Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and the second largest city in the world. About 9 1/3 million people live in Mexico City. Mexico City area size is 579 sq. mi. Mexico City lies 7,525 feet above sea level in the high, oval-shaped Valley of Mexico. Mexico City has more than 350 neighborhood districts called colonias. Like Mexican towns, many colonias have plazas(public squares). Churches, markets, restaurants, and theaters face the plazas. The Mexico City metropolitan area, with about 14 1/2 million people, is the worlds largest metropolitan area and its size area is 883 sq. mi. Its the countrys commercial and industrial center.
Mexico citys metropolitan areas pollution and environmental damage has led some to warn off an environmental catastrophe in the near future. Mountains surround the valley Mexico City is in, and there is no natural drainage through them. Canals carry rain water out of the valley, but especially heavy rains may cause floods. Since the 1930s parts of the city have been sinking as much as 1 foot a year and new buildings are constructed with special foundation to prevent them from sinking. Mexico Citys high altitude gives it a mild climate and the nights are cool throughout the year, although its in the tropics.
Mexico City has many beautiful palaces that were built during the Spanish colonial period. These buildings now houses government offices, museums, or shops. Mexico City is Mexicos center of higher education, transportation and tourism. Mexico City has more than four thousand elementary, vocational, and high schools. Mexicos oldest and largest university is the National Autonomous University of Mexico. It was founded in 1551, and has more than 300,000 students. In 1954 its new campus was completed on the Pedregal, a plain in the southern part of the capital.
Many of Mexicos leading architects and artist designed and decorated the colorful campus in a mixture of Indian, Spanish Colonial, and modern styles. In Mexico almost all roads lead to Mexico City. It is also the center of Mexicos railroad network. the citys subway are decorated in traditional Indian, Mexican, and Spanish styles, and began operating in 1970. The huge Benito Juarez International Airport opened in 1952 in Mexico City and is one of the main centers of international air travel in the Western Hemisphere. Flights also connected the capital with other large Mexican cities.
Mexico City communication has about 20 daily newspaper and they account for almost half the total newspaper circulation in Mexico. Several newspapers have a page printed in English. There are also English-language newspapers. Mexico City is Mexicos broadcasting center. Mexico City has about 30 radio stations, 5 commercial television stations, and an educational TV channel. Famous landmarks in Mexico City for the tourist are the Constitution Plaza, called the Zocala, is Mexico Citys chief plaza. It covers the site of the old Aztec capitals main square; The block-long National Palace which was built in the 1600s as the Spanish governors home.
It now houses the offices of Mexicos president and other officials; The heart of Mexico City ex tends westward from the Zocalo along busy avenidas (avenues). It ends near the Pasel de la Reforma, one of the most beautiful boulevards in the world; The wide, tree lined Paseo de la Reforma includes seven glorietas (landscaped circles in street intersections). A monument honoring a national hero or important event stands in each circle; North of the downtown area is the Plaza of the Three Cultures. It has ruins of ancient Aztec temples and of a Spanish Church built in 1524.
Representing the third culture is a huge government housing project of boldly modern architecture; The Bosilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexicos most famous religious shrine and stands in northern Mexico City, at the foot of Tepeyac Hill. Legend has it that she appeared on the hill to Juan Diego, a poor Indian, in December of 1531. Pilgrims from all over Mexico and from other countries come to worship at the shrine throughout the year; Attractions north of Mexico City include handsome Spanish colonial churches in Acalman (or Acolman) and Tepoztlan, Indian pyramids and temples at San Juan Teotihuacan, Tenayuca, and Tula.
Lake Xochimilco, in the southeast part of the capital, is famous for its floating gardens. Parks in downtown Mexico City includes the Alameda, a park developed by a Spanish governor who planted it with almas (popular trees) which gave Alameda its name, in the 1500s; Chapultepec Park, the largest park in Mexico City, was first used by Aztec Emperors. It is a popular family picnic area, with lakes for boating, flower gardens, fountains, a zoo, and an amusement area. In 1847, during the war between Mexico and the United State, US troops captured Mexico City after the Battle of Chapultepec.
