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{{Short description|Island in Quintana Roo, Mexico}}{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}

factoids

| archipelago = | total_islands = 2| major_islands = | area_km2 = 647.33| highest_mount = 14 m| elevation_m = | country = {{MEX}}List of states of Mexico>State| country_admin_divisions = Quintana RooMunicipalities of Quintana Roo>Municipality| country_admin_divisions_1 = Cozumel| country_largest_city = San Miguel de Cozumel| country_largest_city_population = 84915| country_leader_title = Presidente municipal (Municipal president)Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional>Morena)| population_as_of = 2020| population = 88626| density_km2 = {{#expr: 100000/647.33 round 1}}Mestizos in Mexico>Mestizo, Maya, White Mexicans, Afro-Mexicans| website = cozumel.gob.mx| timezone1 = (UTC−05:00)| module = {{Designation list| embed = yes| designation1 = Ramsar| designation1_offname = Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel| designation1_date = 2 February 2005RAMSAR CONVENTION>RAMSAR SITES INFORMATION SERVICEACCESS-DATE=25 APRIL 2018ARCHIVE-DATE=JUNE 13, 2018, live, | designation2 = Ramsar| designation2_offname = Manglares y Humedales del Norte de Isla Cozumel| designation2_date = 2 February 2009RAMSAR CONVENTION>RAMSAR SITES INFORMATION SERVICEACCESS-DATE=25 APRIL 2018ARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 18, 2018, live, }}}}Cozumel ({{IPA-es|kosuˈmel}}; ) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán Channel. The municipality is part of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Etymology

The name Cozumel was derived from the Mayan "Cuzamil" (also spelled "Cutzmil")WEB, Wijesinhe, Thilini, 2023-05-11, Cozumel's San Gervasio ruins offer glimpses into ancient Maya life,weblink 2024-03-14, Mexico News Daily, en-US, or "Ah Cuzamil Peten" in full, which means "the island of swallows" ().WEB, Cozumel,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130612201823weblink">weblink June 12, 2013, April 13, 2013, Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México, Secretaría de Gobernación, es, BOOK, Holt, Patricia A., Cozumel: the complete guide, iUniverse, 2005, 978-0-595-36995-9, New York, ix,

Geography

The island is located in the Caribbean Sea along the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula about {{convert|82|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Cancún and {{convert|19|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the mainland. The island is about {{convert|48|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|16|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide, with a total area of {{convert|477.961|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}. It is Mexico's largest Caribbean island, largest permanently inhabited island, and Mexico's third-largest island, following Tiburón Island and Isla Ángel de la Guarda.(File:Southeast Coast.jpg|thumb|Cozumel southeast coast|center)The population of Cozumel is 88,626 (2020 census).WEB, Gobierno do Mexico, February 3, 2024, Cozumel: Municipality of Quintana Roo,weblink February 3, 2024, Data Mexico, The majority of the island's population lives in the town of San Miguel, which has a population of 84,915 (2020 census).WEB, Cozumel (Quintana Roo) Cozumel,weblink 2024-02-03, mexico.PueblosAmerica.com, es-MX, Cozumel is a municipality which also includes two small areas on the mainland, the ecotourism park of Xel-Ha and the Calica limestone quarry. All combined, Cozumel has a total land area of {{cvt|647.33|km2}}.WEB, Land area of islands in Mexico: INEGI,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130512053006weblink">weblink May 12, 2013, November 1, 2009, (File:View of the Interior.jpg|thumb|Landscape view of Cozumel|center)Cozumel has 5 main piers. Punta Langosta, the International Pier (SSA), and Puerta Maya are all piers for cruise ships. A ferry pier in San Miguel is used for passenger ferries to and from Playa del Carmen, as well as for cruise ship tenders. A fifth pier south of downtown is used only for vehicle ferries.WEB, Piers And Cruise Terminals,weblink 2024-02-29, This is Cozumel, en-gb, Large parts of the island are covered with mangrove forest which has many endemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestone, resulting in a karst topography. The highest natural point on the island is less than {{convert|15|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The cenotes are water-filled sinkholes formed by water percolating through the soft limestone soil for thousands of years. Eighteen deep cenotes and more than 250 shallow bodies exist on the island. Many are under dense vegetation.JOURNAL, Mejı´a-Ortı´z, Ya´n˜ez, Lo´pez-Mejı´a, Zarza-Gonza´lez, Cenotes (anchialine caves) on Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo, Me´xico,weblink Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 69, 2, 250–255, Jade Cavern Cozumel (Cenote Chempita) near El Cedral is often visited by tourists.WEB, 2023-04-15, Exploring Cozumel's hidden Cenotes,weblink 2024-03-01, stingrayvilla.com, en-US, (File:Jade Cavern Cenote.jpg|thumb|297x297px|Jade Cavern Cenote|center)

