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88-644: The festival was an Ibero-American spin-off of the Eurovision Song Contest . The first edition was held at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos auditorium in Madrid on 25 November 1972 and the last one was held on 20 May 2000 in Acapulco. Since then, it has been cancelled due to the questioning of the voting system of the latter contests, the lack of sponsors, the low quality of the entrants and

176-406: A sidequel , a portmanteau of "side" (as in side-by-side) and " sequel ", when it occurs in the same timeframe as the original, sometimes contacting with the main narrative at points. In Japanese , the word gaiden ( 外伝 , pronounced [ɡaideɴ] , lit. "outside legends") also refers to such contemporaneous spin-offs and is frequently translated as "side story". Sometimes even when

264-519: A tropical savanna climate ( Koppen : Aw ). The wet season typically lasts from June to October, when a vast majority of the yearly precipitation falls. Large tropical thunderstorms occur nearly daily in the late afternoon, originating in the moist atmosphere above the Gulf of Mexico. The wet season has slightly hotter temperatures and is more humid than other seasons; the dewpoint can easily exceed 25 °C (77.0 °F). It has fewer foggy days than

352-481: A considerable breach had been made in the wall surrounding the city. Upon this General Morales, who was Governor of both the city and of San Juan de Ulúa, commenced a correspondence with General Winfield Scott looking to the surrender of the town, forts and garrison. On the 29th Vera Cruz and San Juan de Ulúa were occupied by Scott's army. About five thousand prisoners and four hundred pieces of artillery, in addition to large amounts of small arms and ammunition, fell into

440-566: A fire nearly reduced much of the city to ashes. In 1640, the Barlovento Armada was stationed here for additional defense against pirates. The pirates, led by Spain's rival nations, Nicholas van Hoorn , Laurens de Graaf and Michel de Grammont attacked Vera Cruz in 1683 . During the 18th century Veracruz's defence was improved with the construction of a wall around it (1790), bastions Baluarte de Santiago and gates, and San Juan de Ulua's renovation to today's appearance. The reason

528-478: A natural break. In the pre-Hispanic era, this island was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca. The site where the Spanish first landed has been developed over the centuries and today serves as the container ship terminal of the port. Most of the island is occupied by the fort. This fort was built where the Spanish first landed to conquer Mexico City. They used it for their last defense during and just after

616-534: A possible relaunch of the festival that were later denied. In 2017 it was announced the start of an organisation called "Organización de Talento Independiente" (Independent Talent Organisation) which in Spanish casually coincides with the acronym "OTI". The main goal of the organisation was to try to recreate the festival between Mexican singers and artists from the Latin community of the United States. Although

704-515: A reputation for being lively, with many people out in the squares listening to music late into the night. In the morning, they frequent sidewalk cafes for their morning coffee. Veracruz has become a popular location for filming. The government has supported the development of filmmaking in the municipality. The song " La Bamba ", made famous by Ritchie Valens , has its roots in the Veracruz "son" style of music, which originated in southern part of

792-498: A series of dungeons with walls 24-feet thick in some places. Those cells which were darker and hotter were reserved for those charged with more serious crimes. A few of the most dreaded dungeons were nicknamed "Heaven", "Purgatory" and "Hell". Some of prison's more famous prisoners include Fray Servando Teresa de Mier and Benito Juárez, both political prisoners. But the most famous is Jesús Arriaga, better known as " Chucho el Roto ". Most people visit San Juan de Ulúa out of attraction to

880-641: A show is not a spin-off of another, there will nevertheless be crossovers in which a character from one show makes an appearance on another. Sometimes crossovers are created in an attempt to provide closure to fans of another failed series. Sometimes show producers will re-introduce a character from an older series into a later one as a way of providing a connectivity of that particular producer's television "world". Veracruz City Veracruz ( Latin American Spanish pronunciation: [beɾaˈkɾus] ), also known as Heroica Veracruz ,

