On the globe there are countless diverse megacities, cities and towns. Each of them is famous for something and gives the right to its residents to be proud of him. Today we’ll talk about the longest city in the world. What else is this metropolis famous for and what is interesting there?
What a city
As you can see from various ratings, the name of the longest city in the world is Mexico City.
It is the capital of the United Mexican States, a state located in North America. Mexico City is the longest city in the world in length. From edge to edge, its length is more than two hundred kilometers. However, this is not his only title. In addition, Mexico City is considered the highest located city on the North American continent. Its height is 2235 meters above sea level. Mexico City is one of the largest and oldest cities in the world.
History reference
This is the longest city in the world did not receive its name immediately. The city was founded in 1325 and was called Tenochtitlan. This name was given to the Aztecs who built the city. In the Aztec language, the word means "house of prickly cacti." To appear in these places they were commanded by the sun god named Witsilopochtli. He ordered the Aztecs to settle in the place where they would see an eagle with a snake in its beak, descending on a huge cactus. It was in these lands, on the western shore of the drainless Lake Texcoco, that the Indians really saw the predicted picture and founded their city.
Apparently, the sun god continued to help the Aztecs, because after only two centuries the population of Tenochtitlan already exceeded half a million people. The city was very beautiful. Due to the fact that it was located on the lake, its entire territory consisted of canals, drawbridges and intricate streets.
The conquistadors who arrived in these parts from Spain were simply amazed at what they saw. They called Tenochtitlan second Venice. The Aztecs did not feel the threat emanating from white people. Moreover, they took their leader Fernando Cortes for God. An ancient legend said that it was at this time that the great god Quetzalcoatl would come, who would lead the Aztecs to a better life.
But everything turned out to be completely wrong. Under the leadership of Cortes, the Spaniards destroyed the great Tenochtitlan and in 1521 declared its territory a Spanish city, the capital of New Spain. The city received the name Mehitli, in honor of the name of the Aztec god of war.
Geography
Today, the longest city in the world is located almost in the center of Mexico. From all sides it is surrounded by mountains.
Since the air in Mexico City is very polluted, a thick cloud of smog almost always hangs over it, but the sky above it remains high and bright blue, especially in the summer.
Mexico City is an earthquake-resistant territory. Almost throughout the year, small tremors are recorded here. Residents, however, practically do not react to them - they are used to it. There are sometimes major earthquakes. The largest of them was recorded in 1985. As a result of this disaster, more than 10 thousand people died, and a television tower about 100 meters high collapsed.
In Mexico City, there are often dust storms, but the weather is warm. This is not surprising, because it is formed under the influence of a subtropical climate. In January, the average ambient temperature is approximately +12 ° C, and in July it rises to +17 ° C. The flora of the city is represented by a variety of palm trees, pines, firs and oaks. You can also find here olive trees brought into these places by the Spaniards and subsequently degenerated and run wild.
Population
The longest city in the world is very, very densely populated and ranks second in the world, second only to Tokyo. Of course, it is difficult to accurately calculate the population in such a metropolis, but scientists give approximate results.
According to experts, more than 20 million people permanently reside in Mexico City, which is much more than, for example, in Moscow, which is also considered too overpopulated.
Culture
Although Mexico City is the longest city in the world, it is famous not only for this. There are a huge number of museums. By the way, most of them are free for visitors on weekends.
Mexico City takes the honorable fourth place in the number of theaters available. He yields in this matter only to New York, London and Toronto. There are also more than 30 concert halls and about a hundred different galleries.
This city also boasts the location of the largest amusement park in all of Latin America. This is a unique Six Flags Mexico.
And the famous Zócalo Square every winter turns into a huge ice rink, one of the leading positions in the world.