Fauna

Endemic species and subspecies of bird include

• the Cozumel emerald
• the Cozumel great curassow, which is vulnerable
• the Cozumel thrasher, which is nearly, if not already, extinct
• the Cozumel vireo
• the Cozumel wren

Endemic dwarf mammals are found on the island include

• the Cozumel fox, which is nearly, if not already, extinctWEB, Cozumel Fox,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121113170300weblink">weblink November 13, 2012, March 11, 2013,
• the Cozumel Island coati, which is endangered.WEB, Coatis, Pisotes, or Coatimundis,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121112052616weblink">weblink November 12, 2012, March 11, 2013,
• the Cozumel Island raccoon, which is critically endangeredK. McFadden, D. Vasco, A. Cuaron, D. Valenzuela and M. Gompper. 2009. Conservation and population assessment of the endangered dwarf carnivores from Cozumel Island. Biodiversity and Conservation 13:317–331WEB, Cozumel Pygmy Raccoon,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121113095228weblink">weblink November 13, 2012, March 11, 2013,

Three rodents of Cozumel are larger than their mainland counterparts: Oryzomys couesi, Peromyscus leucopus, and critically endangered Reithrodontomys spectabilis, the latter of which is also endemic to the island.Endemic marine life includes

• the splendid toadfish

Other native wildlife includes

• the American crocodile
• the black spiny-tailed iguana
• the blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi)

Invasive species include

• the boa constrictorJOURNAL,weblink 10.1023/A:1008815004072, 1999, Martínez-Morales, Miguel Angel, Cuarón, Alfredo D., Boa constrictor, an introduced predator threatening the endemic fauna on Cozumel Island, Mexico, Biodiversity and Conservation, 8, 7, 957–963, 19655051,

Flag

(File:Flag of Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico.svg|thumb|Flag of Cozumel Municipality)The Cozumel flag displays a swallow on a blue and white background. The blue background represents the sea, while the white represents the purity of the Mayans.WEB, González, Carlos, FAQs about Cozumel… You´ll be Surprised!,weblink 2024-03-14, cozumelday.com, en-US, 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.WEB, 2013-06-12, Quintana Roo - Cozumel,weblink 2024-03-14,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130612201823weblink">weblink June 12, 2013, The sword is Spanish and represents the conquest of the island by the Spaniards in 1521.

