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The city is the nation’s cultural and economic center as well. Built on the
foundations of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán, the Federal District contains
Aztec ruins, the enormous Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palace of Fine Arts, and
many spectacular murals and mosaics by world-renowned artists like Rivera,
Orozco, and Siqueiros.
Despite its beauty, the Federal District has its problems as well, just as the
rest of Mexico does. Air pollution is a growing hazard over the city’s ancient
foundations and modern walls; overcrowding is a real problem as well, as more
and more people come to the Federal District, seeking work in the growing
industrial areas; and poverty is an ever-present tragedy here, as it is throughout
the rest of the country.
But like the rest of Mexico, the Federal District is full of vitality and hope.
Its people use the triumphs of the past as a foundation as they struggle to build
a better future.
The States of Mexico
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Text-Dependent Questions
Where do the Tarahumara people live?
What Mexican presidents were born in the state of Coahuila?
Which Mexican states are known for production of oil?
Research Project
Learn more about the Mexican Revolution, a period of turmoil from 1910 to 1921 during
which approximately 900,000 Mexicans lost their lives. What were the causes of the
Revolution? What major social and political reforms occurred in Mexico as a result of the
Revolution? Did these changes affect the lives of most Mexicans, and if so, how?