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172-458: This center, despite being in the urbanized zone, still retains much of its provincial atmosphere with colonial era mansions and cobblestone streets. Much of the borough's importance stems from its forested conservation areas, as it functions to provide oxygen to the Valley of Mexico and serves for aquifer recharge. Seventy per cent of Mexico City's water comes from wells in this borough. However,

344-675: A canal in this area, calling it Nochistongo, leading waters to the Tula Valley, but the drainage was not sufficient to avoid the Great Flood of 1629 in the city. Another canal, which would be dubbed the "Grand Canal" was built parallel to the Nochistongo one ending in Tequixquiac . The Grand Canal consists of one main canal, which measures 6.5 meters (21 ft) in diameter and 50 km (30 mi) long. The drainage project

516-719: A decree establishing the reopening of the Literary Institute, an initiative attributed to the Secretary of War and Finance, Ignacio Ramirez Calzada, El Nigromante . Seven months later, on June 7, 1847, the Institute reopened and students from different parts of the State arrived due to the restoration of scholarships to students of municipalities across the state. In 1849, after the Mexican-American War ,

688-558: A full remodeling of the Institute. He hired architect José Luis González Collazo for the design, and engineer Anselmo Camacho, a former mathematics professor at the institute, to build it. The latter made some modifications to the design that resulted in the façade of the Historic Rectory Building. During the Porfiriato, the government period after Benito Juárez's term, the Institute stood out for participating at

860-401: A growing population, increasing industry, and ecosystem degradation in the form of deforestation of the surrounding mountains, more water is leaving the system than is entering. It is estimated that 63 cubic meters per second (1,000,000 US gal/min) of water is needed to support the potable and agricultural irrigation needs of Mexico City's population. The main aquifer is being pumped at

1032-688: A hunter-gatherer existence in favor of agriculture sometime between the end of the Pleistocene epoch and the beginning of the Holocene . The oldest known human settlement in the Valley of Mexico is located in Tlapacoya , located on what was the edge of Lake Chalco in the southeast corner of the valley in contemporary Mexico State. There is reliable archeological evidence to suggest that the site dates as far back as 12,000 BC. After 10,000 BC,

1204-646: A major environmental impact on the Valley of Mexico. Historically, Mexico City's potable water supply came via aqueduct from the mountain springs on the valley sides like that in Chapultepec as most of the water in Lake Texcoco was saline. These were originally built by the Aztecs and were rebuilt by the Spaniards. In the mid-1850s, potable groundwater was found underneath the city itself, which motivated

1376-507: A national forest which covers much of the Sierra de Ajusco and Chichinautzin mountain ranges that separate Mexico City from the states of Morelos and the State of Mexico. A portion of this forest is located in the borough of Tlalpan, as well as Milpa Alta and Xochimilco. Much of the range consists of volcanic cones, almost all dormant, with the most prominent being Xitle. Depending on altitude, the climate ranges from temperate to cold, with all but

1548-543: A new 30-mile (50 km) drainage tunnel and repairs to the current 7,400-mile (11,900 km) system of pipes and tunnels to clear blockages and patch leaks. Over-pumping of groundwater in the 20th century has hastened the disappearance of the lakes. The old lake beds are almost all paved except for some canals preserved in Xochimilco, mostly for the benefit of visitors who tour them on brightly painted trajineras , boats similar to gondolas . Desiccation has had

1720-402: A nominal fee for works selected to be displayed and requires that said works have a “strong social content.” One of the works that has been displayed was when artist Georgina Toussaint convinced the inmates of a Centro de Tratamiento de Varones to draw images of their identity and then displayed the works on the façade of the facility. A major attraction of the center, not far from the square,

1892-818: A number of areas susceptible to flooding during the rainy season from June to October. These include Anillo Periférico, Renato Leduc, Boulevard de la Luz and the Picacho Highway. Forest fires are a common problem not only in the Bosque de Tlalpan but also in Parque Fuentes Brotantes, Parque Ciudad de Mexico and the Cerro de Zacatepetl. Tlalpan has some of the largest forested lands within the Mexico City limits, with over 80% of this borough officially declared to be in conservation. However, only 4% of

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2064-495: A nun, Lorenzo de Zavala decided to expropriate the land and turn it into the new premises for the Institute. With the establishment of the centralist government in Mexico, which lasted from 1835 to 1846, state institutes all over the country were closed by decree of president Antonio López de Santa Anna. However, on November 7, 1846, after being appointed as interim governor of the State of Mexico, Francisco Modesto de Olaguíbel signed

2236-462: A political message. While the center's authorities insist the center is non-political, members of Mexico's PAN party raised objections to the content in the center's first year. The Museo de Historia de Tlalpan (Museum of the History of Tlalpan, is housed in a building known as “La Casona” (The Mansion), which dates to 1874. In addition to its age, one of its claims to fame is that it is the site of

2408-409: A pre-Hispanic village located at the intersection of a number of roads that connected Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) with points south. This village was renamed Villa de San Agustín de las Cuevas in 1645, with the last part “de las Cuevas” referring to the many small caves in the area. During the colonial period, the village was a modest farming village, known for its fruit orchards. However, the forests of

2580-653: A protector of the younglings. In honor of such remarkable characters, the UAEM awards the most outstanding teachers and students of each generation with the Ignacio Ramirez Calzada and the Ignacio Manuel Altamirano medals, respectively. As a result of the interference of the church in the education system, the Institute's education was tinted with religious elements at the beginning. For instance, every morning students, whether living at

2752-399: A rate of 55.5 m /s (880,000 US gal/min), but is only being replaced at 28 m /s (440,000 US gal/min), or about half of the extraction rate, leaving a shortfall of 27.5 m /s (436,000 US gal/min). This over-extraction of groundwater from the old clay lake bed has been causing the land upon which the city rests to collapse and sink. This problem began in

2924-505: A small façade around the main entrance. The name refers to this feature as “chata” mean flattened, or pushed in. As Tlalpan was the capital of the State of Mexico for six years, a number of constructions related to this function, such as the Casa de Moneda (coin mint) and a government print shop were built and still remain. In the latter, Cuban writer José María Heredia published poems about his stay in Mexico. Other religious institutions include

3096-453: A soiree full of music and literature at the theatre of Toluca, where they recited poetry and performed some musical pieces . Likewise, a ball to crown the queen was held in the western courtyard of the Institute, which today is known as the Patio del Centenario [Centennial Courtyard] in honor of the 100th anniversary. Two icons of the university were created on the occasion of this celebration:

3268-534: A solidified lava bed. Wildlife includes eagles, falcons, squirrels and the Mexican mouse opossum . It has been open to the public since 1968. It has parking, restaurants and food stalls in cabins, playgrounds its own Casa de Cultura or cultural center. One of the attractions in the park is the Tenantono Pyramid, which is located in a remote area of the park. Better known is the old Casa de la Bombas. This

3440-519: A symbol for clay soil. The area come under control of the Spanish after the fall of Tenochtitlan, and the village's name was changed from Tlapan to Villa de San Agustin de las Cuevas in 1645. San Agustin is the area's patron saint, and the name of the parish church built by the Dominicans in the early 16th century. The last part means “of the caves,” referring to the many caves and caverns formed in

3612-573: A total population of 650,567 inhabitants. It lies at the far south of Mexico City bordering the boroughs of Coyoacán, Xochimilco and Milpa Alta with the state of Morelos to the south and the State of Mexico to the southwest. Administratively, the borough is divided into five zones: Centro de Tlalpan (pop. 163,209), Villa Coapa (118,291), Padierna Miguel Hidalgo (148,582), Ajusco Medio (59,905), and Pueblos Rurales (99,447). All of these are divided into neighborhoods variously called “colonias”, “barrios”, “fraccionamientos” or “unidades habitacionales” with

