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HANOI -- Just after dawn around the perimeter of jewel-like Hoan Kiem Lake in the city center, hundreds of citizens gather daily in orderly clusters to tone their bodies and spirits for the future. Tai chi, touch-the-toes or Taoist meditation -- whatever works.

Some of them stretch their limbs beneath a glitzy new video billboard that counts the days until 10-10-10 -- Oct. 10, 2010 -- when the city will celebrate its 1,000th birthday. Others choose the entryway to Ngoc Son pagoda, which dates to "time immemorial," according to a plaque. After their session, a few will drift to the Old Quarter, perhaps to a job at a Wi-Fi cafe or to join tourists in placing offerings of candy and beer at the ancient White Horse temple.

Time, timing, timelessness -- all are heightened in Hanoi at this moment in its history. The steady pulse of the video calendar, the boom-boxed beats of the exercise soundtracks and the incessant putt-putt of the motorbiking hordes flowing past new luxury hotels and construction sites signal that an ages-old culture and a young and recently robust capitalist economy are marching toward modernity.

But elsewhere in this city of 3.1 million, which functions as Vietnam's cultural center and is the seat of the cautious communist government, time creeps along or gets stuck or appears to be weirdly warped. Strange and sometimes terrible reminders of a beleaguered, war-torn past linger here amid oases of serene Red River Delta beauty. And therein lies the attraction.

"Hanoi is so beguiling because it is a city of contrasts," says Ngoc Huu, 90, one of the country's best-known writers and cultural historians. "It is interesting to follow its mutation from the old into the new."

That evolution is increasingly drawing the attention of the outside world. Like the rest of Vietnam, Hanoi is enjoying an international tourism boom and the benefits of an economy that has grown by 8% for three straight years. The city drew 1.3 million foreigners last year, an increase of 13% from 2006, and a recent government study predicts the 10-10-10 festivities (details are still under wraps) will bring in 2 million international visitors and $1.7 billion in tourism revenue.

Recent double-digit inflation may temper some of the building plans, which so far include the construction of five more luxury hotels, numerous monuments and a high-end shopping mall. But the momentum is formidable, and astonishing, given that the country had no tourism and was on the brink of famine in the early 1980s before economic reforms and the normalization of relations with the United States in 1995 sparked the current growth.

Ho Chi Minh City and some of coastal resort areas already have been transformed; Hanoi is poised to follow, though in a different way and at a slower pace.

"Ten years from now, everything will be completely new," says Christian Pirodon, the general manager of the just-opened InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, a chic waterside outpost that just made Conde Nast Traveler's annual Hot List. "The willpower of the people here is so strong, what they want to achieve and where they want to go."

Such bullish forecasts are increasingly common within the hospitality industry, but they also alarm those who believe that Hanoi's most important role is to shape and preserve the national identity.

"To anyone who visits here, I always say you need to come to the north to see what Vietnam is all about," says Swiss-born Kurt Walter, general manager of The Press Club restaurant. "Now is the time to visit if you want to see the way it used to be."

Hanoi reveals itself through the things it chooses to preserve from those 1,000 years. Foremost is the yellowing, eerie-looking body of Ho Chi Minh, preserved in a glass sarcophagus inside a stately mausoleum guarded by stern soldiers. Beloved "Uncle Ho," who headed the communist government until his death in 1969, enjoys holier-than-Elvis status, and every year thousands of pilgrims visit the sprawling complex that houses the mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, a museum and the presidential palace.

Equally evocative for Americans are the remnants of the Vietnam War, here called the American War. Hoa Lo Prison, built by the French in 1896 and later nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton when it housed American prisoners of war, was mostly demolished to make way for two residential high-rises. But a small area is preserved as a gloomy museum where one of the "highlights" is a display of Navy pilot John McCain's parachute and flight suit, worn when he was captured in 1967 after his plane was shot down and crashed into Truc Bach Lake. Thoughtfully, the plaque has been updated to reflect the now-senator's 2008 presidential bid.

A few blocks away, nearly hidden behind some houses in a non-descript neighborhood, is an even more bizarre memorial: an abstract white sculpture and a chunk of the wreckage of a B-52 bomber, arising from the middle of tiny Huu Tiep Lake. Reminders of the 100 years of hated French colonial rule that began in the mid-19th century live on in the grand Parisian-style boulevards and Hanoi Opera house, in the lavish cuisine of restaurants such as La Verticale and Le Beaulieu, and most notably at the posh Sofitel Metropole Hotel. Built in 1901 as one of Asia's most luxurious lodgings, it became a favorite of writers and diplomats before falling on hard times. Now, thanks to recent restorations, it's possible to sit by the pool under a bamboo canopy, sip a proper gin and tonic, and imagine that it's 1952 and Graham Greene is at the bar across the way.

Paradoxically, time seems most jumbled in the Old Quarter, whose chaotic maze of 13th-century streets still serves as a vital center for commerce, as well as dining and beer-drinking. Here it's common to see old women in conical straw hats balancing buckets of produce that hang from a wooden pole propped across their shoulders. Defiantly they claim their share of the narrow streets, walking determinedly against the onslaught of motorized traffic.

At Highway4, an Old Quarter gastropub that specializes in the traditional Chinese-influenced cuisine of northern Vietnam, modernization takes a curious form. The restaurant owners have phased out the moonshine infused with crow, bees and silkworms and replaced it with their own brand of elegant rice and fruit liqueurs that carry the slogan "the future of a tradition." (Gecko shots remain on the menu for now, however.)

Elsewhere, merchants squat in doorways, selling everything from live roosters to televisions, auto parts, dog meat, jewelry, Communist Party posters-turned-art-objects and soups made from fish or ducks gutted right on the sidewalk. Though it looks as if a tornado has taken the contents of a Wal-Mart and a Whole Foods and deposited them helter-skelter, the system has endured for more than 600 years.

Huu, who was born 90 years ago in the Old Quarter, says he doesn't know if he'll live long enough to take a nostalgic walk through the area on 10-10-10. His birth house was replaced long ago by a shop, anyway. But he's certain the spirit of the place will endure, if not on the new surface, at least at the ancient core.

"Hanoi remains Hanoi," he says. "Many, many places have changed, but the soul is there. You can feel it and see it, in the West Lake, the different monuments, the Red River. The soul is floating."

TEXT OF INFO BOX BEGINS HERE

Getting there: U.S. flights to Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport connect

Hong Kong; Tokyo; Ho Chi Minh City; or Seoul, Korea.

A tourist visa is required

Hanoi Westlake (877-269-5199; ichotelsgroup.com), which opened in late 2007. Located along Ho Tay (West Lake), about 10 minutes

by cab from the Old Quarter, the hotel sports a tastefully modern design, three

restaurants, and 340 rooms and 19 suites that start

tradition are hallmarks of

6919; sofitel.com), located near the city center. Dating

to 1901, the hotel was renovated in 2005 to restore the French -colonial grandeur. Rooms cost about $248-$531.

Sofitel Plaza Hanoi (011-

84-4-823-8888; sofitel.com), offers views of two lakes and the Red River; two restaurants and three bars. Rooms cost $140 to $550.

rice-noodle soup with beef,

is the national dish and can be sampled at dozens of cafe and sidewalk stands in the Old Quarter for a few dollars.

Bia hoi, delicious beer brewed daily and costing under 50 cents a glass, is the national passion and is best enjoyed

at an outdoor street-corner bar in the Old Quarter. Cha

Ca La Vong (Old Quarter) serves just one dish -- fish

and vegetables that you cook over a hot pot and eat with rice noodles (about $5) "

but it's an essential stop. Gastropub Highway4 (three locations, including in the Old Quarter) preserves the traditional cuisine of northern

Vietnam, including catfish spring rolls, and crickets done five ways (but best with

tamarind sauce), and upscale and exotic rice liqueurs. The French influence on Vietnamese cuisine is showcased at

the elegant La Verticale (main courses $16-$36),

located in a three-story French-colonial townhouse.

of Ho Chi Minh (011-84-4-845 5128; 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; free); people form long lines

to view the preserved corpse of the national hero. A stroll around the serene, gorgeous and mystical Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword) in the city center prepares one for the vibrant chaos of the

adjoining Old Quarter. Hoa Lo Prison Museum (about $1) is all that remains of the giant prison complex built by the French in 1896. Later, it was nicknamed the Hanoi

Hilton after prisoners of war were held there during the Vietnam War.

are at vntourist.com; and

up-to-the-minute cultural

information of interest to the city's sizeable expatriate

population is at newhanoian .com.

GRAPHIC, B/W, USA TODAY (Map); PHOTOS, Color, Aiden Dockery for USA TODAY (2); PHOTOS, B/W, Aiden Dockery for USA TODAY (6)

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HANOI -- Just after dawn around the perimeter of jewel-like Hoan Kiem Lake in the city center, hundreds of citizens gather daily in orderly clusters to tone their bodies and spirits for the future. Tai chi, touch-the-toes or Taoist meditation -- whatever works.

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Delhi (dĕlʹē), union territory and city, N central India. The union territory, officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi (2001 provisional pop. 13,782,976), 573 sq mi (1,484 sq km), is on the Delhi plain, which is crossed by the Yamuna River and stretches between the Aravalli Hills on the south and the Shiwalik Range on the north, connecting the alluvial valleys of the Indus and Ganges river systems. A hot and arid region, with temperatures rising above 110℉ (43°C) in the summer, it has extensive irrigation works to support agriculture. Hindi and Urdu are spoken by more than 90% of the population. New Delhi , the capital of India, and Delhi (or Old Delhi; see below) are the chief urban centers. It is governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to an elected unicameral legislature and by a governor appointed by the president of India.

Throughout India's history the region of Delhi, commanding roads in all directions, was the key to empire. From the earliest times many cities rose and fell there, and within 50 sq mi (130 sq km) S of New Delhi are more important dynastic remains than exist in any other area of the country. The earliest city on the Delhi plain was the semilegendary Indraprastha, mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata . Another historic site is the Rajput citadel and town containing the Lal Kot [red fort], erected in 1052; it is sometimes confused with Shah Jahan's Red Fort in Old Delhi.

In 1192 the legions of the Afghan warrior Muhammad of Ghor captured the Rajput town, and the Delhi Sultanate was established (1206). The invasion of Delhi by Timur in 1398 put an end to the sultanate; the Lodis, last of the Delhi sultans, gave way to Babur , who, after the battle of Panipat in 1526, founded the Mughal empire. The early Mughal emperors favored Agra as their capital, and Delhi became their permanent seat only after Shah Jahan built (1638) the walls of Old Delhi. Among the most famous monuments on the Delhi plain are the 12th-century Kutb Minar and the tomb of Humayan (built 1565-69; it is the architectural prototype of the Taj Mahal at Agra).

The city of Delhi, or Old Delhi (1991 pop. 7,175,000), on the Yamuna River, adjoins New Delhi in the east central part of the state and is a commercial center. It was enclosed by high stone walls erected in 1638 by Shah Jahan. Within the walls he built the famous Red Fort-so called for its walls and gateways of red sandstone-that contained the imperial Mughal palace. The fort remained a military garrison until 2003. In the palace is a public audience hall (Diwan-i-Am), where the splendid Peacock Throne stood, and a private audience hall (Diwan-i-Khas), built entirely of white marble and bearing the apt inscription "If there is a heaven on earth, it is this!" Shah Jahan also built the Jama Masjid [great mosque], one of the finest in Islam. Just south of the fort, on the Yamuna's bank, is Rajghat, where the bodies of Mohandas Gandhi and of India's prime ministers have been cremated; it is now one of the most revered shrines in India. In the northwest, beyond the old walls, is the Univ. of Delhi.

The present city of Old Delhi did not become important until Shah Jahan (for whom it was sometimes called Shahjahanabad) made it the capital of the Mughal empire in 1638. It was sacked (1739) by the Persian Nadir Shah , who carried off the Peacock Throne. The city was held by the Marathas from 1771 until 1803, when the British took it. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857 it was held for five months by the rebel soldiers. Delhi Cantonment was (1912-31) interim capital of India until New Delhi was officially inaugurated.

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Article Reading Levels Level 4 Document controls Citation metadata Delhi (dĕlʹē), union territory and city, N central India. The union territory, officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi (2001 provisional pop.

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The tower and the bell both date from the 1800s. In 1834 a fire destroyed most of the old Parliament building. Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860) won a competition to design a new building. It took nearly 30 years to complete the new Houses of Parliament.

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Origin of Name: From an Algonquin Indian word meaning "narrow passage" or "strait," referring to the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River at what is currently Québec City.
Nickname: La Belle Province (The Beautiful Province).
Capital: Québec City.
Entered Confederation: 1 July 1867.
Coat of Arms: Consists of a shield with a royal crown above and a golden scroll with blue borders bearing the provincial motto below. The upper third of the shield has three white upright fleur-de-lis on a blue background, the middle third has a gold leopard on a red background, and the lower third a sugar maple sprig on a gold background.
Flag: The flag of Québec, also known as the "fleurdelisé" flag, consists of a white cross on a sky-blue field, with an upright fleur-de-lis centered in each of the four quarters.
Motto: Je me souviens (I remember).
Floral Emblem: Blue flag.
Tree: Yellow birch.
Bird: Snowy owl.
Time: 8 AM AST = noon GMT; 7 AM EST = noon GMT.
Tartan:

Location, Size, and Extent

Québec is almost entirely surrounded by water. It is bordered on the north by the Hudson Strait; on the east by Labrador (the mainland portion of the province of Newfoundland); on the southeast by the Gulf of St. Lawrence; on the south by New Brunswick and the US states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York; on the southwest and west by Ontario; and on the west and northwest by James Bay and Hudson Bay. Québec has an area of 594,857 square miles (1,545,680 square kilometers), three times that of France and seven times that of Great Britain. It is the largest of Canada's provinces.

