Tlalnepantla de Baz

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Tlalnepantla (de Baz)
Nickname: Tlalne or Tlane
Motto: Culture, Work and Progress
Coordinates: 19°32′12″N 99°11′41″W / 19.53667, -99.19472
Country Mexico
State State of Mexico/Estado de Mexico
Government
 - Municipal President Marco Antonio Rodríguez Hurtado (2006-2009)
Area
 - Total 83.48 km² (32.23 sq mi)
 - Land 75.0 km² (29 sq mi)
 - Water 8.5 km² (3.28 sq mi)
Elevation 2,250 m (7,382 ft)
Population (2005)
 - Total 683,808
 - Density 8,191/km² (21,215/sq mi)
Time zone Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) Horario de Verano (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.tlalnepantla.gob.mx/

Tlalnepantla de Baz is a city and a municipality of the State of Mexico in the north of Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico). Tlalnepantla comes from the Náhuatl words tlalli (land) and nepantla (middle) to mean the middle land. The city was known in prior times as Tlalnepantla de Galeana and Tlalnepantla de Comonfort, to honor Hermenegildo Galeana and Ignacio Comonfort, respectively. The current addition of Baz comes from the last name of Gustavo Baz Prada, an important politician and soldier of Emiliano Zapata's army during the Mexican Revolution. After the Revolution, Baz Prada became Governor of the State of Mexico and President of the National Autonomous University of Mexico(UNAM). It is located in the northeastern part of the State of Mexico, in the Valley of Mexico north of Mexico City proper.[1]

Contents

[edit] The city

[edit] History

Around the 11th century, a people called the Amaquemecan (after whom the municipality of Amecameca is named), migrated to this area following their leader Xolotl to look for a better climate and more food to sustain themselves. This same Xolotl founded the Tenayuca Oztopolco chiefdom and made the first census ever in the Americas. The Acolhuas, Tepanecas and Otomis were already established in this land so alliances were made. Despite of this, the region eventually was conquered and made a tributary of the Aztec empire. After the Spanish Conquest, the area was evangelized by the Franciscans. The founding of modern Tlalnepantla was the result of a dispute between the towns of Tenayuca and Teocalhueyacan as to which should be the site of Franciscan monastery and religious center for the area. The result was to place the monastery at the midpoint between these two towns, and hence the name (middle land). This monasteary, named Corpus Christi was built in [[1550]. After independence, Tlalnepantla was originally part of Mexico City, but in 1825, it was recognized as a district of the State of Mexico. During the Presidency of Porfirio Díaz Mori, Tlalnepantla began industrial development, and in the 1950's underwent a demographic explosion after being declared a city in 1948.[1] The population as of the 2005 INEGI census was 674,417 people, representing over 98.6% of municipal population.[2]

[edit] Infrastructure

Tlalnepantla is a big modern city with an important mall (Mundo E) and hotels: Crowne Plaza Lancaster, Camino Real, Fiesta Inn, NH hotel, The Holiday Inn and Best Western María Bárbara. Tlalnepantla offers different options for entertainment and food; Punta Recoleta Restaurante (Argentinian food), Boca del Rio (Mexican food restaurant), Real de Catorce (Show and Mexican food restaurant), La Antigua (Mexican food restaurant). Tacos el Paisa, where you can also eat Mexican food. You can visit the night clubs of Mundo E and Rodeo Santa Fe. Other options include the men's clubs "The Exxxess" or "The Dow Jones Club". Races can also be watched at Pista Aceleración Tlalnepantla. Big Bola or the Yak in Valle Dorado (Golden Valley) offer bets and other kinds of adult entertainment. Gustavo Baz square and the Tenayuca's pyramid are also important places that could be visited with the family.

The most important avenues and boulevards in Tlalnepantla City are:

  • Gustavo Baz Ave.
  • Mario Colin Ave.
  • Adolfo Lopez Mateos Blvd.
  • Presidente Juárez Ave.