Coral reefs

(File:Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park.jpg|thumb|Coral reefs and marine life in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park)Cozumel is surrounded by a diverse ecosystem of coral reefs that is home to more than 1,000 marine species.WEB, Isla Cozumel Biosphere Reserve, Mexico,weblink April 9, 2020, UNESCO, November 15, 2018, The reefs are primarily found on underwater cliffs; some exist in coastal lagoons and on sand bars at the north tip of the island.WEB, Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, Reefs Cozumel National Park,weblink April 9, 2020, The Ramsar Convention Secretariat, These reefs are part of the much larger Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second largest reef in the world, stretching over 1,000 kilometers (620 mi).{{Citation|last1=Gress|first1=Erika|title=The Mesoamerican Reef|date=2019|work=Mesophotic coral Ecosystems|volume=12|pages=71–84|editor-last=Loya|editor-first=Yossi|publisher=Springer International Publishing|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_5|isbn=9783319927343|last2=Voss|first2=Joshua D.|last3=Eckert|first3=Ryan J.|last4=Rowlands|first4=Gwilym|last5=Andradi-Brown|first5=Dominic A.|series=Coral Reefs of the World |s2cid=181668611|editor2-last=Puglise|editor2-first=Kimberly A.|editor3-last=Bridge|editor3-first=Tom C.L.}} Cozumel's deeper coral reefs were historically famed for their black corals,JOURNAL, Padilla, Claudia, Lara, Mario, 2003, Banco Chinchorro: The Last Shelter for Black Coral in the Mexican Caribbean,weblink Bulletin of Marine Science, 73, 1, 197–202, May 28, 2019, yet black coral populations declined from the 1960s to the mid-1990s because of overharvesting and by 2016 had not recovered.JOURNAL, Andradi-Brown, Dominic A., Gress, Erika, 2018-07-04, Assessing population changes of historically overexploited black corals (Order: Antipatharia) in Cozumel, Mexico, PeerJ, 6, e5129, 10.7717/peerj.5129, 2167-8359, 6035717, 30013832, free, A large portion of the reef on the south side of the island is sectioned off into the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park. This park is protected under the Ramsar Convention along with Manglares y Humedales del Norte de Isla Cozumel; they both are included in the UNESCO protected area called Isla Cozumel Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.WEB,weblink Isla Cozumel Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, November 15, 2018, UNESCO, April 9, 2020, The reefs in Cozumel are made up of hard coral and soft coral. The marine life that inhabit the reefs include zoanthids, polychaetes, actinarians, hydroids, sponges, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, and many varieties of Caribbean fish. The park is also a habitat to several endangered marine species such as the loggerhead sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, queen triggerfish, and the endemic splendid toadfish.WEB,weblink Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, The Ramsar Convention Secretariat, April 9, 2020, 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.WEB,weblink Cozumel Island, Mexico, Encyclopædia Britannica, April 9, 2020, Scuba diving is one of Cozumel's primary attractions, mainly due to the coral reef on the western shore of Cozumel. These coral reefs are protected from the open ocean by the island's natural geography. In 1996, the government of Mexico also established the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, forbidding anyone from touching or removing any marine life within the park boundaries.WEB, Laskowski, Gloriana, July 1, 1999, Cozumel An Island Paradise - 'Vistas De Cozumel',weblink December 23, 2012, Mexconnect, Mexconnect.com, Despite the importance of healthy reefs to Cozumel's tourist trade, a deepwater pier was built in the 1990s for cruise ships to dock, causing damage to the reefs, and it is now a regular stop on cruises in the Caribbean. Over the past few decades, coral reef health has significantly declined in Cozumel, with much lower coral cover now present than was historically recorded.JOURNAL, Reyes-Bonilla, Héctor, Millet-Encalada, Marinés, Álvarez-Filip, Lorenzo, 2014, Community Structure of Scleractinian Corals outside Protected Areas in Cozumel Island, Mexico,weblink Atoll Research Bulletin, en, 601, 1–13, 10.5479/si.00775630.601, free, JOURNAL, Gress, Erika, Andradi-Brown, Dominic A., 2018-07-04, Assessing population changes of historically overexploited black corals (Order: Antipatharia) in Cozumel, Mexico, PeerJ, en, 6, e5129, 10.7717/peerj.5129, 2167-8359, 6035717, 30013832, free, In September 2019, the Marine Park of Cozumel began to close reefs periodically for rehabilitation. They currently close a different reef every two months and the reefs are responding positively.WEB, How Can You Help Cozumel Reefs?,weblink 2024-03-14, scubashackcoz.com/, en-US,

