Cozumel Population
Population Growth on the Island of Cozumel, 1519 to 2015
Plus Information on the Museum Video Contest……
Copyright 2017, Ric Hajovsky
I often hear stories about how small the island’s population was at various times in the past. Many of these anecdotal statements conflict with each other. Being of an inquisitive bent, I decided to look into the matter and the list below is the result of my investigations. I used the Spanish and Mexican governments’ Cozumel census data to put it together.
When the Cortes expedition reached Cozumel in 1519 (one year after the Juan de Grijalva expedition landed) they reported that the island had over five thousand Maya inhabitants. Since the Spaniards probably did not reach the population centers on the northeast quadrant of Cozumel, this number was probably a gross underestimate.
The same year, shortly after Cortes left, Pánfilo de Narváez arrived on the island with crewmembers that were infected with smallpox. The disease raged through the island and nearly wiped out the entire population.
In 1549 (just 30 years after the smallpox epidemic) Cozumel’s first encomiendero, Juan Nuñez, reported the island
had 220 “tribute-paying” Indians.
In 1552, the combined population of adult men and women in San Miguel and Santa Maria (Cedral) was 361, according to a headcount made by Cozumel’s new ecomendero, Juan de Contreras.
In 1570, the total Cozumel population was 446, according to a headcount made by fraile Cristobal de Asencio.
1609 there were 1,336 adults living in the “parroquia” of Cozumel (which included the villages on the adjacent coast)
1639 there were 832 adults living in the “parroquia” of Cozumel (which included the villages on the adjacent coast.)
The 1850 census made by the alcalde José Rosel showed Cozumel had 307 adults living on it (145 women and 162 men.)
In 1862 Cozumel had 702 adults living on it. (Isla Mujeres had 539 and Holbox had 34. Of the total population of these three islands, only 88 said they could read and write.)
In 1900, the island of Cozumel had 971 inhabitants.
In 1910, the year the clock tower was built, the town of San Miguel had 822 inhabitants. There were more people living on the island outside of town on ranchos and in Cedral.
In 1921, San Miguel had 1,188 adults (609 men and 579 adult women.) The lighthouse at Punta Molas had 12 men and 10 women living near it, and the lighthouse at Celarain had 6 men and 12 women living there. (For a comparison, Playa del Carmen only had 33 men and 27 women living in it at the time, while Isla Mujeres had 256 men and 229 women.) In 1922, Cedral had 74 inhabitants; 40 men and 34 women.
In 1930, the Mexican Federal Census counted 2,199 people living on Cozumel.
In 1950, the Mexican Federal Census counted 4,282 people living on Cozumel.
In 1960, the Mexican Federal Census counted 7,562 people living on Cozumel.
In 1970, the Mexican Federal Census counted 12,622 people living on Cozumel.
In 1980, the Mexican Federal Census counted 23,270 people living on Cozumel.
In 1983, the Mexican National Anti-malaria department counted 27,079 people living on Cozumel.
In 1990, the Mexican Federal Census counted 44,903 people living on Cozumel.
In 2000, the Mexican Federal Census counted 60,091 people living on Cozumel.
In 2010, the Mexican Federal Census counted 79,535 people living on Cozumel.
In 2015, the Mexican Federal Census counted 86,215 people living on Cozumel.
Cozumel Museum’s Underwater Video Contest Announced
Here’s how to submit your video ….
The Museo de la Isla (the Cozumel Island Museum) will be completely renovated in 2018. This renovation is the first in 30 years. The museum will be closed for as much as a year while the interior is gutted, rebuilt, and new galleries and exhibits installed.
One of the 14 new galleries will be full of video screens showing video clips of Cozumel’s marine creatures. Each of these large, HD video screens will show a rotating collection of a dozen or more unedited video clips, each clip from 15 seconds to 30 seconds long, with the sea creature’s description and the photographer’s attribution added as subtitled text.
If you have one or more video clips taken in Cozumel of any of the marine life listed below (or ones that we forgot to list!) that you would like to submit to the museum to be considered for inclusion in the new permanent exhibit of the museum, you can send the clips as MP4 files to Contest@CozumelMuseum.org . Files containing videos longer than 30 seconds will not be opened nor will they be eligible to enter the contest. However, you can send as many 15- to 30-second entries as you like, as long as they are on separate MP4 files.
AWARDS
If your clip is accepted for inclusion in the new museum exhibit, you will be notified by email. In return for your permission to exhibit your winning video clip(s), the Foundation of Cozumel Parks and Museums (FPMC) will award a free pass to your choice of either Punta Sur Eco Park or Chankanaab Park.
GRAND PRIZES
In addition to the award, each video accepted to be used in the museum will be eligible to win one of our Grand Prizes:
The First Place Winner will receive a trip to Cozumel, including air, 3 days/2nights hotel and 2 dives
The Second Place Winner will receive a BCD, regulator, octopus and air/pressure gauge
The Third Place Winner will receive a 2019 model GoPro video camera and underwater housing
The Fourth Place Winner will receive a three day, two night stay at an oceanfront condo
Ten Fifth Place Winners will receive a dive trip, including boat, tanks, and park fees
Ten Sixth Place Winners will receive a dinner at one of Cozumel’s finer restaurants
These 24 prize-winning film clips will be selected based on their technical quality, content, and impact by our four-person judging panel, whose decision is final. Grand Prizes will be awarded one month after contest ends on December 31, 2018 and the winners will be notified at that time. All non-winning digital files will be deleted on January 1, 2019.
