Veracruz, Mexico
An Emerging Modern Metropolis.
The port of Veracruz on the gulf coast of Mexico is the largest city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and is a vibrant, modern port city with a lengthy and colorful history. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the city boasts spectacular ocean views, superb vistas, and spectacular beaches. This bustling seaside city is a vital economic center with a large and rapidly growing population. According to recent government figures, more than 700,000 people live in the greater metropolitan area of Veracruz, and the city is the country's second largest port, handling approximately 16.5 million tons of cargo in 2007.
Street in Veracruz
The city was founded in the 16th century by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who first landed there in 1519 and used the natural harbor as a staging point to ship the riches of Mexico back to Spain. The city was given the name "La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz" ("The Rich City of the True Cross"), which was consequently shortened to the current name of Veracruz. Because of the inherent advantages of its natural harbor, Veracruz has been a site of frequent contention, having been sacked by pirated in the 17th and 18th centuries, and was an important point of resistance against the Spanish and then the French in the 19th centuries, and finally against the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. The region is also boasts an exceptionally rich prehistory. The modern state of Veracruz was occupied by the Olmecs from approximately the middle of the second millennium BCE to the middle of the first millennium BCE. Recent archaeological evidence discovered in Veracruz even suggests that the Olmecs may have been the first people in the western hemisphere to develop a system of writing.
The tremendous economic activity of the city has attracted many of Mexico's most important and influential businessmen, and the magnificent natural beauty of the region continues to lure visitors. FIMA is actively engaged in several projects in the metropolitan area of Veracruz, and is intent on becoming one of the leading developers in this exciting and vibrant city. In addition, because Mexican lending practices have traditionally been much more conservative than those in the United States, the real estate market has been essentially immune from the subprime fallout. As this emerging city continues to grow and prosper, FIMA intends to expand and grow as well.