Mexico City As an urban area, it figures just behind Tokyo, with a staggering 26 million people living in and around the capital of the United Mexican States.

According to legend, the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlán, the capital of their vast empire, in 1325. Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes conquered the area in 1521, and it became the capital of Spain's American colonies. Mexico City has been the capital of Mexico since it gained its independence from Spain in 1821. Today, visitors can get a taste of traditional Mexican ... (more)