Cuauhtémoc () is a borough of Mexico City. Named after the 16th-century Aztec ruler Cuauhtémoc, it contains the oldest parts of the city, extending over what was the entire urban core of Mexico City in the 1920s.

Cuauhtémoc is the historic and cultural center of Mexico City, although it is not the geographical center. While it ranks only sixth in population, it generates about a third of the entire city's GDP, mostly through commerce and services. It is home to the Mexican Stock Exchange, the important tourist attractions of the historic center and Zona Rosa, and various skyscrapers, such as the Torre Mayor and the Mexican headquarters of HSBC. It also contains numerous museums, libraries, government offices, markets, and other commercial centers, which can bring in as many as 5 million people each day to work, shop, or visit cultural sites.

This area has had problems with urban decay, especially in the historic center. Efforts to revitalize the historic center and some other areas have been going on since the 1990s, by both government and private entities. Such efforts have resulted in better public parks, such as the Alameda Central, which was renovated, and the modification of streets such as 16 de Septiembre and Madero that have become car-free for pedestrians ().

Description

thumb|left|View of the Zocalo

thumb|left|Palace of Fine Arts

Cuauhtémoc is centered on the Zócalo or main square, which contains the Aztec ruins of the Templo Mayor, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Palace of Mexico. The borough covers 32.44 km<sup>2</sup>, divided into 34 colonias, 2,627 city blocks, 1,267,000 m<sup>2</sup> of green areas, 1,500 buildings classified as national monuments, two archeological zones (Tlatelolco and Templo Mayor), 1,290 private buildings with official historic value (), 210 public buildings with official historic value, 120 government buildings, and two major planned-housing complexes (Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco and Centro Urbano Benito Juárez).

In addition, the borough contains 43 museums, 23 clock towers, 150 public and private libraries, 24 centers for infant development, six cultural centers sponsored by the borough, 38 publicly sponsored markets with 14,434 vendors, 25 stage theaters, 123 movie theaters and 9 public sports complexes.

The sports facilities include Deportivo Cuauhtémoc in Colonia Buenavista, Deportivo José María Morelos y Pavón in Colonia Morelos, Deportivo Peñoles in Colonia Valle Gómez, Deportivo Guelatao in Colonia Centro, Deportivo Tepito in Colonia Morelos, Deportivo Antonio Caso in Tlatelolco, Deportivo Francisco Javier Mina in Colonia Guerrero, Deportivo Estado de Tabasco in Colonia Exhipódromo de Peralvillo and Deportivo Cinco de Mayo in Tlatelolco. A new center called the Deportivo Bicentennario has been started in Colonia Buenos Aires. The area has 264 public and private preschools, 116 middle schools, 102 technical and regular high schools, and 13 teachers' colleges.

Because it is the oldest part of Mexico City, with buildings that are centuries old, deterioration is an ongoing concern. Currently, at least 789 inhabited buildings in 12 colonias have been listed as in danger of condemnation, due to structural damage caused by sinking into muddy soil of the former lakebed. These are mostly located in the historic center and the colonias immediately surrounding it. Some of these have been classified as having historic or artistic value by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes or Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. This has been a problem for the area for centuries and has involved famous structures such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, which had major foundation work done to stop the damage caused by uneven sinking.

A large part of this borough is divided between commercial zones and historic and cultural sites. While the borough does not have the highest crime rate in the city, with 13.9% of all Mexico City crime committed here, Some of these rundown areas were lower class colonias such as Colonia Guerrero and Colonia Morelos, but similar problems were also found in upper middle class colonias such as the northern part of Colonia Roma. who mostly come to see the historic center and Zona Rosa. its population of 545,884 in 2020 ranks only sixth out of the city's 16 boroughs.

Government

The borough was first established on December 30, 1970, after the circumscription of Mexico City was split into four boroughs. Before the political reforms of 2016, it was governed by a borough chief ()) and a cabinet consisting of a secretaria particular, coordinacion de asesores, dirección interinstitucional y de fomento economico, subdirección técnica, subdirección de comunicación social, and subdirección de unidades habitacionales. After becoming an , the head of government became a mayor.

The seat of the borough government is located in Colonia Buenavista.

