Wikiwand - Mexico City (2024)

Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México,[lower-alpha 1][10] locally [sjuˈða(ð) ðe ˈmexiko] ^ⓘ; abbr.: CDMX; Central Nahuatl: Mexihco Hueyaltepetl,[11] Nahuatl pronunciation: [meːˈʃiʔko wejaːlˈtepeːt͡ɬ]; Maya: u noj kaajil México,[12] Otomi: 'Monda) is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America.[13][14] Mexico City is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world.[15] It is located in the Valley of Mexico within the high Mexican central plateau, at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,350ft). The city has 16 boroughs or demarcaciones territoriales, which are in turn divided into neighborhoods or colonias.

Quick facts: Mexico City Ciudad de México(Spanis... ▼

Mexico City Ciudad de México(Spanish) Mexihco Hueyaltepetl(Central Nahuatl) U noj kaajil México(Yucatec Maya)
Capital and megacity
Skyline of Mexico City with the Torre Latinoamericana Angel of Independence Museo Soumaya Monument to the Revolution Paseo de la Reforma from the Chapultepec Castle Cathedral and National Palace in the Zócalo Palace of Fine Arts Santa Fe business district
Coat of arms Government logo
Nickname: CDMX
Motto(s): La Ciudad de los Palacios (The City of Palaces)
Mexico City within Mexico
Mexico City Location within Mexico Mexico City Mexico City (North America)
Coordinates: 19°26′N 99°8′W
Country	Mexico
Founded	13March1325: Mexico-Tenochtitlan[1] 13August1521: Ciudad de México[2] 18November1824: Distrito Federal[3] 29January2016: Ciudad de México[4]
Founded by	Tenoch (as Mexico-Tenochtitlan) Hernán Cortés (as Mexico City)
Government
•Mayor	Martí Batres (MORENA)
Area [5][b]
•Total	1,485km2 (573sqmi)
	Ranked 32nd
Elevation	2,240m (7,350ft)
Highestelevation [6] (Ajusco)	3,930m (12,890ft)
Population (2020)[7]
•Total	9,209,944
•Rank	1st in North America 1st in Mexico
•Density	6,200/km2 (16,000/sqmi)
•Rank	1st
•Metro area	21,804,515
Demonyms	Capitalino (a) Mexiqueño (a) (archaic) Chilango (a) (colloquial)
GDP [8]
•Federal District	US$212 billion (2021)
•Greater Mexico City	US$340 billion (2021)
Time zone	UTC−06:00 (CST)
Postal code	00–16
Area code	55/56
ISO 3166 code	MX-CMX
Patron Saint	Philip of Jesus (Spanish: San Felipe de Jesús)
HDI	0.837 Very High[9]
Website	www.cdmx.gob.mx (in Spanish)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Historic center of Mexico City, Xochimilco and Central University City Campus of the UNAM
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, v
Designated	1987, 2007 (11th, 31st sessions)
Referenceno.	412, 1250
Region	Latin America and the Caribbean
^ b. Area of Mexico City that includes non-urban areas at the south

The 2020 population for the city proper was 9,209,944,[7] with a land area of 1,495 square kilometers (577sqmi).[16] According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments, the population of Greater Mexico City is 21,804,515, which makes it the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the world, the second-largest urban agglomeration in the Western Hemisphere (behind São Paulo, Brazil), and the largest Spanish-speaking city (city proper) in the world.[17] Greater Mexico City has a GDP of $411 billion in 2011, which makes it one of the most productive urban areas in the world.[18] The city was responsible for generating 15.8% of Mexico's GDP, and the metropolitan area accounted for about 22% of the country's GDP.[19] If it were an independent country in 2013, Mexico City would be the fifth-largest economy in Latin America.[20]

Mexico's capital is both the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of two founded by Indigenous people.[lower-alpha 2] The city was originally built on a group of islands in Lake Texcoco by the Mexica (Aztecs) around 1325, under the name Tenochtitlan. It was almost completely destroyed in the 1521 siege of Tenochtitlan and subsequently redesigned and rebuilt in accordance with the Spanish urban standards. In 1524, the municipality of Mexico City was established, known as México Tenochtitlán,[21] and as of 1585, it was officially known as Ciudad de México (Mexico City).[21] Mexico City was the political, administrative, and financial center of a major part of the Spanish colonial empire.[22] After independence from Spain was achieved, the federal district was created in 1824.

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. Ever since, left-wing parties (first the Party of the Democratic Revolution and later the National Regeneration Movement) have controlled both of them.[23] The city has several progressive policies,[24][25] such as elective abortions,[26] a limited form of euthanasia,[27] no-fault divorce,[28] same-sex marriage,[29] and legal gender change.[30] On 29 January 2016, it ceased to be the Federal District (Spanish: Distrito Federal or D.F.) and is now officially known as Ciudad de México (or CDMX), with a greater degree of autonomy.[31][32] A clause in the Constitution of Mexico, however, prevents it from becoming a state within the Mexican federation, as long it remains the capital of the country.[33]