Serving as the capital of republics, empires, viceroyalties, and revolutionary juntas, Ciudad de Mexico - often abbreviated as CDMX - has been both the literal and figurative center of the country's politics since before the nations' inception. Built upon the ruins of the former Aztec imperial capital Tenochtitlan and the drained lakebed it sat upon, the city, founded in 1524, subsequently became the political, administrative, and financial center of the Spanish empires' North American holdings.

Being the largest city in Mexico by a longshot, it naturally became the eponymous capital of the newly-independent nation in 1824, receiving its "federal district" status shortly thereafter in 1837. A century later in 1928, General Obregón, seeking to quell the near-constant coups and insurrections targeting CDMX, effectively placed the local government under federal control, stripping the city of its representation - a state of affairs which continues to this day to the ire of many.

A center of progressive ideals and the source of much of Mexican culture, the rapidly growing city is the definitive central hub of Mexico, with a population over four times that of the next largest; it is a titan that often overshadows the rest of the nation with its influence, both material and not. Within the city's government buildings, administrators and deputies constantly debate new policy and chafe under the corrupt political machine. Meanwhile, within the iconic checkerboarded blocks and city slums, markets thrive and activists gather to protest.

Whatever the future of Mexico brings, it will most likely be decided in this sacred capital.