Colonias

These are the and neighborhoods in Cuauhtémoc:

Colonia Centro

Colonia Doctores

Colonia Obrera

Tepito

Colonia Algarín

Colonia Ampliación Asturias

Colonia Asturias

Colonia Atlampa

Colonia Buenavista

Colonia Buenos Aires

Centro Urbano Benito Juárez

Colonia Condesa

Colonia Cuauhtémoc

Colonia Esperanza

Colonia Exhipódromo de Peralvillo

Colonia Felipe Pescador

Colonia Guerrero

Colonia Hipódromo

Colonia Hipódromo Condesa

Colonia Juárez

Colonia Maza

Colonia Morelos

Colonia Paulino Navarro

Colonia Peralvillo

Colonia Roma

Colonia San Rafael

Colonia San Simón Tolnahuac

Colonia Santa María Insurgentes

Colonia Santa María la Ribera

Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco

Colonia Tabacalera

Colonia Tránsito

Colonia Valle Gómez

Colonia Vista Alegre

Zona Rosa

History

Tenochtitlan

thumb|Model of the marketplace of Tlatelolco with the Templo Mayor in the background

The early history of the delegation coincides with the history of Aztec Tenochtitlan and colonial Mexico City. Tenochitlan was founded on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco. It was divided into four capuillis or neighborhoods centering on the Templo Mayor. This temple's ruins are located very close to the modern main square or Zocalo today. Colonias for poorer and working-class people were built mostly north and south of the city such as Colonia Morelos, and Colonia Doctores.

20th century

In 1928, President Álvaro Obregón divided the rapidly growing Federal District area into 13 boroughs (delegaciones), with what was then the city proper designated as the Cuauhtémoc borough. and the Centro Urbano Benito Juárez, as well.

Since the 1950s, the city has received the highest number of migrants from other parts of Mexico. Most of these come from very rural areas of the country, and a significant percentage speak an indigenous language with Spanish as a second language, or do not speak Spanish at all. As of 2005, seven percent of the borough's population is made up of these migrants, who have put strains on services such as education.

1985 Earthquake

thumb|Earthquake damage in 1985

The borough was the hardest hit by the 1985 earthquake with 258&nbsp;buildings completely crumbled, 143&nbsp;partially collapsed, and 181&nbsp; seriously damaged. The result was the loss of 100,000 residents, just in the historic center. Another area with major damage was Colonia Roma with a number of buildings collapsing completely. Even areas that did not suffer significant damage, such as Colonia San Rafael, were affected when homeless from other parts of the borough moved in, Because of the rent situation, most of the damaged structures were never fixed or rebuilt, leading to slums or garbage-strewn vacant lots. In 2003, the city government expropriated 64 properties thought to be in danger of sudden collapse due to damage suffered nearly 20 years earlier after a collapse of an apartment building in Colonia Vista Alegre,

Between the flight of wealthier residents from the historic center and the colonias that immediately surround it, and the damage from the 1985 earthquake, parts of the borough became deserted at night. and the sidewalks and streets were taken over by pickpockets and street vendors, especially in the historic center. Until recently, many of the restaurants of the area, even the best, would close early to allow employees time to get home because the area was not particularly safe at night.

Contemporary events

Starting in the late 1990s, the city and federal governments, along with some private associations, have worked to revitalize the borough, especially the historic center. Starting in the early 2000s, the government infused 500&nbsp;million pesos (US$55&nbsp;million) into the Historic Center Trust A number of the oldest streets near the Zocalo have been made pedestrian-only and most street vendors have been forced to move out of the historic center.

This has not resolved all of the borough's problems, though. Many of the problems with urban decay (abandoned buildings, squatters, uncontrolled street vending, crime, etc.) continue. The continued migration of people into the area from rural parts of Mexico has increased illiteracy rates, in addition to poorer areas, where dropout rates are high.

Economy

thumb|150px|left|Angel of Independence in Paseo de la Reforma

Cuauhtémoc alone accounts for 35.1% of Mexico City's entire GDP,

thumb|150px|Food vendors in the Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market

In the rest of the borough, commerce is more traditional, with numerous public markets, informal markets called tianguis, and street peddling. Public markets are buildings constructed and maintained by a city or municipal government, which rents stands to private vendors. The largest is La Lagunilla Market, with nearly 2,000 vendors divided among three large warehouse-type buildings. It is known for its large furniture and shoe markets, but most of the vendors sell food and everyday items. Designed to "modernize" the tradition of tianguis or street markets, some were even promoted through art, such as the Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market. Tianguis still survive and can be found in most parts of the borough, as well as in much of the rest of Mexico. In the borough, the best known tianguis are located in Tepito, where 12,000 people do business on the streets. Cablemás and Magnicharters have their headquarters in Colonia Juárez.