From north to south, Québec takes in three main geographical regions: the Canadian Shield, the St. Lawrence lowlands, and the Appalachian Mountains. Extending from the shores of the Canadian Arctic to the Laurentians, the Canadian Shield covers about 60% of the land mass, and is the world's oldest mountain range. The highest point in Québec is located in this region; it is Mount D'Iberville-elevation 5,420 feet (1,652 meters) above sea level-located in the Torngat Mountains in extreme northeastern Québec

The St. Lawrence River, the province's dominant geographical feature, links the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes. The St. Lawrence lowlands are dotted with more than a million lakes and rivers. To the south, the foothills of the Appalachians separate Québec from the United States. Québec's tens of thousands of lakes and rivers account for 16% of the world's fresh water supply.

Of Québec's total land area, 51% is forested area, 27% is arctic and forest tundra, and 22% is taiga (a transitional area between forests and tundra, with scattered trees).

Southern Québec, along the St. Lawrence River, has a temperate continental climate, while the bay and Gulf of St. Lawrence have a temperate maritime climate. Permafrost reigns in the northern part of the Canadian Shield; only dwarf birches and lichen are able to grow there. Average temperatures for January are 16° f (-8.7° c) in Montréal, 10° f (-12.1° c) in Québec City, 8° f (-13.2° c) in Baie-Comeau, and -10° f (-23.3° c) in Kuujjuak. In July, average temperatures are 71° f (21.8° c) in Montréal, 66° f (19.1° c) in Québec City, 62° f (16.8° c) in Baie-Comeau, and 53° f (11.4° c) in Kuujjuak. The warmest recorded temperature in Québec was 104° f (40° c) on 6 July 1921 at Ville Marie and the coldest was -66° f (-54.4° c) on 5 February 1923 at Doucet.

The relatively temperate climate of the south is hospitable for a wide variety of native as well as imported European plants. A myriad of migratory ducks and geese annually fly across Québec, and large colonies of local bird species inhabit the numerous islands in the Bas-Saint-Laurant region of the St. Lawrence River. Several species of whale seasonally cruise through the St. Lawrence straits. Muskie and trout are common stream and lake fish species. Seals are common to ëles-de-la Madeleine and the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Woodland caribou, moose, muskrats, beavers, eagles, and wolves inhabit the northern reaches of the province. Polar bears live in the far north along Hudson Bay.

In 2019, there were more than 24 animal species listed as threatened or endangered, including the barn owl, beluga whale, wolverine, peregrine falcon, stinkpot, and the Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander. The great auk, Labrador duck, and passenger pigeon have become extinct. The same year, there were 14 plant species listed as threatened or endangered, including American ginseng, spotted wintergreen, and the mountain holly fern.

Québec produces about 22% of Canada's hazardous waste. Annual air pollution emissions include about 2.5 million tons of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide (gases that cause smog), some 930,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide compounds (gases that produce acid rain), and the equivalent of about 17 million tons of carbon dioxide. By 2019, Quebec had substantially lowered its greenhouse gas emissions. It was not within the top five greenhouse gas producing provinces.

For decades, tons of sulfur dioxide and other chemicals were put into the air by factories in the American Midwest. Prevailing winds carry the toxins northward across Québec, Ontario, and the northeastern United States. As a result, poisonous rain clouds release acidic rain on the lands and lakes to the north. By 1980, hundreds of lakes in Québec and Ontario were severely damaged; forests and farms were affected as well.

The Montréal Protocol is an international treaty that seeks to reduce and eliminate the consumption of substances believed to deplete the ozone layer. The protocol came into force on 1 January 1989 and by 2003 had been ratified by 183 other nations to reduce the global consumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons to 1986 levels. Since its adoption, the protocol has been amended four times to take into account progress made in scientific knowledge related to ozone depletion. The amendments led to the elimination of the production of halons in 1994, and to the elimination of the production of CFCs in developed countries in 1996. The amendments also set 2030 as the deadline for the elimination of the production of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

According to surveys conducted by the province of Québec, in 2002, a total of 5,543,800 metric tons of non-hazardous waste was disposed of in public and private waste disposal facilities in the province. Of that total, residential sources accounted for 2,876,000 metric tons, while industrial, commercial and institutional sources accounted for 2,261,000 metric tons, and construction and demolition sources accounted for 406,800 metric tons.

The eastern Canadian province of Québec was originally inhabited by members of the Algonquin and Iroquois tribes. The northern part of the province was, and still is, inhabited by the Inuit (previously known as "Eskimos").

The European history of Québec began with the arrival of the French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534. During the years that followed, a thriving fur trade was established and a longstanding rivalry developed between French and English colonists. Québec City, founded in 1608, became the capital of New France. In the early years of the 21st century, the region was still regarded as the cradle of French-Canadian civilization.

French-English rivalry in North America led to the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). Québec City fell to British forces in 1759. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, New France became a colony of Britain, but the Québec Act of 1774 gave official recognition to French civil laws, guaranteed religious freedom, and authorized the use of the French language in the region.

In 1791, the colony was divided in two. Large amounts of Loyalists (American colonists who wished to remain British subjects) fled north after the American Revolution to settle in western Québec. This led to the creation of Upper Canada (now Ontario) and Lower Canada (Québec). After rebellions in both regions in 1837, the two were reunited by the Act of Union and became the Province of Canada. In 1867, Québec became a founding member of the new Dominion of Canada, and Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau became its first premier. From the beginning, however, there were tensions between the French Canadians and the British.

Urbanization began in Québec at the end of the 19th century. Whereas only 16.6% of the province's population lived in urban centers in 1861, that number had jumped to almost 40% by 1901. The late 19th century also saw the formation of factory workers' unions in Québec. Laws were passed that prohibited employers from hiring girls under the age of 14 and boys under the age of 12, and weekly work hours were limited. Industrialization also took off in Québec at the end of the 19th century. Pulp and paper, mining, and aluminum industries were all developed in the regions of Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean, Trois Rivières and Abitibi at this time, with most products destined for export to the United States.

Canada experienced losses of over 68,000 soldiers in World War I (1914-18), and veterans returning to Québec faced a bleak future. Jobs were scarce and low paying, and tariffs (taxes) on imports kept prices for consumer goods high. Local farmers were hit hard by falling wheat prices in the postwar period.

For a long time, Québec's rural roots and domination by the Roman Catholic Church made it a traditional agrarian (farming) society. But in the 1920s, another wave of urbanization hit the province, bringing with it higher living standards. Grain prices recovered, and Canadian industry grew even more. Improvements to roads and railways enabled businesses to grow, and automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became widely available.

All of Canada suffered during the Great Depression, a period of severe economic slowdown that began in 1929. In addition to the problems with grain prices during the early 1920s, droughts and frequent crop failures devastated the national economy, which still relied heavily on agriculture. Social welfare programs expanded rapidly during the 1930s to help the people of Canada through this especially difficult time. The Union Nationale, established by Maurice Duplessis, came to power in Québec in the 1930s. With the support of the Roman Catholic Church, the government launched a "back-to-the-land" movement, encouraging families to move from the city and settle in the regions of Gaspé, C(tm)te Nord and Abitibi. Ultimately, the movement was unsuccessful, since the farms were isolated and located in areas where growing conditions were poor.

Following World War II (1939-45), consumer spending and immigration to Canada increased rapidly. Urbanization spread through most parts of Canada, but not to Québec, where Duplessis remained in power until 1959. Some agricultural improvements were made in the 1950s: rural electrification was undertaken so that 90% of farms in Québec had electricity by 1956, and farmers were offered farm credit so that they could buy new equipment. American mining companies also began to invest heavily in iron ore mining during this period, and manufacturing industries were growing and drawing more and more of the rural population to the cities. When Duplessis died in 1959, Québec was ready for change.

Beginning in 1960, Québec entered a period of transition: the "Quiet Revolution." It was an era marked by rapid economic expansion, cultural pride, and the overhauling of political institutions to meet the needs of contemporary society. In 1967, Canada's centennial anniversary, the world's fair was held in Montréal.

From this time onward, political tensions ran high as the province sought to assume greater control over its economy and society. The early 1970s were marked by hostility as acts of terrorism, politically motivated murders, and violent labor strikes struck Québec. In 1976, Québeckers elected the Parti Québécois (PQ), a party that sought independence for the region. The PQ made French the official language of Québec, and, as a result, many English-speaking people and their companies left the province.

The Question of Secession

Canada's unity has been threatened by the possibility of Québec's secession, or separation, from the rest of the country. As a French-speaking area that places high value on the preservation of its French culture, Québec has found itself in a unique position: key issues of concern for its residents are the survival of all things French. Québeckers felt that the Canadian Constitution of 1982 did not address their cultural concerns sufficiently. When Robert Bourassa became Premier of Québec in December 1985, he demanded five minimum conditions be met before he would sign the Canadian Constitution. These demands set off the negotiations that resulted in the Meech Lake Accord (1987) and the Charlottetown Accord (1992).

The Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords both proposed the recognition of Québec as a "distinct society" within the nation. The Canadian government had hoped that these accords would alleviate Québec's fears of cultural loss and discrimination while maintaining a unified Canada. But both accords were rejected in a general vote.

If Québec does eventually secede from the rest of the country, Canada would lose a large percentage of its population, money, and power. Moreover, the ability for the remainder of Canada to stay unified would also be seriously impaired. For example, the fate of the traditionally poorer Maritime Provinces to the east would be uncertain, and one or more of them might explore the possibility of admission to the United States. Although a referendum in 1995 did not result in secession, the margin was so narrow that Québec's separation issue remained unresolved.

In January 1998, a blackout left 3 million people without power at the peak of a five-day storm. In response to the ice storm, the Canadian army undertook its biggest-ever peacetime deployment, sending more than 14,000 soldiers to the affected areas of Québec and Ontario. The blackout occurred when transmission lines fell from the weight of ice.

On 1 December 1998, voters returned Québec's separatist premier, Lucien Bouchard, to power but made clear there was no overwhelming support for secession. With only 43% of the vote, Parti Québécois still controlled the legislature, but lacked the mandate to push quickly for independence. Bouchard pledged to hold such a referendum only when confident the separatists could win, but retired in 2001 before realizing his goal. Bernard Landry was then elected as the leader of the party and premier of Québec.

On 7 June 2002, the Québec National Assembly passed the Civil Union law, which granted some of the rights associated with marriage to same-sex couples. On 20 August 2005, same-sex marriage in all jurisdictions within Canada became legal, when federal law C-38, passed in July of that same year, went into effect.

March 2007 election results indicated that secession was no longer the top priority among Québec voters. The economy appeared to be of greater concern. The Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ), campaigning on economic issues, increased its number of seats in the National Assembly to 41, becoming the opposition party. Following the election, Quebec's seperatist party leader resigned, throwing the movement further into turmoil.

Between 1608 and 1756, some 10,000 French settlers arrived in Canada. Since the 1950s, more than 650,000 immigrants from over 80 countries have moved to Québec, particularly to the city of Montréal. Italians and Eastern Europeans were traditionally the largest immigrant groups to settle in Québec, but since 1960 the ranks of new Québeckers have been swollen by Portuguese, Haitians, Lebanese, South Americans, and Southeast Asians. In 1968, the Québec government created its own department of immigration, the only such provincial office in Canada at that time.

In 2016, 28% of immigrants living in Québec had come from Europe. About 22.7% had come from the Americas. Some 22.1% came from Africa, and 26.6% came from Asia. Many immigrants in recent years have come from Italy, Haiti, France, Lebanon, China, and Romania.

Ontario is the leading province of origin for most internal migration into Québec. Most of Québec's residents who leave the province to live elsewhere in Canada relocate to Ontario.

In the period 1996-2001, Québec was among six provinces or territories to experience a net domestic migration loss across all five census age groups (5-14 years; 15-29 years; 30-44 years; 45-64 years; and 65 years and over). For that period, the province had a net domestic migration loss of 57,315 or 0.9%. Between 1981 and 2017, Québec lost more than 229,700 people below the age of five to migration to other provinces.

Québec is divided into 17 administrative regions, 86 regional county municipalities, and two urban communities (Montréal and Québec City). Rural municipalities are classified as villages, parishes, townships, united townships, not designated, and Indian reserves. Cities and towns are both often referred to as "villes."

As of 2016, there were 10 cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants; 9 municipalities of 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants; 71 municipalities of 10,000 to 49,999 inhabitants; 288 municipalities of 2,000 to 9,999 inhabitants; and 764 municipalities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.

The parliamentary system is based on both the French and British systems. Québec's National Assembly is the chief parliamentary body, with 125 elected representative members. The National Assembly's prime minister is the majority party leader (an elected member of parliament) who serves a term of five years, at the end of which time he or she must call an election. The prime minister selects and presides over the 25 members of the executive cabinet.

The Canadian Constitution grants provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each province to organize its own court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The nine-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and provincial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.

The judiciary is independent of legislative or executive powers, and administers the Civil Code of Québec and the Canadian Penal Code. The Civil Code of Québec is based on the Napoleonic Code, which was developed in France.

The provincial court system consists of the Court of Québec, which is the trial court hearing criminal, civil, and youth matters; the Superior Court of Québec, which hears serious civil and criminal cases, as well as administrative and family matters, and bankruptcies; and the Court of Appeal of Québec, which is the province's highest court.

In 2016, there were 928 violent crimes per 100,000 persons. This was below the national rate, which was 951 per 100,000 persons.

Québec has about 165 public library systems, with 692 branches. The Université du Québec and McGill University (a United Nations depository library) maintain large academic libraries in Montréal. Other large academic libraries include those of Université de Montréal and Université Laval (Québec City), both of which also serve as depository libraries for the United Nations. The Université de Sherbrooke also has a notable library.