968-437: A supporting or cameo role, at the least as a historical mention, in the new subseries. Spin-offs sometimes generate their own spin-offs, leaving the new show in its own series only vaguely connected to the original series - for example, the police procedural franchises of NCIS / JAG and CSI have both spun multiple shows, including multiple spin-offs from series and spin-offs from spin-offs. A spin-off may be called

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1056-779: A tourist destination, emphasizing new attractions such as the Veracruz Aquarium and the City Museum, and the renovation of historic ones, such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa and the Naval Academy. The cultural center of the city is its main plaza, officially named Plaza de las Armas but commonly called the Zócalo. This tree-shaded square, in which a number of foreign invading armies have camped, is occupied from morning to night with people playing dominos, selling food, cigars, etc. playing music, dancing and other activities. It

1144-544: A variety of seafood and caldo de mariscos , a seafood soup reputed to cure hangovers . Coffeehouses are a center of social life in the city, and the Gran Café del Portal and the Café de la Parroquia are the two best-known establishments. To request a refill, customers clink the sides of their glasses (not cups) with their spoons. This clinking can be heard from the early morning to late at night. The story behind this custom

1232-554: Is May to August. The mainland has several beaches. Playa Martí is located between the city of Veracruz and Boca del Río. The Playa de Hornos is located next to the Veracruz Aquarium. There are also boats that take tourist to the Isla Canuncito. Villa del Mar is just south of Playa de Hornos. Like the majority of the coastal part of the state of Veracruz and southern parts of Tamaulipas , the city of Veracruz has

1320-540: Is a major port city and municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico and the most populous city in the Mexican state of Veracruz . The city is located along the coast in the central part of the state, 90 km (56 mi) southeast of the state capital Xalapa . It is the state's most populous city, with a population that is greater than the municipality's population, as part of

1408-536: Is also located on the Zócalo. This cathedral was begun in the 17th century and finished in 1731. It was modified in the 19th century but was not designated as a cathedral until 1963. The building has five naves , with an octagonal cupola covered in Puebla tiles . The tower was begun in the early 20th century and has its own small cupola. The main façade is Neoclassic with two levels and a crest. The lower level contains an arched entrance flanked by two Doric columns and

1496-448: Is any narrative work derived from an already existing work that focuses on different aspects from the original work. One of the earliest spin-offs of the modern media era, if not the first, happened in 1941 when the supporting character Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve from the old time radio comedy show Fibber McGee and Molly became the star of his own program The Great Gildersleeve (1941–1957). A spin-off (also spelt spinoff )

1584-653: Is best seen in the food and music of the area, which has strong Spanish, Caribbean and African influences. The name Veracruz (originally Vera Cruz ), derives from the Latin Vera Crux ( True Cross ). Having established the settlement of Villa Rica (Rich Village) on Good Friday , 22 April 1519, Cortés dedicated the place to the True Cross as an offering . The Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva , along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo , first arrived in 1518 at

1672-475: Is derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work (e.g. particular topics, characters or events), and includes books, radio programs , television programs , films, video games , or any narrative work in any medium. In genre fiction , the term parallels its usage in television; it is usually meant to indicate a substantial change in narrative viewpoint and activity from that (previous) storyline based on

1760-701: Is left of these city walls is the Baluarte , a small fortress. The 1635 structure has thick, sturdy walls with cannons directed to cover sea approaches. Inside is a small museum featuring a collection of high-quality pre-Hispanic jewelry discovered in the 1970s by a fisherman. The Veracruz Aquarium was built in 1992 and is the largest and most important in Latin America. The Freshwater Gallery consists of thirteen exhibitions containing 562,177 liters of water. These exhibitions contain aquatic species from Asia, Africa, South America as well as Mexico. The Reef Tank

1848-415: Is more crowded in the evening, when nearly every night the danzón is danced. This dance was brought over to Mexico from Cuba by refugees in the 1870s. It was originally restricted to the lower classes but eventually gained accepted by all levels of society. The danzón is sponsored by several dance schools dedicated to keeping the tradition alive. Around the plaza are numerous shops and restaurants, as well as