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3784-479: Is vulnerable to severe air pollution problems due to its altitude, its being surrounded by mountains and the winds patterns of the area. The altitude, with its low oxygen levels, makes for poor combustion of fossil fuels leading to unsafe levels of nitrogen oxides , hydrocarbons , and carbon monoxide . The valley is surrounded by mountain ranges with one small opening to the north. The surrounding mountains and climate patterns here make it difficult to clear out

3956-523: Is La Portada, on one side of the main plaza. Tlalpan center has eighty structures from the 16th to the 20th centuries that have been classified by INAH as having historic value. Some of these include old Tlalpan Hacienda, the former home of the Marquis de Vivanco and the San Agustin parish church. The borough of Tlalpan has sought World Heritage Site status for the area because of these structures,

4128-476: Is a closed or endorheic basin which geologically divides into three hydrologic zones, the low plain, which is essentially the bed of now-extinct lakes, the piedmont area and the surrounding mountains. The old lakebeds correspond to the lowest elevations of the valley in the south are mostly clay with a high water content and are almost entirely covered by urban development. In the piedmont area, these clays become mixed with silts and sands, and in some areas close to

4300-529: Is a major highway connection for the south of the city. Traffic and parking are the most serious issues for the areas in the urban areas, as the borough struggles to keep up with the demand but also keep areas such as Tlalpan Centro at least somewhat provincial. Parking problems are greatest in Ajusco Medio, Padiernoa, Pedregales and Colonia Miguel Hidalgo. Traffic problems are worst in Tlalpan center where

4472-651: Is a manor house that belonged to the former Tlalpan Hacienda. The manor was constructed in 1737 around a central courtyard. Although the hacienda no longer exists, the structure is still surrounded by large gardens. The manor house is currently used as a luxury hotel and restaurant, although there are various salons available as well for events. When it was converted to its present use, it was remodeled in “Neo-Mexican” look with touches of Art Nouveau . The main restaurant offers traditional Mexican dishes with chiles en nogada , cabrito (roast goat), escamoles and duck as specialties. It has large gardens filled with peacocks. Much of

4644-474: Is an early 20th-century structure originally built in Colonia Condesa, Tlalpan to house a pump used to extract water from the ground. It ceased being a pump station in 1940 and laid vacant until 1975, when it was disassembled and moved to the Bosque. However, it was not reassembled until 1986 as part of a larger structure which now serves as a “Casa de Cultura” or cultural center. The façade of the center

4816-470: Is concern that this tunnel will soon fail. It is continuously filled with water, making it impossible to inspect it for problems. If it fails, it would most likely be during the rainy season when it carries the most water, which would cause extensive flooding in the historic center, the airport and the boroughs on the east side. Because of this, another new drainage project is planned that will cost US$ 1.3 billion. The project includes new pumping stations,

4988-541: Is considered the father of positivism: Auguste Comte . Upon his return, based on the scientific method, Barreda designed the curriculum of the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria , which removed all religion-related courses to privilege science. Subsequently, each state was requested through a letter to renew the curriculum of their institute, to conform to that of the ENP. Mariano Riva Palacio , governor of

5160-552: Is crossed by a number of major road arteries such as the Anillo Periférico , Calzada de Tlalpan, Viaducto-Tlalpan, Acoxpa, Division del Norte/Miramontes, which experience extremely heavy traffic during rush hour. The highway connecting Mexico City with Cuernavaca also passes through the borough. Intersections of these major roads have large commercial and retail complexes such as that of Avenida Insurgentes and Anillo Periferico, which has several of these complexes, as this

5332-486: Is home to eighty-two species of animals, many of which are migratory species from the United States and Canada. It is open to the public for hiking, skiing, camping, mountain biking and horseback riding. The first major population center in this part of the Valley of Mexico was Cuicuilco , which was populated as early as 1000 BCE. The current site contains an unusual circular pyramid, and is believed to mimic one of

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5504-408: Is known for its various entertainment options such as restaurants and movie theaters. In 1989, the rest of the lands were converted into this ecological park. It contains a model house showing alternative technologies designed to avoid environmental damage. Workshops are offered for children at the site, as well as restaurants serving organic food. The Parque Juana de Asbaje was established in 1999, on

5676-728: Is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt . The valley contains most of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area , as well as parts of the State of Mexico , Hidalgo , Tlaxcala , and Puebla . The Basin of Mexico covers approximately 9,600 km (3,700 sq mi) in the NNE-SSW direction with length to width dimensions of approximately 125 km (78 miles) to 75 km (47 miles) The Valley of Mexico can be subdivided into four basins, but

5848-548: Is located just off the main square. It was built in the 19th century in French style as the residence of Jesús Pliego Frissac. According to local legend, bandit Chucho el Roto lived here at one time. In the 20th century, it belonged to Adolfo López Mateos then it became the site of the Lancaster School, which closed in the 1980s. In the 1950s, it was used as a set for the film Los Olvidados , by Luis Buñuel . Today,

6020-605: Is located on what were the lands of a former paper factory and extends over 21,000m2. This factory, called Loreto y Peña Pobre, was built in the late 19th century (a time called the Porfiriato in Mexico) when many factories and other infrastructure was built in this area. The paper factory shut down in the 20th century, and its main building eventually became a mall, called the Plaza Inbursa (formerly Plaza Cuicuilco), which

6192-399: Is made of volcanic stone called “chiluca” in French style, which was popular when it was originally built. The additions combine modern and Neoclassical elements but the interior is completely modern. The main areas are the gallery and the forum which host exhibitions and other events. There are also a number of workshops for dance, drama, music, literature and other arts. It is also the home of

6364-757: Is one of the sites of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mexico City. There is another smaller hall dedicated to chamber music as well as galleries for exhibitions. In the Torre de Telmex (Telmex Tower) the Soumaya Museum was inaugurated in 1998, which features a collection of 19th century sculpture including works by Antonio Rosseti , Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux , Auguste Rodin and Dominico Morone . Soumaya also holds temporary exhibits such as one called “Sanctuarios de lo intimo” which featured more than 600 miniature portraits and reliquaries in 2005. Nearby

6536-599: Is significantly less than what it could carry as late as 1975 because continued sinking of the city (as much as 7 metres or 23 feet) weakens the system of water collectors and pumps. As a result, another tunnel, called the Emisor Central , was built to carry wastewater. Although it is considered the most important pipe in the country, it has been damaged by overuse and wall corrosion of the 20 ft (6 m) diameter pipe. Because of lack of maintenance and gradual decrease in this tunnel's ability to carry water, there

6708-454: Is spotty. The major problem is illegal settlements. In all of Mexico City there are over 800 illegal settlements which have some official recognition and occupy almost 60% of lands considered to be protected. These areas may hold as many as 180,000 residents who lack basic services, and cause grave ecological damage. These settlement make trees disappear and furthers urban sprawl. Erosion in conservation areas impedes aquifer recharge and disrupts

6880-475: Is still common, especially in the summer rainy season, in lower-lying neighborhoods such as Iztapalapa , forcing residents to build miniature dikes in front of their houses to prevent heavily polluted rainwater from entering their homes. Subsidence also causes damage to water and sewer lines, leaving the water distribution system vulnerable to contamination which carries risks to public health. Measures other than drainage have been implemented to contain flooding in

7052-574: Is the Mercado de Muebles Vasco de Quiroga furniture market where items such as bedroom sets, armoires, bookcases, tables and more are both made and sold. Valley of Mexico The Valley of Mexico ( Spanish : Valle de México ; Nahuatl languages : Anahuac , lit.   'Land Between the Waters'; ), sometimes also called Basin of Mexico , is a highlands plateau in central Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes ,

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7224-399: Is the largest university institution in the state with over 84,500 students, with its central campus located in the state capital of Toluca . Formalised as a university under the UAEM name in 1956, the institution traces its origins back to 1828 with the foundation Instituto Literario del Estado de México, in the former state capital of Tlalpan . In 1943 the institution was augmented to become

