Veracruz

Veracruz (pop. 295,300), port city in east central Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico. Once the site of a Native American village, Veracruz is now an important shipping center handling much of Mexico's foreign trade. It exports sugar, coffee, vanilla, chicle, and petroleum products. The city manufactures tiles, chocolate, liquor, footwear, and textiles. Gallega Island protects the harbor and is the site of the Spanish fortress of San Juan de Ulua (1565).

See also: Mexico.