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Nov 9, 2009 · Between 100 B.C. and 700 A.D., Teotihuacán, the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, was constructed near present-day Mexico City. The civilization that built it is also called...
History of Mexico City. Ancient foundations. Study Mexico City's history from the Aztec-Mexica cities Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco to the conquistadores. Overview of the history of Tenochtitlán, forerunner of Mexico City, Mexico. See all videos for this article.
Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México, locally [sjuˈða(ð) ðe ˈmexiko] ⓘ; abbr.: CDMX; Central Nahuatl: Mexihco Hueyaltepetl, Nahuatl pronunciation: [meːˈʃiʔko wejaːlˈtepeːt͡ɬ]; Otomi: 'Monda) is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. Mexico City is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world.
From the 14th to the 19th century, Tenochtitlan, and subsequently, Mexico City, exerted a decisive influence on the development of architecture, the monumental arts and the use of space first in the Aztec Empire and later in New Spain.
Despite modernization, Mexico City retains traces of its roots. The historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains more than 1,400 buildings which date from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Early canals also survive, which allow tourists to visit the city's remaining Aztec chinampas.
Captured by Mexican revolutionaries under Gen. Agustín de Iturbide in 1821, it was seized by the U.S. in 1847 during the Mexican War and by the French (1863–67) under Maximilian. It was greatly improved during the rule of Porfirio Díaz (1876–80, 1884–1911). In 1985 it was struck by a severe earthquake that killed at least 7,000 people.
History of the Present: Mexico City. An unpopular president, a myth-making architect, and a multibillionaire tycoon build an oversize airport in a nature preserve.
