Tabasco

State of southeastern Mexico, on the border of Guatemala; area 24,661 sq km/9,522 sq mi; population (2000 est) 1,889,400. The state lies mainly on a plain, much of which is marshy, except in the south. Its capital is Villahermosa. The main occupations are livestock-raising and farming. Agricultural produce includes cacao, rice, sugar, coffee, maize, bananas, and tobacco. Forested areas yield a commercially valuable output of mahogany and red cedar. A number of oilfields have been discovered in the area and petrochemical industries are established at La Venta and Ciudad Pernex.