city, port on the Gulf of Mexico (Mexico, Gulf of), and capital of Campeche estado (state), southeastern Mexico. It lies on the Yucatán Peninsula at the western end of a fertile plain in a natural amphitheatre formed by hills overlooking the Bay of Campeche (Campeche, Bay of). The Spanish town was founded in 1540 on the site of a Mayan village (Kimpech), the remains of which are still visible. Pirates frequently raided Campeche and razed it in 1663, slaughtering its residents, but trade flourished again after the Spanish rebuilt it as a walled city. In the 18th century, Campeche was one of three ports on the gulf and thrived on its monopoly of Yucatán Peninsula trade, mainly exports of dyewood and salt. At various times in the early 19th century, it was the capital of Yucatán; it was made capital of the newly created Campeche state in 1863. The historic city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.

estado (state), southeastern Mexico, on the western part of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is bounded to the north and east by the state of Yucatán, to the east by the state of Quintana Roo, (Quintana Roo) to the south by Guatemala, to the southwest by the state of Tabasco, and to the west by the Bay of Campeche (Campeche, Bay of), an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico (Mexico, Gulf of). Campeche city is the state capital and a major port.