Area description continued:
The expansive area known as Mexico City (officially known as the Federal District or Distrito Federal) was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the ancient Aztec capital. People have been living in the valley for 20,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in all of North America. That history is evident in the physical structure of the city itself. The tremendous abundance of life in Mexico City stands upon layer after layer of the past. Reminders of past civilization pervade the city, particularly at the Templo Mayor excavation and Anthropological Museum at Chapultepec Park. Rebuilt after the Spanish conquest, Mexico City served as the political, administrative and financial centre of a major part of the colonial empire of Spain. Mexico City is the capital, seat of government and the center of commerce, finance and the arts; it is also the second largest city in the world. Population: Metro 20,231,600 Flight times: Chicago- 3 1/2 hrs., New York- 4 1/2 hrs., Miami- 3 hrs., Los Angeles- 4 1/4 hrs. WEATHER At a mile-high and with a rarefied atmosphere, Mexico City's climate is a combination of cool evenings and hot days most of the year.Ê Average Daily High/Low Temperature: - March - May: 79°f / 51°f, 26°c / 10°c - June - Aug.: 73°f / 53°f, 23°c / 12°f - Sept. - Nov.: 72°f / 49°f, 22°c / 9°c - Dec. - Feb.: 70° f/ 45°f, 21°c / 7°c TRANSPORTATION Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Ju‡rez Located 6km (4mi) east of the Zocalo, is