Palenque, Chiapas

Palenque
Municipality and city
Main plaza in the city
Palenque Location in Mexico
Coordinates: 17°30′33″N 91°58′56″W / 17.50917°N 91.98222°W / 17.50917; -91.98222
Country	Mexico
State	Chiapas
Founded	1567
Municipal Status	1915
Government
Area
• Municipality	2,888 km2 (1,115 sq mi)
• Seat	18.62 km2 (7.19 sq mi)
Elevation (of seat)	60 m (200 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[1]
• Municipality	132,265
• Density	46/km2 (120/sq mi)
• Seat	51,797
• Seat density	2,800/km2 (7,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (US Central))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (Central)
Postal code (of seat)	29960
Area code	916
Website	www.palenque.chiapas.gob.mx/portal/ (in Spanish)

Palenque is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. The city was named almost 200 years before the nearby Mayan ruins were discovered in the 18th century. The area has a significant indigenous population, mostly of the Ch'ol people, a Mayan descendant. The city is the only urban area in a municipality of over 600 communities, and is surrounded by rainforest. Deforestation has had dramatic effects on the local environment, with howler monkeys occasionally seen in the city as they seek food. While most of the municipality's population is economically marginalized, working in agriculture, the Palenque archeological site is one of the most important tourist attractions for the area and the state of Chiapas. It is the poorest major city in the state of Chiapas.