In 2019, there were more than 430 museums in the province. The Musée du Québec in Québec City is one of Canada's most prominent museums, with a distinguished collection of 17th-19th century art as well as a collection of contemporary art. Montréal has some 20 museums and many art galleries, including the McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montréal Museum of Modern Art, and the International Museum of Cartoon Art. Biosphere, built for the 1967 World's Fair, has been operated as a museum by Environment Canada since 1995. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is located in Hull.

In theory, Québec has a multiparty system, but in reality there are two main parties (Liberal and Conservative), with one or two others receiving a small proportion of votes. Since the 1940s, various splinter groups such as the nationalist Bloc Populaire, the créditiste Union des Electeurs, the separatist Rassemblement pour l'Indépendence Nationale, Ralliement Nationale, and more recently Parti Québécois have occasionally challenged the traditional two-party rule. Since 1939, the Liberal Party has been especially popular among the urban electorate.

In 1976, voters elected into majority power the Parti Québécois (PQ), a party wanting independence for Québec. The PQ made French the sole, official language of Québec, and, in 1980, conducted a referendum on negotiating an arrangement for sovereignty-association with Canada. In 1995, another referendum was held regarding the possibility of secession. Both referenda were defeated, although the 1995 referendum lost by only 1%.

In the general election held on 14 April 2003, the separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) won 45 of the legislature's 125 seats, while the anti-separatist Québec Liberal Party won 76. Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ) won 4 seats. Following the March 2007 general elections, ADQ held 41 seats, Liberals 48, and PQ 36. The 2007 election was the first time in 130 years that Quebec elected a minority party government. In 2012, the Parti Québécois won a plurality of seats in the assembly. This made the party's leader, Pauline Marois, the first woman premier. However, when a new election was held in 2014, Parti Québécois lost badly to the Liberal Party.

Tourism, Travel, and Recreation

Québec is famous for its expansive system of large urban parks; the province maintains 20 parks and wildlife reserves. The taiga and tundra of the north is a popular destination for adventurous travelers. Montréal's Botanical Garden, the second largest in the world, has ornate Chinese and Japanese gardens. Also in Montréal, the Biodome exhibits four distinct ecosystems, and has become the city's most popular tourist destination since its opening in 1992. The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival is held near Ottawa. Casinos are located in Montréal and Charlevoix. Besides traditional hotel, motel, and inn accommodations, Québec's tourist accommodations include a wide variety of vacation centers, bed-and-breakfasts, and youth hostels. Tourists in Québec numbered more than 32.6 million in 2016, of which 76% were Québécois, 12.5% were Canadians visiting from other provinces, and 11,5% were foreigners. Travelers and tourists spent c$8.8 billion in the province in 2016.

In the early years of French settlement, men significantly outnumbered women. The imbalance between males and females prevented many men from finding a wife from within their own community. By the 1670s, French fur traders started marrying native women, and their descendants were absorbed into their mothers' cultures. The children of the Europeans and the natives became known as the Métis, who eventually developed into a distinct cultural group.

Québec has more than 1.8 million people of French origin, 745,715 of British origin, and about 359,000 Aboriginals (Native Peoples, including Mohawk, Cree, Montagnais, Algonquin, Attikamek, Micmac, Huron, Abenaki, and Naskapi). Eleven distinct Aboriginal nations in Québec have been recognized by the federal Indian Act; the largest native band in the province is at Kahnawake. Montréal is one of Canada's most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas, with large Italian, Greek, Portuguese, and Chinese communities, as well as a notable South American, Arab, and Asian population.

Ethnic divisions between francophones (speakers of French) and anglophones (speakers of English) have recently been replaced by tensions between ethnic Europeans and Aboriginals. In 1990, a group of Mohawks protested the rezoning of a burial ground in Oka, resulting in armed confrontation and a three-month siege by federal troops.

Most of North America's francophones live in Québec. French is the mother tongue of 77.1% of Québeckers, while 7.4% cite English as their mother tongue.

The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, established in 1963, documented the ways that the French language and culture were given a secondary position in Canadian society. After the commission issued its findings in 1969, there was a tide of legislation requiring the use of both English and French in public activities, which stirred up opposition outside Québec. In 1977, Québec's National Assembly adopted the Charter of the French Language, with the aim of making French the language of the government, judicial system, and all official signs, as well as the customary language of work, instruction, communications, commerce, and business.

In addition to French and English, some 35 other languages are spoken by provincial residents, with Italian, Arabic, Spanish, and Greek the most prevalent. Each Aboriginal nation uses its own language, with the exception of the Abenakis, Huron-Wendats, and Malecites.

With the overwhelming majority of its residents Roman Catholic, Québec is unique to Canada. After 1840, the Catholic church started to grow across Québec, and many religious orders from France established themselves. Catholics established their own lay, burial, and philanthropic societies.

Eighty-three percent of the population are Roman Catholic, or about 5,939,700 people. Only 4.7% of the population, or about 335,590 people, are Protestant, including Anglicans, members of the United Church of Canada, Baptists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, and Lutherans. Québec also has about 108,620 Muslims, 89,915 Jews, 100,375 people of Eastern Orthodox faith, 41,380 Buddhists, 24,525 Hindus and 8,225 Sikhs. About 5.8% of the population, or about 413,190 people, profess no religious affiliation, the lowest such rate in Canada.

The St. Lawrence River's 2,330 miles (3,750 kilometers) of navigable length has been the transportation focus in Québec for 400 years. The expansion of farming, logging, and mining at the end of the 1800s helped with the original construction of the major arteries of the road system. Road transport is controlled by the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ), while sea, air, and rail transport are mainly under federal control.

The 850-mile Grand Trunk Railroad first opened in 1856, connecting Québec City and Montréal to Toronto. Railroads are mostly operated by Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP). The preferred method of transport by manufacturers is often via railway, since much of Québec's exports are bulky natural resources (such as pulp and paper, lumber, and ore). The National Transportation Act of 1987 mandated the abandonment of unprofitable rail lines. As a result, much freight traffic has been switched from rail to road in Québec.

Most of the highway system was built in the 1960s, and today serves 80% of Québec's population, linking urban centers and connecting to the networks of Ontario and New England. In 2017, Québec had 8,488,291 registered road motor vehicles, including busses, motorcycles, mopeds, farm vehicles, and construction vehicles. During the winter, massive snow clearing and de-icing operations are necessary to keep roads open.

Public transportation companies serve about 3.5 million people and have almost 95% of the urban bus fleet. The MTQ is legally required by the Education Act to subsidize school busing. Ferries to the Côte-Nord region operate weekly from April to January.

In 1809, Canada's first steamer began operating between Montréal and Québec City, becoming the first mechanized transportation in Québec. Today, ferries throughout Québec annually carry over 5 million passengers and 1.7 million vehicles.

Canada's first canals were built around Montréal during 1779-83. The Rideau Canal opened in 1832 (at a cost of £1 million), providing a new route between Montréal and Lake Ontario. In 1843, the Cornwall Canal opened, providing a more direct route to Lake Ontario.

Québec has 78 commercial ports. The main ports are at Montréal and Québec City.

Québec has some 300 landing sites, public and private airports, seaplane bases, and heliports. Major international commercial air facilities are Montréal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport (formerly Dorval International Airport) and Mirabel International, both in the Montréal area. Other important commercial airports are at Québec City, Sept-ëles, Val-d'Or, Bagotville-Saguenay, Rouyn-Noranda, Mont-Joli, and Baie-Comeau. The MTQ also provides floatplane, skiplane, and helicopter service for remote areas in the Côte-Nord region.

Famous Quebecois/quebeckers

Early explorers included Jacques Cartier (b.France, 1491-1557), who navigated up the St. Lawrence River. Geographer Samuel de Champlain (b.France, 1570-1635), the "Father of New France," also led expeditions and organized settlements. Ÿtienne Brzlé (b.France, c.1592-c.1633) was the first European explorer to live among the Aboriginal people and translated the Huron language. Louis de Buade, Comte de Palluau et de Frontenac (b.France, 1622-1698), was the greatest of the French royal governors and promoted French expansion into North America by establishing fur-trade posts and defending them against the Iroquois and the English. Louis Jolliet (1645-1700) was commissioned by Frontenac to explore the Mississippi River. Fur trader James McGill (b.Scotland, 1744-1813) was the founder of the university in Montréal that bears his name.

Sir John Abbott (1821-1893), Canada's first native-born prime minister, was from St. Andrews, Lower Canada (Québec). Other prominent political leaders from Québec include Canadian prime ministers Sir Wilfred Laurier (1841-1919), Louis St. Laurant (1882-1973), Pierre Trudeau (1919-2000), Brian Mulroney (b.1939), and Jean Chrétien (b.1934). René Lévesque (1922-1987) led the separatist Parti Québécois to power in 1976 and served as Québec's premier until 1985. Lucien Bouchard (b.1938) is the leader of the Bloc Québécois, a political party that desires the independence of Québec from Canada.

Famous entertainers from Québec include actors Glenn Ford (1916-2006), Joseph Wiseman (1918-2009), Madeleine Sherwood (1922-2016), William Shatner (b.1931), John Vernon (1932-2005), Michael Sarrazin (1940-2011), Geneviève Bujold (b.1942), and Robert Joy (b.1951); director and producer Paul Almond (1931-2015); pianist Oscar Peterson (1925-2007); operatic singer Maureen Forrester (1930-2010) and baritone Louis Quilico (1931-2000); and singers Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), Burton Cummings (b.1947), Corey Hart (b.1962), and Celine Dion (b.1968).

Noted francophone Québecois authors include novelists Yves Thériault (1915-1983), Roger Lemelin (1919-1992), and Hubert Aquin (1929-1977); and poets François-Xavier Garneau (1809-1866), Octave Crémazie (1827-1879), Émile Nelligan (1879-1941), Gratien Gélinas (1909-1999), Anne Hébert (1916-2000), and Roch Carrier (b.1937). Famous anglophone authors include critic Northrop Frye (1912-1991), novelists Constance Beresford-Howe (1922-2016), Mordecai Richler (1931-2001); short story writer Mavis Gallant (1922-2014); and poet F. R. Scott (1899-1985). Distinguished Québec authors known for their works in both French and English include novelist Marie-Claire Blais (b.1939), poet and novelist Nicole Brossard (b.1943), and playwright Michel Tremblay (b.1942). Sculptor Akeeaktashuk (1898-1954) was one of the first Inuit artists to receive individual acclaim.

Québec has been the home of many great hockey players, including Maurice "Rocket" Richard (1921-2000), Jacques Plante (1929-1986), Jean Beliveau (1931-2014), Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion (1931-2006), Rodrique "Rod" Gilbert (b.1941), Yvan Serge Cournoyer (b.1943), Bernard Marcel Parent (b.1945), Marcel Dionne (b.1951), Guy Damien Lafleur (b.1951), Richard Lionel "Rick" Martin (b.1951), Denis Charles Potvin (b.1953), Jean Ratelle (b.1953), Mike Bossy (b.1957), and Mario Lemieux (b.1965).

Schooling is available in both French and English. In 2013/14, Québec had 5,034,378 students enrolled in its provincial public elementary and secondary schools. Total spending in 2018-2019 on public elementary and secondary schools came to c$18.9 billion.

In most schools, French is the language of instruction. The Ministère de l'Éducation (ME, Ministry of Education) is responsible for determining which educational services are to be provided in the school system. Historically public schools were either Roman Catholic or Protestant. In the early 1990s, however, legislation was passed to eliminate the religious nature of the schools and to reorganize the system into French-language and English-language schools. Many students attend two years of preschool, followed by six years of elementary school, five years of secondary school, and two years of college. Elementary, secondary, and college education is free. College students choose either vocational or pre-university programs. Students who continue to university must pay tuition. As of 2016, roughly 872,060 of Québec students went on to earn a bachelor's degree.

The ME is responsible for managing higher education at Québec's colleges. The roughly 47 public colleges as well as 10 other institutions operated by the government (such as music conservatories, farm technology institutes, and the Institut de tourisme et d'hotellerie) charge no tuition. Québec also has 61 private colleges, of which 27 receive funding from the government. A total of 263,397 students were enrolled in the province's universities in 2004/05, of which 164,874 were full-time and 98,526 were part-time students.

The Université du Québec in Québec City, founded in 1968, is the second-largest university in Canada and the nation's largest French-language higher education institution. Other universities (with location and year founded) include Université Laval (Québec City, 1852); McGill University (Montréal, 1821); Université de Montréal (1920); Concordia University (Montréal, 1974); Université de Sherbrooke (1954); and Bishop's University (Lennoxville, 1843). Four of the province's universities offer courses taught in French (Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, and Université du Québec); the others offer instruction in English (McGill, Bishop's, and Concordia).

In 2018, there were an estimated 83,800 births in Québec, a decrease of 55 from 2017. There were 68,600 deaths in 2018, an increase of 705 from the previous year. Life expectancy for men in 2016 was 80.8 years, and 84.5 years for women. Québec has over 700 health establishments.

Québec had 3,531,665 households in 2016. The average household size was 2.3 persons. There were 1,602,680 households living in single-detached houses, 187,800 households living in apartments in buildings with five or more stories, and 23,505 households living in mobile homes. In 2002, c$11.1 billion was invested in residential housing construction. From 2001-05, there were 229,781 new housing starts in the province.

By 1931, some 63% of Québec's population lived in cities, up from 36% in 1901. During those 30 years, the population of Montréal doubled to over 818,000, accounting for 28% of the province's growth.