A number of young military students, who had defended Chapultepec Hill, threw themselves over a cliff rather than surrender. Today the Monument to the Boy Heroes stands at the foot of the hill in their honor. Chapultepec Castle, on the hill, houses the National Museum of History. Los Pinos(The Pines), the home of Mexicos president, is in Chapultepec Park. Also in the park is the National Museum of Anthropology which has many exhibits dealing with the lives of ancient and present-day Indians Bullfighting is the national sport in Mexico, and Mexico City has two bullfighting rings.
One of them is, the Palaza de Toros Monumental, which seats about 50,000 people and is the largest in the world. Baseball, football, golf, horse racing, swimming, tennis, and soccer are also popular sports in Mexico. Soccer teams play in the Aztec Stadium, which holds 105,000 people. Mexico City has thousands of large and small factories and account for about half the total value of all goods manufactured in Mexico. Important products include automobiles, chemicals, clothing, drugs, iron and steel, machinery, and textiles. Much of the nations industrial labor force lives in Mexico City.
Mexico City is governed by the head of the Department of the Federal District, who is appointed by Mexicos president. The city has no local legislature and its laws are passed by the federal congress. In 1823 all of Mexicos leaders gathered in Mexico City to form a new government. A constitution was written that was modeled after the Constitution of the United States. The Mexican Constitution of 1823 called for full democratic voting privileges, a federalist system whereby the states of Mexico would maintain certain powers and independence.
But in 1833 Santa Anna pronounced against Farias and abolished the Federalist Mexican Constitution, all power and legal authority now rested in Mexico City. People have lived in what is now Mexico City for thousands of years. About 1325A. D. the Aztec Indians built the city of Tenochtitlan where Mexico City now stands. They constructed the city on an island in the middle of Lade Texcoco and built roads and elevated ramps to connect the city with the mainland. Tenochtitlan became the capital of the mighty Aztec empire.
During the 1500s Spanish invaders conquered the Aztec. They built Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, and made it the capital of their colony, the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Thousands of people died in floods because Mexico City had no natural drainage. After 30,000 people died in 1629, the Spaniards built a large canal to drain Lake Texcoco and to carry off rain water. Mexico City has remained under Spanish rule for 300 years and since that time Mexico City has grown to cover much of the dry lake bed and was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1821, Mexico became independent after an army led by General Agustin de Iturbide took over Mexico City. Afterwards Mexico City was attacked many times. Mexico City was captured by US troops in 1847. Mexico City fell again in 1863, to invading French troops. General Porfirio Diaz led a revolt and seized power in Mexico City in 1876. The Mexican Revolution began in 1910 and Diaz resigned the next year. Today the houses and other buildings in Mexico City reflect the great contrasts of the city. There are many Spanish colonial houses. Each of the houses has a gardenlike patio, which is the center of family life.
Many of the modern houses and buildings are decorated with brightly colored murals. A large number of poor people in Mexico City live in slum shacks or in rooms with almost no furniture. Their beds are petares(straw mats), and clay bowls may be their only dishes. On September 19 and 20, 1985, earthquakes stuck Mexico, including Mexico City. They caused about 7,200 deaths and destroyed hundreds of buildings and thousands of other buildings were damaged. Mexico City has the same boundaries as the Federal District of Mexico but only the northern part of the Federal District is an urban area.