7396-414: Is the largest zone, but 83% of the borough population is concentrated in the other four. The urban sprawl of Mexico City reached the borough of Tlalpan in the mid-20th century, but only the far north of the borough is urbanized. This area accounts for over 80% of the borough population, who live in a mix of middle class residential areas and large apartment complexes for the lower classes. This northern area

7568-610: The Academy of San Carlos who had caused a huge stir by showing a nude painting for the first time. For this, he was not acclaimed in Mexico since society was conservative at that time. However, in Colombia , he not only achieved the status of excellent painter, but also managed to establish a school. Another graduate from the Academy of San Carlos who joined the institute as a professor was Luis Coto y Maldonado, an artist from Toluca who

7740-778: The Exposition Universelle held in Paris in 1889 , where dissected animals from the collection of the Natural Sciences Cabinet were exhibited. Typography , lithography , and carpentry workshops, among others, became part of the Escuela de Artes y Oficios [Arts and Crafts School]. At first, the Escuela Normal de Profesores [Teacher Training College] and the Anexa a la Normal [Annexed School to

7912-525: The Spaniards arrived in the Valley of Mexico, it had one of the highest population concentrations in the world with about one million people. After the conquest of the Aztec Empire , the Spaniards rebuilt the largest and most dominant city, Mēxihco Tenōchtitlan , renaming it Ciudad de México ( Mexico City ) and over time began to drain the lakes' waters to control flooding. The Valley of Mexico

8084-617: The State of Mexico , when Tlalpan served as state capital for six years in the early 19th century. Since then, it was used as a barracks for Benito Juárez ’s soldiers, a jail, a residence for the Empress Carlota and the site of the Instituto Literario (today the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México ) . Today, it serves as the headquarters of the borough, although it is also commonly referred to as

8256-656: The Teotihuacan (800 BC to 800 AD) the Toltec Empire (10th to 13th century) and the Aztec Empire (1325 to 1521). Although violence and disease significantly lowered the population of the valley after the Conquest, by 1900 it was again over one million people. The 20th and 21st centuries have seen an explosion of population in the valley along with the growth of industry. Since 1900,

8428-452: The saline water of the northern lakes from the fresh water of the southern ones. After the destruction of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the Spaniards rebuilt the Aztec dikes but found they did not offer enough flood protection. The arrival of the Spanish and subsequent efforts to drain the area for flood control was a major infrastructure project, called the desagüe , which was pursued throughout

8600-455: The 18th century. It has an austere façade and faces the main square. Around it is an atrium, some simple gardens and a patios shaded by fruit trees. A fire at the end of the 19th century destroyed the Baroque altar, replaced with the sober one seen today. This parish is the site of the annual San Agustin de las Cuevas Festival, which is the largest religious event in the borough. Casa Frissac

8772-483: The 20th century, the Mexico City portion of the valley contained a series of lakes, with saline lakes to the north near the town of Texcoco and freshwater ones to the south. The five lakes, Zumpango, Xaltoca, Xochimilco, Chalco, and the largest, Texcoco used to cover about 1,500 km (580 sq mi) of the basin floor. Small mountains such as the Sierra de Guadalupe and Mount Chiconaultla partially separated

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8944-674: The American army arrived in Toluca and took over the Institute as headquarters, which forced students to take refuge in the Convento del Carmen. This is how the cloister became a temporary seat of the Institute. During this time, and prior to the War of the Reform , church, state and education went hand in hand. In fact, the first rector of the school founded in 1827, which later became the Institute,

9116-592: The Bosque de Tlalpan as part of an annual event sponsored by ecological associations such as Cultura Integral Forestal and Ciencia Cultura y Bosques. This annual event takes place in early July during the beginning of the rainy season and has been repeated for over twenty years. The event was initially sponsored by the Cultura Integral Forestal, made up of principally ex employees of the Loreto y Peña Pobre paper factory. Replanting efforts are focused on

9288-467: The Centro de Documentacion Historica de la Delegacion now accepts, organizes and cares for the borough collection of historic items. Twenty blocks of Tlalpan center have been designated at the “ Museo Público de Arte Contémporaneo de Tlalpan (MUPACT), an “open-air” museum of art, which opened in 2006 with eighteen works. The works are displayed on walls, trees, sidewalks and even streets. The borough offers

9460-511: The Comisión de Recursos Naturales of Mexico City and twenty by the borough itself. These rangers work against illegal loggers, settlers and drug traffickers, who are often armed. The three main problems in the protected areas is illegal logging, the dumping of trash and rubble, squatting, and the theft of volcanic rock (for building materials). Most of the time, all the rangers can do is report the illegal activity to federal authorities but response

9632-725: The Convent of the Capuchinas (the Capuchin Poor Clares ), which still functions as a convent, where one can buy cookies made by the resident nuns. There is also the Capilla del Calvario, which was built in the 17th century. The former house of the Count De Regla is found on Congreso Street, and on San Fernando Street, there is a house where José María Morelos y Pavón was held prisoner. Another house on this street

9804-662: The Federal District and the adjoining cities in the state of Mexico. While population growth has slowed and even declined in the city proper, the outer limits of the metropolitan area keep growing. Much of this growth has occurred on the mountainsides of the valley, in the form of illegal settlements in ecologically sensitive areas. Overall urban settlement in the valley has expanded from about 90 km (35 sq mi) in 1940 to 1,160 km (450 sq mi) in 1990. The metropolitan area has about 21 million residents and about 6 million cars. Mexico City

9976-500: The Federal District itself, particularly during the construction of the city's Metro lines and in the neighborhoods of Del Valle in the center, Lindavista to the center-north and Coyoacán in the south of the city. The symbol for Line 4's Talisman station of the Mexico City Metro is a mammoth, due to the fact that so many bones were uncovered during its construction. However, the richest site for mammoth remains in

10148-482: The Federal District to the surrounding jurisdictions, especially to the north into the State of Mexico making for the Mexico City Metropolitan area, which fills most of the valley. Today, this metropolitan area accounts for 45 per cent of the country's industrial activity, 38 percent of GNP, and 25 percent of the population. Much of its industry is concentrated in the northern part of

10320-414: The Grand Canal, which before had drained the valley purely with gravity. Along with the pumps, the Grand Canal was expanded with a new tunnel through the low mountains called the Xalpa to take the canal past Tequisquiac . Even so, the city still suffered floods in 1950 and 1951. Despite its age, the Grand Canal can still carry 2,400,000 US gallons per minute (150  m /s ) out of the valley, but this

10492-413: The Institute during the Revolution were Andrés Molina Enríquez , a great social scientist who fought the lack of progress and misery that Mexican peasants suffered; Pascual Morales Molina, part of the constitutionalist army and eventually governor of the State of Mexico, and Gustavo Baz Prada , who as a minor and medical student decided to join the Zapatistas . Baz Prada became governor of the state during

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10664-416: The Institute, where Grand Plaza Toluca is located now. In the case of teachers, the situation was different. Some of them were dismissed from their jobs, such as Josué Mirlo, while others, such as Horacio Zuniga, decided to abandon the Institute and not teach there again in support of the movement. Finally, on December 31, 1943, governor Isidro Fabela signed the decree that granted the long-awaited autonomy to

10836-472: The Instituto Científico y Literario de Toluca (ICLA), and thirteen years later obtaining its present name and institutional status. Mexico was born as an independent country in 1821. Don Guadalupe Victoria , the first president of the nation, saw the need to create educational institutions throughout the country to provide education to people, especially the indigenous population, who did not have access to it during colonial times. The Political Constitution of

11008-421: The Literary Institute of the State of Mexico, after receiving the approval of the State Congress, which was chaired by José María Luis Mora . While the latter and Lorenzo de Zavala were liberals, each had a different vision for the Institute. Mora believed freedom was the most important moral value that could be transmitted to students, so he thought the Institute had to be financially supported by citizens, without

