Mexico City (language Spain: Ciudad de México) The Federal District (Distrito Federal) is the capital city, the largest city MexicoMexico City is also the largest urban area in Mexico as well as in the Americas and is the center of a metropolitan area that is the third largest in the world in terms of population size, after the metropolitan area of Seoul and Tokyo. This is a federal entity of Mexico and not in any of the country's 31 states. Mexico City is the country's most important political, economic and cultural center. Mexico City is a global city. It is one of the most important financial centers in North America. The city is located on the Valley of Mexico, a large valley on a plateau in the center of the country Mexico with an average elevation of 2,240 meters (7350 ft).
Areas
The city is officially divided into 16 delegaciones (county) and county is divided into colonias (neighborhood or ward), of which there are about 250 neighborhoods. Many old towns like Coyoacán, San Angel and Tlalpan were incorporated into this megacity, and each of these still manages to preserve some of their unique and unique characteristics.
- Centro Historico - Where it all begins. The historic city center that is centered around the Zocalo or Plaza de la Constitución and extends in all directions for several blocks with how far it is west to Central Alameda. Many historic colonial landmarks, the famous Aztec Templo Mayor, are located here. Zocalo Square is the largest square in Latin America and the third largest in the world after Red Square in Moscow and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. There are a few other neighborhoods included in the Centro area such as Colonia San Rafael and Santa Maria La Ribera, see the Centro Historico page for more details.
- Chapultepec - Lomas Chapultepec is one of the largest urban parks in the world. Its name in Nahuatl means grasshopper hill. The park has the main city zoo, a castle (now a museum), a lake, an amusement park, and numerous museums. Lomas de Chapultepec is the affluent district in the city near Chapultepec, and is filled with off walled villas.
- Polanco - One of the wealthiest neighborhoods with some of the most expensive designer boutiques in the city. Filled with embassies, fine restaurants, nightclubs and hotels.
- Zona Rosa Also known to visitors as the Reforma district because it covers the Paseo de la Reforma, it is an important business and entertainment area. It is widely known as the gay hub of the city.
- Coyoacán - A colonial town annexed by urban expansion, now a center for counterculture, the arts, students and intellectuals. Many good museums can be found here also.
- Condesa and Rome - Recently reborn after decades of neglect, and filled with the city's trendiest restaurants, pubs, clubs, pubs and boutiques. These neighborhoods are on opposite edges of Avenida Insurgentes, around Parque Mexico and España.
- San Angel - cobblestone street area, high end shops and many restaurants. It's an affluent neighborhood as well, and is known for its art market.
- Xochimilco - Also known as the Venice of Mexico for its extensive series of Aztec irrigation canals - all that remains of ancient Lake Xochimilco. Xochimilco has kept its ancient traditions, although proximity to Mexico City has influenced that area to urbanize.
- Santa Fe - A modern business area recently redeveloped in early western cities that is mainly composed of high-rise buildings, around a large shopping mall.
- Del Valle - Upscale residential area, business district and shopping area in the southern city center.
- Tlalpan and Pedregal - home to Ajusco, a volcanic peak and national park, one of the tallest mountains near Mexico City.
Areas outside of Mexico City include:
- La Villa de Guadalupe - Located in the district of Gustavo A. Madero in the north of the city. Home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, perhaps the holiest Catholic site in the Americas. Attracting pilgrims from all over the world every day.
- Ciudad Satellite - Residential and shopping area north of the city.
- Interlomas Residential area and shopping area on the west side of the city
overview
The more urban downtown area Mexico is one of the largest cities in North America and the largest in the world and, with an estimated 20 million people live in the area. It is shaped like an oval about 60 km x 40 km, built on the dry bottom of Lake Texcoco, and surrounded on three sides by high mountains and volcanoes such as the Ajusco, the Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl. Inner Mexico City (which numbers between 8 and 9 million) is in the Federal District (Spanish: Distrito Federal or DF), a federally administered area (that is, not belonging to any state of Mexico) serves as the capital of Mexico. The rest of the metropolitan area extends outward into the state of Mexico, which surrounds the DF on three sides. The Federal District is where most tourists will spend most of their time when visiting the city.
This city is located at an altitude of 2200 m above sea level. Some people have trouble breathing in high places and have trouble breathing. This elevation equivalent to more than 7,200 ft is much higher than any metropolitan area in the United States. If you live close to sea level, you may have difficulty breathing due to the altitude and pollution. Air quality has improved over the past few years.
History
Mexico City's origins date back to 1325, when the Aztecs' capital city, Tenochtitlan, was founded and then destroyed in 1521 by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. The city served as the capital of the Viceroy of New Spain until the outbreak of the War of Independence in 1810. The city became the capital of the Mexican Empire in 1821 and the Mexican Republic in 1821. 1823 after the abdication of Agustin de Iturbide. During the Mexican-American War in 1847, the city was occupied by American troops. In 1864 the French invaded Mexico and the Habsburg emperor Ferdinand Maximilian ruled the country from Castillo de Chapultepec and ordered the construction of the Empress's avenue (today the Paseo de la Reforma).