Climate

Cozumel has a tropical savanna climate under the Köppen climate classification that closely borders on a tropical monsoon climate.JOURNAL, Kottek, M., Grieser, J. R., Beck, C., Rudolf, B., Rubel, F., 2006, World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated,weblink Meteorol. Z., 15, 3, 259–263, 2006MetZe..15..259K, 10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130, August 28, 2015, The dry season is short, from February to April, but even in these months precipitation averages about {{convert|45|mm|in|1|sp=us}} of rain per month. The wet season is lengthy, covering most of the months, with September and October being the wettest, when precipitation averages over {{convert|240|mm|in|1|sp=us}}. Thunderstorms can occasionally occur during the wet season. Temperatures tend to remain stable with little variation from month to month, though the temperatures are cooler from December to February. The coolest month, January, averages {{convert|22.9|C|1}}. Owing to its proximity to the sea, the island is fairly humid, with an average humidity of 83%. The wettest recorded month was October 1980, with {{convert|792|mm|in|1|sp=us}} of precipitation and the wettest recorded day was June 19, 1975, with {{convert|281|mm|in|1|sp=us}}. Extremes range from {{convert|9.2|C|1}}—recorded January 18, 1977—to {{convert|39.2|C|1}}.{{Weather box|location = Cozumel (1951–1980)|single line = Y|metric first = Y|open = Y|Jan record high C = 36.4|Feb record high C = 36.0|Mar record high C = 34.7|Apr record high C = 39.0|May record high C = 36.6|Jun record high C = 36.4|Jul record high C = 39.2|Aug record high C = 36.8|Sep record high C = 36.6|Oct record high C = 36.1|Nov record high C = 35.2|Dec record high C = 32.6|Jan high C = 28.6|Feb high C = 29.1|Mar high C = 30.9|Apr high C = 32.0|May high C = 32.7|Jun high C = 32.4|Jul high C = 32.6|Aug high C = 33.0|Sep high C = 31.9|Oct high C = 30.7|Nov high C = 29.7|Dec high C = 28.6|year high C = 31.0|Jan mean C = 22.9|Feb mean C = 23.2|Mar mean C = 24.7|Apr mean C = 26.0|May mean C = 26.9|Jun mean C = 27.2|Jul mean C = 27.2|Aug mean C = 27.2|Sep mean C = 26.7|Oct mean C = 25.9|Nov mean C = 24.8|Dec mean C = 23.4|year mean C = 25.5|Jan low C = 19.4|Feb low C = 19.4|Mar low C = 20.7|Apr low C = 21.8|May low C = 22.9|Jun low C = 23.8|Jul low C = 23.5|Aug low C = 23.5|Sep low C = 23.6|Oct low C = 23.1|Nov low C = 21.7|Dec low C = 20.3|year low C = 22.0|Jan record low C = 9.2|Feb record low C = 9.7|Mar record low C = 11.4|Apr record low C = 14.6|May record low C = 15.2|Jun record low C = 18.8|Jul record low C = 17.0|Aug record low C = 20.8|Sep record low C = 20.8|Oct record low C = 17.0|Nov record low C = 11.2|Dec record low C = 12.7|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 81.4|Feb precipitation mm = 60.0|Mar precipitation mm = 32.2|Apr precipitation mm = 44.8|May precipitation mm = 110.6|Jun precipitation mm = 191.7|Jul precipitation mm = 115.5|Aug precipitation mm = 141.7|Sep precipitation mm = 240.2|Oct precipitation mm = 242.5|Nov precipitation mm = 122.5|Dec precipitation mm = 106.8|year precipitation mm = 1489.9|Jan humidity = 82|Feb humidity = 81|Mar humidity = 79|Apr humidity = 79|May humidity = 80|Jun humidity = 84|Jul humidity = 84|Aug humidity = 84|Sep humidity = 87|Oct humidity = 85|Nov humidity = 83|Dec humidity = 83|year humidity = 83|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm|Jan precipitation days = 8.66|Feb precipitation days = 6.46|Mar precipitation days = 4.03|Apr precipitation days = 3.73|May precipitation days = 7.20|Jun precipitation days = 12.63|Jul precipitation days = 11.83|Aug precipitation days = 13.37|Sep precipitation days = 15.43|Oct precipitation days = 15.70|Nov precipitation days = 11.06|Dec precipitation days = 9.76|year precipitation days = 119.86|Jan sun = 198.0|Feb sun = 192.3|Mar sun = 232.0|Apr sun = 257.0|May sun = 231.9|Jun sun = 206.5|Jul sun = 220.1|Aug sun = 221.7|Sep sun = 181.5|Oct sun = 193.7|Nov sun = 183.9|Dec sun = 192.2|year sun = 2510.8|source 1 = Colegio de PostgraduadosWEB,weblink Normales climatológicas para Cozumel, Q. ROO, Colegio de Postgraduados, es, January 5, 2013, dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20130221085938weblink">weblink February 21, 2013, mdy-all, |date=July 2013}}

