Mexico City is home to more than 21 million people. That’s more than any other city in North or South America.
Mexico City doesn’t just have more people. It has more everything: museums, sports arenas, art galleries, parks, TV stations, theaters, and jobs. It is the nation’s center for government, culture, industry, and transportation. Its size also causes some big headaches, like more traffic and air pollution.
How did the nation’s capital city get so large? As machines did more and more work on farms, many people lost their jobs. They became very poor. Mexico City was full of better-paying factory jobs. It was also a place where people might get an education, so many moved there.
Mexico City’s climate attracted people. It’s warm but not too hot. That’s because it sits in a valley in the high plateaus of central Mexico, about 7,500 feet above sea level.