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1936-481: Is that a trolley driver used to ring his bell when he was a block away from the Gran Café del Portal to let the waiters know he was coming. When the driver died, his casket was borne on the trolley and when it passed the establishment, the customers and waiters tapped their glasses in his honor. Veracruz is not as popular a tourist destination as many other resort areas. But the city has been promoting an identity as

2024-422: Is the largest celebration in the country. Sugar and rum production have been mainstays as commodities; during colonial times they were produced by slave labor and later, immigrants often entered labor and industrial jobs. Together these ethnic groups have created rich cultures. The Naval Academy attracts both Mexican and international sailors and officers, adding to the cosmopolitan mix of the city. The city has

2112-685: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced its expansion of the Eurovision Song Contest brand to Latin America. The planned contest will be produced by the same producers of other Eurovision spin-offs, including the American Song Contest and the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest Canada . They have begun searching for a viable host city. Spin-off (media) A spinoff or spin-off

2200-682: The Eurovision Song Contest 1997 . Betty Missiego who represented Peru in the OTI Festival 1972, represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 . Other well known Spanish OTI contestants were Marisol , Dyango , Vicky Larraz , and Camilo Sesto . Many of the names that took part in the OTI Festival for Portugal also represented the country in Eurovision, such as Anabela , Paulo de Carvalho , José Cid , Dora , Dulce Pontes , Adelaide Ferreira , Simone de Oliveira , and Tonicha . One Eurovision winner has previously participated in

2288-548: The Gulf of Mexico to the northeast, and has an average altitude of ten meters above sea level. The area is flat with little in the way of elevations and is crossed by the Medio, Grande and Tonayán Rivers. There are also beaches here such as the Sacrificios and Verde. Its climate is tropical with an average temperature of 25.3 °C (77.5 °F). Vegetation is mostly of the rainforest type, with many trees losing leaves during

2376-587: The Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), the US attacked and occupied the port in an effort to try to preserve trade in the dispute with President Victoriano Huerta . The city gained its fourth title of "Heroic City". After the Revolution, most port workers became unionized. Through most of the 20th century, federal and state legal and political initiatives intended to better workers' lives had effects on

2464-572: The Veracruz Reef System , which is protected as a national park. Visitors can kayak to the Isla de Sacrificios to observe seagulls, pelicans and the fish that inhabit the coral reef. In 1983, a study and initial cleanup project was undertaken at the island, which collected fifty tons of trash. Shortly thereafter, the island was closed to the public and since then, there has been a struggle among authorities, tour operators and fisherman as to

2552-744: The cathedral (1731), the Military Hospital of San Carlos (1731) or modern water supply and sewerage systems. In 1804 the Balmis Expedition arrived at Veracruz with the smallpox vaccine, which was from here transported to the whole of New Spain. The 19th century was marked by armed conflicts. During the Mexican War of Independence , Spain placed troops here to maintain Mexico City's sea link with Spain. In 1816, Antonio López de Santa Anna commanded royalist troops countering

2640-451: The 16th century, the Spanish had constructed roads to link Veracruz with other cities such as Córdoba , Orizaba , Puebla , Xalapa and Perote . Their gold and silver were the principal exports. This caused the city problems with pirates, prompting the construction of Fort San Juan de Ulúa on the island where Grijalva had landed in the mid-16th century. In 1600, when large-scale smuggling of goods took place to avoid customs officials,

2728-493: The 1920s, passenger traffic was such that the station had its own hotel. The Juárez Hemicycle Monument stands in front of the Civil Registry Building, which contains the first birth certificate issued in the country. The malecón (boardwalk) stretches for kilometers along the Gulf of Mexico, leading from the city center into the suburbs. This area is popular at night, when people stroll and exercise, enjoying

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2816-601: The Mexican War of Independence. Between these periods, the fort helped defend the city against piracy and later was used for prisoners and interrogations of the Mexican Inquisition . The fort was begun here in 1582 to protect the city from pirates and was enlarged in 1635 during the period of frequent pirate raids. It was finished in 1707. After the War of Independence ended in 1821, the Spanish kept control of