11180-439: The Multiforo Ollin Kan and other venues in the borough. Six Flags México , the largest theme park in Latin América, is located in Tlalpan. This park is the most popular recreation center in the city and has numerous roller coasters, rides and shows. Just outside the archeological zone of Cuicuilco is the Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli (Movement and Life), where professional classes in music and dance are offered. Its concert hall

11352-411: The Orquesta Juvenil de Tlalpan (Youth Orchestra of Tlalpan) . Fuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan is a national park with an area of about one km2 running alongside a small canyon. It has a small lake and its own Casa de Cultura (cultural center). It has problems with trash and its ecosystem is heavily damaged, although there a number of large Moctezuma cypress trees. The Parque Ecológico Loreto y Peña Pobre

11524-436: The Revolution, a position he held again years later after being rector of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. As a rector, he made internships compulsory for medical students, a measure that became extensive to the rest of degree programs. In 1928, the Institute celebrated its one hundredth anniversary, but due to the lack of financial resources, high-school students had to make use of their creativity and celebrate in

11696-481: The Spanish during the colonial period. The largest and most dominant city at the time of the Spanish conquest was Tenochtitlan . It was founded by the Mexica ( Aztecs ) on a small island in the western part of Lake Texcoco in 1325, and was extended with the use of chinampas , human-made extensions of agricultural land into the southern lake system, to increase productive agricultural land, covering about 9,000 hectares (35 sq mi). The inhabitants controlled

11868-477: The State of Mexico was signed in Texcoco in 1827; some of its articles established the creation of an institution that managed all levels of public education. That year, the capital of the state moved to San Agustín de las Cuevas, today known as Tlalpan . It was there, in the Casa de las Piedras Miyeras (House of the Miyeras Stones), that the new Seminary inaugurated by governor Lorenzo de Zavala , started classes on September 4. On March 3, 1828, this school became

12040-406: The State of Mexico, carried out the task. It was during this period that institutes became self-aware and started forging their own identity. This was reflected in the creation of its banner on September 15, 1887, when governor José Zubieta gave students the first institutional banner, inspired by the motto "Homeland, Science and Labor". Dean Joaquin Ramos explained the icons on the coat of arms with

12212-410: The Teacher Training College] were located at the Institute, but later moved to new premises. This is considered the golden era of the Institute since its professors laid its cultural foundations. It was quite evident that students were different ages and came from various backgrounds. Boys wearing palm hats and indigenous garments coexisted with boys in suits and modern hats. Some of them used to live at

12384-522: The Toltecs. None of these cities was completely autonomous or self-sufficient, resulting in a conflictive political situation, and a complex system of agriculture in the valley. These city-states had similar governmental structures based on the need to control flooding and store water for irrigating crops. Many of the institutions created by these hydraulic societies, such as the building and maintenance of chinampas, aqueducts and dikes, were later co-opted by

12556-473: The Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations including Teotihuacan , the Toltec , and the Aztec Empire . The valley used to contain five interconnected lakes called Lake Zumpango , Lake Xaltocan (Nahuatl languages: Xāltocān ), Lake Xochimilco , Lake Chalco and the largest, Lake Texcoco , covering about 1,500 square kilometers (580 sq mi) of the valley floor. When

12728-507: The Valley's one opening, where incidentally most of the region's industry is located. These factors diminish in the summer and the situation is helped by the arrival of the rainy season, but the valley's southern latitude and the abundance of sunlight allows for dangerous levels of ozone and other dangerous compounds. While still considered one of the most polluted places on the planet, the valley's air pollution problems are not as bad as they were several decades ago. One major problem that

12900-759: The Villa Coapa with Tlalpan center coming in second. The rest of the borough is filled with forested areas, rugged mountains and small communities, some of which have had a way of life little changed since colonial times. The Pueblos Rurales Zone contains only about one sixth of the borough's population, with the most important concentrations of people being the eight semi-independent communities. These villages are San Miguel Topilejo , San Pedro Mártir, San Andrés Totoltepec, San Miguel Xicalco, San Miguel Ajusco, Santo Tomás Ajusco, Magdalena Petlacalco, and Parres El Guarda. These “pueblos” govern much of their local affairs through “usos y costumbres,” modern legal recognition of

13072-554: The area attractive for drug runners bringing their merchandise into Mexico City, for kidnappers, illegal logging and more, which has led to a number of murders in the area. Many of high peaks between the borough and the State of Mexico are used as lookouts for criminal organizations. Because of this, the borough ranks ninth in criminal activity. The largest problem is illegal settlements. An estimated 191 forested and other areas have been taken over by about 8,000 families. Some of these communities are over twenty years old. Although some of

13244-556: The area by an eruption of the Xitle volcano in 100 CE. Initially, this area south of the Valley of Mexico was part of lands administered by authorities in Coyoacán. During the colonial period, the old village of Tlalpan was a modest farming village, known for its orchards and extensive forests. The latter made it attractive as a retreat for the wealthy of Mexico City. These elite established country homes and haciendas, which eventually became

13416-443: The area is under pressure as its mountainous isolated location has attracted illegal loggers, drug traffickers, and kidnappers; the most serious problem is illegal building of homes and communities on conservation land, mostly by very poor people. As of 2010, the government recognizes the existence of 191 of the settlements, which cause severe ecological damage with the disappearance of trees, advance of urban sprawl , and in some areas,

13588-418: The area made it attractive to the elite of Mexico City who built country homes and haciendas here, much as they did in other areas south of the city such as Chimalistac , San Ángel and Coyoacán . Many of these homes and manor houses of the former haciendas still remain in and round Tlalpan center. As the urban sprawl of Mexico City only began to reach this area starting in the mid-twentieth century, much of

13760-511: The area so that the lakes’ waters were shallow at about five meters (16 feet) deep as early as the Tlapacoya culture, around 10,000 BC. During the Aztec Empire, the northern lakes were inaccessible by canoe during the dry season from October to May. For 2000 years, humans have been interfering with and altering the hydraulic conditions of the valley, especially in the lakes region. The Aztecs built dikes for flood control and to separate

13932-618: The area was still very rural showing little influence from then-fast growing Mexico City. One reason for this was the area called the Pedregal, the old hardened lava flow from the Xitle volcano on much of the north end of the borough. This made development of much of the borough impossible until the mid-20th century. With the construction of the Jardines de Pedregal by Luis Barragán and the Ciudad Universitaria by Mario Pani ,

14104-579: The area's history and the nearby site of Cuicuilco . The center of this former village is the main square or garden officially called the “Plaza de la Constitución” but better known as the “Jardín Principal” (Main Garden). Visually, what stands out is the large kiosk in the center, but historically more important is the “Arbol de los colgaldos” (Tree of the Hanged). This tree, still alive, was used to hang political enemies and bandits, including those opposed to

14276-424: The basis of the volcanic soil that, 600 years later, makes the area's agriculture so productive. The borough has two types of soil: rocky in higher elevations and—in lower areas—less solid and containing more groundwater, making it somewhat spongy. The area experiences regular seismic activity, mostly of low intensity, which is believed mostly from small ancient faults reactivated by regional stresses, or by

14448-411: The beginning of the empire. However, by the time the Spanish arrived in 1519, Tenochtitlan had become the dominant power of the three, causing grievances that the Spaniards were able to exploit. However, despite Tenochtitlan's power outside the valley, it never completely controlled all of the valley itself, with the altepetl of Tlaxcala the most prominent example. By 1520, the estimated population of

14620-579: The boarding school or not, had to pray and sing a religious hymn, whose last stanza mentioned the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit . At that time, comprehensive education involved arts. Felipe Sánchez Solís, who was once director of the Institute, taught drawing classes for a while, and when he was no longer able to continue, he asked permission to call Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez , a painter graduated from

