Cozumel

Cozumel (kosuˈmel; Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán Channel. The municipality is part of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The economy of Cozumel is based on tourism, with visitors able to benefit from the island's balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel. The name Cozumel was derived from the Mayan "Cuzamil" or "Ah Cuzamil Peten" in full, which means "the island of swallows" (Isla de las Golondrinas). The island is located in the Caribbean Sea along the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula about south of Cancún and from the mainland. The island is about long and wide. With a total area of , it is Mexico's largest Caribbean island, largest permanently inhabited island, and Mexico's third-largest island, following Tiburón Island and Isla Ángel de la Guarda. The majority of the island's population lives in the town of San Miguel (pop. 77,236 in 2010), which is on the island's western shore. The municipality, which includes two small areas on the mainland enclaved within the Municipality of Solidaridad with a land area of , has a total land area of . Large parts of the island are covered with mangrove forest which has many endemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestone, resulting in a karst topography. The highest natural point on the island is less than above sea level. The cenotes are deep water-filled sinkholes formed by water percolating through the soft limestone soil for thousands of years. Cozumel's cenotes are restricted to qualified cave divers with appropriate credentials. Endemic species and subspecies of bird include: the Cozumel emerald the Cozumel great curassow, which is vulnerable the Cozumel thrasher, which is nearly, if not already, extinct the Cozumel vireo the Cozumel wren Endemic dwarf mammals are found on the island: the Cozumel fox, which is nearly, if not already, extinct the Cozumel Island coati, which is endangered.