2904-580: The Netherlands Antilles–. The entrant songs were performed primarily in Spanish or Portuguese and were accompanied on stage by a full orchestra. Both state financed and private broadcasters were able to join OTI as full members and in some cases different broadcasters collaborated during the airing of the event –as did the Venezuelan broadcasters Venevisión and RCTV –. The OTI Song Contest

2992-737: The OTI Festival needed to be active members of the Ibero-American Television Organisation. These active members were from countries which belonged to the Organization of Ibero-American States . The participating countries were Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries, have large communities of Spanish or Portuguese speakers within their territory –such as the United States–, or have lingual or cultural ties with Latin American countries –as happened with

3080-511: The OTI Festival. In March 2011, it was announced by some online newspapers that Televisa was preparing for the relaunch of the event in two stages, the first one, was to revive the "National OTI Contest", the Mexican national final, while the second one would be to revive the international and main OTI Festival. The aim of this attempt to bring to life the festival was to give the opportunity to young performers to show their talent. The festival at

3168-491: The OTI Festival: Dave Benton , who sang for Netherlands Antilles in 1981, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 for Estonia , performing the song " Everybody " with Tanel Padar and 2XL . As the mark of the OTI Festival in Latin America is still big, some organisations of diverse nature have tried to revive the festival. Some Mexican artists also made public their support to a return to the screens of

3256-539: The Spanish Crown ordered the settlement returned to its original site to cut down on that traffic. Docks and an observation tower were constructed on the island to ensure that goods went through customs officials. Major public buildings were constructed at the beginning of the 17th century: the municipal palace, the monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Merced , and the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de Loreto . In 1618,

3344-592: The Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés arrived in what is now Mexican territory on 22 April 1519, he founded a city, which he named Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz , referring to the area's gold and dedicated to the " True Cross ", because he landed on the Christian holy day of Good Friday , the day of the Crucifixion . It was the first Spanish settlement on the mainland of the Americas to receive a coat-of-arms. During

3432-406: The activities of the series' principal protagonist, and so is a shift to that action and overall narrative thread of some other protagonist, which now becomes the central or main thread (storyline) of the new subseries. The new protagonist generally appears first as a minor or supporting character in the main storyline within a given milieu and it is very common for the previous protagonist to have

3520-522: The attack earned its first title of "Heroic City". During the Pastry War in 1837, the city mounted a defense against a French attack, and earned its second title of "Heroic City." In 1847 during the Mexican–American War , United States forces invaded the city. It was defended by generals Juan Morales and José Juan de Landero. The siege continued with brisk firing until 27 March, by which time

3608-468: The city for seven months . For much of the 20th century, the production of petroleum was most important for the state's economy but, in the latter 20th century and into the 21st, the port has re-emerged as the main economic engine. It has become the principal port for most of Mexico's imports and exports, especially for the automotive industry. Veracruz has a blend of cultures, mostly indigenous , Spanish and Afro-Caribbean . The influence of these three

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3696-480: The city of Veracruz extends into the neighboring municipality of Boca del Río . At the 2020 census, Veracruz Municipality had a population of 607,209 inhabitants. The city of Veracruz had a population of 537,952 inhabitants, 405,952 in Veracruz municipality and 132,011 in Boca del Río municipality. Developed during Spanish colonization, Veracruz is Mexico's oldest, largest, and historically most significant port. When

3784-474: The city such as the main theater. While the events were officially held at these locations, many residents took advantage of the celebration on the streets near these sites. Eventually, the event became based in the historic center of the city and focused on the Carnaval Parade of Veracruz. Today, the event begins with the "Burning of Bad Humor" and ends with the "Burial of Juan Carnaval". Carnaval here

3872-425: The city there are a number of industrial sites producing paints and solvents, food products, plastics, petrochemicals and metals. Veracruz has many beaches and off coast islands. Controversy has accompanied the clean-up of the island called Isla de Sacrificios , which lies just off the coast of the city and measures 450 meters long and 198 meters wide. The island is part of a system of twenty-three coral reefs called