Québec's estimated population as of 2016 was 8.16 million. The majority of Québeckers live in urban centers located along the St. Lawrence. Montréal had a population of 1.78 million in 2016. Québec City, North America's oldest fortified city and Québec's capital, is a seaport with a population of 542,298 in 2016. Other Québec cities and their populations include: Laval, 437,413; Gatineau, 284,557; Longueuil, 246,855; Sherbrooke, 167,162; Saguenay, 145,965; Lévis, 138,769; Trois-Rivières, 137,188; and Terrebonne, 116,319.

Quebec had a median age of 42.5. This made it one of the older provinces in Canada. However, it was surpassed by Newfoundland and Labrador, which had a median age of 46.5.

Québec, with the Grands Ballet Canadiens, is well-known for its numerous dance companies, and a North American center for dance. Montréal annually hosts the Festival international de nouvelle danse, which attracts dance professionals from around the world. Montréal also has some 50 theaters and 20 permanent theater companies that stage traditional works as well as a repertory from Québec's avant-garde playwrights.

Québec also offers several yearly music festivals, including a classical music competition, the Festival international de Lanaudière, and the International Jazz Festival, all in Montréal; the Festival d'été de Québec (a summer music festival) is held in Québec City. Cinema productions by the National Film Board of Canada in Québec have included Denys Arcand's The Decline of the American Empire and Jesus of Montré al, Frédérick Back's The Man Who Planted Trees, and Jason Young's Animals, which won the award for best documentary at the 2003 Atlantic Film Festival.

The government offers subsidies for radio programming by and about aboriginal (native) Canadians. About 77% of all television programming is in French. Montréal produces 65% of the world's French-language television programming and original productions. Montréal is also Canada's main routing center for international telecommunications connections-including one of the world's first digital telephone switching systems. As of 2019, about 92% of the population had home access to the Internet.

In 2019, there were more than twenty daily newspapers in the province. Le Journal de Montréal was ranked as the largest French language newspaper in North America. La Presse (Montréal) ranked third in the nation the same year. Québec City had Le Journal de Québec (9th in the nation).

Many of Quebec's weekly newspapers were published in French. Québec has about 100 publishers and numerous annual book fairs. Les Affaires is a popular French-language business magazine from Québec.

The Montréal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) are one of the best-known teams in hockey and have won the NHL championship (the Stanley Cup) a record 23 times-the earliest in 1924 and the most recent in 1993. The Québec Nordiques played in the NHL from 1979 to 1996 before the franchise became the Colorado Avalanche. Professional women's hockey is played by the Montréal Axion and Québec Avalanche in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). The Québec Major Junior Hockey League, a development league for the National Hockey League, sponsors 18 teams, of which 10 are based in the province.

The Montréal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League won the Grey Cup in 1970, 1974, 1977, and 2002. The Montréal Expos of Major League Baseball (1969-2004), the first franchise the league awarded outside the United States, moved to Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season and became known as the Washington Nationals. The Québec Capitales, a minor league baseball team in the Northern League, completed their inaugural season in 1999; as of 2019 they were a part of the Frontier League. The Laval Dynamites play for the Canadian Soccer League. The Montréal Impact is in the First Division of the United Soccer Leagues. The Laval Comets are in the Northern Division of the W-League (women's league), an affiliate of the United Soccer Leagues.

Major sporting events in Québec include an international tennis tournament, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Grand Prix cycliste des Amériques, the Valleyfield International Regatta, the international swim across Lac Saint-Jean, and the Harricana snowmobile rally from southern Québec to James Bay. Montréal hosted the summer Olympics in 1976.

In 2011, Québec had more than 8.3 million acres (3.3 million hectares) in 29,437 farms, making up more than 5% of the nation's farms. .5% of crops were sod and nursery, 2.1% were fruits, 2% were vegetables, 40.9% were hay, and 54.9% were field crops.

Quebec produced the second largest area of corn grown for grain in Canada. It also ranked second in apple deposits and largest sod area. The province includes the largest area of Christmas tree farms in Canada, featuring more than twenty thousand acres.

Dairy, beef, pork, and poultry production significantly contribute to provincial self-sufficiency in food. In 2016, there were 347,038 dairy cows in Quebec, a 3.5% decline from 2011. The same year there were about 4.5 million pigs and over 237,623 sheep and lambs. Poultry production in 2018 produced 1.43 billion kilograms of meat from more than 2,877 regulated chicken producers. The poultry industry was valued at roughly c$4.6 billion. In 2016, milk and cream production totaled about 818 million gallons (3.1 billion liters).

As of 2016, Québec had no reported production of crude oil, natural gas or coal. As a result, the province has had to import all of the petroleum products, natural gas and coal that it consumes. However, Québec continues to explore for potential reserves of crude oil and natural gas, for which the most extensive work has occurred in the Saint Lawrence Lowlands, and on the Gaspe Peninsula.

Québec has enormous hydroelectric resources, which produces the majority of the province's electric power. In 2016, Québec's installed power generating capacity stood at 37.768 million kilowatts, of which hydroelectric power generation accounted for 35.074 million kilowatts, followed by thermal (steam, nuclear, internal combustion, and combustion turbine) generating capacity at 45,402 megawatts. Electric power output in 2017 totaled 212.2 terawatt hours, the largest in Canada. Roughly 95% of Quebec's energy was generated by hydro power. 4% was generated by wind power. 1% was generated by geothermal power. Less than 1% was generated by petroleum, natural gas, and solar energy.

Commercial fishing in Québec benefits from some of the most productive fishing areas in the Atlantic as well as large consumer markets for fish and fish products. Québec has around 1,261 registered commercial fishing vessels. About 75% of the annual provincial fisheries production is exported, especially crustaceans and shellfish. Production from aquaculture (fish farming) centers around trout and salmon. In 2008, total fishing sales for Quebec were measured at $253 million.

In 2015, Québec had 652,919 residents actively engaged in sport fishing within the province.

Québec's forests make up roughly 20% of Canada's forests, and 2% of the world's forests. Quebec's forests cover roughly 76.1 million hectares of its territory. About 22.2 million hectares are public land, while 6.6 million hectares are owned privately. Major softwood species include white, black, and red spruce as well as balsam fir and eastern white pine. Common hardwood species include sugar and red maple, trembling aspen, paper and yellow birch, and American beech.

In 2017, Québec harvested more than 202,130 hectares of lumber, and planted roughly 88,538 hectares of lumber. Forestry product processing in Québec is diversified, and includes furniture and lumber, wood chip mills, sawmills, and particle board and plywood plants. Forestry directly accounted for 58,995 jobs in 2017. Québec's forestry exports had a value of c$7.6 billion in 2017.

Metallic minerals predominate in the mining sector and include gold, copper, nickel, zinc, silver, and iron. Gold production in 2017 was 139,167 pounds (63,125.339 kilograms). Copper production included 40,864 metric tons. Québec also produces large amounts of cement and stone. The total value of metallic minerals in 2017 was estimated at c$$7.92 billion and the total value of non-metallic minerals (excluding fuels) was estimated at c$1.07 billion.

In 2017, international exports by Québec amounted to more than c$65 billion, while imports that same year totaled c$77.41 billion. The United States was the largest consumer of Québec's exports at c$60.2 billion, followed by China, Mexico, Japan, and France. The United States was also the leading source of imports to the province that same year at nearly c$24.1 billion, followed by China, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Major export areas for Québec include the forest industry (printing, lumber and paper), mining (aluminum and iron ore) and transportation equipment manufacturing (including aircrafts and parts).

Québec's economy is highly industrialized and quite diversified. The province has abundant natural resources and energy, along with well-developed agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors. The service sector is by far the largest sector of the economy, followed by manufacturing; finance, insurance, and real estate; public administration and defense; retail trade; wholesale trade; transportation; utilities; agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining; communications; and warehousing.

The fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. For fiscal year 2017-2018, Québec had total revenues of c$106.308 billion, total expenditures of c$103.72 billion, and a deficit of c$107 billion. Leading expenditures were for health, education, social services, debt charges, resource conservation and industrial development, and transport and communications.

Average family income in the province was c$59,822 in 2015. This was lower than many other provinces.

Québec's manufacturing sector produces a wide variety of high quality products for export, such as air traffic control equipment, software, subway trains, helicopters, compact discs, air purifiers, and toys. More than 60% of the province's manufacturing firms are small or medium-sized companies. Montréal accounts for 70% of Québec's manufacturing production and is especially strong in space and aeronautics, telecommunications, energy, and transportation.

The high-technology sector and the transportation manufacturing sector felt the adverse effects of the global economic downturn in 2001. In 2002, the province lost its only automobile manufacturing plant. A decision by the United States to impose a 29% duty on Canadian lumber had a negative impact on that industry. A pulp and paper mill was to resume operation in 2003, however. Those industries in Québec that depend directly on natural resources were growing in 2002 and 2003.

Throughout the next decade, both manufacturing and construction experienced strong growth in Quebec. Both industries remained major parts of Quebec's economy.

In January 2019, sales of manufactured goods totaled more than c$53 billion. The estimated values of raw materials was c$34.5 billion. The estimated total value of the inventory of manufactured goods within Quebec reached c$85.6 billion.

In 2018, Québec's labor force numbered around 4.5 million people, with 4.26 million employed and about 247,000 unemployed, giving an unemployment rate of 5.5%. The hourly minimum wage as of May 2019 was c$12.50. In 2018, the average hourly wage among all industries was c$24.82.

The sectors with the largest numbers of employed persons in 2005 were retail trade, 677,100; health care and social services, 601,100; manufacturing, 505,100; professional, scientific, and technical services, 349,900; educational services, 306,200; construction, 261,000; accommodation and food services, 255,100; public administration, 251,400; finance, insurance, and real estate and leasing, 245,600; transportation and warehousing, 239,000; other services (except public administration), 190,500; business, building, and other support services, 190,300; information, culture, and recreation, 167,500; agriculture, 58,800; forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas; 40,200; utilities, 27,300.

In 2005, the provincial personal income tax system was set in three brackets with rates ranging from 15% to 25.75%. The retail sales tax was 9.975%. Major excise (consumption) taxes were levied on gasoline at c$19.2 cents per liter and cigarettes at c$.149 per cigarette (in addition to the federal tax). The municipality of Montréal adds an additional gasoline tax. Some alcoholic beverages are subject to taxes and duties as well. As of 2019, the corporate income tax for small businesses was 9%. Property taxes are levied by municipalities.

In 2016/17, it was estimated that the province collected c$11.4 billion in tax revenue. It refunded c$25.8 billion dollars.

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Article Reading Levels Level 4 Document controls Citation metadata Origin of Name: From an Algonquin Indian word meaning "narrow passage" or "strait," referring to the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River at what is currently Québec City. Nickname: La Belle Province (The Beautiful Province). Capital: Québec City. Entered Confederation: 1 July 1867.

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Montreal Skyline

Words to Know

Québec is part of Canada. It is the largest province. The capital is Québec City.

Location

Québec is in the eastern part of Canada. It is near Ontario. It is also near the Canadian Shield. This is an area of mountains and forests. Most of the people in Québec live near the St. Lawrence River.

Québec can be cold. In January it is about -13.2 degrees Celsius. In July it is about 6.8 degrees Celsius.

History

First Nations tribes were the first people there. A tribe in the south was the Iroquois. In the north were the Inuit.

French people began going there in 1534. Many of them traded for furs. They called the land New France.

France and Britain fought. They both wanted the land. Britain won. British people called the land Québec.

Part of Canada

The country of Canada started in 1867. Québec was a big part of it.

Most people in Québec were farmers. That changed later. People got cars and trains. That helped people move. It helped cities grow.

Most people wanted to speak French. Many people want Québec to leave Canada. It would be its own country. People have talked for many years. But they voted no.

Business

Québec has many forests. Forestry is a big business. There are also many small companies. They make many things. Some things are toys and computers.

Farming is important too. There are many farms. Some farmers grow hay and corn. Others grow green beans.

Famous People

Some famous people came from Québec. One is actor William Shatner. Another is singer Leonard Cohen.

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Montreal Skyline Québec is part of Canada. It is the largest province. The capital is Québec City. Québec is in the eastern part of Canada. It is near Ontario. It is also near the Canadian Shield. This is an area of mountains and forests. Most of the people in Québec live near the St.

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Pronunciation: SEE-you-dahd day MEH-hee-koh.
Origin of State Name: Indicates the capital city of the nation of Mexico.
Capital: N.A.
Entered Country: 1585.
Coat of Arms: The coat of arms contains a picture of a golden castle that is surrounded by three stone bridges. There are two lions supporting the castle tower. Around the border of the shield are ten thorny cactus leaves.
Holidays: Año Nuevo (New Year's Day-January 1); Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day-February 5); Benito Juárez's birthday (March 21); Primero de Mayo (Labor Day-May 1); Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla (1862), May 5; Día de la Independencia (Independence Day-September 16); Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead-November 1-2); Revolution Day, 1910 (November 20); and Navidad (Christmas-December 25).
Flag: There is no official flag.
Time: 6 AM = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Ciudad de México (Mexico City) is the capital of Mexico. It has an area of 1,485 square kilometers (573.4 square miles) and covers about 0.1% of the total land area of Mexico. It is about ten times the size of the District of Columbia, the US capital.

Mexico City is located in the center of the country. It is bordered on the north and west by the State of México and on the south by the state of Morelos.

Mexico City lies on a high valley of Mexico that is surrounded by the Sierra Volcánica Transversal (also known as the Cordillera Neovolcánica). This same high valley also encompasses parts of the Mexican states of Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and México. The Sierra las Cruces lie on the western border of the city. The Sierra de Chichinautzin are to the south and the Sierra de Guadalupe are in the north.

There are several volcanoes found in the southern part of Mexico City. The highest point in the city is Cerro del Ajusco at an elevation of about 3,937 meters (12,917 feet). Volcán Tláloc is the second highest peak at 3,690 meters (12,106 feet).

