MERIDA, a town of Mexico, capital of the state of Yucatan, is situated in a dry plain, 25 miles from the sea, and 90 N.E. of Campeachy. Lat. 20.50. N., Long. 89.40. W. The town, which was founded by the Spaniards in 1542 on the site of an earlier native city, is built in the Moorish style. There are eight principal streets, wide and sloping towards the centre; and these are laid out with great regularity, meeting in a large square in the centre of the town, in which stand the cathedral, the bishop's palace, and the government house. The cathedral is ancient, and has a fine appearance, being adorned with domes and pinnacles. The town has also fourteen churches, and the ruins of an old Franciscan convent, which are curious and interesting. The climate is dry and not liable to sudden changes, but it is not very healthy. Merida has a considerable trade. Its port is Sital, which is but an exposed roadstead with a fort and a sandbank 12 miles in length. Pop. (1851) 40,000.