3960-435: The city when the emperor and his wife Carlota of Belgium arrived in 1864. The conflicts and damaged trade relations with Europe took its toll on the port of Veracruz. By 1902, the port facilities had deteriorated, and it was considered one of the most dangerous on the American coast. President Porfirio Díaz contracted with foreign enterprises to modernize the port's infrastructure. Between April and November 1914, during

4048-437: The colonial period, African slaves were imported to work in the fields and shipyards. Following Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, immigrants from Italy and Cuba settled in the city. The Veracruz Carnaval has been celebrated every year since 1866, during the empire of Maximilian I . At that time, a request was made to sponsor a "Festival of Masks", which would consist of dances at the principal social gathering sites of

4136-433: The colonial period, this city had the largest mercantile class and was at times wealthier than the capital, Mexico City. Its wealth attracted the raids of 17th-century pirates, against which fortifications such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa were built. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Veracruz was invaded on different occasions by France and the United States; in the aftermath of the 1914 Tampico Affair , US troops occupied

4224-580: The contest four times. Brazil was the fourth most successful country with three victories. The location of the festival was decided following various criteria. Initially, the winning country would organize and celebrate the contest the following year, but after the victory of Nicaragua in 1977, the country could not host the contest due to the Nicaraguan Revolution . In those years, many participating countries suffered from political and economical instability. For that reason, from that year on,

4312-400: The dry season (averaging around 4-7 foggy days). The dry season of the year spans from November to May, with slightly cooler temperatures and less humid days; making it the much more desirable part of the year for visiting tourists as opposed to the stormy, humid wet season. Despite the dryness, winters are foggy and cloudy, averaging 10-17 overcast days and 11-17 foggy days per month during

4400-455: The dry season. Many tourists visit Veracruz during Christmas and March break, in the midst of the winter's comfortably warm dry season. Veracruz receives an average of 1,564 mm (61.6 in) of precipitation annually. The wettest month of the year is July with an average monthly total of 385 mm (15.2 in) of rainfall, while the driest month of the year is March with an only 13 mm (0.51 in) of rainfall. Temperature-wise,

4488-524: The end never took place, but it was neither cancelled. In June 2016, it was announced the relaunch of OTI as a media organisation. The broadcasting union was renamed as "Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamerica" (Iberoamerican Telecommunications Organisation) the organisation evolved from being a television contents exchange platform to include members of a broader nature such as newspapers and telephone-internet companies apart from TV and radio channels. This relaunch instantaneously sparked rumors about

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4576-539: The event. The festival expanded even further away from the traditional Ibero-American sphere, to the point that even the United States and the Netherlands Antilles took part in the event. In 1992 the festival reached its record of twenty-five participating countries. Mexico and Spain were the most successful countries in the history of the competition with six victories each while Argentina won

4664-651: The fate and uses of the island. However, access to the island has been restricted to research, teaching and the occasional sporting event. Other small islands and shoals off the coast include: Isla de Enmedio , Isla Verde , Anegada de Adentro , Santiaguillo and Anegada de Afuera , the last two next to Antón Lizardo beach. All of them are included within the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano national park and make fine sites for SCUBA diving. Several operators in Veracruz and in Boca del Rio offer scuba equipment and tours. The best season for scuba diving

4752-545: The federal government to take control over important ports such as Veracruz. The federal government modernized the port, adopting automation of loading and unloading. This resulted in a reduction of 80% of the port's jobs and labor resistance through strikes. The dockworkers' unions unified, negotiating for members to have a stake in a new company to manage the port's functions, named the Empresa de Servicios Portuarios de Veracruz, S.A. de C.V . The old Compañia Terminal de Veracruz

4840-496: The festival is still widely remembered in many countries, especially in Mexico, where the festival was always well received by the audience, even when the popularity of the festival was declining. The contest was enormously popular there thanks to the "National OTI contest", which was the national final to select the Mexican entrant for the international OTI Festival. Many famous singers such as Juan Gabriel , Luis Miguel , Lucero , or

4928-510: The festival was not a competition between broadcasters of different participating countries, the competition was held in the Mexican city of Puerto Peñasco , Sonora . In February 2022, RTVE announced Hispavision , a song festival where Spanish-speaking Latin American countries will take part alongside Brazil and Portugal as invited nations. The project was scheduled to start in 2023 and would be held in Cartagena, Colombia . In 12 July 2022,