14792-523: The boarding school; others lived under the half-boarding regime, while the rest did not live at the school, but all of them spent time together in the premises. At that time, the spirit of rebellion lingered among students and professors. During the Mexican Revolution , the institution did not close doors. Its presence was portrayed on one of the faces of a peso banknote printed in 1915 in the State of Mexico. Among other characters who studied at

14964-516: The borough is considered to be unharmed ecologically. The areas most affected by human activity are at the foot of the Xitle and Xictontle volcanos. The forest under protection in the borough equals 30,000 hectares but it is protected by only thirty-eight forest rangers, each with a territory of about 1,000 hectares of forest, canyons and volcanic areas. Three are provided by the Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente, fifteen from

15136-448: The borough proper. Most of this is due to the lack of wells, drilling equipment and pipelines to serve local residents, with the city authorities only reserving less than a fifth of its infrastructure budget for works in Tlalpan. One serious outage of water occurred in 2001 when thirty nine of the borough's colonias were without dependable water for two weeks because of the lack of water reserves. Deforestation and other ecological damage make

15308-500: The capital of the State of Mexico from 1837 until 1855, when the area was incorporated into the Federal District. U.S. troops passed this way in 1847 on the road to Coyoacán where they fought Mexican troops at the Battle of Churubusco . After this war, President Antonio López de Santa Anna, expanded the Federal District south over Tlalpan to the southern mountains to make the Federal District more defensible. The village of Tlalpan became

15480-441: The ceremonial pyramid was abandoned, the site remained a location to leave offerings up to AD 400, although lava from the nearby Xitle volcano completely covered it. Around 2,000 years ago, the Valley of Mexico became one of the world's most densely populated areas and has remained so since. After the decline of Cuicuilco, the population concentration shifted north, to the city of Teotihuacan and later to Tula , both outside

15652-522: The city and their waters now flow directly into the Grand Canal. No water from these rivers is allowed to sink into the ground to recharge the aquifer. While the rivers and streams that flow down from the mountain peaks still begin the way they always have, their passage through the shantytowns lacking city sanitation schemes that surround Mexico City turns them into open combined sewers . Therefore, their final stages are frequently culverted or added to

15824-428: The city began to grow in that direction. The urban sprawl of Mexico City began to reach Tlalpan centero in the middle of the 20th century. For the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City , two facilities were constructed in the delegation. Both were housing facilities for athletes called Villa Olimpica and Villa Coapa, which were turned into permanent houses after the games ended. In the 1990s, borough authorities warned that there

15996-552: The city itself. While reduced visibility in the valley was due to sulfur emissions in the past, it is now due to fine particles in the air. The effects on humans living in an enclosed, contaminated environment have been documented, especially by Nobel Prize winner Dr Mario J. Molina . He claims fine particle pollution is the greatest concern because of lung damage. According to him, the city's residents lose about 2.5 million working days every year due to health problems associated with fine particles . The Valley of Mexico

16168-689: The city. In 1950, dikes were built to confine storm runoff. Rivers that run through the city were encapsulated in 1950 and 1951. Rivers such as the Consulado River, Churubusco River and the Remedio River are encased in concrete tunnels which take their waters directly to the drainage system to leave the Valley. Two other rivers, the San Javier and the Tlalnepantla, which used to feed the old lake system, are diverted before they reach

16340-582: The city. The old settlement once extended far beyond the boundaries of the current site, but it is buried under lava from one of the volcanic eruptions that led to its demise, and much of the modern city is built over this lava. The settlement was located where an old river delta used to form in the valley with waters from Mount Zacatépetl located in what is now the Tlalpan Forest. Cuicuilco was believed to have reached city status by 1200 BC and began to decline around 100 BC - AD 150. However, even though

16512-546: The concept of a city-state based on the Toltec model. By the end of the 13th century, some fifty small urban units, semi-autonomous and with their own religious centers, had sprung up around the lakeshores of the valley. These remained intact with a population of about 10,000 each under Aztec rule and survived into the colonial period. All of these city-states, including the largest and most powerful, Tenochtitlan , with more than 150,000 inhabitants, claimed descent from

16684-433: The culture and history of the Tlalpan borough. It also has a permanent collection of art work by Gilberto Aceves Navarro, Alberto Castro Leñero, Isabel Leñero, Javier Anzure Joëlle Rapp and Jorge Hernandez. The museum was opened to be part of a “cultural circuit” integrated with other facilities such as Casa Frissac. Prior to the opening of this museum, the only other museum (as opposed to a cultural center focused on classes)

16856-451: The current institutional coat of arms. Another element of identity born during this period is the façade of the rectory building. The removal of the chapel from the old beaterio , because of the separation of state and church , marks the end of the remodeling process of the building. This is how the premises became the seat of a completely liberal institution. At the end of the nineteenth century, governor José Vicente Villada ordered

17028-439: The digging of septic pits. The borough is home to one of the oldest Mesoamerican sites in the valley, Cuicuilco , as well as several major parks and ecological reserves. It is also home to a number of semi-independent “pueblos” that have limited self-rule rights under a legal provision known as “ usos y costumbres ” (lit. uses and customs). What is now called “Tlalpan center” or sometimes “the historic center of Tlalpan” began as

17200-490: The early 2000s, the borough conducted over 125 operations to evict illegal settlements, dismantling over 440 housing units, but since 2005, the borough no longer has the authority to do this. Many of these illegal settlements seek and then get court orders prohibiting their removal and demanding services, first potable water then drainage. To moderate the damage, there have been both public and private reforestation efforts. In 2005, forty families worked to plant 1,000 new trees in

17372-429: The early 20th century as a consequence of the drainage of the valley for flood control. Since the beginning of the 20th century, some areas of Mexico City have sunk nine meters (30 feet). In 1900, the bottom of the lake was three meters (9.8 feet) lower than the median level of the city center. By 1974, the lake bottom was two meters (6.6 feet) higher than the city. The first signs of dropping ground water levels

17544-459: The economic base of the area. By the 18th century, the village of Tlalpan was large enough to be an ecclesiastical center. After Independence , the Constitution of 1824 , divided Mexico into states, with the area around Mexico City separated as a Federal District. However, the Tlalpan area was initially part of the then very large State of Mexico, which surrounded Mexico City. Tlalpan became

17716-585: The entire colonial period. The idea of opening drainage canals first came about after a flood of the colonial city in 1555. The first canal was begun in 1605 to drain the waters of Lake Zumpango north through Huehuetoca which would also divert waters from the Cuautitlán River away from the lakes and toward the Tula River . This project was undertaken by Enrico Martínez and he devoted 25 years of his life to it. He did succeed in building

17888-501: The exception of the Pueblo Rurales area, which also contains eight semi independent villages. The far northern zones such as Tlalpan Center, Villa Coapa, and Padierna Miguel Hidalgo are urbanized areas where the sprawl of the city has reach, which the southern sections are still rural. The urbanized areas account for only about 15% of the borough, with the rest belonging to conservation areas or ejido communal lands. Pueblos Rurales

18060-411: The existing major culverted rivers to keep this water from contaminating the aquifer. 19°40′N 98°52′W  /  19.667°N 98.867°W  / 19.667; -98.867 Universidad Aut%C3%B3noma del Estado de M%C3%A9xico The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México ( UAEM ) (Autonomous University of Mexico State) is a public university in the State of Mexico , Mexico . It

18232-405: The fact that the federal government has favored development of the metropolitan area over other areas of the country. This has spurred investment in infrastructure for the city, such as electricity , other power sources, water supply and drainage . These have attracted businesses which in turn have attracted more population. Since the 1950s, urbanization has spread out from beyond the bounds of

18404-410: The first long distance telephone call in Mexico, calling a telephone in the then-separate Mexico City. This call was made on 20 March 1878 and the telephone used to make the call is on display here. The mansion was classified as a historic monument by 1986, and it was converted into the current museum in 2003 after extensive remodeling, which included restoration of the original murals. The museum explores

