Chetumal

Chetumal (UK: , US: , Spanish: [tʃetuˈmal] ; Yucatec Maya: Chactemàal [tɕʰaktʰe̞mɐː˨˩l], lit. '"Place of the Red Wood"') is the capital city of the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco. In 2020 it had a population of 169,028 people, making it the third most-populous city in Quintana Roo, after Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. The city is located on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, situated on the western side of Chetumal Bay, near the mouth of the Río Hondo. Chetumal is an important port for the region and operates as Mexico's main trading gateway with the neighboring country of Belize. Goods are transported via a road connecting Chetumal with Belize City to the south, and also via coastal merchant ships. There is a commercial airport, Chetumal International Airport, with airline service. Because of its location on the Caribbean coastline, it is vulnerable to tropical cyclones; Hurricane Janet and Hurricane Dean, both Category 5 storms, made landfall near Chetumal in 1955 and 2007 respectively.