Mexican Regions

Customs / Culture / Traditions
In 1325 the Aztecs found a city called Tenochtitlan on some islands of Lake Texcoco. In 1521 the Spanish invaded and destroyed the city. From 1522 they built „Mexico City" on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. In 1525 the new city became the administrative district of New Spain and had numerous churches and palaces. The city was hit several times by floods and earthquakes. Between 1847 and 1848 U.S. troops occupied the capital and between 1863 and 1867 French armies occupied it. During the civil war between 1910 and 1920, the city was occupied by different countries. In the 1950s they built the City University (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) and the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN).In 1968 they hosted the Olympics.From the 50's onwards the population grew and started occupying many industrial areas.Mexico City was the first federal entity in Mexico which in 2006 recognized unions between the same gender. In 2007 it was also the first federal entity that legalized abortion before 12 weeks of pregnancy, which was criticized by the Catholic Church and conservative organizations.Most of the inhabitants of the city are mestizos (mixed European and indigenous). The “Nahua” are the largest ethnic group in Mexico City. Other native groups living in the Mexico City are the Mixtec, Otomi, Zapotec and Mazahua groups of Mayan origin.

Religion
Most of the inhabitants of Mexico City are Catholic, however Judeo-Christian and evangelical is also professed by some . In addition, there are communities of people who profess no religion.

Events
The Federal District is home to the main sites of the Mexican culture. Mexico City is also the first city to have museums and lots of theaters.One of the main and most important festivals is the celebration of Independence Day in “Zocalo”, which is celebrated on September 15. In addition, there are many religious festivals, such as the Representation of the Passion of Jesus in “Iztapalapa” .

Culinary Specialities
In Mexico City there are many restaurants dedicated to the Mexican food, however there are also several restaurants offering French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Japanese cuisine.The local specialty of Mexico City is, "Antojitos Mexicanos", which are tapas similar to tacos served with various sauces such as “salsa Verde”, “salsa Mexicana”, “salsa Ranchera” and guacamole. “Tamales” (a spicy Mexican dish consisting of chopped meat wrapped in cornmeal dough) are very popular at parties and celebrations. They can be stuffed with meat, vegetables or fruit. A typical lunch is "chilaquiles" prepared with pieces of fried corn tortilla, dipped in green or red chili sauce.

Sights
In 1987 UNESCO gave the historic center of Mexico City the title "Patrimonoio de la huminidad". In the historic center the city's main square is “Zocalo”.
Other attractions are:
-“Santa Fe”, where there are modern office buildings
-La Villa de Guadalupe (religious neighborhood)
-the Cathedra
l-National Palace
-Plaza Santo Domingo
-Alameda Parque
-Palace of Fine Arts
-National Museum of Fine Arts
-Monument to the Revolution
-City Theatre