MEXICO CITY
The Old
The New
The Beautiful
The Polluted
Basic Information
• Mexico City is the capital and largest city in
the country of Mexico.
• Mexico City is also known as the Federal
District, a federal entity within Mexico which
is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states.
• It is the most important political center in the
country.
• Mexico City is also considered one of the most
important financial centers in Latin America.
• Located in the Valley of Mexico, a large valley
in the high plateaus at the center of Mexico, at
an altitude of 7,350 feet, the city consists of
sixteen boroughs.
Federal District of Mexico City
Background Information
• The city was originally built as Tenochtitlan by
the Aztecs in 1325 on an island of Lake
Texcoco, which was almost completely
destroyed in the siege of 1521, and
subsequently redesigned and rebuilt in
accordance with the Spanish urban standards.
• Urbanization has had a serious negative effect
on the city's environment. Pollution, dwindling
water supply and poor air quality have been
some of the city's largest problems. Many
factors such as industrial growth and a
demographic boom (from 3 million in 1950 to
some 20 million in the metropolitan area
today) have contributed to this situation.
Cityscape of Mexico City
Angel de La Independencia
Aztec Ruins, Colonial Church & Modern Buildings
From the Aztec Period
800 Year Old Pyramid
ARCHITECTURE OF THE COLONIAL
PERIOD
Central Plaza built during the colonial
period focuses on the Cathedral
Cathedral
MODERN ARCHITECTURE & ART
Bullfighting Arena
Nautilus House in Mexico City
Commercial District
Museum of Contemporary Art
Soumaya Museum in Mexico City
Central
Library
of Mexico
City
Diego Rivera Mural
Trajineras
Zócalo
Ice Rink
Café de Tacuba
Palacio de Correos
She’s Everywhere, She’s
Everywhere!
Palace of Fine Arts