Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America. It is one of the most significant cultural and financial centers in the world. The city is situated in the Valley of Mexico within the high central plateau at an altitude of 7,350 feet. Mexico City is divided into 16 boroughs, known as demarcaciones territoriales, which are further subdivided into neighborhoods called colonias.
As of 2020, the population of the city proper was 9,209,944, covering a land area of 577 square miles. According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments, the population of Greater Mexico City is 21,804,515. This makes it the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the world, the second-largest urban agglomeration in the Western Hemisphere (after São Paulo, Brazil), and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. In 2011, Greater Mexico City had a GDP of $411 billion, which ranks it among the most productive urban areas globally. The city generated 15.8% of Mexico's GDP, while the metropolitan area accounted for approximately 22% of the country's GDP. Had it been an independent country in 2013, Mexico City would have been the fifth-largest economy in Latin America.
Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of two founded by Indigenous peoples. Originally built on a group of islands in Lake Texcoco by the Mexica around 1325, it was named Tenochtitlan. The city was almost entirely destroyed during the 1521 siege of Tenochtitlan and was subsequently redesigned and rebuilt according to Spanish urban standards. In 1524, the municipality of Mexico City was officially established as México Tenochtitlán, and by 1585, it was formally known as Ciudad de México.
Mexico City played a crucial role in the Spanish colonial empire as a political, administrative, and financial center. After gaining independence from Spain, the federal district was established in 1824. Following years of demands for greater political autonomy, residents were granted the right to elect both a head of government and representatives of the unicameral Legislative Assembly in 1997. Since then, left-wing parties, first the Party of the Democratic Revolution and later the National Regeneration Movement, have controlled both positions.
The city has implemented several progressive policies, including elective abortions, a limited form of euthanasia, no-fault divorce, same-sex marriage, and legal gender change. On January 29, 2016, Mexico City ceased to be the Federal District and is now officially known as Ciudad de México (or CDMX), enjoying a greater degree of autonomy. However, a clause in the Constitution of Mexico prevents it from becoming a state within the Mexican federation as long as it remains the country's capital.
Source: Wikipedia