History

File: Los Murcielagos, San Gervasio.JPG|thumb|Maya ruins of San Gervasio ]]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. The island was sacred to Ixchel, the Maya Moon Goddess of fertility.BOOK, Paxton, Merideth, The Cosmos of the Yucatec Maya: Cycles and Steps from the Madrid Codex, University of New Mexico Press, 2001, 978-0826322920, 153, In the Mayan culture, all women were required to travel to the island at least once to worship Ixchel. She was the wife of Itzamna, the supreme Mayan lord of the skies of the night and of the day. The women asked Ixchel for fertility and for a joyful motherhood. Archeologists continue to unearth small dolls once sacrificed in the fertility rituals.WEB, History of Cozumel,weblink 2024-03-04, The Cozumel Sun News, en-US, A number of ruins can be found on the island, most from the Post-Classic period. The largest Maya ruins on the island were near the downtown area and have now been destroyed.Hajovsky, Ric, 2011, Bases, Bulldozers and Bullshit, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921112033weblink |date=September 21, 2012 }} Today, the largest remaining ruins are at San Gervasio, located approximately at the center of the island.File:Benito Juarez Garcia.jpg|left|thumb|233x233px|Benito Juarez Monument in Cozumel]]The first Spanish expedition to visit Cozumel was led by Juan de Grijalva in 1518.Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, {{ISBN|0140441239}} In the following year, Hernán Cortés stopped by the island on his way to Veracruz. The Grijalva and Cortés expeditions were both received peacefully by the Maya of Cozumel (unlike their experiences on other parts of the mainland). Even after Cortés destroyed some of the Maya idols on Cozumel and replaced them with an image of the Virgin Mary, the native inhabitants of the island continued to help the Spanish re-supply their ships with food and water so they could continue their voyages. Gerónimo de Aguilar, a captive of the Mayans, was rescued at this time.As many as 10,000 Maya lived on the island in the early 1500s, but in 1520, infected crew members of the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition brought the smallpox contagion to the island, and by 1570, only 186 men and 172 women were left alive on Cozumel. 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.WEB, 2023-01-09, About Cozumel {{!, Cozumel Airport (CZM) |url=https://airport-cozumel.com/about/ |access-date=2024-03-04 |language=en-US}} (File:SAN MIGUEL COZUMEL CHURST.JPG|right|thumbnail|San Miguel Church)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.Hajovsky, Ric The Yellow Guide to the Mayan Ruins of San Gervasio, Cozumel, Amazon Books, 2012, pp. 8–10In 1861, American President Abraham Lincoln ordered his Secretary of State, William Henry Seward, to meet with the Mexican chargé d'affaires Matias Romero to explore the possibility of purchasing the island of Cozumel for the purpose of relocating freed American slaves offshore. The idea was summarily dismissed by Mexican President Benito Juarez, and Juarez is still revered by the people of Cozumel because of this action. In 1862, Lincoln did manage to establish a short-lived colony of ex-slaves on ÃŽle à Vache off the coast of Haiti.BOOK, Hajovsky, Ric, The True History of Cozumel, 2015, Pan American Publishing, Dallas, 9780982861080, 147–165, File:Cruise Port San Miguel.jpg|thumb|left|Cruise port in San Miguel de Cozumel; the ship pictured is the Celebrity EquinoxCelebrity EquinoxWork on the original Cozumel airport began when the US needed a stopover to aid World War II planes. While it was able to handle jet aircraft and international flights, it was never a US military base. By 1944, it was only used for emergencies and by the Mexican military. Eventually, Transportes Aeros Mexicanos began using the airport for domestic flights.WEB, Hajovsky, Ric, 2022-07-24, Bases, Bulldozers, and Bullshit,weblink 2024-03-04, EverythingCozumel, en-US, Cozumel International Airport was built in the late 1970sWEB, History of Cozumel Airport (CZM): Airport History and Facts, Cozumel Area, Mexico,weblink 2024-03-04, www.cozumel-czm.airports-guides.com, and expanded in 1999.On 18 December 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.File: Wilma in cozumel island-109920 m.jpg|thumb|right|Cozumel seen through the eye of Hurricane WilmaHurricane WilmaThe island was struck directly by two Category 4 hurricanes during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. In July, Hurricane Emily passed just south of Cozumel, exposing the island to the storm's intense inner core. It was the larger, stronger, slower-moving Hurricane Wilma that caused the most destruction when it hit the island in October.NEWS,weblink Hurricane Wilma: The areas affected, BBC News, October 25, 2005, July 24, 2005, A category 5 hurricane with winds over 150 miles per hour, Wilma's eye passed directly over Cozumel.WEB, 2015-10-21, Cozumel 10 Years On: Greater Than Ever,weblink 2024-03-04, This is Cozumel, en-gb, The storm caused some damage to the underwater marine habitat. This included the coral reefs, which suffered particularly at the shallower dive sites, and the fish that inhabit the reefs.WEB, Species Richness and Community Structure of the Yucatan Marine Reserve Before and After 2005 Hurricane Season,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121030130808weblink">weblink October 30, 2012, December 23, 2012, Cmbc.ucsd.edu, WEB, Calvin, March 6, 2007, Cozumel Reef Conditions Update – 2007,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130528072142weblink">weblink May 28, 2013, December 23, 2012, Calvintang.com, Trees, power lines, and cell phone towers were blown down, cars over-turned, piers washed away, windows smashed, roads collapsed, and new rivers appeared.