Transportation

Roads

thumb|Metrobus on Avenida Insurgentes, Colonia Tabacalera

The borough has 14 million meters of roadways with 314 main intersections. The vast majority of these are current and former residential streets, but three expressways and various axis roads () are available for through traffic.

The three main arteries are the Circuito Interior, Viaducto Miguel Alemán, and San Antonio Abad, which were built for traffic passing through the center of the city. The Circuito Interior, a circular bypass, is the second-most important roadway in the city after the Anillo Periférico.

The are a series of north-south and west-east roads built by Carlos Hank González in the 1980s to make Mexico City more automobile-friendly.

Public transportation

The borough has the largest number of Metro lines running through it. Another important public transportation service is the Tren Suburbano commuter railway, which has its southern terminal in Colonia Buenavista with service north as far as Cuautitlán in the State of Mexico.

;Metro stations

  • Chapultepec
  • Sevilla
  • Insurgentes
  • Cuauhtémoc
  • Balderas
  • Salto del Agua
  • Isabel La Católica
  • Pino Suárez
  • San Cosme
  • Revolución
  • Hidalgo
  • Bellas Artes
  • Allende
  • Zócalo
  • San Antonio Abad
  • Chabacano
  • Tlatelolco
  • Guerrero
  • Juárez
  • Niños Héroes
  • Hospital General
  • Centro Médico
  • Misterios
  • Garibaldi / Lagunilla
  • San Juan de Letrán
  • Doctores
  • Obrera
  • Patriotismo
  • Chilpancingo
  • Lázaro Cárdenas
  • Tepito
  • Lagunilla
  • Buenavista

;Tren Suburbano stations

  • Buenavista 16px|link=Tren Suburbano

;Metrobús stations

  • Circuito 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • San Simón 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Manuel González 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Buenavista 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • El Chopo 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Revolución 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Plaza de la República 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Reforma 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7 (connected through both Reforma 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7 and París 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7)
  • Hamburgo 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Glorieta de los Insurgentes 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Durango 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Álvaro Obregón 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Sonora 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Campeche 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Chilpancingo 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1
  • Nuevo León 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 1 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 2
  • Viaducto 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 2
  • De La Salle 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 2
  • Tolnáhuac 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Tlatelolco 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Ricardo Flores Magón 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Guerrero 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Mina 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Hidalgo 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • El Caballito 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7 (connected through Hidalgo 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4)
  • Juárez 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Balderas 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Cuauhtémoc 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Jardín Pushkin 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Hospital General 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Dr. Márquez 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Centro Médico 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 3
  • Delegación Cuauhtémoc 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Puente de Alvarado 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Museo San Carlos 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Bellas Artes 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Teatro Blanquita 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • República de Chile 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • República de Argentina 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Mercado Abelardo L. Rodríguez 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Mixcalco 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Plaza de la República 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Glorieta de Colón 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Expo Reforma 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • República de Argentina 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Mercado Abelardo L. Rodríguez 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Plaza de la República 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Glorieta de Colón 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Expo Reforma 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Vocacional 5 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Plaza San Juan 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Eje Central 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • El Salvador 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Isabel la Católica 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Museo de la Ciudad 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Pino Suárez 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Las Cruces Norte 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Las Cruces Sur 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Mercado Ampudia 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 4
  • Chapultepec 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • La Diana 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • El Ángel 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • La Palma 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Glorieta Violeta 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Garibaldi 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Glorieta Cuitláhuac 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Tres Culturas 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Mercado Beethoven 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7
  • Misterios 16px|link=Mexico City Metrobús Line 7

Education

thumb| in [[Colonia Doctores]]

In the 2007–2008 school year, there were 22,651 K-12 students, about 6.36% of Mexico City's total. 70.64% attend public schools and 29.14% attend private schools.

  • Colegio Amado Nervo in Colonia Roma Sur
  • Colegio Liceo Mexicano, a private elementary school (Colonia Roma)

Colegio Alemán Alexander von Humboldt previously had a campus at 43 Benjamin G. Hill in Hipódromo Condesa, in what is now a part of Universidad La Salle.

Climate

International relations

Foreign government operations

The U.S. Embassy, the British Embassy and the Japanese Embassy are in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc.

Sister boroughs

  • Seocho (2020)

References

  • Alcaldía de Cuauhtémoc website