18576-470: The first long distance telephone in Mexico in 1878. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, (known as the Porfirato), various factories were established in the area including the then well known paper factory called Loreto y Peña Pobre. Today, the site of this factory is an ecological park. However, the village itself remained relatively untouched, filled with cobblestone streets and haciendas owned by

18748-708: The first one was the Colegio Civil del Estado de Puebla. The Literary Institute of the State of Mexico, which received this name in 1828, was the sixth. Some of these institutes still exist, such as el Ateneo Fuente de Coahuila, el Instituto Veracruzano, el Colegio Rosales de Sinaloa, el Italiano Tamaulipeco, and el Colegio Primitivo y Nacional de San Nicolás de Hidalgo in Michoacán. After the Reform War, Gabino Barreda , minister of Education during Benito Juárez 's term, traveled to Europe, where he learned about who

18920-408: The first woman teacher of the institute. Another important student figure during this transition was Ladislao S. Badillo, who was known as the leader or martyr of autonomy, as he died before the fight was over. During this period, students' blood was shed and their freedom taken away. Many of them were imprisoned, even though police officers did not like to do so, since the prison was right in front of

19092-526: The flow of surface water. In Tlalpan, settlements are in Ajusco Medio, Pedregales and Padierna, where the mountainous terrain and/or volcanic rock severely limits the ability to provide services, often leading to residents creating septic pits. Since 2003, illegal settlements in Tlalpan have grown from 148(peligra), to 191 settlements that the government recognizes the existence of. Many settlements have occurred because communal owners of ejidos have illegally sold parts of their land at cheap prices to settlers on

19264-429: The following words: "On a green field, representing hope , there is a crown made of olive and oak branches as a symbol of homeland . At the top, a star represents science . Finally, in the centre of the emblem, embroidered in gold thread, there is a beehive surrounded by a community of working bees as an expression of labor ". These symbols, as well as the green and gold colors of this first banner, are part of

19436-487: The forested areas remaining in Mexico City. Fifteen of mountains in this area reach at least 3,000 masl, which include the two highest: Cruz del Marqués (3,930masl) and Pico del Aguila (3,880masl) . The borough, like the rest of the Valley of Mexico, lies on central part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt . Much of the geology of the area formed when the Xitle volcano erupted in 100 CE, which created numerous caves and formed

19608-634: The former village has retained its provincial streets, older homes and other buildings with façades of reds, whites, blues and other colors, although a number have been converted into other uses such as cafes, restaurants and museums. This makes the area similar to neighboring Coyoacán, and like this neighbor, Tlalpan center is popular with visitors, especially on weekends as people come to see its provincial main square/garden, mansions, narrow winding cobblestone streets lined with large trees, eat in its restaurants and cafes and visit its many nearby parks and other green areas. One popular area with cafes and restaurants

19780-585: The head of what was then called the Southern Prefecture. Foreign troops passed through here again during the French Intervention in Mexico. Mexican opponents of this invasion in the village were hung at the “Arbol de los colgados” in the central plaza or square. The latter decades are marked by industrialization. In the 1860s and 1870s varies types of modern infrastructure was introduced including telegraph (1866), railroad (1869) and

19952-588: The highest elevations covered in mostly pine forests. In winter, the highest peaks occasionally are covered in snow. The Bosque de Tlalpan, also called the Parque Nacional Bosque de Pedregal, is fully surrounded by urban area, just south of the Anillo Periférico and between the highways heading to Cuernavaca and to Picacho-Ajusco. The Bosque de Tlalpan is filled with pines, oyamel fir , cedars, oaks and eucalyptus trees, which grow on

20124-501: The house is still the protagonist for a number of local ghost stories; however, its official function is that of a cultural center called the Instituto Javier Barros Sierra. This center began operations in 2001 after 21,800,000 pesos worth of remodeling, which restored the structure to much of its 19th-century look. The center has hosted art exhibits by photographers, graffiti artists, and more—many with

20296-449: The illegal construction represents individuals trying to claim a large tract, most of it is shantytowns for the poor with few or no services. Tlalpan is located between the mountains that separate Mexico City from the states of Morelos and Mexico and the rocky areas of San Angel, Ciudad Universitaria and the delegation of Coyoacán. The south of the borough consists of the mountain ranges of Chichinautzin and Ajusco , which preserve most of

20468-516: The increase in illegal settlements and logging has been eroding this percentage. The forests are important to the Valley of Mexico/Mexico City as they not only release oxygen into the air, they are an important area for the recharge of the valley's aquifers. Wells from this borough provide 70% of Mexico City's potable water. The borough has 120 wells for potable water (out of a total of 450 in the city), which extract about 60 liters each second from each well. However, water shortages are relatively common in

20640-478: The institute came back to Toluca to pursue the Institute's autonomy . Becoming an autonomous institution was not an easy process, but a struggle that lasted about ten years. Some of the students that took part from the very beginning had become teachers by the end of it. There was José Yurrieta Valdés, dean of the UAEM for many years, Carlos Mercado Tovar, once rector of the UAEM, and Guillermo Molina Reyes, nephew to Andrés Molina Enríquez and son to Flor de María Reyes,

20812-468: The institutional anthem and the Monumento al maestro [Monument to Teachers]. The anthem was a creation of two professors: Horacio Zúñiga, who taught literature , and Felipe Mendoza, who taught music . On March 3, 1928, the foundation stone of the Monumento al maestro was laid, and five years later, with the support of students who organized various fundraising events, it was finished. The monument bears

20984-426: The interference of the state government. However, Zavala advocated toward equality. He believed that a school had to be financed with public funds and scholarships to favour young people from different regions who had limited resources. It was Zavala's idea that prevailed, thus the local Congress declared that poor and preferably indigenous students should be sent to the Institute from each town or district supported by

21156-411: The interior décor has been modeled in styles from the 19th century and earlier to evoke the grandeur of the area's upper class of that time. Scattered among the cobblestone streets of the old village are a number of other notable houses and structure from various centuries. The Casa Chata is on the corner of Hidalgo and Matamoros Streets. It was built in the 18th century, with one corner cut off, creating

21328-550: The invading French Army during the French Intervention in Mexico . On weekends, vendors set up stalls selling handcrafts and other items. To one side of the plaza, there is a cantina called La Jalisciense, one of the oldest in Mexico City, having been in operation for over 135 years. Facing the Jardín Principal, there is the “Palacio de Gobierno” (Government Palace), which was the site of the government of

21500-510: The lake with a sophisticated system of dikes , canals and sluices . Much of the surrounding land in the valley was terraced and farmed as well, with a network of aqueducts channeling fresh water from springs in the mountainsides into the city itself. Despite being the dominant power, the need to rely on resources from other parts of the valley led to the Aztec Triple Alliance between Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan at

21672-411: The lake's region of the valley. Teotihuacan became an organized village around 800 BC but it was around 200 BC that it began to reach its height. When it did, the city had approximately 125,000 inhabitants and covered 20 square kilometers (8 sq mi) of territory. It was dedicated primarily to the obsidian trade and at its peak was an important religious center and pilgrimage for

21844-540: The lakes from each other. All the other lakes flowed toward the lower Lake Texcoco, which was saline due to evaporation. The lakes were fed by a number of rivers such as the San Joaquin, San Antonio Abad, Tacubaya, Becerra, Mixcoac and Magdalena Contreras, carrying runoff and snowmelt from the mountains. Long before the arrival of the Spanish, the lake system had been shrinking due to climate change. Warmer temperatures had increased evaporation and reduced rainfall in

22016-450: The land was not originally part of the public land grant, and the expanded library would be beneficial to the community. It was then built and has a collection of 11,000 books. The Parque Ecologico Ejidal San Nicolás Totolapan is located by the semi-independent rural village of the same name covering over 2,000 hectares. It contains an important reserves of tree species such as pine, oyamel fir, white cedar and holm oak, as well as meadows. It