5016-403: The girl band Pandora , tried to represent their country in the OTI Festival, but they didn't win the national contest. Many popular names from Spain took part in the OTI Festival including the band Trigo Limpio , that represented the country in 1977 before representing Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 . Marcos Llunas won the OTI Festival 1995, two years before representing Spain in

5104-526: The hands of the victorious invaders. The casualties on the US side during the siege amounted to sixty-four officers and men, killed and wounded. Ten years later, civil war between liberals and conservatives forced Benito Juárez 's government to flee Mexico City. Juárez went to Veracruz and governed from there in 1857. In 1861 Spain sent its troops to occupy the port in an effort to secure payment of debts, which Juárez had suspended. French military forces accompanied them to prepare for Maximiliano I and occupied

5192-411: The host city was decided by a bid process organized by OTI. Spain and Mexico were the countries that hosted the contest the most, with six editions each one. In total, thirteen countries hosted the festival, out of the twenty-five that ever participated. There was no OTI Song Contest in 1999 due to floods in the host city . The competition was cancelled in 2001 and beyond. The voting system to decide

5280-435: The hottest months of the year are June and August, both sharing mean temperatures of 28 °C (82.4 °F), while the coolest month of the year is January with a mean temperature of 21.2 °C (70.2 °F). Because of its importance as Mexico's principal Caribbean and Atlantic sea port, Veracruz has always been a locus for the mixture of different cultures, particularly Spanish , Native Mexican , and African . During

5368-509: The insurgency. In 1820, insurgents took the city, despite Santa Anna's attempts to stop them. The last viceroy of New Spain, Juan O'Donojú , arrived here in 1821, where he signed the Treaty of Córdoba with Agustín de Iturbide at Fort San Juan de Ulúa. In 1823, Spanish troops remaining at Fort San Juan de Ulúa fired on the newly independent Mexican city of Veracruz. In 1825 the last Spanish troops left San Juan de Ulúa. The city's defense against

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5456-609: The island and fort, and occasionally bombarded Mexican forces on land. They finally transferred this area to Mexico in 1825. The fort was used in 1838 during the Pastry War with the French. In 1847, it was used for an unsuccessful defense of the port when United States forces invaded during the Mexican–American War. In the 19th century, the fort was converted into a military prison. The fort's narrow stone passageways lead to

5544-507: The island later known as San Juan de Ulúa . The Spanish gave it that name because they landed on the Christian feast of John the Baptist (24 June), and in honor of the captain. De Ulúa is derived from the local name for the Aztecs, coluha or acolhua. The word for Aztec evolved into Ulúa. While Veracruz itself was founded by Hernán Cortés who arrived in 1519, the area at the time

5632-454: The legend of this 19th-century bandit. Jesús Arriaga, better known as Chucho el Roto , was held at Fort San Juan de Ulúa where he died. It is not known whether he died of natural causes, as a result of a fight with other prisoners or by other means. Chucho was a Robin Hood figure who lived during the 19th century. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, inspiring songs and poetry such as

5720-421: The lengthy colonial period and international port, these ingredients are used more widely here than in other parts of the country. A signature dish of the area, Huachinango a la Veracruzana ( red snapper Veracruz-style), uses local fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, chili peppers) and Spanish ingredients (olive oil, garlic and capers). Other popular dishes include arroz a la tumbada , a rice dish baked with

5808-572: The main plaza (Zócalo) Veracruz recipes use corn, beans and squash as staples, a practice dating to the indigenous peoples. Local diets also include indigenous tropical foods such as chili peppers , tomatoes, avocados , pineapples , papaya , mamey , sweet potatoes , peanuts and sapote fruit, all of which have been cultivated since pre-Columbian times. The Spanish introduced the use of herbs such as parsley , thyme , marjoram , bay laurel and coriander , as well as saffron , wheat, rice, almonds, olives/olive oil, garlic and capers . Because of