One of the best-known waterways in Mexico City is the Xochimilco canals. The canals surround a network of low-lying artificial islands that were made during precolonial times on the surface of a shallow lake. Tourists come to see "floating gardens" that have sprung upon these reclaimed lands.

The climate is generally dry, with the greatest rainfall occurring during the summer months of June, July, and August. As of 2017, the average annual rainfall in Mexico City was 7.8 centimeters (3.1 inches). The average overall temperature was 14° c (57.2° f).

Although the area was once home to dense forests, deforestation and heavy development have reduced much of the habitat of the native animals. Pines and cedar are native to the area. In the south, plants such as orchids and ferns can be found. Some of the small mammals common to the area are shrews, weasels, and hares. During the winter months, migrating butterfly species may be viewed around the district. Falcons, doves, woodpeckers, and sparrows are common birds.

Mexico City has some of the worst air pollution of any city in the world. In 1988, the government passed a law aimed at improving air quality. Regulations aimed at reducing exhaust emissions from the 4 million cars registered in the city have resulted in improved air quality. In 2017, Mexico City had 25 water treatment plants in operation with a combined installed capacity of 5,497 liters per second (1,452.2 gallons per second). The volume of treated wastewater that year was estimated at about 2,822.2 liters per second (745.5 gallons per second). As of 2015, about 98.6% of private houses in Mexico City had access to water on the property.

Mexico's first national park, Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions), was established in Mexico City in 1917. The name "desert" came from its remote location in 1917, although it is a rich forest area. There are seven additional national parks located in the city. The government has also created special reserves for protection of native plants and animals. The Chichinautzin Ecological Reserve, established in the late 1980s, has volcanic craters that sprout unique vegetation. Ajusco National Park has pine and oak forests. The freshwater lakes known collectively as the lake system of Xochimilco and San Gregario Atlapulco were designated as a Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance site in 2004. In 2017, 3,062 hectares (7,566.4 acres) of land were damaged by a total of 1,019 forest fires.

Mexico City is one of the oldest cities continuously inhabited in Latin America. Remains found at Tlatilco point to 1500 bc as the first time when a permanent settlement was built in the area. Between 100 and 900 ad, the center of human activity in the central valley of Mexico moved to Teotihuacán, an area north of modern day Mexico City. There, impressive pyramids were built as sites of worship for the sun and the moon. The valley where the city of Mexico is located was populated by Toltec Indians who began to grow and expand from southern Mexico and reached Teotihuacán after the Teotihuacán culture had begun its decline.

During the 13th century, Mexica Amerindians, also known as Aztecs, arrived in the region. According to the historical myth, they left a northern (probably mythical) city of Aztlán. They were led by their god, Huitzilopochtli, represented by a warrior-like figure. The myth says that when they arrived in the lake-filled region, the Aztecs witnessed the vision of an eagle devouring a snake while perched on a cactus. They believed that this was a message that their god wanted them to stay there. Tenochtitlán-Mexico was founded on June 8, 1325.

Under the leadership of monarchs Izcoatl, Montezuma I (Moctezuma I, d. 1469), Axayacatl (15th century), Tizoc, Ahuizotl (d. 1503), and Montezuma II (Moctezuma II, 1466-1520), the Aztecs emerged as the most important civilization in the central valley of Mexico. The highly disciplined warriors, who took the eagle and jaguar as their symbols, rapidly expanded the areas under Aztec domination. Yet, the Aztecs also absorbed and incorporated religious beliefs and cultural values of the groups they entered into contact with and dominated.

One of the most impressive constructions in Mexico City was the Templo Mayor, a double pyramid dedicated to the gods Tlaloc (god of water and rain) and Huitzilopochtli (god of war). They believed that Templo Mayor was the center of the universe, and human sacrifices were required to sustain it as such. In addition, there were other temples dedicated to Quetzalcóatl (father of civilization), Tezcatlipoca (god who creates and changes all things), and Ehecatl (god of wind). Together with the temples, the city rapidly grew as a commercial and military center of a vast Aztec empire. Located in the middle of a number of small lakes, the city gave way to the construction of a number of canals that surrounded plots of land called chinampas. When the Spaniards arrived in the 1500s, Mexico-Tenochtitlán was probably one of the most populated cities in the world. Its structures and buildings must have deeply impressed the Spanish conquistadores (conquerors). Because of a religious myth, Aztecs expected the return of Quetzalcóatl. Believing Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) was the returning god, Emperor Montezuma II met Cortés at the entrance of the city to welcome him. Cortés imprisoned Montezuma and moved on to kill many of the Aztec nobility. Despite the resistance of the Aztecs led by Cuahtémoc (c. 1495-1522), Cortés successfully conquered Mexico-Tenochtitlán on August 13, 1521.

Cortés quickly moved to control the rest of the central valley of Mexico but made Mexico-Tenochtitlán the capital city of the new Spanish territory. Roman Catholic churches were built on top of the ruins of Aztec temples, and the new government buildings replaced other sacred Aztec constructions. The Mexican presidential palace, the city's cathedral, and the main central square were located exactly in the same place where the Aztec's most important buildings were erected. That gives Mexico City a profound sense of the dramatic changes that occurred with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. It also reflects the deep history of a city that has been one of the world's greatest cities for centuries. Most of the people of Mexico are mestizo (of mixed Amerindian and European descent). They are like Mexico City, where two rich and expanding civilizations came together.

After Cortés conquered it, Mexico-Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City) became the center of colonial rule-through the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, and through the heart of the independence movement between 1810 and 1821. It was at the center of the political instability that characterized Mexico between 1823 and 1867. It was the place where president Benito Juárez (1806-1872) began adopting his celebrated reforms. Mexico City was the main objective of the revolutionary leaders of 1910.

In 1824, after gaining independence from Spain, the Distrito Federal (Federal District) was established. This new district encompassed Mexico City and the surrounding area, and although it gained a degree of political autonomy, a clause in the constitution prevented it from becoming a state unless the nation's capital were to be relocated. Plaza de la Constitución, the square in the center of the city (commonly referred to as the Zócalo), symbolizes the three cultures of Mexico City: the original Aztec, the invading Spanish, and the resulting Mexican culture that blends the two. Mexico City is one of the most populated cities in the world. It was the site of the Olympic Games in 1968, when drug testing was first introduced. The city experienced rapid growth in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Into the first decade of the 21st century, Mexico City continued to experience a number of problems. Among them were: extreme air pollution; official and police corruption; traffic congestion; and a sharp increase in violent crimes such as murder, robbery, and kidnapping.

In July 2006, Mexico City also became the center for the nation's disputed presidential election, in which Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador contested the vote count that gave victory to his opponent, National Action Party (PAN) candidate Felipe Calderon, claiming that massive election fraud had taken place.

In November 2006, Mexico City's legislators passed a law that would give same-sex couples, as well as unmarried heterosexual couples, civil union status, thus allowing them to gain access to pension and inheritance rights.

In 2007, Mexico City authorities announced that they would require all public school students to learn an ancient Aztec language, in an effort to forge a bond with the region's indigenous roots.

In January 2016, Distrito Federal officially became Ciudad de México with an even greater amount of autonomy. The clause in the constitution preventing it from becoming the 32nd state, however, remained in place.

The chief of government is the chief executive (or mayor) in Mexico City. Previously appointed by the president as a cabinet minister, since 1997 the chief executive has been democratically elected, by those residing in Mexico City, for a six-year, nonrenewable term. The first elected chief of government was Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano (b. 1934). The legislative assembly of Mexico City is comprised of 66 members, 40 elected in single-member districts and 26 elected by proportional representation. The chief of government of Mexico City is elected concurrently with the president of Mexico on a separate ballot. As in other federal districts, the federal government retains some authority to decide on matters that pertain to financial and administrative issues. Mexico City is divided into 16 political delegations.

The Superior Tribunal of Justice is the highest court in Mexico City. Its members are appointed by the chief of government, with congressional approval, for renewable six-year terms. Although there is also an electoral tribunal and lower courts, the presence of the national Supreme Court and the Federal Electoral Tribunal usually render the Superior Tribunal of Mexico City and Electoral Tribunal less important than its counterparts in the other 31 states. Yet, as Mexico City slowly changes from being a bureaucracy highly controlled by the federal government into a more state-like autonomous entity, the independence, the autonomy, and the importance of Mexico City's judicial system will become more important.

In 2017, there were 1,526 public libraries in Mexico City with a combined stock of 24,095,665 books. The Biblioteca Nacional (National Library of Mexico), containing over 1,250,000 volumes, is located on the campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The Hemeroteca Nacional (National Newspaper and Periodical Library) is also a part of the university and serves as a depository library of the United Nations.

In 2017, there were 149 museums registered in Mexico City. The most important museums are the government-sponsored National Museum of Art, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Museum of Popular Culture. The former home of artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is open as a museum as is the former art studio of famous painter Diego Rivera (1886-1957). The Palace of Fine Arts and the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe (patron saint of Mexico) are popular sites as well. The former home and studio of architect Luis Barragán (1902-1988) was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.

The three main political parties in all of Mexico are the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN), and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). These parties have a strong presence in Mexico City. Voters first democratically elected their chief of government in 1997. Former PRD presidential candidate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano won the election. The PRD's Andrés Manuel López Obrador won the 2000 election and emerged as one of the most important contenders for the 2006 presidential election. In 2018, Mexico City made history by electing their first female head of government, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. This election was also significant because Sheinbaum Pardo belongs to the Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (MORENA; National Regeneration Movement) party, the first party to win the head of government seat over the PRD since before 1997.

The PRD is still the strongest party in Mexico City, but the PAN has also made inroads. Since the PRI has mostly lost support in urban areas, its strength in Mexico City has also diminished significantly since the mid-1980s.

Tourism, Travel, and Recreation

Alameda Central, dating from the late 16th century, is the oldest park in the country. The floating gardens of Xochimilco may be viewed by boat. University City houses the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM); its modern campus buildings feature murals and mosaics by Diego Rivera on their outer walls. The Palacio de Bellas Artes has murals by Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896-1974) and crystal carvings of Mexico's famous volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl.

The Zona Rosa (Pink Zone), a famous shopping area, also has two beautiful statues, La Diana Cazadora and the statue of Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus). Chapultepec Park houses the castle of the former emperor Maximilian (1832-1867) and empress Carlotta (1840-1927), a zoo and botanical gardens, and the famous Museum of Anthropology, which has the old Aztec calendar and a huge statue of Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god. The beautiful baroque cathedral called the Catedral Metropolitana is a popular site for visitors of all faiths. The main avenue of Mexico City is La Avenida de la Independencia, featuring the statue of the Angel of Independence, a famous landmark of the city. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year.

Bullfighting is popular in Mexico City. Spectators may choose to pay higher prices to guarantee seats in the shade, since the sun in Mexico City can be scorching.

According to the 2010 census, 82% of the population were Roman Catholic. The number of Roman Catholics has continued to decrease in favor of agnosticism and atheism. There are also several other religions practiced as well, including Protestantism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam.

Religion plays an important role in the everyday lives of many residents. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the patron saint of Mexico, is a national Roman Catholic shrine visited by thousands of pilgrims, some of whom climb the steps of the shrine on their knees. Mexico City's downtown area has a beautiful baroque cathedral called the Catedral Metropolitana that is the largest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. This cathedral serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Mexico. A temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) was dedicated in Mexico City in 1983.

Mexico-Benito Juárez Airport, or Mexico City International Airport, provides international flights to and from Mexico City. Mexico City has been served by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro, an extensive metro system (over 200 kilometers/125 miles), since the 1960s. More than 4 million people travel on it each day.

In 2017, there were 5,008,454 automobiles registered in Mexico City, along with 32,245 passenger trucks, 83,354 freight trucks, and 347,851 motorcycles.

Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) was a Spanish conquistador who conquered Aztec emperor Montezuma II to become the founder of Spanish Mexico. Though born in Spain, in 1774 his remains were placed in a vault at the Hospital de Jesús Nazareno chapel, which he helped build, in Mexico City.

Octavio Paz (1914-1998), winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature, was born in Mexico City. Mario José Molina (b. 1943) shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with colleagues Paul J. Crutzen and F. Sherwood Rowland for their study of the effects of chlorofluorocarbon gases (CFCs) on the ozone layer.

Carlos Fuentes (b. Panama, 1928-2012) was a renowned writer, editor, and diplomat. He was head of the department of cultural relations in Mexico's ministry of foreign affairs from 1956 to 1959 and Mexican ambassador to France from 1975 to 1977. His fiction works deal with Mexican history and identity and include A Change of Skin, Terra Nostra, and The Years with Laura Díaz (all of which have been translated into English from Spanish). José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776-1827) was a journalist, satirical novelist, and dramatist, known by his pseudonym El Pensador Mexicano. His best-known work is El Periquillo Sarniento ( The Itching Parrot). Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera (1859-1895) is considered to be one of the first Mexican modernist poets.

Composer Carlos Chávez (1899-1978) produced works that combined Mexican, Indian, and Spanish-Mexican influences. Agustín Lara (1900-1970) was a popular composer who made his mark in the film industry from 1930 to 1950, a period known as the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Cantinflas (Mario Moreno Reyes, 1911-1993) was a popular comedian, film producer, and writer who appeared in more than 55 films, including a role as Passepartoute in the 1956 version of Around the World in Eighty Days. The life of painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was the subject of a 2002 feature film, Frida, starring Salma Hayek.

Carlos Slim Helú (b. 1940) is a Mexican businessman who was listed as the third richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2006. He controls three major telecommunication companies: Teléfonos de México (Telmex), Telcel, and América Móvil. Maria Asunción Aramburuzabala (b. 1963) is the richest woman in Mexico. She has major holdings in Grupo Modelo, the brewing company known for Corona beer.