The southern part consists chiefly of mountains and rural areas. Mexico Citys population increased by more than 70 percent during the 1970s. As a result of this growth, the city faces challenges as increasing its job opportunities and housing supply, and improving its transportation facilities. The people of Mexico City are working on the challenges while preserving the citys colorful Indian and Spanish colonial features. 1. The World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 12, Chicago: a Scott Fetzer company, 1987. 2. Pasztory, Esther. TEOTIHUACAN. U. S. A. University of Oklahoma Press, 1997. 3. Jimenez, Carlos M. The Mexican American Heritage. Berkeley CA: A Division of Tonatiuh-Quinto Sol International, Inc. , 1994. Final Report MEXICO CITY Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and the second largest city in the world. About 9 1/3 million people live in Mexico City. Mexico City area size is 579 sq. mi. Mexico City lies 7,525 feet above sea level in the high, oval-shaped Valley of Mexico. Mexico City has more than 350 neighborhood districts called colonias. Like Mexican towns, many colonias have plazas(public squares).
Churches, markets, restaurants, and theaters face the plazas. The Mexico City metropolitan area, with about 14 1/2 million people, is the worlds largest metropolitan area and its size area is 883 sq. mi. Its the countrys commercial and industrial center. Mexico citys metropolitan areas pollution and environmental damage has led some to warn off an environmental catastrophe in the near future. Mountains surround the valley Mexico City is in, and there is no natural drainage through them. Canals carry rain water out of the valley, but especially heavy rains may cause floods.
Since the 1930s parts of the city have been sinking as much as 1 foot a year and new buildings are constructed with special foundation to prevent them from sinking. Mexico Citys high altitude gives it a mild climate and the nights are cool throughout the year, although its in the tropics. Mexico City has many beautiful palaces that were built during the Spanish colonial period. These buildings now houses government offices, museums, or shops. Mexico City is Mexicos center of higher education, transportation and tourism. Mexico City has more than four thousand elementary, vocational, and high schools.
Mexicos oldest and largest university is the National Autonomous University of Mexico. It was founded in 1551, and has more than 300,000 students. In 1954 its new campus was completed on the Pedregal, a plain in the southern part of the capital. Many of Mexicos leading architects and artist designed and decorated the colorful campus in a mixture of Indian, Spanish Colonial, and modern styles. In Mexico almost all roads lead to Mexico City. It is also the center of Mexicos railroad network. the citys subway are decorated in traditional Indian, Mexican, and Spanish styles, and began operating in 1970.
The huge Benito Juarez International Airport opened in 1952 in Mexico City and is one of the main centers of international air travel in the Western Hemisphere. Flights also connected the capital with other large Mexican cities. Mexico City communication has about 20 daily newspaper and they account for almost half the total newspaper circulation in Mexico. Several newspapers have a page printed in English. There are also English-language newspapers. Mexico City is Mexicos broadcasting center. Mexico City has about 30 radio stations, 5 commercial television stations, and an educational TV channel.
Famous landmarks in Mexico City for the tourist are the Constitution Plaza, called the Zocala, is Mexico Citys chief plaza. It covers the site of the old Aztec capitals main square; The block-long National Palace which was built in the 1600s as the Spanish governors home. It now houses the offices of Mexicos president and other officials; The heart of Mexico City ex tends westward from the Zocalo along busy avenidas (avenues). It ends near the Pasel de la Reforma, one of the most beautiful boulevards in the world; The wide, tree lined Paseo de la Reforma includes seven glorietas (landscaped circles in street intersections).
A monument honoring a national hero or important event stands in each circle; North of the downtown area is the Plaza of the Three Cultures. It has ruins of ancient Aztec temples and of a Spanish Church built in 1524. Representing the third culture is a huge government housing project of boldly modern architecture; The Bosilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexicos most famous religious shrine and stands in northern Mexico City, at the foot of Tepeyac Hill. Legend has it that she appeared on the hill to Juan Diego, a poor Indian, in December of 1531.
Pilgrims from all over Mexico and from other countries come to worship at the shrine throughout the year; Attractions north of Mexico City include handsome Spanish colonial churches in Acalman (or Acolman) and Tepoztlan, Indian pyramids and temples at San Juan Teotihuacan, Tenayuca, and Tula. Lake Xochimilco, in the southeast part of the capital, is famous for its floating gardens. Parks in downtown Mexico City includes the Alameda, a park developed by a Spanish governor who planted it with almas (popular trees) which gave Alameda its name, in the 1500s; Chapultepec Park, the largest park in Mexico City, was first used by Aztec Emperors.