5896-511: The municipal palace and the cathedral. The Municipal Palace was built for the city council in 1608. The building was extensively remodeled in the 18th century. Its architectural style is a sober Baroque with a tower at one of the corners. Lookouts used this tower to keep watch on the ships entering and leaving the port. It has a large courtyard surrounded by wide arches and is the oldest city government building in Mexico. The Cathedral of Veracruz , named Catedral de la Virgen de la Asunción ,

5984-495: The municipal seat, the city of Veracruz is the governing authority for 128 other named localities during the 2010 census, forming a municipality with a territory of 241 km (93 sq mi). The population of the municipality is 552,156 inhabitants, of whom 428,323 or approximately 77.6% live in municipality's portion of the city proper. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of La Antigua , Boca del Río, Manlio Fabio Altamirano , Medellín, and Paso de Ovejas, with

6072-494: The ocean breezes. Near the city center, the malecón is crowded with merchants selling knick-knacks, souvenirs, jewelry made with seashells, and T-shirts. Fort San Juan de Ulúa is located on an island, now connected to land of the same name. The island is part of the La Gallega coral reef and has about 2,500 meters of beach. The full reef covers about 100 hectares and varies in depth between sixty and ninety centimeters, forming

6160-499: The old-style board, made using cards that had the votes of the juries Spanish singer Francisco is the only artist to have won the competition twice (1981 and 1992). Spanish songwriters Alejandro Abad (1993 and 1995) and Chema Purón (1992 and 1996) won the competition twice, as did Mexican songwriters Francisco Curiel and Pedro Cárdenas (1990 and 1997). Although the OTI Song Contest has not been celebrated since 2000,

6248-459: The operations of the port. Eventually, unions came to have great power over the operations and tariffs charged. By the latter part of the 20th century, competing unions made the operations of the port difficult. Some blocked access to the port from federal roads and financial corruption was a problem. In the 1970s, a federal commission was established to design a new administrative system for the ports of Mexico. The legislature passed laws authorizing

6336-469: The population after contact. The Portuguese Empire began to import African slaves via the port of Veracruz. In the 16th century, the state had more slaves than any other in Mexico. Before the slave trade was abolished, Mexico had the second-highest population of African slaves in the Americas, following Brazil. Veracruz was the most important port in New Spain , with a large wealthy merchant class that

6424-432: The resultingly much longer show. From 1982 on, the winner was decided by a professional room jury composed by famous music personalities. One year later, the voting system was changed in a way that the voting process was secret. Since that year, only the three most voted countries were revealed at the end of the show which often generated scandals and controversies untill 1988, when a new computerized voting system instead of

6512-462: The state of Veracruz. It has African and Caribbean influence and is popular throughout Mexico, Latin America and the United States. Traditional Veracruzian music is called " Son Jarocho ". Although there are many types of son music found in Mexico, the Son Jarocho is typically associated with the city of Veracruz. Other types of son include "Son Comercial". This style is faster and flashier than

6600-444: The traditional Son Jarocho and can be heard in Mexican folkdance exhibitions , when Veracruz women with long white dresses and fans dance with partners also dressed in white. The Son Comercial developed in the 1940s from the Son Jarocho; in the 21st century it is so pervasive that many mistakenly believe it to be the first version. The Casa de Cultura has a workshops for traditional music and son singers can be heard just about anytime on

6688-659: The upper level contains the choral window, above which is a medallion. The interior is simple with crystal candelabras. In the port area are the Pemex Tower, the old lighthouse, which was the seat of government for Venustiano Carranza , and the Crafts Market. On Marina Mercante Street are located the Old Customs Building, the Postal and Telegraph twin buildings, as well as the old railroad terminal. In

6776-540: The verses penned by Rafael de Zayas Enríquez . Chucho was arrested in the city of Querétaro after a jewelry store heist. He was sent to the Belén Prison in Mexico City, then to Veracruz. He was also renowned as a seducer of women, especially those who were rich and lonely. Most of his targets were jewelry shops, pawnshops and the homes of the wealthy. Along with Fort San Juan de Ulúa, the city used to be walled in for protection against pirates and invasions. All that