As well as the Periférico and the México-Queretaro Freeway with 12 lanes in Tlalnepantla. (This is a section of Mexican Federal Highway 57, the Pan-American Highway)


Tlanepantla is well served by the local pesero, intercity bus network and the suburban train.

Schools located in the city include:

  • ℚ UNAM, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala (F.E.S. Iztacala)
  • ℚ National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • ℚ Instituto Tecnológico de Tlalnepantla (ITTLA)
  • ℚ Tlalnepantlas Institute of Technology
  • ℚ Centro Universitario Emilio Cardenas (CUDEC)
  • ℚ Escuela Bancaria y Comercial (EBC Tlalnepantla)
  • ℚ Universidad Latinoamericana (ULA)
  • ℚ Sistema Educativo Indoamericano (INDO)
  • ℚ Centro Eleia
  • ℚ Universidad Interamericana para el Desarrollo (UNID)
  • ℚ Universidad de Cuautitlan Izcalli (UCI)
  • ℚ Ateneo de Tlalnepantla
  • ℚ Universidad ETAC (Escuela Técnica en Administración y Comercio

[edit] Economy

There are more than 2,700 industries located here, making Tlalnepantla one of the most industrialized areas in the country along with Naucalpan and Monterrey, ranking first in the State of Mexico. The most common industries include food processing, bottling, tobacco products, textiles, paper products, non-metalic mineral products and metals, chemicals and petroleum products, machinery and wood products. Its industrial zone is one of the most largest in the country. The area also include more than 15,000 retail businesses which includes the Mundo E Mall and several large tianguis.

[edit] Notable Sites

The church and monastary of Corpus Christi was built by both Mexicas and Otomis of pink and gray stone. The side gate, called the Porciúncula, shows clearly the influence of both these peoples. In 1963, the church gain cathedral status. The aqueduct that extends from Tlalnepantla to Villa de Guadalupe as well as the Caja del Agua are works that date from the colonial period. The Hacienda of Santa Mónica and the Hacienda de Enmedio are well-preserved. The Centro Cultural Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz has a collection of 130 fotografías del Tlalnepantla from the end of the XIX century to 1960 as well as other historical objects.[1]

[edit] The municipality

Pyramid at Santa Cecilia Acatitlán
Pyramid at Santa Cecilia Acatitlán

The city and the municipality are nearly co-extensive, with the city of Tlalnepantla having governing jurisdicion over only 2 other communities: Puerto Escondido (Tepeolulco Pto. Escondido) and Ejido San Pedro Xalostoc (El Cuervo). Less than 2% of the municipality's population is located outside of the city proper.[2]

The municipality was created in 1978 with the name of Tlalnepantla de Baz to honor Dr. Gustavo Baz Prada (1894-1987) who was a Zapatista, governor of the State of Mexico and dean of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The municipality is made of two areas which are not continuous (the Zona Poniente the Zona Oriente, which are divded by the Distrito Federal) , the only municipality constructed this way in the state. The total municipal area is 83.48 sq km.[1]

The three most important rivers in the municipality are:

  • Río de los Remedios
  • Río San Javier
  • Río Tlalnepantla

The Sierra de Monte Alto is in the city itself but other significant elevations in the municipality include: Cerro del Tenayo, Cerro Grande and Cerro de la Cruz.

Significant locations within the municipality include the communities of San Jerónimo Tepetlacalco, Xocoyahualco, San Pablo Xalpa, San Bartolo Tenayuca, San Andrés Atenco, San Pablo Barrientos and San Juan Ixhuatepec. The archeological zones of Tenayuca and Santa Cecilia Acatitlán are located here as well, each of which has a museum. The pyramid at Tenayuca served as the model of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico Estado de Mexico Tlalnepantla. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
  2. ^ a b Principales resultados por localidad 2005 (ITER). Retrieved on 2008-03-24.

[edit] External links