Mexico City The Biggest in the World
with over 22 Million Inhabitants

Mexico City 2,200 meters above sea level in the country’s Highlands, has in the Valley of Mexico a population exceeding 22 million people, plus another 5 million in a radius of 70 kilometers. Mexico City is the Capital of the Country with an impressive Industrial setting bigger than most cities in the United States. Development of such a megalopolis contains a path full of historic and physical factors that permitted the City to reach such size. All over, as well as nearby, you find the heritage of the Pre-Hispanic societies that populated or influenced the configuration of such colossal urban settlement. The 16th Century witnessed the Conquest of the Country by the Spanish expeditionary army and the religious missionaries, both changing believes and way of life of the aborigine groups. A new architecture was enforced using as foundation for the new buildings, the religious monuments of the existing people. Churches were placed on top of the aborigine temples and today you find Colonial Churches with rich and artistic furnishings and in some cases next to the church, what was not used as a foundation has been uncovered to its original archeological formation The City has a Central Historic District which central square known as the Zocalo in the Center of this District and of the City. Nevertheless, the original town was surrounded by many villages with their own essence and personality and of course their own special History. Places such as San Angel, Coyoacan, Xochimilico, Tepeyacac and others. Today administratively the City Government is divided by Delegations which are lead by regional rulers coordinated by the Nation’s Capital Governor of the Federal District, all voted through electors of each territorial division.

When the Spaniards got to this Big Valley of Mexico, it was already the most populated area on the American Continent, counting different aborigine ethnic groups and of course the colonizers devoted a lot of dedication to this area. Success was achieved by submitting the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma and at the same time achieving alliances with other leading groups, enemies of the Aztecs. The dominating ethnic group when the Spaniards arrived where the Aztecs, although this was the last group to settle on the valley. The American Continent was colonized by migrations that arrived from Eurasia through the Straight of Behring thousand of years ago which slowly descended south along the continent.  The oldest remains are established by burials found at Tlatilco estimated from years 1500 BC to 500 BC.

The valley was predominantly covered by lakes fed by the surrounding Sierra Mountains and soil was richly fertile supporting life of settling groups.  From year 500BC to 100AD, we find other groups nestled at Coplico, Tetelpan and Cuicuilco (South of the Valley), having left their Ceremonial Centers still standing to date. From 650 AD to 950 AD other groups were eminent and were located in surrounding areas such as Xochicalco, Cacaxtla and Cholula. For the following 160 Years Teotihuacan with the biggest Ceremonial Center in the Highlands, took over the functions of the empire, but merging with the Toltecas. Other tribes settled on the east side of the Valley founding the Nahuatl communities Tenayuca, Texcoco and Tlacopan.

At the end of the 13th Century the Mexicas, which later became the sovereigns of the Aztec Empire, arrived to the valley. They tried to settle in the forest of Chapultepec, but were rejected by the Toltec Warriors. So following a religious premonition from their god Huichilopostli, saying that their promised land would be the place where they would find an eagle posted on a cactus devouring a snake and so found such a vision in the middle of the central lake. The place is today Mexico City Town Square, El Zocalo. But the Mexicas fought their way in, continued fighting and so became the dominating and imperialistic warriors that in the 200 years before the arrival of the Spaniards, established their sovereignty al overt the country and in to the Maya World in the south and parts of Central America.

The Aztecs traced a City with perfect orientation North, South, East and West. From the Island they built 4 avenues to connect direct with the mainland. At the same time they built an Aqueduct from the Chapultepec Springs to the center of the Island in order to have pure drinkable water. Part of these arches are still standing in the middle of the city (on Chapultepec avenue). The expeditionary personnel of the Conquering armies were not that prepared and did not observe the precision od measures that Aztec and Toltecas had put on their Buildings, Centuries later most of the tracing errors have been corrected. But still although a Mega City, you still find the village settings and tracing in the parts of the Valley that merged in to the City. You will be in a Village, but rush and traffic will remind you that you are in the Biggest City in the World.