Porfirio Díaz took power in 1876 and left a prominent mark in the city with many European-style buildings such as the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Palacio Post Office. Diaz was overthrown in 1910 with the Mexican Revolution and this marked a radical change in the city's architecture. The 20th century saw the uncontrolled growth of the city beyond the Centro Historico with the immigration of thousands of immigrants from the rest of the country. In 1968, the city hosted the Olympic Games, which led to the construction of the Azteca Stadium, Palacio de los Deportes, Olympic Stadium and other sports facilities. In 1985, the city suffered a magnitude 8.1 earthquake. Between 10,000 and 40,000 people died. There were 412 buildings collapsed and 3,124 buildings severely damaged in the city.
Economy
Mexico City ranks 8th in GDP size out of 30 cities in the world. More than a third of the value of the Mexican economy is concentrated here. The size of the economy is $315 billion, that's compared to New York City's $1100 billion and Chicago's $575 billion. Mexico City is the wealthiest city in all of Latin America, with a GDP per capita of $25,258. Mexico City's poverty rate is also the lowest in all of Mexico, however, it should be noted that Mexico ranks only 65th in the world in wealth across 184 countries. Mexico City's Human Development Index (2009-MHDI) is the highest in Mexico at 0.9327. This is where the Mexican stock market is located. Most of the local and multinational companies have their headquarters here, mainly in the Santa Fe and Polanco districts.
Geography
Mexico City is located in the valley of the same name, also sometimes called the Mexican Basin. This valley is located on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in the high-altitude plateaus of the south-central part of the country. The lowest point of the valley is 2,200 meters (7,217 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by mountains as well as several volcanoes over 5000 meters high. The valley has no river system to drain water from the mountains, so the city could be threatened by flooding. An artificial drainage system established using canals and tunnels began in the 17th century.[28]. The city is mainly located on Lake Texcoco and seismic activity occurs frequently there. This lake has been gradually drained since the 17th century and when it was exhausted, the city was built on it with a saturated clay base. The city's soft ground is the cause of many building collapses and since around the turn of the 20th century the city has subsided more than 9 meters in some areas. The subsidence of the city is the cause of water management problems such as flooding, especially during the rainy season. The remaining forests of the city lie to the south of the Milpa Alta, Tlalpan and Xochimilco districts.
Climate
Mexico City has a subtropical highland climate. The lower reaches of the valley receive less rain than the upstream areas to the south; The lowlands are Iztapalapa, Iztacalco, Venustiano Carranza and the western part of the Gustavo A. Madero zone, which is generally drier and warmer than the southern part of the Tlalpan and Milpa Alta regions, with a pine and oak grove above. Ajusco Mountains.
The average temperature of the city ranges from 12˚C to 16˚C (54 to 61˚F), depending on the elevation of the zones. The lowest temperatures usually occur in January and February, can drop as low as -2 to -5˚C (28 to 23˚F) and are often accompanied by snowfall in southern Ajusco, the highest temperature appear in late spring and summer and can rise above 32˚C (90˚F). Rain is concentrated mainly in summer and may appear hail. The central Mexican valley rarely snows in winter.
The Mexico Valley region receives an anticyclonic system, meaning that the weak winds cannot disperse, outside the basin, the air is polluted because there are tens of thousands of industrial facilities and millions of vehicles belonging to the region. Urban areas as well as in more remote areas.
The area receives 820 millimeters (32.3 inches) of mean annual rainfall, concentrated from June to about September or October with tropical moisture blowing from the sea, with little or no remaining dry season months. Even without rain, the relative humidity is low. The dry season is divided into a cold period from November to February and a warm period from March to May
Air pollution
The city lies in a valley surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, which results in poor air circulation and stagnant air pollution trends over the city. In 1987, the air quality had deteriorated so much that one day thousands of birds appeared dead on the sidewalks of the city. Environmental activists say the cause is air pollution. This shocking event encouraged the authorities to take measures to improve air quality. The heaviest industries (glass, car and steel mills) and refineries were moved outside the city and unleaded vehicle fuels were imported.
Today, the air quality is much better. Levels of ozone and carbon dioxide are decreasing. Although the layer of fog is visible nearly every day, its effects on breathing and eye irritation are barely noticeable and it is not a major concern for visitors. Environmental pollution is highest during the hot, dry spring season, from late February to early May, and there is a greenhouse effect in winter from late November to early February. This established a pollution index by IMECA (Metropolitan Index for Air Quality) to make people aware of the current air pollution situation.
When the index exceeds 170, an "Environmental Event" is issued and they are asked to refrain from performing outdoor activities such as sports. In the case of an "Environmental Event," only vehicles with an emissions label of 0 or 00 can travel.
Arrive
By air
Benito Juarez International Airport
Most visitors arrive in Mexico City by air, Benito Juárez International Airport (IATA : MEX, ICAO: MMMX) [1], located in the eastern part of the city. The airport has two terminals, T1 and T2 which are the latter mainly used for Skyteam airlines.
The two terminals are connected by a bus line and a light rail system that is significantly faster than buses. Note: For some reason, you can only board light rail if you have a boarding pass or ticket stub from your incoming flight. Bad luck if you have an e-Ticket and have not printed your boarding pass or if you are going to terminal 2 to meet someone.
There are regular flights to and from major cities around the world, such as Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Lima, London, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Chicago, Toronto and Tokyo. Several international airlines operate flights to Mexico City including: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Alaska Airlines [2], American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, Copa, Cubana de Aviacion, Delta [3], Iberia, KLM, LAN, Lufthansa, TACA, United Airlines, US Airways, and Southwest.
Your airline will only allow you to board your flight to Mexico, if you have a valid return ticket. Your airline may not tell you this until you are about to board.
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