The ancient Maya ruins of Chich&eacuten Itz&aacute, located on Mexico's Yucat&aacuten Peninsula about 50 miles inland south of the Caribbean coastline, represent the remains of one of the largest and most powerful city states of the pre-Columbian Americas. While the fully-restored monumental core of Chich&eacuten Itz&aacute's archaeological zone covers approximately 5 square kilometers and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, the estimated extent of dense urban development at the city's peak is thought to have reached 25 square kilometers. However, much of these surrounding ruins have not been excavated and are currently covered with a mixture of dense forest and farms. Chich&eacuten Itz&aacute translates as "At the Mouth of the Well of the Itza" in Yucatec Mayan, a reference to the nearby Sacred Cenote, or sinkhole, where offerings were made to various deities and from which the city derived much of its water supply. Chich&eacuten Itz&aacute was a cosmopolitan city that contained monuments and buildings in a range of different architectural styles. This range is reflective of both local Yucatecan styles and influence from several prominent Mesoamerican cultural groups and clans that were drawn to the city as a regional center during its long history of occupation.