Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl (aka Ciudad Neza) is a city and seat of the municipality of Mexico State adjacent to the northeast corner of Mexico's Federal District: it is thus part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. It was named after Nezahualcoyotl, the Acolhua poet and king of nearby Texcoco, and was built on the drained bed of Lake Texcoco. The name Nezahualcóyotl comes from Nahuatl and it means "fasting coyote" Ciudad Neza is nearly co-extensive with the municipality making the names interchangeable.

The city

Ciudad Neza has a population of 1,136,300, which is 99.6% of the municipal population of 1,140,528, according to the INEGI 2005 census. It is the second most populous municipality in the state of México, just below Ecatepec, and the eighth largest in the country. It lies at 2,220 meters above sea level. It is also considered among the most dangerous places in Mexico, due to the rampant crime in the area.

• The city is home to Stadium “José López Portillo”, built in 1981 which was the scene of some of the games of the 1986 FIFA World Cup “México 86”; and has a capacity of 28,000.
• Orquesta Sinfónica Infantil y Banda Sinfónica de Nezahualcóyotl (Junior Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Band of Nezahualcóyotl) - was created in [[1998] and is composed of 45 members ranging in age from 6 to 17 years. It is the only organization of its type in the State of Mexico.
• Centro Cultural "Jaime Torres Bodet" (Cultural Center Jaime Torres Bodet) was inaugurated on Auguest 25, 1987.

• Universidad Tecnológica de Nezahualcóyotl (UTN) (Technological University of Nezahualcóyotl) was created by the Congress of the State of Mexico in [[1991].

• Palacio Municipal de Nezahualcóyotl (Municipal Palace) is the location of all government office built in a modern style.

• Escuela Nacional de Estudios Profesionales Aragón UNAM. ENEP-Aragón (National School of Professional Studies- Aragón UNAM is part of the decentralization program of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

• Catedral de Nezahualcóyotl whose formal name is "Catedral de Jesús Señor de la Divina Misericordia".

• Parque-Zoológico de Nezahualcóyotl (Nezahualcóyotl Zoological Park)

The city is built on the lakebed of what was Lake Texcoco. Although operations to drain this lake, among a number of others, was begun shortly after the Conquest by the Spanish (to protect Mexico City from floods), it was not achieved until almost 300 years later when finally on March 17,1900 it was proclaimed a success by President Porfirio Díaz.In 1945 the Xochiaca dam and the Tequixquiac tunnel were built, allowing for the first communities to be built in the area. Between 1956 and 1961, the number and size of communities had grown, including the community called "Nezahualcóyotl". In 1963, Nezahualcóyotl became the governing head of its own municipality.

The municipality

As municipal seat, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: 17 de Junio , Colonia Gustavo Baz Prada, Escuela Laura Riojas de Colosio and Polígonos. The only significant community in the municipality is Colonia Gustavo Baz Prada, with a population of 3,819 people.

The municipality has an area of 63.44 km² (24.49 sq mi), 81% of which is Ciudad Neza. It borders Ecatepec de Morelos, the Federal Reserve of Lake Texcoco, Gustavo A. Madero, D.F., Venustiano Carranza, D.F. La Paz, Chimalhuacán, Atenco, Iztapalapa and Iztacalco of Mexico City.

References

External links

• Ayuntamiento de Nezahualcóyotl Official website
• Municipio de Nezahualcóyotl (state)
• Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México: Nezahualcóyotl
• Gobierno del Estado de México