|
| Mexico Travel | Mexico News | Mexico Destination Guide | Contact Us |
State of MexicoThe state of Mexico rings the Valley of Mexico outside Mexico City and also bulges far to the southwest, almost to the Rio Balsas. The Valley of Mexico has been occupied for many millennia. In the town of Santa Isabel Iztapan, just north of Mexico City, ditch diggers found the remains of two mammoths that had been butchered with stone and obsidian knives around 12,000-10,000 BC. Closer to our era, settlements in this region show the influence of the Olmec culture centered on the Gulf coast. Just after the birth of Christ, a plan for a city was laid out in the northeastern corner of the Valley of Mexico. No one knows where the builders came from, but the city became Teotihuacan, the most powerful urban center in Mesoamerica for seven centuries and the site of the great Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, two of the marvels of the world. At its zenith around AD 600, Teotihuacan contained 200,000 people, making it the sixth largest city in the world at the time. Teotihuacan probably sustained itself through trade; the city contained wards for Zapotecs, Mayas and other tribes, and artefacts made here have been found as far away as Guatemala. Around AD 700 unknown tribes invaded and burned the city. The Toltecs and later the Aztecs made pilgrimages to Teotihuacan, because they believed the gods resided in the huge pyramids. The Toltecs controlled the Valley of Mexico from Tula, while the Otomis to the west had capitals in Toluca and Malinalco. After the Toltec collapse, their descendants mingled with the Otomis and Chichimecs from the north to become a new Toltec-Chichimec culture centered around the valley's network of lakes. The major settlements included Chalco and Texcoco, which was ruled by a family of philosopher kings. By 1427 these tribes had been subjugated by a savage tribe of Chichimecs, who called themselves the Mexica and had recently moved to Tenochtitlan, an island in the middle of the lakes. They founded the Aztec empire, which was to rule central Mexico for almost a century. When Bernal Diaz del Castillo entered the valley with Cortes, the marvelous scene before him led him to write: 'With such wondrous sights to gaze on we did not know what to say, or if this was real that we saw before our eyes.' After the Conquest in 1521, Cortes and his captains divided the Valley of Mexico into encomiendas, large estates (Cortes took the largest). Mexico City became the Spanish capital and development quickly extended throughout the valley. In the following centuries, Indian culture disappeared under the onslaught of Franciscan and Dominican missionaries, new forms of agriculture, early industries, mines and epidemics. In November 1810, any hope of a speedy finish to Mexico's battle for independence ended when Miguel Hidalgo halted his army in a pass between Toluca and Mexico City and decided to return north rather than attack the capital. Over the next decade Toluca was the site of many battles between Morelos's army and the royalists. In 1910, Zapata's peasant revolutionary army entered the state from the south and within two years controlled Chalco and Amecameca on Mexico City's outskirts. Throughout much of the Revolution, hunger, disease and looting were rampant in the region. Over the last 40 years Mexico City has expanded its boundaries and transformed what were once quiet towns into heavily polluted suburbs. Only the southwest of the state remains agricultural. Travel to Mexico
Travel to Mexico
Featured Mexico Travel DestinationsMexico warns tourists in Cancun of threat from Hurricane EmilyMexico warns tourists in Cancun of threat from Hurricane Emily Mexican officials issued a hurricane warning Saturday for much of the eastern Yucatan peninsula, including the Archaeological Museum of Xochimilco : Mexico CityArchaeological Museum of Xochimilco This museum has a wide range of exhibits from the region's past, including ancient bones and Indian artwork. These include the gigantic Tulum: Quintana RooTulum The Tulum ruins, Maya-Toltec, are 131 km south of Cancun, 1 km off the main road. They are 12th century, with city walls of white Mexico predicts 3 percent GDP growthMexico predicts 3 percent GDP growth Mexico's finance minister said Monday that the government expects to end the year with gross domestic product growth of about Campeche City: State of CampecheCampeche is a city of Mexico located at 19°85′ N 90°53′ W, on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. The city's population estimate for Mexico presidential challenger vows protests after court rejects full recountMexico presidential challenger vows protests after court rejects full recount Mexico leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador [campaign website, in Spanish] has vowed to 100 freeze to death in Europe100 freeze to death in Europe The freezing Arctic weather sweeping across northern and eastern Europe claimed nearly 100 lives over the weekend, with unusually Sorenstam shares lead with Cavalleri after one round at Mexico's MasterCard ClassicSorenstam shares lead with Cavalleri after one round at Mexico's MasterCard Classic Annika Sorenstam shot a 5-under 67 in her first competitive round of the year UPDATE 1-Mexico 28-day T-bill yield edges down to 7.98 pctUPDATE 1-Mexico 28-day T-bill yield edges down to 7.98 pct The yield on Mexico's benchmark Cetes, or T-bills, edged down for the 23rd straight week Mercado de Flores: Mexico CityMercado de Flores: Mexico City |
|
| © Mexico Travelers | About Us :: Advertise with Us :: Copyright and Privacy Policy :: Contact Us | Powered by: Travel to World |
| Archives | Site Design and Developer : MAAS InfoMedia |
