México - Teotihuacán

Mexican State

Area: 21,414sq.km/8268sq.mi

Population: 11,708,000

The state of México (Estado de México) - not to be confused with the name of the country or with the Federal District which contains Mexico City - is bounded on the north by the states of Hidalgo and Querétaro, on the west by Michoacán, on the south by Guerrero and Morelos and on the east by Puebla and Tlaxcala, and encloses the Federal District on three sides. The eastern half of the state is hilly, the western part flat. Although in process of marked industrial development, México has much beautiful scenery - snow-capped mountains, lakes and forests - and there are a number of national parks within its boundaries. It also boasts many works of colonial art and architecture and many archaeological sites. In addition to whites and mestizos its population includes several Indian tribes, including the Otomí, Matlatzinca, Ocuilteca and Nahua. Archaeological Sites

The state is unusually rich in pre-Columbian sites, the most important of which are individually entered in this guide and include Teotihuacán, Tepexpan, Texcotzingo, Huexotla, San Miguel Coatlinchán, Tlapacoya, Tenayuca, Santa Cecilia Acatitlán, Calixtlahuaca, Teotenango (for both see Toluca, Surroundings), Tepozteco and Malinalco.

In addition to these major archaeological sites - at some of which examples of colonial art and architecture can also be seen - the main places of interest in México state are Toluca (the capital), Tepotzotlán, Acolman, Texcoco and Amecameca.

History

The history of human settlement and culture in the state of México goes back a long way, as the finds at Tepexpan and Tlapacoya have shown. On the whole its historical development has been the same as that of Mexico City and the principal towns within the state. As part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later as the Intendencia de México, with Mexico City as its capital, that state had a considerably larger area than it has now. It was given its present boundaries only after Mexico became independent.

Economy

The state's chief forms of industry are cement manufacture, metal processing and vehicle assembly. The principal agricultural crops include wheat, maize, agaves, sugar-cane, coffee, fruit and vegetables; dairy farming also flourishes. Substantial contributions are made to the economy by forestry and tourism.