1325-2O25   -   7 Centuries Old ©
Altépetl i México - Ciudad de México - CDMX
Mexico City turns 7OO
EXPLORE Forgotten Pasts & DISCOVER Vibrant Futures
Mexico7OO.com
by mexunitours.com

• Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas, and was founded by Indigenous people.

• The city was originally built on a group of islands in Lake Texcoco by the Mexica around 1325, under the names of the islands,  Mexico-Tenochtitlan and Mexico-Tlatelolco.

• It served as the 'controlling city-state' (capital) of the Mexica Empire for almost two centuries.

• It is the focal point of meeting of the two main human migrations out of Africa, the Asian-American and the Euro-African.

• It is the place where humankind completed its surrounding of Planet Earth.

• It was almost completely destroyed in the 1521 siege by Cortés and his followers, and subsequently leveled, redesigned, and rebuilt in accordance with the Spanish urban standards.

• In 1524, the municipality of Mexico City was established, known as México-Tenochtitlan (only on the main island), and as of 1585, it was officially known as Ciudad de México (Mexico City), (both islands).

• Mexico City played a major role in the Spanish Empire at its crossroads; a political, administrative, and financial center which took over the Silk Road and turned into a world trade center.

• Following independence from Spain, Mexico City was established as the Federal District of the United Mexican States, in 1824.

• The city's name has been used as a nickname for the country whose official name is the United Mexican States, and remains the official name of the country to date.

• It has been the capital of: 1. The Mexica Empire, 2. The Viceroyalty of Mexico (Economic Capital) of the Spanish Empire, and, 3. The United Mexican States (Independent Mexico).

• For most of its seven centuries, the city has remained one of the largest in the world.

• In 1987, the United Nations, through UNESCO, named its Historic Center and Xochimilco boroughs as World Heritage Sites.

• Today, the city encompasses six World Heritage Sites, as no other city in the world. 

• After years of demanding greater political autonomy, residents were finally given the right to elect both a head of government and the representatives of the unicameral Legislative Assembly by election in 1997.

• Left-wing parties have since controlled both the executive and legislative branches.

• The city has several progressive policies, such as elective abortions, a limited form of euthanasia, no-fault divorce, same-sex marriage, and legal gender change.

• On January 29, 2016, it ceased to be the Federal District (Spanish: Distrito Federal or D.F.) and is now officially known as Ciudad de México (or by its abbreviation CDMX), with a greater degree of autonomy.

• A clause in the Constitution of the United Mexican States, however, prevents it from becoming a state within the Mexican federation, as long as it remains the capital of the country.

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Mexico City was traditionally known as La Ciudad de los Palacios ("the City of the Palaces"), a nickname attributed to Baron Alexander von Humboldt when visiting the city in the 19th century, who, sending a letter back to Germany, said Mexico City could rival any major city in Europe. But it was English politician Charles Latrobe who really penned the following: "... look at their works: the moles, aqueducts, churches, roads—and the luxurious City of Palaces which has risen from the clay-built ruins of Tenochtitlan...", on page 84 of the Letter V of The Rambler in Mexico.

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During the Spanish viceregal period, the city's motto was "Muy Noble e Insigne, Muy Leal e Imperial" (Very Noble and Distinguished, Very Loyal and Imperial).

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Mexico7OO.com

by mexunitours.com