CONTESTANT QUALIFICATIONS
You must be over 21 to enter the contest. You must be the author of the video clip you submit. You must certify that the video was taken in Cozumel and provide the date and location of the filming. You must sign the non-exclusive release of the video.
VIDEO REQUIREMENTS
- The video should be in focus, steady, with good color
- The video camera is very steadily focused on the creature for the entire clip, with no panning or zooming
- The video should be in a 16:9 aspect ratio
- The video should be at least 720p
- The video should be 2D
- The video should have no text, logo, or time/date stamp (we will add attribution and nomenclature later).
- The video should be no less than 15 seconds or more than 30 seconds long (You can submit any number of clips you want, without limit, but none should be longer than 30 seconds; 15 seconds is ideal.)
TYPES OF VIDEO CLIPS NEEDED
Rays, Eels, Sharks, Turtles, Lobsters, Octopi, Nudibranchs, Worms, Squid, Anemones, Crabs, Seahorses, Pipefish, Conchs, Shrimp, Jelly fish, Echinoderms, Fish (all kinds), Night dive close-ups of coral, or any other video clip of marine sea life you think the public would like to see to have a better understanding of what Cozumel has to offer. Special interest clips also include: Lobster “migrations,” mating episodes, predation and eating episodes, bait-balls, etc.
Crecimiento Demográfico en la Isla de Cozumel del año 1519 al 2015
Así como información sobre el concurso de video del Museo. . .
Copyright 2017, Ric Hajovsky
Con frecuencia escucho historias acerca de lo pequeña que era la población en diversas ocasiones en el pasado.
Muchas de estas afirmaciones se contradicen entre sí. Ya que tengo un espíritu inquisitivo, decidí investigar el asunto y la lista a continuación es el resultado de ello. Me apoyé tanto en la información en español como la de los datos del censo de Cozumel del gobierno mexicano.
Cuando la expedición de Cortés llegó a Cozumel en el año 1519 (un año después al desembarco de la expedición de Juan de Grijalva), reportaron que la Isla contaba con más de cinco mil habitantes mayas. Ya que es muy posible que los españoles no llegaron a los centros de población ubicados en el cuadrante noreste de Cozumel, es muy probable que esa sea una cifra subestimada.
Poco después que Cortés se fue, Pánfilo de Narváez llegó a la Isla ese mismo año con tripulantes infectados con viruela. La enfermedad asoló la Isla y estuvo cerca de exterminar a toda la población.
En 1549 (tan sólo 30 años después del brote de viruela) Juan Núñez, el primer encomendero de la Isla, contaba con 220 indígenas que “pagaban tributo”.
De acuerdo a un recuento realizado por el nuevo encomendero de Cozumel, en 1552 la población total de hombres y mujeres adultos en San Miguel y en Santa María (El Cebral) era de 361.
Según el fraile Cristóbal de Asencio, para el 1570 la población total de Cozumel la conformaban 446 personas.
En 1609, 1,336 adultos habitaban en la “parroquia” de Cozumel (que incluía los poblados en la costa colindante).
Para 1639, 832 adultos residían en la “parroquia” de Cozumel (que incluía los poblados en la costa colindante).
El censo del año 1850 realizado por el alcalde José Rosel arrojó que los residentes eran 307 adultos (145 mujeres y 162 hombres).
En el año de 1862 Cozumel tenía una población de 702 adultos (539 en Isla Mujeres y 34 en Holbox. De estas tres islas, sólo 88 habitantes indicaban que podían leer y escribir).
En 1900 la Isla de Cozumel contaba con 971 habitantes.
Para el año 1910, cuando se construyó la torre del reloj en el poblado de San Miguel, el total de habitantes era 822. Fuera del poblado, vivían más personas en la Isla en ranchos y en El Cedral.
En 1921 San Miguel contaba con 1,188 habitantes adultos (609 hombres y 579 mujeres adultas). Cerca del faro de Punta Molas vivían 12 hombres y 10 mujeres; y en el de Celarain vivían 6 hombres y 12 mujeres. (En contraste, en esa época sólo vivían 33 hombres y 27 mujeres en Playa del Carmen; en tanto que Isla Mujeres era habitada por 256 hombres y 229 mujeres). En 1922, El Cedral contaba con 74 habitantes: 40 hombres y 34 mujeres.
En 1930, el censo federal contabilizó 2,199 habitantes en Cozumel.
En 1950, el censo federal contabilizó 4,282 habitantes en Cozumel.
En 1960, el censo federal contabilizó 7,562 habitantes en Cozumel.
En 1970, el censo federal contabilizó 12,622 habitantes en Cozumel.
En 1980, el censo federal contabilizó 23,270 habitantes en Cozumel.
En 1983, la Dirección Nacional de Control de la Malaria contabilizó 27,079 personas viviendo en Cozumel
En 1990, el censo federal contabilizó 44,903 habitantes en Cozumel.
En el año 2000, el censo federal arrojó la cifra de 60,091 habitantes en Cozumel.
En 1990, el censo federal contabilizó 44,903 habitantes en Cozumel.
En el año 2000, el censo federal arrojó la cifra de 60,091 habitantes en Cozumel.
Para el año 2010, el censo federal contabilizó 79,535 habitantes en Cozumel.
Para el año 2015, el censo federal contabilizó 86,215 habitantes en Cozumel.
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- Mexican History – Mexican Flag - September 6, 2018