Tabasco

State of Tabasco
Flag of State of Tabasco
Flag
Coat of arms of State of Tabasco
Coat of arms
Location within Mexico
Location within Mexico
Municipalities of Tamasco
Municipalities of Tamasco
Country Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico
Capital Villahermosa
Municipalities 17 in 4 zones
Government
 - Governor Andrés Rafael Granier Melo (PRI)
 - Federal Deputies PRD: 8
 - Federal Senators PRD: 2
PRI: 1
Area
Ranked 24th
 - Total 25,267 km² (9,755.6 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 - Total 1,989,969 (Ranked 20th)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
HDI (2004) 0.7684 - medium
Ranked 21st
ISO 3166-2 MX-TAB
Postal abbr. Tab.
Website: Tabasco State Government

Tabasco is a state in Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west, Chiapas to the south, and Campeche to the north-east. To the east Tabasco borders with the Petén department of Guatemala, and to the north with the Bay of Campeche (part of the Gulf of Mexico). Tabasco is in the northern half of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The state capital is Villahermosa.

Contents

Government and politics

The Constitution of the State of Tabasco provides that the government of Tabasco, like the government of every other state in Mexico, consists of three powers: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary.

Executive power is vested in the office of the Governor. The Governor is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, and serves a six-year term with no possibility of re-election. Legislative power resides in the Congress of Tabasco, a unicameral legislature composed of 35 deputies. Judicial power rests with the Superior Court of Justice of Tabasco.

Local elections in Tabasco were held on 15 October 2006.

Municipalities

Villahermosa

Tabasco is subdivided into 17 municipios (municipalities) in four zones: The Chontalpa, the Center, the Sierra, and the River. See Municipalities of Tabasco.

Major communities

  • Cárdenas
  • Comalcalco
  • Frontera
  • Huimanguillo
  • Macultepec
  • Macuspana
  • Paraíso
  • Teapa
  • Tenosique de Pino Suárez
  • Villahermosa

Regions

Some of its major rivers are the Grijalva and the Usumacinta, which run through the Tabasco Plain. The Tabasco plain is a coastal plain, with heavy rainfall, and covered in rainforest. It also contains beautiful rivers and waterfalls in the rainforest.

Tourist attractions

Tourist attractions include, along with many others, the Olmec ruins of La Venta, and the Mayan ruins of Comalcalco. The town of Puerto Ceiba in the municipality of Paraíso is known for being the place where poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara got inspiration for much of his work.

The state capital Villerhmosa is the primary loding location for most tourists visiting the Mayan ruins in Palenque in the adjacent state of Chiapas.

Flooding

Main article: 2007 Tabasco flood

Tabasco was subject to heavy rain in late October and early November 2007, causing widespread flooding. There are estimates that approximately 80% of Tabasco's land area was under water, affecting over 1,000,000 residents.[1][2]

"The situation is extraordinarily serious: This is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country," President Felipe Calderón said in a televised address on the night of 1 November 2007.[1]

Planned hydropower infrastructure

Tabasco is contemplating construction of a hydropower infrastructure. Tabasco’s hydropower resources could be more important than hydrocarbons if they were correctly used.[3]

The volume of the annual rainfall is favorable for the development of mini hydroelectric projects. The National Commission for the Conservation of Energy (CONAE) estimates that the exploitation of mini hydroelectric power has reached 3,200 MW.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Devastating floods prompt outbreak fears in Mexico - CNN.com
  2. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21590403
  3. HERNÁNDEZ HADDAD HUMBERTO (2007-11-02). "KAOSENLARED.NET". La corrupción causa estragos en Tabasco. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
  4. Conae (2005-10-24). "Comision Nacional para el Ahorro de Energia". Energias Renovables. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.

External links