Geography

Political geography

Borders

Political division

• Atlacomulco, which has 9 municipalities.
• Coatepec Harinas, which has 12 municipalities.
• Jilotepec, which has 7 municipalities.
• Tejupilco, which has 5 municipalities.
• Texcoco, which has 25 municipalities.
• Toluca, which has 24 municipalities.
• Valle de Bravo, which has 9 municipalities.
• Zumpango, which has 30 municipalities.

  Biospheres

  The state is characterized by large plains divided by mountain ranges. To the north is a dry region called "Los Llanos", with vegetation such as mezquites and paddle cactus. In this region there are oak trees and holm oak like in Cuzdha and El Rosal in the municipality of San Miguel Calpulalpan. Toluca and Lerma are in the central valleys, where industrial parks are the source of income. In the surrounding hills, the vegetation consists of pines and oaks. There are white cedars at the National Park of Bancheves. Ocotes, that are aromatic resins, are very common in El Oro, a municipality located in the north-east part of the state. In the central valley are industries and cultivated lands. In the lower, warm elevations to the south, the vegetation is tropical. Here are found guajes (fruits of climber), papelillos (trees whose crust is withdrawed by itself), acacias, palo de Brasil (red tree), guacima (small tree with rounded crown) and amate(tree whose bark is used to paint or write).

  Mountains and valleys

  The state is divided into two unequal parts: the cross-sectional volcanic axis, which is formed by peaks, the Mountain Range of Queretaro and Hidalgo, and the Sierra Madre del Sur, which is formed by the depression of the Balsas River, in addition to valleys which begin in Guerrero. Inside this system are included 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 3000 meters above sea-level. These ranges are part of a broken irregular chain which sometimes bears the name of Anahuac. The colonial era codices not only contain Aztec pictographs, but also Classical Nahuatl (in the Latin alphabet), Spanish, and occasionally Latin. Examples of these Aztec codices include:as Tlacotepec, Xilotepec codex, Tezcoco-Acampan codex.
     Mexico State is part of a cultural area called Valle de México or Valley of Mexico, characterized by homogeneous cultural elements despite the presence of multiple linguistic groups.
     Different ethnic groups including the Otomi, Mazahua, Matlatzinca and Chichimeca have made the State of Mexico their home.
     At the end of the classic period the region was dominated by the Tepanecas who live in the Azcapotzalco region, the otomies that create the kingdom of Xaltocan, the acolhuas that live in Coatlichan and a new tribe call the Mexicas who end being the dominant power of the region. (The mexicas was original name it Aztecs that means people form Aztlan, the mythical city in the north from who in their tradition they begin his journey, as they travel to the south they change their name to mexicas or mexitin, see Aztecs).
     With the dead of Tezozomoc from Azcapotzalco his son Maxtla, king of Coyoacan, assume the power of the region. Maxtla try to submit the mexicas into his direct control. The mexicas forge an alliance with the tetzcocanos, another group submitted by Tezozomoc. Their combine forces defeated the tepanecas.
     Some of the more important emperors settled in the Valley of Mexico were Tezozomoc, Tlalmanalco, Opochihuacan and Xaltocan.

  Colonial period

  The first incursions of Spaniards to the State of Mexico were led by Andrés de Tapia who destroyed the population of Malinalco in 1521. Later, Gonzálo de Sandoval arrived in Toluca valley and defeated the Matlazincas who were allied with the Aztecs. After the fall of the Aztec empire, some mazahuas were taken to rebuild Mexico City. Evangelization began in 1523 in Texcoco by Brother Pedro de Gante, who funded the Padua School. In 1524, the first religious order formed by the Franciscans came.
     When Hernán Cortés arrived, the conditions of the political situation were on his side. The heirs of the Texcoco crown were having a conflict. Cortés took advantage of and conquered what is now the State of Mexico. The Colonial period was when the original inhabitants formed a new world. They established new values, structures and created what now is known as the State of Mexico. This period began with the creation of small villages, territory delimitation, and the most important characteristic: the establishment of the original authority. Since this period, religion has been a very important of Mexican culture. The influence of the Dominicans and Augustinians was as great important as that of the Franciscans” left. Education was well organized until “Jesus Company” arrived. In the 17th century, the native communities’ culture started to fall apart.
     Migration is one of the most important problems in the society. The State of Mexico has a very high level of migration to The United States, making up about 75.7% of the total Mexican population that migrates. The three places with the highest population densities in Mexico are: Mexico City (5799 hab/km²), State of Mexico (586 hab/km²) and Morelos (318 hab/km²).
     Outside of the urban areas, the principal industries of the state are agricultural, and 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 produces useful items for community such as cotton and woollen fabrics, flour, dairy products, glass-ware, pottery, bricks, wines and spirits. To contrast, 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. Also, the state was traversed by the Central, National, Mexican International and Interoceanic railways, and by short lines from the national capital to neighbouring towns.
     Some of the most principal companies in Mexico State are Alpura, Bacardi y CIA., Bic, Bimbo, BMW, Central de Abastos, Comercial Mexicana, Daimler Chrysler, Holiday Inn, Jugos Del Valle, Nestlé, Nextel, Panasonic, Robert Bosch, Telemark and Yakult. Today, the auto industry is a major industry in the state, and for most people is considered the key activity for the Mexican economy.

  Tourism

  Mexico State has a number of tourist attractions. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the most variable landscapes, warm climate; fertile and green valleys; lakes, forest and Great Mountains. The most notable tourist sites are 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).

  Valle de Bravo

  This place was originally named Temascaltepec and San Francisco del Valle de Temascaltepec later. 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, one can practice golf, equitation, tennis, paragliding and hang-gliding, waterskiing and fishing.

  Ixtapan de la Sal

  Ixtapan de la Sal is located 66 km from Toluca and 120 km from Mexico City. Its original name means "over the salt" and it's 1,900 meters above sea level. Its principal attractions are thermal springs and water parks with indoor pools and other services like private pools and spa. The Church of El señor del Perdón (Lord of Forgiveness) has kept its original facade from the 16th century. 16 km away are located the Grutas de la Estrella (Caves of the Star).

  Government and politics

  The Constitution of Mexico State provides that the government of the State of Mexico, 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 Mexico State, 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

  Mexico State is divided into 125 municipalities (counties), each headed by a municipal president (mayor). Most municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat; for example 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