Economy

(File:Palancar Beach aerial Cozumel Mexico (21398553341).jpg|thumb|Aerial of Palancar Beach on Cozumel)File:Multiple ships in Cozumel Mexico.jpg|thumb|Multiple cruise ships docked in Cozumel. From left to right: Carnival Breeze, unnamed Holland America ship, and Carnival FreedomCarnival FreedomThe economy of Cozumel is based on tourism, including daily visits from cruise ship passengers, as well as tourists scuba diving, snorkeling, and charter fishing. Some controversy exists over the detrimental effects tourism has on the ecosystem of Cozumel.JOURNAL, Palafox-Muñoz, Alejandro, Rubí-González, Felipe, 2021-03-04, The Challenges of Cruise Tourism in Cozumel, Mexico,weblink Études caribéennes, en, 47, 10.4000/etudescaribeennes.20118, 1779-0980, free, In addition to restaurants, hotels, and dive shops, vendors near the ports sell a variety of souvenirs and jewelry. All of these contribute greatly to the economy of Cozumel.WEB, Gobierno de Mexico, Cozumel: Municipality,weblink February 29, 2024, Data Mexico: Cozumel, Other water activities include para-sailing, kitesurfing, and a tourist submarine. There are also two dolphinariums. The only working pearl farm in the CaribbeanWEB,weblink 🌄 Cozumel Pearl Farm: Can You Tour a Working Pearl Farm? Yes!, July 8, 2019, is located on the north edge of the island.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. The main plaza is surrounded by shops; in the middle of the plaza is a fixed stage where Cozumeleños (people of Cozumel) and tourists celebrate every Sunday evening with music and dancing.All food and manufactured supplies are shipped to the island. Water is provided by three different desalination facilities located on the island.