Public education in Mexico is free for students from ages 6 to 16, and most students in Mexico City attend public schools. In 2015, an average of 73.9% of Mexico City citizens age 15 or older had completed primary school, which includes six years of study. An average of 57.4% of citizens age 15 or older had completed secondary school, which includes three additional years of study after primary school.

The higher education institutions in Mexico City include The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (National University of Mexico-UNAM), El Colegio de Mexico (College of Mexico), and the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute). There are also several specialty colleges, such as the Institute of Social Science, Economics, and Administration; the National Institute of Anthropology and History; and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature. In 2016/17, there were 726,875 students enrolled in some type of higher-education program.

In 2017, Mexico City had 83 hospitals and 612 outpatient centers that were part of the national health system. There were an additional 269 private hospitals in operation in the district that year.

Most of the Mexican population is covered under a government health plan. The IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) covers the general population. The ISSSTE (Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de Trabajadores del Estado) covers state workers.

Housing in Mexico City varies from luxury townhouses and apartments to housing built from poor-quality materials. Most homes are built with solid materials such as concrete, stone, or brick. In 2015, there were 2,601,323 homes occupied by 8,912,820 people. The average household was estimated at 3.4 people.

Mexico City had an estimated total population of 8,811,266 in 2017, the second-largest population in the nation. About 48% of the population were men and 52% were women. The entire district is considered an urban area. The population density was the highest in the nation at 5,933.5 people per square kilometer (15,367.7 people per square mile). Almost all residents speak Spanish, but a small percentage of the population speaks one of the indigenous languages, such as Náhuatl, Otomi, and the many languages of the Mixtecas and Zapotecas ethnic groups.

Mexico City is home to many dance and music performing arts groups. The Ballet Folklórico Nacional de Mexico (National Folk Ballet of Mexico) performs in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Three other companies-Ballet Independiente, Ballet Neoclásico, and Ballet Contemporánea-also perform in Mexico City. There are three major orchestras, including a children's symphony orchestra. The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra (established by the government in 1978) was nominated for Best Recording in the 2001 Grammy Latino Awards. ¡Que Payasos! (Clowns) is a popular rock-and-roll group that performs at festivals, especially for young people. As of 2017, there were 111 auditoriums, 233 cultural centers, 273 galleries, 481 bookstores, and 156 theaters in Mexico City.

In 2019, there were at least 27 newspapers published in Mexico City, including Diario de México ( The Journal of Mexico), El Universal ( The Universe) and 24 Horas ( 24 Hours).

In 2018, there were 17 television stations and 36 FM radio stations. In 2017, there were 2,387,929 residential phone line subscriptions and a total of 3,932,437 fixed telephone line subscriptions.

Soccer is the most popular sport and Mexico City has six soccer stadiums. Club América, nicknamed Las Águilas (The Eagles) and founded in 1916, competes in Liga MX, the highest level of Mexican football (soccer). They play their home games at the Estadio Azteca, which is the largest stadium in Latin America and seats 87,523 people. Also playing in Liga MX and at Estadio Azteca is Cruz Azul, a football club founded in 1927. A third team from Mexico City that plays in Liga MX is the Club de Fútbol Universidad Nacional AC, or Pumas de la UNAM. This club represents the National Autonomous University of Mexico and plays their home games at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, which seats 72,000. FC Marina, commonly called Cañoneros Marina (Navy Cannons), was founded in 2012 and currently plays in Serie B of the Mexican football league. FC Politécnico, founded in 2013, also plays in Serie B. Club Astros competes in the Liga Premier of Mexican football and plays at the 5,000-seat Estadio Palillo Martinez.

The Aztec Eagle Warriors are a semi-professional ice hockey team that was founded in 2010 and plays in the Liga Mexicana Élite. In 2017, the Capitanes de Ciudad de México (Mexico City Captains) were founded as a professional basketball team competing in the National Professional Basketball League (LNBP). Competing in the top American football league in Mexico are Condors CDMX, Mayas CDMX, and Mexicas CDMX, all founded in 2015. Pumas CU is a varsity American football team representing the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) is a professional AAA Minor League Baseball team of the Mexican League.

Mexico City also hosts bullfighting in the 40,000-seat Plaza Mexico and in the 10,000-seat Plaza de Toreo Cuatro Caminos. As of 2019, there were at least six sports arenas in Mexico City with another one in development.

The International Mexico City Marathon has been an annual event since 1983. The race is considered to be one of the most challenging marathons in the world because of the city's altitude.

A few small dairy farms lie on the outskirts of the city, with the milk and cheese sold locally. Some families also raise pigs and chickens in backyard pens. A typical family might keep three pigs, and one or two dozen chickens. Some of the animals are consumed by the family, but most are raised to be sold to local butcher shops. Vegetables and fruits are also grown. These include corn, spinach, oats, animal feed, as well as plants like roses, nopal (a kind of prickly pear cactus), and maguey (a spiney plant used in the production of mezcal, a colorless liquor).

Corn is the most common crop raised by residents living in Mexico City. In 2014, the city produced 8,731 tons. By August of that year, Mexico City had produced more than 9 million liters (2.4 million gallons) of milk.

In 2015, about 99.8% of private homes in Mexico City had electricity. Electricity is provided and distributed by the Federal Electricity Commission and Central Light and Power. Both utilities are run by the Mexican government.

While most of the forests are protected, oyamel (a fir tree) and pine are still harvested for sale. In 2017, Mexico City harvested 190 cubic meters (6,709.8 cubic feet) of pine wood.

The economy of Mexico City is marked by its position as the nation's capital, housing the nation's ministries, and most of its government agencies. But Mexico City and the 21 principal municipalities in the State of México that surround the capital account for a major portion of the nation's industrial base. Many manufacturing concerns are headquartered in Mexico City. It is also a major distribution center and a center for Mexico's tourism industry. In 2016, services (excluding financial services) accounted for about 38% of the state's gross domestic product (GDP). Mexico City's GDP accounted for about 17.4% of the national economy that year, making it the largest economic contributor to the nation. Most jobs are found in the service industries and technical and administrative professionals.

As of 2018, Mexico City had 7,195,186 eligible workers. Approximately 4,206,922 were employed and 159,968 were listed as unemployed. Unemployed workers in rural areas may not be counted, however. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2019 was reported to be 4.7%. Of those who were working, technical and administrative professionals made up 43.9% of the workforce, followed by services at 39.4%, manufacturing at 14.6%, and agriculture at .39%.

In 2019, the Comisión Nacional de los Salarios Mínimos (National Minimum Wage Commission) raised minimum wage in Mexico from 88.36 pesos ($4.39) to 102.68 pesos ($5.10). The maximum work week is set at 48 hours by law. The average worker spends 40 to 45 hours per week on the job. Workers earn twice their regular hourly rate for up to nine hours a week of overtime. When a worker works more than nine hours overtime in a week, he or she earns three times the regular hourly rate. After one year, workers are entitled by law to six days paid vacation.

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Pronunciation: SEE-you-dahd day MEH-hee-koh.
Origin of State Name: Indicates the capital city of the nation of Mexico.
Capital: N.A.
Entered Country: 1585.
Coat of Arms: The coat of arms contains a picture of a golden castle that is surrounded by three stone bridges. There are two lions supporting the castle tower. Around the border of the shield are ten thorny cactus leaves.
Holidays: Año Nuevo (New Year's Day-January 1); Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day-February 5); Benito Juárez's birthday (March 21); Primero de Mayo (Labor Day-May 1); Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla (1862), May 5; Día de la Independencia (Independence Day-September 16); Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead-November 1-2); Revolution Day, 1910 (November 20); and Navidad (Christmas-December 25).
Flag: There is no official flag.
Time: 6 AM = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Ciudad de México (Mexico City) is the capital of Mexico. It has an area of 1,485 square kilometers (573.4 square miles) and covers about 0.1% of the total land area of Mexico. It is about ten times the size of the District of Columbia, the US capital.

Mexico City is located in the center of the country. It is bordered on the north and west by the State of México and on the south by the state of Morelos.

Mexico City lies on a high valley of Mexico that is surrounded by the Sierra Volcánica Transversal (also known as the Cordillera Neovolcánica). This same high valley also encompasses parts of the Mexican states of Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and México. The Sierra las Cruces lie on the western border of the city. The Sierra de Chichinautzin are to the south and the Sierra de Guadalupe are in the north.

There are several volcanoes found in the southern part of Mexico City. The highest point in the city is Cerro del Ajusco at an elevation of about 3,937 meters (12,917 feet). Volcán Tláloc is the second highest peak at 3,690 meters (12,106 feet).

One of the best-known waterways in Mexico City is the Xochimilco canals. The canals surround a network of low-lying artificial islands that were made during precolonial times on the surface of a shallow lake. Tourists come to see "floating gardens" that have sprung upon these reclaimed lands.

The climate is generally dry, with the greatest rainfall occurring during the summer months of June, July, and August. As of 2017, the average annual rainfall in Mexico City was 7.8 centimeters (3.1 inches). The average overall temperature was 14° c (57.2° f).

Although the area was once home to dense forests, deforestation and heavy development have reduced much of the habitat of the native animals. Pines and cedar are native to the area. In the south, plants such as orchids and ferns can be found. Some of the small mammals common to the area are shrews, weasels, and hares. During the winter months, migrating butterfly species may be viewed around the district. Falcons, doves, woodpeckers, and sparrows are common birds.

Mexico City has some of the worst air pollution of any city in the world. In 1988, the government passed a law aimed at improving air quality. Regulations aimed at reducing exhaust emissions from the 4 million cars registered in the city have resulted in improved air quality. In 2017, Mexico City had 25 water treatment plants in operation with a combined installed capacity of 5,497 liters per second (1,452.2 gallons per second). The volume of treated wastewater that year was estimated at about 2,822.2 liters per second (745.5 gallons per second). As of 2015, about 98.6% of private houses in Mexico City had access to water on the property.

Mexico's first national park, Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions), was established in Mexico City in 1917. The name "desert" came from its remote location in 1917, although it is a rich forest area. There are seven additional national parks located in the city. The government has also created special reserves for protection of native plants and animals. The Chichinautzin Ecological Reserve, established in the late 1980s, has volcanic craters that sprout unique vegetation. Ajusco National Park has pine and oak forests. The freshwater lakes known collectively as the lake system of Xochimilco and San Gregario Atlapulco were designated as a Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance site in 2004. In 2017, 3,062 hectares (7,566.4 acres) of land were damaged by a total of 1,019 forest fires.

Mexico City is one of the oldest cities continuously inhabited in Latin America. Remains found at Tlatilco point to 1500 bc as the first time when a permanent settlement was built in the area. Between 100 and 900 ad, the center of human activity in the central valley of Mexico moved to Teotihuacán, an area north of modern day Mexico City. There, impressive pyramids were built as sites of worship for the sun and the moon. The valley where the city of Mexico is located was populated by Toltec Indians who began to grow and expand from southern Mexico and reached Teotihuacán after the Teotihuacán culture had begun its decline.

During the 13th century, Mexica Amerindians, also known as Aztecs, arrived in the region. According to the historical myth, they left a northern (probably mythical) city of Aztlán. They were led by their god, Huitzilopochtli, represented by a warrior-like figure. The myth says that when they arrived in the lake-filled region, the Aztecs witnessed the vision of an eagle devouring a snake while perched on a cactus. They believed that this was a message that their god wanted them to stay there. Tenochtitlán-Mexico was founded on June 8, 1325.

Under the leadership of monarchs Izcoatl, Montezuma I (Moctezuma I, d. 1469), Axayacatl (15th century), Tizoc, Ahuizotl (d. 1503), and Montezuma II (Moctezuma II, 1466-1520), the Aztecs emerged as the most important civilization in the central valley of Mexico. The highly disciplined warriors, who took the eagle and jaguar as their symbols, rapidly expanded the areas under Aztec domination. Yet, the Aztecs also absorbed and incorporated religious beliefs and cultural values of the groups they entered into contact with and dominated.

One of the most impressive constructions in Mexico City was the Templo Mayor, a double pyramid dedicated to the gods Tlaloc (god of water and rain) and Huitzilopochtli (god of war). They believed that Templo Mayor was the center of the universe, and human sacrifices were required to sustain it as such. In addition, there were other temples dedicated to Quetzalcóatl (father of civilization), Tezcatlipoca (god who creates and changes all things), and Ehecatl (god of wind). Together with the temples, the city rapidly grew as a commercial and military center of a vast Aztec empire. Located in the middle of a number of small lakes, the city gave way to the construction of a number of canals that surrounded plots of land called chinampas. When the Spaniards arrived in the 1500s, Mexico-Tenochtitlán was probably one of the most populated cities in the world. Its structures and buildings must have deeply impressed the Spanish conquistadores (conquerors). Because of a religious myth, Aztecs expected the return of Quetzalcóatl. Believing Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) was the returning god, Emperor Montezuma II met Cortés at the entrance of the city to welcome him. Cortés imprisoned Montezuma and moved on to kill many of the Aztec nobility. Despite the resistance of the Aztecs led by Cuahtémoc (c. 1495-1522), Cortés successfully conquered Mexico-Tenochtitlán on August 13, 1521.

Cortés quickly moved to control the rest of the central valley of Mexico but made Mexico-Tenochtitlán the capital city of the new Spanish territory. Roman Catholic churches were built on top of the ruins of Aztec temples, and the new government buildings replaced other sacred Aztec constructions. The Mexican presidential palace, the city's cathedral, and the main central square were located exactly in the same place where the Aztec's most important buildings were erected. That gives Mexico City a profound sense of the dramatic changes that occurred with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. It also reflects the deep history of a city that has been one of the world's greatest cities for centuries. Most of the people of Mexico are mestizo (of mixed Amerindian and European descent). They are like Mexico City, where two rich and expanding civilizations came together.

