivers) are found in the area.

The rainy season runs from June through October, associated with the Mexican monsoon which draws warm, moist air landward.

The Yucatán Peninsula, in particular the capital city Mérida, is in a prime coastal location which allows for economic growth.

[27] As the state and regional capital, Mérida is a cultural center, featuring multiple museums, art galleries, restaurants, movie theatres, and shops.

Mérida retains an abundance of colonial buildings and is a cultural center with music and dancing playing an important part in day-to-day life.

At the same time it is a modern city with a range of shopping malls, auto dealerships, hotels, restaurants, and leisure facilities.

Each year, the MACAY Museum in Mérida mounts a new sculpture installation, featuring works from Mexico and one other chosen country.

Mérida and the state of Yucatán have traditionally been isolated from the rest of the country by geography, creating a unique culture.

Múkbil pollo (pronounced/'mykβil pʰoʎoˀ/) is the Maya tamal pie offered to the dead on All Saints' Day, traditionally accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate.

Mérida is also home to the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra, which plays regular seasons at the José Peón Contreras Theatre on Calle 60 and features classical music, jazz, and opera.

It includes influences from the local Maya cuisine, as well as Caribbean, Mexican, European and Middle Eastern foods.

The other ingredients in the paste include cinnamon, allspice berries, cloves, Mexican oregano, cumin seed, sea salt, mild black peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and garlic.

Many large and elaborate homes from the early 20th century still line the main avenue called Paseo de Montejo.

For example, "Las Casas Gemelas" (The Twin Houses) are two side-by-side French and Spanish style mansions completed in 1911 by Camilo and Ernesto Cámara Zavala.

In the mid-1900s, the Barbachanos hosted aristocrats including Princess Grace and Prince Ranier, as well as first lady of the U.S., Jacqueline Kennedy.

[31] The historical center of Mérida is currently undergoing a renaissance, as people and businesses move into these old buildings and restore them.

Mérida (IATA: MID, ICAO: MMMD) is serviced by Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport with daily non-stop services to major cities in Mexico including Mexico City, Monterrey, Villahermosa, Cancún, Guadalajara, Tuxtla Gutierrez, and Toluca.

Mérida was the hub of an extensive narrow gauge railway network that operated in the states of Yucatán and Campeche beginning in 1902.

[37] Current passenger train service to Mérida is provided by Tren Maya which runs from Palenque, Chiapas to Cancún, Quintana Roo, continuing on to Playa del Carmen.

All of them offer full services for the city, and in case of the regional hospitals, for the whole Yucatán peninsula and neighboring states.

[41] A distressing statistic of how this affects the indigenous communities can be noted, "In Yucatan only 8.9 % of the Mayans have achieved junior high and solely the 6.6% have studied beyond that point.

This in turn causes many of the students to feel that learning at school is not their strong suit and may even end up dropping out early in their education.