Mexico City

Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the name of a megacity located in the Valley of Mexico (Valle de México), a large valley in the high plateaus (altiplano) at the center of Mexico, about 2,240 metres (7,349 feet) above sea-level, surrounded on most sides by volcanoes towering at 4,000 to 5,500 metres (13,000 to 18,000 feet) above sea-level.

Nickname

Mexico City was traditionally known as la Ciudad de los Palacios ("the City of Palaces"). Since 2000, however, the democratically elected local administrations of the PRD have introduced a new nickname: la Ciudad de la Esperanza, or "The City of Hope". Acceptance or rejection of this new sobriquet is largely determined by one's political preferences.

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Mexico City is also widely known as Chilangolandia ("Chilangoland"), derived from chilango, an informal demonym for the city's inhabitants. Many Mexico City dwellers also use the colloquial name Chilangotitlán, composed of chilango fused with Tenochtitlan, in reference to the pre-hispanic capital of the Aztec Empire, upon which Mexico City was erected after the conquest. In the northwest of Mexico, where chilangos are known as guachos, the variant Guáchington, D.F. (a play on Washington, D.C.) is also heard.

Related Topics:
''chilango'' - Demonym - Washington, D.C.

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