After Cortés conquered it, Mexico-Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City) became the center of colonial rule-through the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, and through the heart of the independence movement between 1810 and 1821. It was at the center of the political instability that characterized Mexico between 1823 and 1867. It was the place where president Benito Juárez (1806-1872) began adopting his celebrated reforms. Mexico City was the main objective of the revolutionary leaders of 1910.

In 1824, after gaining independence from Spain, the Distrito Federal (Federal District) was established. This new district encompassed Mexico City and the surrounding area, and although it gained a degree of political autonomy, a clause in the constitution prevented it from becoming a state unless the nation's capital were to be relocated. Plaza de la Constitución, the square in the center of the city (commonly referred to as the Zócalo), symbolizes the three cultures of Mexico City: the original Aztec, the invading Spanish, and the resulting Mexican culture that blends the two. Mexico City is one of the most populated cities in the world. It was the site of the Olympic Games in 1968, when drug testing was first introduced. The city experienced rapid growth in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Into the first decade of the 21st century, Mexico City continued to experience a number of problems. Among them were: extreme air pollution; official and police corruption; traffic congestion; and a sharp increase in violent crimes such as murder, robbery, and kidnapping.

In July 2006, Mexico City also became the center for the nation's disputed presidential election, in which Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador contested the vote count that gave victory to his opponent, National Action Party (PAN) candidate Felipe Calderon, claiming that massive election fraud had taken place.

In November 2006, Mexico City's legislators passed a law that would give same-sex couples, as well as unmarried heterosexual couples, civil union status, thus allowing them to gain access to pension and inheritance rights.

In 2007, Mexico City authorities announced that they would require all public school students to learn an ancient Aztec language, in an effort to forge a bond with the region's indigenous roots.

In January 2016, Distrito Federal officially became Ciudad de México with an even greater amount of autonomy. The clause in the constitution preventing it from becoming the 32nd state, however, remained in place.

The chief of government is the chief executive (or mayor) in Mexico City. Previously appointed by the president as a cabinet minister, since 1997 the chief executive has been democratically elected, by those residing in Mexico City, for a six-year, nonrenewable term. The first elected chief of government was Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano (b. 1934). The legislative assembly of Mexico City is comprised of 66 members, 40 elected in single-member districts and 26 elected by proportional representation. The chief of government of Mexico City is elected concurrently with the president of Mexico on a separate ballot. As in other federal districts, the federal government retains some authority to decide on matters that pertain to financial and administrative issues. Mexico City is divided into 16 political delegations.

The Superior Tribunal of Justice is the highest court in Mexico City. Its members are appointed by the chief of government, with congressional approval, for renewable six-year terms. Although there is also an electoral tribunal and lower courts, the presence of the national Supreme Court and the Federal Electoral Tribunal usually render the Superior Tribunal of Mexico City and Electoral Tribunal less important than its counterparts in the other 31 states. Yet, as Mexico City slowly changes from being a bureaucracy highly controlled by the federal government into a more state-like autonomous entity, the independence, the autonomy, and the importance of Mexico City's judicial system will become more important.

In 2017, there were 1,526 public libraries in Mexico City with a combined stock of 24,095,665 books. The Biblioteca Nacional (National Library of Mexico), containing over 1,250,000 volumes, is located on the campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The Hemeroteca Nacional (National Newspaper and Periodical Library) is also a part of the university and serves as a depository library of the United Nations.

In 2017, there were 149 museums registered in Mexico City. The most important museums are the government-sponsored National Museum of Art, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Museum of Popular Culture. The former home of artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is open as a museum as is the former art studio of famous painter Diego Rivera (1886-1957). The Palace of Fine Arts and the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe (patron saint of Mexico) are popular sites as well. The former home and studio of architect Luis Barragán (1902-1988) was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.

The three main political parties in all of Mexico are the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN), and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). These parties have a strong presence in Mexico City. Voters first democratically elected their chief of government in 1997. Former PRD presidential candidate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano won the election. The PRD's Andrés Manuel López Obrador won the 2000 election and emerged as one of the most important contenders for the 2006 presidential election. In 2018, Mexico City made history by electing their first female head of government, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. This election was also significant because Sheinbaum Pardo belongs to the Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (MORENA; National Regeneration Movement) party, the first party to win the head of government seat over the PRD since before 1997.

The PRD is still the strongest party in Mexico City, but the PAN has also made inroads. Since the PRI has mostly lost support in urban areas, its strength in Mexico City has also diminished significantly since the mid-1980s.

Tourism, Travel, and Recreation

Alameda Central, dating from the late 16th century, is the oldest park in the country. The floating gardens of Xochimilco may be viewed by boat. University City houses the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM); its modern campus buildings feature murals and mosaics by Diego Rivera on their outer walls. The Palacio de Bellas Artes has murals by Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896-1974) and crystal carvings of Mexico's famous volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl.

The Zona Rosa (Pink Zone), a famous shopping area, also has two beautiful statues, La Diana Cazadora and the statue of Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus). Chapultepec Park houses the castle of the former emperor Maximilian (1832-1867) and empress Carlotta (1840-1927), a zoo and botanical gardens, and the famous Museum of Anthropology, which has the old Aztec calendar and a huge statue of Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god. The beautiful baroque cathedral called the Catedral Metropolitana is a popular site for visitors of all faiths. The main avenue of Mexico City is La Avenida de la Independencia, featuring the statue of the Angel of Independence, a famous landmark of the city. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year.

Bullfighting is popular in Mexico City. Spectators may choose to pay higher prices to guarantee seats in the shade, since the sun in Mexico City can be scorching.

According to the 2010 census, 82% of the population were Roman Catholic. The number of Roman Catholics has continued to decrease in favor of agnosticism and atheism. There are also several other religions practiced as well, including Protestantism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam.

Religion plays an important role in the everyday lives of many residents. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the patron saint of Mexico, is a national Roman Catholic shrine visited by thousands of pilgrims, some of whom climb the steps of the shrine on their knees. Mexico City's downtown area has a beautiful baroque cathedral called the Catedral Metropolitana that is the largest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. This cathedral serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Mexico. A temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) was dedicated in Mexico City in 1983.

Mexico-Benito Juárez Airport, or Mexico City International Airport, provides international flights to and from Mexico City. Mexico City has been served by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro, an extensive metro system (over 200 kilometers/125 miles), since the 1960s. More than 4 million people travel on it each day.

In 2017, there were 5,008,454 automobiles registered in Mexico City, along with 32,245 passenger trucks, 83,354 freight trucks, and 347,851 motorcycles.

Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) was a Spanish conquistador who conquered Aztec emperor Montezuma II to become the founder of Spanish Mexico. Though born in Spain, in 1774 his remains were placed in a vault at the Hospital de Jesús Nazareno chapel, which he helped build, in Mexico City.

Octavio Paz (1914-1998), winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature, was born in Mexico City. Mario José Molina (b. 1943) shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with colleagues Paul J. Crutzen and F. Sherwood Rowland for their study of the effects of chlorofluorocarbon gases (CFCs) on the ozone layer.

Carlos Fuentes (b. Panama, 1928-2012) was a renowned writer, editor, and diplomat. He was head of the department of cultural relations in Mexico's ministry of foreign affairs from 1956 to 1959 and Mexican ambassador to France from 1975 to 1977. His fiction works deal with Mexican history and identity and include A Change of Skin, Terra Nostra, and The Years with Laura Díaz (all of which have been translated into English from Spanish). José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776-1827) was a journalist, satirical novelist, and dramatist, known by his pseudonym El Pensador Mexicano. His best-known work is El Periquillo Sarniento ( The Itching Parrot). Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera (1859-1895) is considered to be one of the first Mexican modernist poets.

Composer Carlos Chávez (1899-1978) produced works that combined Mexican, Indian, and Spanish-Mexican influences. Agustín Lara (1900-1970) was a popular composer who made his mark in the film industry from 1930 to 1950, a period known as the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Cantinflas (Mario Moreno Reyes, 1911-1993) was a popular comedian, film producer, and writer who appeared in more than 55 films, including a role as Passepartoute in the 1956 version of Around the World in Eighty Days. The life of painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was the subject of a 2002 feature film, Frida, starring Salma Hayek.

Carlos Slim Helú (b. 1940) is a Mexican businessman who was listed as the third richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2006. He controls three major telecommunication companies: Teléfonos de México (Telmex), Telcel, and América Móvil. Maria Asunción Aramburuzabala (b. 1963) is the richest woman in Mexico. She has major holdings in Grupo Modelo, the brewing company known for Corona beer.

Public education in Mexico is free for students from ages 6 to 16, and most students in Mexico City attend public schools. In 2015, an average of 73.9% of Mexico City citizens age 15 or older had completed primary school, which includes six years of study. An average of 57.4% of citizens age 15 or older had completed secondary school, which includes three additional years of study after primary school.

The higher education institutions in Mexico City include The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (National University of Mexico-UNAM), El Colegio de Mexico (College of Mexico), and the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute). There are also several specialty colleges, such as the Institute of Social Science, Economics, and Administration; the National Institute of Anthropology and History; and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature. In 2016/17, there were 726,875 students enrolled in some type of higher-education program.

In 2017, Mexico City had 83 hospitals and 612 outpatient centers that were part of the national health system. There were an additional 269 private hospitals in operation in the district that year.

Most of the Mexican population is covered under a government health plan. The IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) covers the general population. The ISSSTE (Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de Trabajadores del Estado) covers state workers.

Housing in Mexico City varies from luxury townhouses and apartments to housing built from poor-quality materials. Most homes are built with solid materials such as concrete, stone, or brick. In 2015, there were 2,601,323 homes occupied by 8,912,820 people. The average household was estimated at 3.4 people.

Mexico City had an estimated total population of 8,811,266 in 2017, the second-largest population in the nation. About 48% of the population were men and 52% were women. The entire district is considered an urban area. The population density was the highest in the nation at 5,933.5 people per square kilometer (15,367.7 people per square mile). Almost all residents speak Spanish, but a small percentage of the population speaks one of the indigenous languages, such as Náhuatl, Otomi, and the many languages of the Mixtecas and Zapotecas ethnic groups.

Mexico City is home to many dance and music performing arts groups. The Ballet Folklórico Nacional de Mexico (National Folk Ballet of Mexico) performs in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Three other companies-Ballet Independiente, Ballet Neoclásico, and Ballet Contemporánea-also perform in Mexico City. There are three major orchestras, including a children's symphony orchestra. The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra (established by the government in 1978) was nominated for Best Recording in the 2001 Grammy Latino Awards. ¡Que Payasos! (Clowns) is a popular rock-and-roll group that performs at festivals, especially for young people. As of 2017, there were 111 auditoriums, 233 cultural centers, 273 galleries, 481 bookstores, and 156 theaters in Mexico City.

In 2019, there were at least 27 newspapers published in Mexico City, including Diario de México ( The Journal of Mexico), El Universal ( The Universe) and 24 Horas ( 24 Hours).

In 2018, there were 17 television stations and 36 FM radio stations. In 2017, there were 2,387,929 residential phone line subscriptions and a total of 3,932,437 fixed telephone line subscriptions.

Soccer is the most popular sport and Mexico City has six soccer stadiums. Club América, nicknamed Las Águilas (The Eagles) and founded in 1916, competes in Liga MX, the highest level of Mexican football (soccer). They play their home games at the Estadio Azteca, which is the largest stadium in Latin America and seats 87,523 people. Also playing in Liga MX and at Estadio Azteca is Cruz Azul, a football club founded in 1927. A third team from Mexico City that plays in Liga MX is the Club de Fútbol Universidad Nacional AC, or Pumas de la UNAM. This club represents the National Autonomous University of Mexico and plays their home games at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, which seats 72,000. FC Marina, commonly called Cañoneros Marina (Navy Cannons), was founded in 2012 and currently plays in Serie B of the Mexican football league. FC Politécnico, founded in 2013, also plays in Serie B. Club Astros competes in the Liga Premier of Mexican football and plays at the 5,000-seat Estadio Palillo Martinez.

The Aztec Eagle Warriors are a semi-professional ice hockey team that was founded in 2010 and plays in the Liga Mexicana Élite. In 2017, the Capitanes de Ciudad de México (Mexico City Captains) were founded as a professional basketball team competing in the National Professional Basketball League (LNBP). Competing in the top American football league in Mexico are Condors CDMX, Mayas CDMX, and Mexicas CDMX, all founded in 2015. Pumas CU is a varsity American football team representing the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) is a professional AAA Minor League Baseball team of the Mexican League.

Mexico City also hosts bullfighting in the 40,000-seat Plaza Mexico and in the 10,000-seat Plaza de Toreo Cuatro Caminos. As of 2019, there were at least six sports arenas in Mexico City with another one in development.

The International Mexico City Marathon has been an annual event since 1983. The race is considered to be one of the most challenging marathons in the world because of the city's altitude.

A few small dairy farms lie on the outskirts of the city, with the milk and cheese sold locally. Some families also raise pigs and chickens in backyard pens. A typical family might keep three pigs, and one or two dozen chickens. Some of the animals are consumed by the family, but most are raised to be sold to local butcher shops. Vegetables and fruits are also grown. These include corn, spinach, oats, animal feed, as well as plants like roses, nopal (a kind of prickly pear cactus), and maguey (a spiney plant used in the production of mezcal, a colorless liquor).

Corn is the most common crop raised by residents living in Mexico City. In 2014, the city produced 8,731 tons. By August of that year, Mexico City had produced more than 9 million liters (2.4 million gallons) of milk.