It is a popular family picnic area, with lakes for boating, flower gardens, fountains, a zoo, and an amusement area. In 1847, during the war between Mexico and the United State, US troops captured Mexico City after the Battle of Chapultepec. A number of young military students, who had defended Chapultepec Hill, threw themselves over a cliff rather than surrender. Today the Monument to the Boy Heroes stands at the foot of the hill in their honor. Chapultepec Castle, on the hill, houses the National Museum of History. Los Pinos(The Pines), the home of Mexicos president, is in Chapultepec Park.
Also in the park is the National Museum of Anthropology which has many exhibits dealing with the lives of ancient and present-day Indians Bullfighting is the national sport in Mexico, and Mexico City has two bullfighting rings. One of them is, the Palaza de Toros Monumental, which seats about 50,000 people and is the largest in the world. Baseball, football, golf, horse racing, swimming, tennis, and soccer are also popular sports in Mexico. Soccer teams play in the Aztec Stadium, which holds 105,000 people. Mexico City has thousands of large and small factories and account for about half the total value of all goods manufactured in Mexico.
Important products include automobiles, chemicals, clothing, drugs, iron and steel, machinery, and textiles. Much of the nations industrial labor force lives in Mexico City. Mexico City is governed by the head of the Department of the Federal District, who is appointed by Mexicos president. The city has no local legislature and its laws are passed by the federal congress. In 1823 all of Mexicos leaders gathered in Mexico City to form a new government. A constitution was written that was modeled after the Constitution of the United States.
The Mexican Constitution of 1823 called for full democratic voting privileges, a federalist system whereby the states of Mexico would maintain certain powers and independence. But in 1833 Santa Anna pronounced against Farias and abolished the Federalist Mexican Constitution, all power and legal authority now rested in Mexico City. People have lived in what is now Mexico City for thousands of years. About 1325A. D. the Aztec Indians built the city of Tenochtitlan where Mexico City now stands. They constructed the city on an island in the middle of Lade Texcoco and built roads and elevated ramps to connect the city with the mainland.
Tenochtitlan became the capital of the mighty Aztec empire. During the 1500s Spanish invaders conquered the Aztec. They built Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, and made it the capital of their colony, the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Thousands of people died in floods because Mexico City had no natural drainage. After 30,000 people died in 1629, the Spaniards built a large canal to drain Lake Texcoco and to carry off rain water. Mexico City has remained under Spanish rule for 300 years and since that time Mexico City has grown to cover much of the dry lake bed and was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1821, Mexico became independent after an army led by General Agustin de Iturbide took over Mexico City. Afterwards Mexico City was attacked many times. Mexico City was captured by US troops in 1847. Mexico City fell again in 1863, to invading French troops. General Porfirio Diaz led a revolt and seized power in Mexico City in 1876. The Mexican Revolution began in 1910 and Diaz resigned the next year. Today the houses and other buildings in Mexico City reflect the great contrasts of the city. There are many Spanish colonial houses.
Each of the houses has a gardenlike patio, which is the center of family life. Many of the modern houses and buildings are decorated with brightly colored murals. A large number of poor people in Mexico City live in slum shacks or in rooms with almost no furniture. Their beds are petares(straw mats), and clay bowls may be their only dishes. On September 19 and 20, 1985, earthquakes stuck Mexico, including Mexico City. They caused about 7,200 deaths and destroyed hundreds of buildings and thousands of other buildings were damaged.
Mexico City has the same boundaries as the Federal District of Mexico but only the northern part of the Federal District is an urban area. The southern part consists chiefly of mountains and rural areas. Mexico Citys population increased by more than 70 percent during the 1970s. As a result of this growth, the city faces challenges as increasing its job opportunities and housing supply, and improving its transportation facilities. The people of Mexico City are working on the challenges while preserving the citys colorful Indian and Spanish colonial features.