Education

There are three universities on the island: the State Public University of Quintana Roo (UQROO)WEB, webmaster, Unidad Académica Cozumel Universidad de Quintana Roo – Universidad de Quintana Roo, Cozumel Academic Unit University of Quintana Roo - University of Quintana Roo,weblink 2016-03-08, www.uqroo.mx, and two private universities, the Partenon InstituteWEB, Inicio, Start,weblink 2016-03-08, Instituto Partenón de Cozumel, es-ES, and the Interamerican University for Development (UNID).WEB,weblink Cozumel, www.unid.edu.mx, 2016-03-08,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160318134418weblink">weblink March 18, 2016, dead, In addition to teaching English as a degree program, they offer other career options including natural resources research, tourism and commercial systems. The Cozumel Arts University offers artist education at the bachelor's level.WEB, Universidad Artes Cozumel {{!, San Miguel de Cozumel |url=https://universidad-artes-cozumel.ueniweb.com/ |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Universidad Artes Cozumel}}

Culture

Santa Cruz Festival and El Cedral Fair

The Festival of Santa Cruz and El Cedral Fair is a historical tradition held in the town of El Cedral, in the south of Cozumel Island at the end of April. This annual event is said to have been started over 150 years ago by Casimiro Cárdenas. 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. The attackers killed other villagers, but Cárdenas survived whilst clutching a small wooden cross.File:Church Facade and Bunting - El Cedral - Cozumel - Mexico.jpg|El CedralLegend has it that Cárdenas vowed to start an annual festival wherever he settled, to honor the religious power of this crucifix. Today, the original Holy Cross (Santa Cruz) Festival forms part of the wider Festival of El Cedral, which includes fairs, traditional feasts, rodeos, bullfights, music and competitions. The celebrations last about five days in all and are held every year at the end of April or beginning of May.WEB, Cozumel Próximos Eventos – Fiestas de la Santa Cruz, Cozumel Upcoming Events - Parties of the Santa Cruz,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160308181128weblink">weblink March 8, 2016, 2016-03-08, cozumel.travel, WEB, AMABPAC, 2021-09-29, Miradas en el tiempo de ProHispen – AMABPAC,weblink 2024-03-04, es-MX,

Cozumel Carnival

(File:Carnival_2024.jpg|thumb|330x330px|The parade during Cozumel Carnival 2024)The Cozumel Carnival or Carnaval de Cozumel is one of the most important carnival festivities in México. It has been celebrated as a tradition beginning from the late nineteenth century and fills Cozumel's streets with parades. It begins the week before Mardi-Gras in February. Cozumel's Carnival is a tradition which has been passed down through many generations that celebrates a mixture of cultures that escaped to the warm embrace of Cozumel. Dating back to the mid-1800s, Cozumel Carnaval was started by young people dressed in vibrantly colorful costumes known as "Estudiantinas" or "Comparsas", who expressed themselves in the streets of Cozumel through the artforms of dance, song, and fantasy.WEB, Carnival Cozumel 2016,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160503170438weblink">weblink May 3, 2016, 2016-03-08, www.carnavalcozumel.com.mx,

Government

(File: Palacio Municipal, Cozumel - 20140724.jpg|thumb|right|Headquarters of the municipal government of Cozumel, in San Miguel de Cozumel)Cozumel Municipality is one of eleven municipalities of Quintana Roo. The municipal seat is located in San Miguel de Cozumel, the largest city in the municipality.WEB, Ayuntamiento de Cozumel - Sitio Oficial,weblink 2024-03-04, Ayuntamiento de Cozumel, es,

In popular culture

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• Cozumel is one of the locations featured in the 2006 video game (Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent).
• Cozumel and its Mayan ruins are featured in the program I Shouldn't Be Alive Season 6, Episode 5: "Lost In The Jungle".
• Cozumel is one of the locations featured in the 2018 video game Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
• Cozumel is featured as one of the primary settings and filming locations of the 1984 film, Against All Odds.

See also

• Cozumel Port

References

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- time: 7:06pm EDT - Sat, May 04 2024