什麼是墨西哥城

正式名稱Ciudad de México, D. F.

墨西哥聯邦區首府，海拔約2,240公尺，是世界最大和發展最快速的大都會之一。其出產的工業產品約佔全國的1/3。位於一塊古老的湖牀上，是阿茲特克人首都特諾奇蒂特蘭的舊址所在，1521年西班牙的探險家科爾特斯佔領之。在殖民地時期為新西班牙總督轄區的首府。1821年墨西哥革命軍在伊圖爾維德將軍的領導下佔據該城，墨西哥戰爭期間為美國人奪佔（1847），1863～1867年被馬克西米連帶領的法國軍佔領。在迪亞斯在位期間大為發展。1985年發生的一次強震造成9,500人死亡。舊城市中心在索卡洛，有很多歷史建築，包括大都會大教堂（建在一座阿茲特克人神廟舊址上）和國家宮殿（建在蒙提祖馬二世宮殿的廢墟上）。教育機構包括墨西哥國立自治大學（1551）、墨西哥學院和伊比利亞－美洲大學。面積1,479平方公里。人口：都會區約16,560,000（1995）。

Mexico City

Capital (metro. area pop., 1995 est.: 16,560,000) of the Federal District and of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), and occupying an area of 571 sq mi (1,479 sq km), it is the world's largest city proper and one of the world's fastest-growing metropolitan areas. It generates about one-third of Mexico's industrial production. It lies on an ancient lake bed, the site of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, which was taken by the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes in 1521. It was the seat of the viceroyalty of New Spain throughout the colonial period. Captured by Mexican revolutionaries under Gen. Agustin 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 presidency of Porfirio Diaz. In 1985 it was struck by a severe earthquake that killed 9,500 people. The old city center, the Zócalo, has many historic buildings, including the Metropolitan Cathedral (built on the site of an Aztec temple) and the National Palace (built on the ruins of the palace of Montezuma II). Its educational institutions include the National Autonomous University of Mexico (founded 1551), the College of Mexico, and the Ibero-American Univ.