In 2015, about 99.8% of private homes in Mexico City had electricity. Electricity is provided and distributed by the Federal Electricity Commission and Central Light and Power. Both utilities are run by the Mexican government.

While most of the forests are protected, oyamel (a fir tree) and pine are still harvested for sale. In 2017, Mexico City harvested 190 cubic meters (6,709.8 cubic feet) of pine wood.

The economy of Mexico City is marked by its position as the nation's capital, housing the nation's ministries, and most of its government agencies. But Mexico City and the 21 principal municipalities in the State of México that surround the capital account for a major portion of the nation's industrial base. Many manufacturing concerns are headquartered in Mexico City. It is also a major distribution center and a center for Mexico's tourism industry. In 2016, services (excluding financial services) accounted for about 38% of the state's gross domestic product (GDP). Mexico City's GDP accounted for about 17.4% of the national economy that year, making it the largest economic contributor to the nation. Most jobs are found in the service industries and technical and administrative professionals.

As of 2018, Mexico City had 7,195,186 eligible workers. Approximately 4,206,922 were employed and 159,968 were listed as unemployed. Unemployed workers in rural areas may not be counted, however. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2019 was reported to be 4.7%. Of those who were working, technical and administrative professionals made up 43.9% of the workforce, followed by services at 39.4%, manufacturing at 14.6%, and agriculture at .39%.

In 2019, the Comisión Nacional de los Salarios Mínimos (National Minimum Wage Commission) raised minimum wage in Mexico from 88.36 pesos ($4.39) to 102.68 pesos ($5.10). The maximum work week is set at 48 hours by law. The average worker spends 40 to 45 hours per week on the job. Workers earn twice their regular hourly rate for up to nine hours a week of overtime. When a worker works more than nine hours overtime in a week, he or she earns three times the regular hourly rate. After one year, workers are entitled by law to six days paid vacation.

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The city of Cape Town, South Africa, has been a melting pot of many people m from Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Cape-Town is one of the world's most South Africa's second largest city, and home to South Africa's parliament. With its spectacular backdrop of Table Mountain, there is no other city like it. South Africa's oldest and most important seaport, Cape Town is a key stopping point for ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope en route to Europe from Asia. Gold, fruit, wine, animal skins, wool, mohair, and corn are exported from its busy wharves. Since it lies along the sea route between Europe and Asia, the city reflects influences from Europe, Asia, and Africa in its food, architecture, and way of life.

The city was first settled in 1652, when the Dutch East India Company established a port there. When the British seized the Cape in 1806, many of the white Dutch settlers, the Voortrekkers, began their trek north, taking control of land owned by the black native peoples in northern and eastern South Africa.

For tourists:, there is a lot to see. Not only is the Victoria and Albert Waterfront a busy, colorful place to browse and shop, but it is also filled with history. Before the Suez Canal opened m 1869, many ships stopped there. For homesick sailors journeying home from Asia, rounding the Cape meant that they were on the last leg of their journey. This milestone provided them with an excuse to celebrate.

Built in 1692, Groot Constancia is the oldest and grandest vineyard in the Cape. With its white buildings and distinctive roofline, it is a wonderful example of Cape Dutch architecture. Although now owned by a corporation, not a family, it continues to function as a working winery. You can visit the historic rooms with their original furnishings, see the cellars where grapes are pressed to make wine, and view the vast acres of vineyards. The buildings allow you to step back in time and sense the gracious lifestyle of the original Dutch settlers. You would expect to see a carriage and horses sweep down the long driveway to the house at any moment. But, as in the U.S. South before the Civil War, gracious living came at the expense of black slaves. Today, you can also visit the old slave quarters at the back of this South African house.

Seven miles away, on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, lie the Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens. Opened in 1913, the gardens boast 9,000 species of plants, including the protea, the national flower of South Africa, as well as spectacular plants such as the cycad, a 150-foot-tall flower that developed before there were any trees in the world.

To truly appreciate the beauty of Cape Town, visitors should ride the cable car to the top of 3,563-foot-high Table Mountain. A national park, the mountain provides a natural backdrop to the city; its flat top can be seen from 100 miles out at sea. When frequent clouds settle on the top and spill down the sides, they are referred to as the "tablecloth on Table Mountain." For most of the summer, the "tablecloth" is present and is a very dramatic sight.

On windy or extremely cloudy days, the cable car cannot make the trip. But if you are one of the lucky visitors who rides to the top, you will never forget the panorama of the city, Cape Peninsula with its beautiful beaches, and the brilliant ocean spread out far below. The moisture provided by the "tablecloth" encourages the growth of the monntain's 1,470 species of plants and flowers, some of which are not found elsewhere. There are no wild animals other than goals and small rock hyraxes, or dassies.

Visible from the top of Table Mountain is Robben Island. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in jail on Robben Island. Visitors to the island can see the tiny cell where he was imprisoned and the limestone quarry where he broke rocks. While criminals were incarcerated there, it was mainly a prison for political prisoners. such as the leaders of the anti-Apartheid movement.

Some refer to the island as the "University of Robben Island," because when the day's labor was complete, the men shared their knowledge, each one offering what he knew.

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Article Reading Levels Level 4 Document controls Citation metadata The city of Cape Town, South Africa, has been a melting pot of many people m from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Cape-Town is one of the world's most South Africa's second largest city, and home to South Africa's parliament.

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Tokyo (tōʹkēō), city (1990 pop. 8,163,573), capital of Japan and of Tokyo prefecture, E central Honshu, at the head of Tokyo Bay. The Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area is the world's most populous metropolitan area, with over 28,000,000 people. Tokyo proper consists of an urban area divided into wards, a county area with farms and mountain villages, and the Izu Islands stretching to the S of Tokyo Bay. Tokyo prefecture (1990 pop. 11,854,987), is governed by a popularly elected governor and assembly. The wards and other subsidiary units of the city have their own assemblies.

The city of Tokyo is the administrative, financial, educational, and cultural center of Japan and a major industrial hub surrounded by numerous suburban manufacturing complexes. Tokyo is also one of the world's most important cities in terms of economic power and influence, and it serves as the corporate and communications hub for the E Pacific Rim. Frequent rebuilding in the wake of disasters has made Tokyo one of the most modern cities on the globe. Because space is so precious, it is also one of the most crowded and expensive cities in the world.

In accordance with the city's world position, Tokyo's economy has shifted to put much more emphasis on financial services and banking. It is also an important wholesale center. Among the diverse industries of Tokyo are the manufacture of electronic apparatus, transport equipment, automobiles, cameras and optical goods, furniture, textiles, and a wide variety of consumer items, as well as publishing and printing.

The city, which lies on the Kanto plain, is intersected by the Sumida River and has an extensive network of canals. Yokohama is its seaport, but there is a large constructed port at the mouth of the Sumida, through which such items as electrical products, cameras, and automobiles are exported. The deepening of Tokyo's harbor and the development of storage facilities have gradually lessened the city's dependence on Yokohama. Land reclamation projects in Tokyo Bay have led to waste disposal islands, additional port functions, and even new residential developments.

Tokyo has an outstanding subway system, and the world's first public monorail line runs between downtown and Haneda international airport. Narita International is Tokyo's main airport. The transportation system also includes the Shinkansen, whose "bullet trains" connect Tokyo with Osaka and other cities.

Landmarks include the Hie Shrine; the temples of Sengakuji, Gokokuji, and Sensoji; and the Korakuen, a 17th-century landscape garden. The Ginza is Tokyo's shopping and entertainment center; the Marunouchi quarter is the business center. Other developments, which include railway stations, office buildings, shops, and stores, have been constucted in Shinjuku, Shimbashi, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, and other places. The Sky Tree, the highest (2,080 ft/634 m) self-supported structure of its type in the world, was completed in 2012. The architecturally acclaimed International Forum, combining exhibition and performance spaces, opened in 1997.

One of the world's foremost educational centers, Tokyo has over 100 universities and colleges, including Keio-Gijuku Univ. (est. 1867); Tokyo Univ., formerly Tokyo Imperial Univ. (1869); Rikkyo or St. Paul's Univ. (1883); Waseda Univ. (1882); and Tokyo Women's College (1900). There are numerous museums and more than 200 parks and gardens. Tokyo was the site of the 1964 summer Olympic games, and in 2013 it was selected as the site for the 2020 summer games, later postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Archaeological evidence indicates that the site of Tokyo was inhabited by Stone Age tribes. The present city was founded in the 12th cent. as the village of Edo (also Yedo or Yeddo) [estuary]. A local warlord, Edo Taro Shigenada (whose family, according to tradition, probably took the name Edo from their place of residence) built a fort there. In 1456-57 Ota Dokan, ruler of the Kanto region under the Japanese shogunate, constructed a castle at Edo.

The castle passed in 1590 to Ieyasu Tokugawa , founder of the Tokugawa line of shoguns, who made Edo the capital of a province and, after formally assuming the title of shogun in 1603, the capital of the shogunate. The imperial capital, however, remained at Kyoto. In Tokugawa times, the shogun's palace, encircled by the residences of the daimyos [feudal barons], samurai , and merchants, dominated the city's life. The urban population was increased by the shogun's retainers and by the large retinues of the daimyos, who were obliged to divide their time between their regional power centers and the capital.

Although the city prospered as a commercial and cultural center, it later declined as the shogunate weakened. On Apr. 11, 1868, the last Tokugawa shogun surrendered Edo Castle to the imperial forces. The emperor, restored to power, made Edo his capital, renaming the city Tokyo [eastern capital] as distinguished from Kyoto, since then often called Saikyo [western capital]. The castle then became the royal palace.

The 1923 earthquake and fire destroyed nearly half the densely populated city and took more than 150,000 lives. The rebuilt city included wide streets, designed to serve as firebreaks. Heavy Allied bombing during World War II devastated half of Tokyo, destroyed or damaged many famous landmarks, and ruined nearly all of the city's industrial plant. The American firebombing of Mar. 10, 1945, alone killed 80,000 to 100,000 people. The Meiji shrine (still the most popular in Japan), which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, was badly damaged but has been restored. Left entirely intact were the imperial palace grounds and the surrounding area where the embassies, the diet building, and the newest office buildings stand; this area is the administrative center of the city.

See T. Yazaki, Socioeconomic Structure of the Tokyo Metropolitan Complex (1970); J. Conner and M. Yoshida, Tokyo City Guide (1985).

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Article Reading Levels Level 4 Document controls Citation metadata Tokyo (tōʹkēō), city (1990 pop. 8,163,573), capital of Japan and of Tokyo prefecture, E central Honshu, at the head of Tokyo Bay. The Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area is the world's most populous metropolitan area, with over 28,000,000 people.

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Dragon dances have been performed in China for over 2,000 years and are believed to bring about good fortune.

OFFICIAL NAME: People's Republic of China

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Communist state

CAPITAL: Beijing (Peking)

POPULATION: 1,397,897,720

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Standard Chinese, Mandarin

MONEY: Yuan (or renminbi)

AREA: 3,705,405 square miles (9,596,960 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Himalaya

MAJOR RIVERS: Yangtze, Yellow

Stretching 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) from east to west and 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometers) from north to south, China is a large country with widely varying landscapes. Its territory includes mountains, high plateaus, sandy deserts, and dense forests.

One-third of China's land area is made up of mountains. The tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, sits on the border between China and Nepal.

China has thousands of rivers. The Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers are the most important. At 3,915 miles (6,300 kilometers) long, the Yangtze is the world's third largest river.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

With a population of 1.4 billion, China has more people than any other country on Earth. About a third of the population lives in cities. The rest of the people live in the country.

Arts and crafts have a long history in China. Thousands of years ago the Chinese were some of the first people to use silk, jade, bronze, wood, and paper to make art. The artistic writing called calligraphy was invented in China.

Much of China's modern beliefs and philosophies are based on the teachings of a government official who lived nearly 3,000 years ago. Kongfuzi, also known as Confucius, taught people the value of such things as morality, kindness, and education.

China's diverse habitats are home to hundreds of species of animals and plants. More than 3,800 species of fish and hundreds of amphibians and reptile species live in the rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.

China's forest wildlife is threatened by logging and clear-cutting (clearing the land of all trees) for farmland. Expanding deserts in the north also shrink animal habitats. The Chinese government has created more than 1,200 reserves to protect plant and animal species.

The giant panda lives in the misty mountains of southwest China and nowhere else on Earth. They eat bamboo and usually live near stands of the woody evergreen plant. Pandas have been hunted and only about 1,600 remain in the wild.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

China is an authoritarian state ruled by a very powerful central government. A huge workforce and lots of natural resources have driven economic change. This has forced the communist government to permit more economic and personal freedoms, but it has come at a huge cost to the environment.

Many experts predict that the 21st century will be the "Chinese century." Whether or not that proves to be true, there is no doubt that what happens in China will affect many other nations.

China is the home of one of the world's oldest civilizations, but it has only recently become a "modern" nation. In the last 20 years, China has changed faster than any other country in the world.

Chinese history is divided into dynasties, each of which marks the period when a line of emperors ruled. The first empire was the Qin dynasty and began in 221 B.C. The last emperor was overthrown in 1912, and China became a republic. The communist government began its rule in 1949 following a civil war with the Chinese Nationalists.

Ancient China was a land of invention. For centuries, China was way ahead of most other countries in science and technology, astronomy, and math. The Chinese invented paper, the magnetic compass, printing, porcelain, silk, and gunpowder, among other things.

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China Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Stretching 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) from east to west and 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometers) from north to south, China is a large country with widely varying landscapes.

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Where in China is…? | The Story of China | PBS LearningMedia

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Play this mapping game with your students to test their knowledge of China. Can they find the Terracotta Army or the Great Wall of China? Players start this game with 5000 miles and lose 500 miles for every wrong answer. The challenge is to get to Shanghai before running out of miles.

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