Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. Mexico City is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The population is growing with 5% a year, mainly because of birth and because of immigration of people from the country. Each day about 1.000 people form the country arrive in Mexico City.

This city is crowded, polluted, and chaotic, but it's also very beautiful! In Mexico City you can find the richness of the nation. It is the centre of the government. It is not just a city with skyscrapers, roads and people. The city has a lot more to give, only you have to know were to find it. You also have to be patient. In Mexico City patience makes it possible to survive. Mexico City is a city of opportunities!

History:

Aztec records set the founding date of their city at 1325, when a band of nomads from the north settled on an island in Lake Texcoco. The city, called Tenochtitlán, eventually expanded to a population of more than 250,000, and by the 16th century it had become the seat of the Aztec Empire. The Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés first viewed the city in 1519. In 1521 his forces occupied and systematically levelled the great Aztec metropolis, building their own capital on the ruins. Lake Texcoco was filled in as the city expanded and was rebuilt in the Spanish architectural mode. From this new town, Spanish excursions explored and subdued the Native American inhabitants as far north as the present United States and south into Central America. Mexico City became the capital of all the Spanish provinces in the western hemisphere north of Costa Rica. It was administered by Spain for three centuries before being won in 1821 by a revolutionary band led by Augustine de Iturbide, later named emperor. During the Mexican-American War, Mexico City was captured by US forces in 1847 and held for five months. It was ruled by Emperor Maximilian and the French army from 1863 to 1867, when it was taken by President Benito Pablo Juarez. During the years of revolution following 1910, the capital was the scene of street fighting. By the 1920s, plans for the urbanization of Mexico City had been initiated. Industrialization increased as mills and factories spread throughout the city. Slum-clearance and housing-development programmes were initiated. Between 1930 and 1950, the population more than doubled. In 1985 a devastating earthquake caused severe damage, leaving nearly 30,000 homeless and thousands more dead.

Employment:

The industry in Mexico City produces more than 65% of the national production and there is oil industry, chemical industry and nourishment industry. Some of the most important products are: cement, glass, paper, clothes, electronics, household appliances and cars. Most of the Mexican banks and insurance companies do have their main offices in this city.

Environment:

In the city there are a lot of roads, railroads and airways. Since 1969 you also can find a subway. All this traffic makes much pollution (smog). On hot days there are live threatening concentrations of sulphur fume, carbonic oxide and car butted hydrogen in the air. In the winter it happens that the air can't rise anymore. This causes great problems for the health of the inhabitants of the city

Future:

In Mexico-city the population will keep on growing fast. This will lead to many more problems than the city probably can hold.