22188-431: The large-scale drilling of wells. Today, 70% of Mexico City's water still comes from five principal aquifers in the valley. These aquifers are fed by water from natural springs and runoff from precipitation. It was only when the population reached about six million that Mexico City started to need to appropriate water from outside the valley. Today, Mexico City faces a serious water deficit. Because of increased demand from

22360-429: The largest and most-studied is the area that contains Mexico City . This section of the valley in particular is colloquially referred to as the "Valley of Mexico". The valley has a minimum elevation of 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes that reach elevations of over 5,000 meters (16,000 ft). It is an enclosed valley with no natural outlet for water to flow to

22532-544: The loss of protected areas and the loss of environmental services provided by the city government. It also increased the demand for borough services such as water, sewerage and roads, despite environmental regulations. The Festival Ollin Jazz Tlalpan Internacional is a series of concerts which has hosted artists such as Enrique Neri , Eugenio Toussaint , Agustín Bernal , Bill McHenry , Brian Allen and Héctor Infanzón . The annual event takes place at

22704-467: The main mountains of the Bosque de Tlalpan as well as the Tenantongo Valley in the same forest, planting mostly holm oak and ash trees. The annual effort has reforested over 1,500 hectares, using seeds encased in a clay ball designed to protect the seed and allow its germination. However, reforestation efforts have not been able to keep up with the deforestation of much of the borough. This is

22876-597: The modern-day town of the same name in the Mexican Federal District . It was one of the first significant population centers to arise in the valley, flourishing on the western shore of Lake Texcoco during the Middle Pre-Classic period , between 1200 BC and 200 BC. It was originally classified as a necropolis when it was first excavated, but it was determined that the many burials there were under houses of which nothing remains. It

23048-576: The most dangerous, exceed levels recommended by the World Health Organization . In the 1940s, before large-scale burning of fossil fuels in the area, the visibility of the valley was about 100 km (60 mi), allowing for daily viewing of the mountain ranges that surround the valley, including the snow-capped volcanoes of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. Since that time, the average visibility has come down to about 1.5 km (5,000 ft). Mountain peaks are now rarely visible from

23220-591: The mountains, the piedmont is largely composed of basalt from old lava flows. The valley is enclosed completely by mountain ranges, from which flow rain and melting snow into the valley's hydraulic system. This groundwater flow produces a number of springs in the foothills and upwellings in the valley floor. This underground flow is the source of the five aquifers that provide much of the drinking water to Mexico City located in Soltepec, Apan , Texcoco , Chalco - Amecameca and underneath Mexico City itself. Before

23392-788: The mountainsides that collect the precipitation that eventually flows to the lake area. These last two are found in all four of the sub-basins of the valley. Today, the Valley drains through a series of artificial canals to the Tula River , and eventually the Páruco River and the Gulf of Mexico . Seismic activity is frequent here, and the valley is an earthquake-prone zone. The valley has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years, attracting humans with its mild climate (average temperatures between 12 and 15 °C, or 54 and 59 °F), abundant game and ability to support large-scale agriculture. Civilizations that have arisen in this area include

23564-403: The narrow streets get jammed by the vehicles of both residents and visitors, especially around the main plaza. The increasing popularity of this area with visitors makes the situation worse on weekends. In the urban areas, problems are similar to that in other parts of Mexico City and include carjacking, illegal firearms, muggings, graffiti, deterioration of infrastructure. Most crime is reported in

23736-408: The native peoples, but after that, the population grew all through the colonial period and in the century after independence . By the early 20th century, the population of Mexico City alone had risen to over one million people. A population explosion began early in the 20th century, with the population of the city itself doubling approximately every 15 years since 1900, partly attributed to

23908-538: The number of artifacts found increases significantly. There are also other early sites such as those in Tepexpan, Los Reyes Acozac, San Bartolo Atepehuacan , Chimalhuacán and Los Reyes La Paz but they remain undated. Human remains and artifacts such as obsidian blades have been found at the Tlapacoya site that has been dated as far back as 20,000 BC, when the valley was semi-arid and contained species like camels , bison and horses that could be hunted by man. However,

24080-428: The old village governing structures still in place, many of which use some form of direct democracy. This is in stark contrast to areas such as Villa Coapa, where almost all local decisions are made by representatives. Because of the rugged terrain, few roads and little police protection, these settlements are isolated. While protected from some of crime problems that affect their urban counterparts, this isolation has made

24252-527: The opportunity, as he was imprisoned and executed in 1867. In the Institute, there were two emblematic characters: Ignacio Manuel Altamirano , and Ignacio Ramírez Calzada, El Nigromante. Like many other children, Altamirano received a municipal scholarship to study at the Institute. He was an intelligent indigenous child from the community of Tixtla , now state of Guerrero. At the Institute, he met Ignacio Ramírez, who had been invited to teach but would never become his professor, at least not formally. Altamirano

24424-453: The outskirts of the city proper. Most illegal building is done by the very poor but there are also cases in which those which money illegally take over large sections of land for their own use. Illegal settlements have been made by individual families but increasingly developers are working to build illegal settlements in protected areas as well, by buying land and creating subdivisions with services, hoping to fix things with authorities later. In

24596-498: The population has doubled every fifteen years. Today, around 21 million people live in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area which extends throughout almost all of the valley into the states of Mexico and Hidalgo. The growth of a major urban industrial centre in an enclosed basin has created significant air and water quality issues for the valley. Wind patterns and thermal inversions trap contaminants in

24768-601: The precise dating of these artifacts has been disputed. Giant Columbian mammoths once populated the area, and the valley contains the most extensive mammoth kill sites in Mexico. Most of the sites are located on what were the shores of Lake Texcoco in the north of the Federal District and the adjacent municipalities of Mexico State such as in Santa Isabel Ixtapan , Los Reyes Acozac , Tepexpan and Tlanepantla . Mammoth bones are still occasionally found in farmland here. They have been discovered in many parts of

24940-403: The public treasury. The first curriculum included courses on Law , in order to turn young people into fair rulers. Foreign language courses such as French , English and German , were mandatory, since books could only be read in those languages. Likewise, Drawing classes were a must, since they were part of the comprehensive education the Institute intended to provide to students. In 1830,

25112-427: The sea although there is a gap to the north where there is a high mesa but no high mountain peaks. Within this vulnerable watershed all the native fishes were extinct by the end of the 20th century. Hydrologically, the valley has three features. The first feature is the lakebeds of five now-extinct lakes, which are located in the southernmost and largest of the four sub-basins. The other two features are piedmont , and

25284-419: The seat of the government powers moved to Toluca, and so did the Institute, as stipulated in its creation decree. In Toluca, students were lodged in the Convento de La Merced, which became the first site of the Institute in the capital of the State, but this did not last long. In 1833, Lorenzo de Zavala expropriated a property known as "El Beaterio", with the purpose of locating the Institute there. "El Beaterio"

25456-431: The sinking of the Valley of Mexico. The south of the Valley, including Tlalpan, is also affected by the underground movement of magma , especially when such contacts the waterlogged regions of the former Lake Xochimilco . Most of these tremors go unnoticed except for those that occur close to the surface such as the one centered 5 km south of the Ciudad Universitaria on 16 October 2005 (mag. 3.1). However, even this one

25628-518: The site of a former psychiatric hospital on land measuring 17,000m2. It has green areas along with a bookstore selling coloring books of pre-Hispanic deities for children and replicas of archeological objects. In 2005, the area generated controversy as the borough sought to relocate the Luis Cabrera Library. Residents initially objected, stating that it would develop too much of what is legally public space. However, later studies found that

25800-444: The smog produced. The valley has internal wind patterns which circulate around the valley without a prevailing wind to push contaminants in a single direction. The most significant climatic phenomena here is "thermal inversion," which is prevalent in the winter months when the cooler air of the valley is trapped by relatively warmer air above. Adding to this is that prevailing winds outside the valley move from north to south, in through

