Villahermosa

Villahermosa (Spanish pronunciation: [bi.ʎa.eɾˈmo.sa], Beautiful Village) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Tabasco, and the municipal seat of the Centro municipality. Villahermosa reported a population of 658,524 in the 2005 census, whereas its Centro municipality had 558,524 inhabitants. The municipality covers an area of 1,612 km² (622.4 sq mi). The city is 863 kilometers from Mexico City.

The city

Tabasco's political powers reside here. It is the main city of the state of Tabasco and is home to the state's largest population. The city is an important business center for the Mexican oil industry. In 2008, the city consisted of 33 colonias and fraccionamientos. Also known as La Esmeralda del Sureste (The Emerald of the Southeast), Villahermosa is a modern city rich in natural resources, in terms of both agriculture and farming. Commercially, the city is served by major merchants, such as Liverpool, Fábricas de Fráncia, Palacio de Hierro, Wal-Mart, City Club (wholesale club), Soriana, Comercial Mexicana, and Home Depot. All the major national banks are represented in the city as well.

Tabasco

Tabasco ( taˈβasko ), officially Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It is located in the southeast of the country bordering the states of Campeche to the northeast, Veracruz to the west and Chiapas to the south, and the Petén department of Guatemala to the southeast. It has a coastline to the north with the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the state is covered in rainforest as, unlike most other areas of Mexico, it has plentiful rainfall year round. For this reason, it is also covered in small lakes, wetlands and rivers. The state is subject to major flooding events, with the last occurring in 2007, which affected eighty percent of the state. The state is also home to La Venta, the major site of the Olmec civilization, considered to be the origin of later Mesoamerican cultures. Even though it produces significant quantities of petroleum and natural gas, poverty is still a concern.