State of Mexico

State of Mexico

Estado de México
State of Mexico Estado de México
State
	Flag Coat of arms of State of Mexico Coat of arms
	Location within Mexico
Country	Mexico
Capital	Toluca
Municipalities	126
Largest City	Ecatepec
Government
• Governor	Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI)
• Federal Deputies	PRI: 7; PAN: 11; PRD: 20; Convergencia: 2
• Federal Senators	Yeidckol Polevnsky (PRD) ; Héctor Bautista (PRD) ; Ulises Ramírez (PAN)
Area ; Ranked 25th
• Total	21,355 km2 (8,245 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	14,007,495(Ranked 1st)
HDI (2004)	0.7789 - medium; Ranked 18th
ISO 3166-2	MX-MEX
Postal abbr.	Mex.
Website	State of Mexico Government

The State of México (often abbreviated to "Edomex" from Estado de México in Spanish) is a state in the center of the nation of Mexico. The State's capital is the city of Toluca.

The Pre-Columbian ruins of the city of Teotihuacan are located in the State of México.

Geography

The State of México is bounded to the north by Hidalgo and Querétaro, to the east by Tlaxcala and Puebla, to the south by Morelos and Guerrero, and to the west by Michoacán. It has an area of Template:Km2 to sq mi.

A large part of the state lies within that great depression of the Mexican plateau known as the Valley of Mexico. Enclosed within its boundaries, except on the south, is the Mexican Federal District and capital Mexico City with an area of Template:Km2 to sq mi, which is not in the state of Mexico, but borders it to the west, north and east of the District.

The state is divided into two unequal parts by the Sierra de Ajusco and Montes de las Cruces, which form a wooded ridge across it from east to west, with a general elevation of about 3,000 meters (10,000 Template:Ft) above sea-level, or about 800 meters (2,500 ft) above the plateau level. These ranges are part of a broken irregular chain which sometimes bears the name of Anahuac.

A considerable part of the northern plateau consists of a broad plain, once the bed of a great lake but now covered with swamps, sodden meadows and lakes. The surrounding country drains into this depression, but an artificial outlet has been created by the opening of the Tequixquiac tunnel. Beyond its margin the plateau drains westward to the Pacific Ocean through the Lerma River, and north-east to the Gulf through the San Juan and Panuco rivers.

South of the Sierra de Ajusco, the country is roughly mountainous and drains to the Pacific through tributaries of the Balsas River.

Within the lacustrine depression of the north are the lakes of Zumpango, San Cristobal, Xaltocan, Chalco, Xochimilco and Texcoco, the latter three lying partly or wholly in the Federal District. Texcoco has the lowest level and its water is brackish and undrinkable, though that of the streams flowing into it and of the other lakes is sweet. Lake Xochimilco is celebrated for its "floating gardens" or chinampas

Demographics

In the 2005 census, the state had a population of about 14,007,495 people. (The population in 1900 was 934,468, largely Native American.) The majority of the present-day population in the state are located within the Greater Mexico City metropolitan area surrounding the Distrito Federal; the state's population is rapidly increasing due to urbanization.

Economy

The principal industries of the state are agricultural, and the principal products are cereals, sugar, maguey (from which pulque is made), coffee, and fruit. Stock-raising has also had a profitable development, owing to the proximity of the national capital. The manufacturing industries are important; among the manufactures (1900) are cotton and woollen fabrics, flour, dairy products, glass-ware, pottery, bricks, wines and spirits. In 1900, the making of pulque from the sap of the maguey plant (Agave americana) was the chief industry of the state, and the product is exported in large quantities to the national capital.

In 1900, the state was traversed by the Central, National, Mexican International and Interoceanic railways, and by short lines from the national capital to neighbouring towns.

Today, the auto industry is a major industry in the state.

Tourism in the State of Mexico

The State of Mexico is divided in eight regions: Toluca, Zumpango, Texcoco, Tejupilco, Atlacomulco, Coatepec Harinas, Valle de Bravo and Jilotepec. ^[1]

The State of Mexico offers an enormous set of tourist attractions. Visitors have the opportunity of enjoy the most variable landscapes, warm climate; fertile and green valleys; lakes, forest and Great Mountains. The most outstanding tourist sites are the colorful Valle de Bravo and Ixtapan de la Sal. Other tourist attractions are the pre- Hispanic monuments of Teotihuacan, a civic and religious center. Malinalco with its archeological zone carved over the mountain rocks and the archeological zone of Teotenango “El lugar de la muralla sagrada” (The place of the sacred wall). ^[2]

Valle de Bravo

This beautiful place originally named Temascaltepec and San Francisco del Valle de Temascaltepec later, nowadays is known as a great place where life flows peacefully. The peculiar urban physiognomy of this place is given by typical houses of white walls with “guardapolvos” of rust color, wide rooftops and portals and balconies. The sloping streets and cobblestone alleys, reach "Plaza Principal" or beautiful neighborhoods like "Santa Maria" and "El Santuario". Art production in Valle de Bravo is based on ceramic and fabric. Valle de Bravo since four decades has become one of the most important tourist places in Mexico. In Valle de Bravo you can practice golf, equitation, tennis, sky-diving, skiing and fishing. ^[3]

Ixtapan de la Sal

Ixtapan de la Sal is located 66 kms from Toluca and 120 kms fro Mexico city. Its original name means over the salt and it 1900 meter over the sea level. Its principal attraction is conformed by thermal springs and water parks with covered pools and other services like private pools and spa. The Church of “El señor del Perdon” (Lord of the forgiveness) complements the tourist attractions keeping its original cover from the 16th century. 16 kms away are located the “Grutas de la Estrella” (Cave of the Star). ^[4]

Government and politics

The Constitution of the State of México provides that the government of the State of México, like the government of every other state in Mexico, consists of three powers: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.

Executive power rests in the Governor of the State of México, who is directly elected by the citizens, using a secret ballot, to a 6-year term with no possibility of reelection. Legislative power rests in the Congress of the State of México which is a unicameral legislature . Judicial power is invested in the Superior Court of Justice of the State of México.

Municipalities

The State of México is divided into 125 municipalities, each headed by a municipal president (mayor). Most municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; e.g. the municipal seat of the Municipality of Nezahualcóyotl is the City of Nezahualcóyotl (aka Ciudad Neza). Typically the city contains the majority of the population within the municipality.

Major communities

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

^ INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

19°21′15″N 99°37′51″W / 19.35417°N 99.63083°W / 19.35417; -99.63083

[1] INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[2] INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[3] INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[4] INEGI, Instituto Nacional de Etadistica Geografia e Informatica (2001). Estado de Mexico/Guia Turistica Estatal. Mexico: INEGI. ISBN 970-13-3559-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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