6864-423: The winner of the contest changed over the years. At first, the winner was decided telephonically by five national juries from every participating country. Each jury member voted only for their favorite song and the winner was the song which had more points at the end of the process. In 1977 the number of national jurors per country was changed to three due to the increase of the number of participating countries and to

6952-466: The winter dry season. Fauna mostly consists of birds, small mammals and insects. Much of the land in the municipality outside of the city is used for agriculture and livestock. Principal crops include corn, beans, watermelon, oranges, sorghum , mango , pineapple and sugar cane. Livestock raised includes cattle, pigs, sheep, fowl and horses. There is also some forestry. The municipality contains deposits of marble, lime, cement, sand and clay. In and around

7040-416: The withdrawal of some of the most iconic countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Spain. Twenty-seven countries have participated at least once in the festival, with Chile, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela participating in all twenty-eight editions. The main goal of the festival was to generate a process of cultural and artistic fellowship between the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. Although it

7128-446: Was dissolved in 1988 and the new organization was fully in place by 1991. In September 2010, Hurricane Karl , a small, strong Category 3 hurricane, caused widespread flooding and damage affecting approximately half a million people. Sixteen were confirmed dead with another eleven missing. Sixty-five municipalities in the state were declared disaster areas. Preliminary damage estimates total up to US$ 3.9 billion and $ 50 billion MXN. As

7216-654: Was found here and Vera Cruz (True Cross) was added because the Cortés expedition landed on Good Friday , a Christian holy day. When Cortés and his soldiers abolished the Aztec despotism and elected a Justicia Mayor and a Capitán General , they created the first city council on the American continent. The city was the first on mainland America to receive a European coat of arms, which was authorized by Carlos V in Valladolid , Spain, on 4 July 1523. The original settlement

7304-594: Was held for first time on 25 November 1972 at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos of Madrid . Thirteen countries took part in the first edition of the event. Spain , Colombia , Brazil , Venezuela , Panama , Portugal , Bolivia , Chile , Peru , Uruguay , Argentina , the Dominican Republic , and Puerto Rico were the debuting countries. After the first edition, the rest of the Ibero-American countries progressively started taking part in

7392-569: Was more prosperous than that of Mexico City. Each of the two yearly voyages of the Spanish treasure fleet to and from Spain were to gather at Veracruz stevedores, muleteers, navigators, sailors, contractors, merchants and civil servants. In 1568 the Armada admiral Francisco Luján defeated the British pirates John Hawkins and Francis Drake on their attempt to take hold of Veracruz. By the end of

7480-505: Was moved in 1525 to what is now known as Antigua, at the mouth of the Huitzilapan (or Antigua River) shortly thereafter. This separated the city from the port, as ships could not enter the shallow river. Ships continued to dock at San Juan de Ulúa, with small boats being used to ferry goods on and off the ships. As in other parts of Mexico, the indigenous peoples suffered from epidemics of European infectious diseases, which decimated

7568-571: Was not as successful as the Eurovision Song Contest, it is its longest running and most successful spin-off to date, leaving a great mark in Latin America by giving many famous artists and hit songs. Although the OTI contest was inspired in the Eurovision Song Contest, the festival was preceded by the Festival Mundial de la Canción Latina which was held in Mexico DF in 1969 and 1970. The broadcasters that were eligible to participate in

7656-660: Was to protect this valuable port after the threat of an invasion such as the siege of Havana (1762) by the British . The Spanish empire's talented military engineers were gathered in Veracruz to work on the New Spanish Gulf of Mexico's defence against the attack of Spain's enemies in a time when the Spanish Empire stretched from current Venezuela to Florida . Many of the buildings and institutions which form Veracruz's Historic Centre date from that time such as

7744-402: Was within the jurisdiction of Moctezuma II and his Aztec Empire . Cortés and his men landed at the shore opposite the island where Grijalva had moored, which has the pre-Hispanic name of Chalchihuecan. Cortés, Francisco de Montejo and Alonso Hernández Puertocarrero founded the settlement, naming it Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. The name Villa Rica (rich village) referred to the gold that

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