Mexico City, Spanish Ciudad de México, City (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi (1,477 sq km). Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities 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 Hernán Cortés in 1521. It was the seat of the Viceroyalty of New Spain throughout the colonial period. 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. The old city centre, 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 University. The city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
