Mexico City: From Aztec Empire to Mesoamerican Megalopolis

Long before the rise of the European colonial powers, both South America and Mesoamerica were home to massive, decadent and culturally dense empires. From the 14th to 16th century, the Aztecs (who self-identified as the Mexica) were among the most powerful of these expansive nations and hegemonies. Established in 1325, their capital Tenochtitlan became the largest city in both American continents until it was conquered at the hands of Hernan Cortes in 1521. Much of Tenochtitlan's legendary architecture, such as the famed Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, can still be seen on the outskirts of the booming cityscape that is Mexico City.
With a population of approximately 8.9 million people, 16 municipalities, and over 300 neighborhoods, Mexico City is currently the 12th largest city in the world. It is also an alpha city, producing over 15.8 percent of the country's nominal GDP of US$1.291 trillion. However, Mexico City was not always the international metropolis that it is today. After the Mexican Revolution, the nation adopted the economic model of import substitution industrialization in order to foster the development of its national industries.
This effort, in conjunction with other factors, led to an economic triumph known as the Mexican Miracle. Since the 1930s, Mexico City has derived the majority of its considerable GDP from its manufacturing sector. NAFTA's formation in 1994 has only strengthened Mexico City's economic potency as an automotive, electronics and machinery manufacturing giant.

墨西哥市──古文明帝國與現代大都會的完美結合

早在歐洲殖民強權興起之前，南美洲與中美洲就已建立龐大、頹廢且文化豐碩的帝國。從十四到十六世紀，阿茲堤克人（他們自認為墨西加族）是這些疆域遼闊的國家與霸權當中數一數二強大的都市。建立於 1325 年的阿茲堤克帝國首都特諾奇堤特蘭成了南北美洲最大的城市，直到 1521 年被埃爾南．科爾特斯征服為止。特諾奇堤特蘭的許多傳奇建築，例如著名的太陽金字塔與月亮金字塔，仍可見於墨西哥市欣欣向榮的都市景觀外圍。
墨西哥市約有八百九十萬名人口、十六個自治區以及三百多個鄰里，目前是全球第十二大都市。墨西哥市也是一座世界級的城市，該國達 1.291 兆美元的名目國內生產毛額有 15.8% 以上都來自這裡。不過，墨西哥市並非向來都如同現今這樣的國際大都會。墨西哥革命之後，這個國家採取了進口替代工業化的經濟模式，為的是要促進國家產業的發展。
這般努力連同其他因素，帶來了人稱「墨西哥奇蹟」的經濟成就。自 1930 年代以來，墨西哥市可觀的國內生產毛額就有一大半來自製造業。北美自由貿易協定於 1994 年成立之後，更強化墨西哥市身為汽車、電子與機械製造巨擘的經濟影響力。