25972-621: The valley is at the Paleontological Museum in Tocuila , a 45-hectare (110-acre) site located near the town of Texcoco in Mexico State. Although there is some evidence around the old lakeshores that the first populations here survived by hunting, gathering, and possibly by scavenging, evidence from this time period is scarce. Tlatilco was a large pre-Columbian village and culture in the Valley of Mexico situated near

26144-458: The valley was over 1,000,000 people. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire in 1521, the Spanish rebuilt and renamed Tenochtitlan as Mexico City. They started with essentially the same size and layout as the Aztec city but as the centuries progressed, the city grew as the lakes shrank. Just after the conquest, disease and violence had decreased the population in the valley, especially of

26316-424: The valley. In the early 8th century, with the rise of the Toltec empire, Teotihuacan ceased to be a major urban centre and the population shifted to Tollan or Tula on the northern front of the Valley of Mexico. After the end of the Toltec empire in the 13th century and the decline of the city of Tula, the population shifted once again, this time to the lakes region of the valley. With this migration came

26488-524: The valley. Over-extraction of groundwater has caused new flooding problems for the city as it sinks below the historic lake floor. This causes stress on the valley's drainage system, requiring new tunnels and canals to be built. The Valley of Mexico attracted prehistoric humans because the region was rich in biodiversity and had the capacity of growing substantial crops. Generally speaking, humans in Mesoamerica , including central Mexico, began to leave

26660-517: The volcanoes in the area. Cuicuilco was destroyed by a volcanic eruption from Xitle in 100 CE, whose lava flow eventually covered much of the south of the Valley of Mexico, creating what is now called the Pedregales del Sur as well as numerous caves and caverns. This also created areas with rich volcanic soil which would allow for agriculture and repopulation 600 years later. However, the area would not have another major city state, and eventually it

26832-432: The wealthy and filled with orchards growing apples, plums and more. No battle of the Mexican Revolution occurred here, but Zapatista troops passed through, allowing for a historic meeting between Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa in Tlalpan. The borough of Tlalpan was created in 1928, when the Federal District of Mexico City was reorganized into 16 administrative parts called delegaciones (boroughs). At that time,

27004-519: The words "youth and senectitude". The authors of the monument were sculptor Ignacio Asúnsolo and architect Vicente Mendiola, who were a student and a professor of the institute respectively. At that time, the Institute did not provide higher education . This led students to join other institutions to obtain a higher degree, such as the Universidad Nacional, which became autonomous in 1929. After learning about this fact, many alumni from

27176-598: The “ex palacio municipal” (former municipal palace) referring to the time when Tlalpan was an independent municipality in the State of Mexico. The current structure was built between 1889 and 1900 in Neoclassical style. On another side of the main square, there is the San Agustin Church. The village church was established here in 1547 by the Dominicans , but the current structure on the site dates from

27348-497: Was Priest José María Alcántara. When Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg arrived in Toluca in October 1864, as part of his national tour to learn about people's needs across the country, he stayed at the Convento del Carmen. When he realized how deteriorated the building was, he promised to send a bag of gold coins for its restoration. However, his promise was not kept, either because he never intended to do so or because he did not have

27520-469: Was a large house in Toluca intended to host "beatas", women who lived under certain rules and were devoted to educating girls. However, this objective was never met. Instead, a chapel and two schools for girls were built, one for the Spanish girls and another for the indigenous ones respectively. After the Mexican War of Independence , since the place had been practically abandoned and was guarded only by

27692-466: Was brought under control was the lead contamination in the air with the introduction of unleaded gasoline . Two other contaminants that have been brought under control are carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide . The contamination problems that remain are primarily with ozone and fine particles ( soot ) (between 2.5  micrometers and 10 micrometers). Thirty to fifty percent of the time, Mexico City's levels of fine particles of ten micrometers,

27864-478: Was built in 1910, anchored by a foundation deep beneath what was the surface of the street at that time. However, because the street has sunk around it, steps have been added to allow access to the statue's base. Subsidence of the valley floor beneath has caused flooding problems as now much of the city has sunk below the natural lake floor. Currently, pumps need to work 24 hours a day all year round to keep control of runoff and wastewater. Despite this, flooding

28036-475: Was continued after independence, with three secondary canals, built between 1856 and 1867. During the presidency of Porfirio Díaz (r. 1876–1911) drainage again became a priority. Díaz completed it officially in 1894, although work continued thereafter. Despite the Grand Canal's drainage capacity, it did not solve the problem of flooding in the city. From the beginning of the 20th century, Mexico City began to sink rapidly and pumps needed to be installed in

28208-452: Was dominated by the Aztecs from Tenochtitlan by the 15th century. It is from their language, Nahuatl , that the name of Tlalpan, would come to be used for the largest village in the area. It means “over the earth” and refers to roads that converged here, linking Tenochtitlan with points south. The borough's glyph or symbol is the one given to the historic center by the Aztecs, a footprint over

28380-500: Was no more space in Tlalpan suitable for development and that preservation of the ecological areas needed to be primary as most of the territory is mountainous, with delicate forests and meadows. However, illegal settlements in conservation areas have continued the advance of urban sprawl into ecologically sensitive and protected areas. Most of these families are poor and the lack of living space pushes them into these areas where there are no services.(mancah) The advance of urbanization means

28552-496: Was not felt far from its epicenter. Three areas in the borough are susceptible to seismic activity over 7.5 on the Richter scale: Colonia Isidro Fabela, Villa Coapa, and Tlalpan Centro. These areas are subject to special building inspections and annual earthquake drills. The borough has a warmer and more humid climate than the rest of Mexico City. As of 2010, 83.5% of the borough was officially defined as conservation space; however,

28724-513: Was not old enough to attend his lectures, but he would sneak around and listen to his lessons from outside the classroom. They became friends and, eventually, colleagues, since Altamirano started to study law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico . In general, he was known for being a rebellious child, and since he did not allow others to mock him or other indigenous children because of their background, he became

28896-402: Was occupied by Antonio López de Santa Anna . A notable market in the area is the Mercado de la Paz, which was built in 1900. This historic center was designated as a "Barrio Mágico" by the city in 2011. Tlalpan is the largest of Mexico City's sixteen boroughs, and vastly larger than the traditional village of Tlalpan. It has a surface of 310 km and accounts for 20.6% of Mexico City, and

29068-573: Was the Museo Soumaya , which is private. Much of the museum's collection of historic items was donated by over one hundred individual residents and include documents, photographs, artworks and more. These donations cover the eight rural “pueblos” in the Ajusco area, traditional barrios and the major apartment complexes in Coapa and San Lorenzo Huipulco as well as Tlalpan center. An organization called

29240-431: Was the drying up of natural springs in the 1930s, which coincides with the beginning of intensive exploitation of the aquifer system through wells between 100 and 200 meters (330 and 660 ft) deep. Today, Mexico City is sinking between five and forty centimeters (0.2 and 1.3 ft) per year, and its effects are visible. El Ángel de la Independencia ("The Angel of Independence") statue, located on Paseo de la Reforma

29412-477: Was then classified as a major chiefdom center. The Tlatilcans were an agricultural people growing beans, amaranth , squash and chili peppers , reaching their peak from 1000 to 700 BC. The next-oldest confirmed civilization is in the far south of the valley and is called Cuicuilco . This archaeological site is located where Avenida Insurgentes Sur crosses the Anillo Periférico in the Tlalpan borough of

29584-406: Was ver keen on portraying the city, as opposed to José María Velasco , who preferred painting landscapes. It is because of Coto y Maldonado's work that interesting aspects of the Toluca of that time are known today, such as the original white color of the facade of the famous portals of the city, captured in the painting entitled Los Portales. From all the institutes created between 1825 and 1879,

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