Zumpango

About half of the territory is flat, mostly in the south with hills and small mountains in the north. The highest elevation is the Cerro del Zitlaltepec at 1650 meters above sea level. The main surface water is Lake Zumpango, which extends over 2,000 hectares. There are also some seasonal streams, the Gran Canal and other tunnels dug to drain the Valley of Mexico. Since the 17th century, efforts to control flooding in Mexico City have worked to drain the lake system. The first effort was in 1607–1608, when a canal was dug to drain Lake Zumpango into the Tula River. It lowered lake levels but did not eliminate flooding. The lake is semi artificial as it is created and used as a water regulator, with much of its volume entering through several canals and other drainage, mostly from Mexico City. In the dry, season, the lake’s volume drops by half. The lake receives wastewater from various municipalities, much of it untreated, as well as tons of trash from Mexico City via the Santo Tomas Canal. The climate is temperate with an average annual temperature of 14C. The coldest months are from November to March when temperatures can reach -2.3C. The warmest months are from April to June when temperatures can reach 31C. The average annual rainfall is between 600 and 800 mm with most rain falling in June. Freezes are not uncommon in the winter and hail can fall in May and June during thunderstorms. Prevailing winds are from the north and are strongest in February. Flora & fauna Typical plants for the area include nopal cactus, maguey, other types of cactus, palms, cypress, willows and eucalyptus. Wildlife includes rodents, opossums, coyotes, lizards, around the community of Zitlaltepec, there are wooded hills. Various birds inside this place, including herons, hummingbirds and falcons as well as water fowl such as storks and ducks; in winter, the Lake Zumpango has got migratory birds as pelicans. ==History==

This is derived from the practice of displaying the skulls of defeated warriors on a shrine called a tzompantli. The municipality uses the Aztec glyph for a tzompantli for its seal. Zumpango’s proximity and lake has spurred residential development, to make it one of the fastest growing municipalities in the metropolitan area. The municipality is expected to have 500,000 residents by 2015 as there is demand for about 113,000 new housing units per year in the area north of Mexico City. The main developers in the area are Geo, Homex, Sadasi-Sare and Urbi, with most of the developments located along the major highways and roads of the municipality. The commute between Zumpago from Indios Verdes, the main commuter station in the north of Mexico City, takes about two hours. == Politics ==

The municipal government consists of a municipal government, one official called a síndico and ten official called regidores. ==Economy==

As of 2005, the municipality had 23,427 residences, almost all of which were privately owned, up from 17,437 in 1995. Almost all have running water and electricity, and just under 90% have sewerage but only 35% have street lighting and 55% have garbage service. Mining, manufacturing and construction employ 45% of the population. There are deposits of sand, black and red tezontle and another building stone called tepetate. Industry is limited to small workshops and other concerns producing textiles and food products such as tortillas. Commerce and services employs 42% of the population. There are about 2,800 stationary businesses with 1700 located in the municipal seat. The municipal market contains 350 locales, supplemented by about ten tianguis markets in various parts of the municipality during the week. The largest tianguis market occurs on Fridays in the town of Zumpango. There is one hotel, four family owned inns, a motel, various restaurants and a few bars. Developed by GIM, Town Center Zumpango opened in 2010 and includes a Walmart, Sam's Club and Cinépolis movie theater. Other businesses include Vips, Coppel, Banamex, Steren, USA shoes, Nutrisa, Telcel, Flexi and various eateries. ==Transportation==

Various highways cross through the municipality, linking it with Mexico City, Pachuca, Cuautitlán and smaller communities such as Ojo de Agua, Apaxco, San Miguel Xaltocán, Nextlalpan, San Lucas Xoloc and Tecámac. Three rail lines pass through: one linking Mexico City, Pachuca and Veracruz, another linking Mexico City and Guadalajara and the third linking Mexico City to points north such as Nuevo Laredo. There is no main bus station. Most public transportation terminates at the main municipal market. The municipality is host to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport. == Demography ==

The population has grown from 71,413 in 1990 to 114, 257 in 2000 to 127,988 in 2005 with growth rates varying between under three percent to just under six percent per year. About 97% of the population is Catholic. There are no cohesive indigenous communities and fewer than 700 speak an indigenous languages such as Nahuatl or Otomi . Zumpango had its first Festival Aerostático or Balloon Festival in 2011, which took place over the lake with eight hot air balloons participating. ==Education==

The municipality has a total of 107 schools from preschool to vocational technical high schools, adult schools, a teachers’ college and a satellite of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México called the Centro Universitario UAEM Zumpango. The illiteracy rate is just under eight percent. ==Culture==

Other important communities include San Juan Zitlaltepec and San Bartolo Cuautlalpan, which are mostly farming traditional communities and San Pedro de la Laguna, known for its production of fireworks. There are over thirty traditional festivals each year in various parts of the municipality, most with a religious basis. The most important is 8 December in honor of the patron saint of Zumpango, the Virgin of the Most Pure Conception. Other important festivals include the feast day of the patron of San Bartolo Cuautlalpan which is noted for their version of the Moors and Christians dance, Corpus Christi and Day of the Dead. ==Sports and entertainment==

The first sport practiced in Zumpango has been the charrería, when the Spanish first settled in this town, they were under orders to raise horses, but not to allow indigenous to ride. In Zumpango makes state competitions in charreadas. The bullfighting are other entertainment, in this municipality has got bullring or plaza is named El Andaluz and its Spanish heritage of the Zumpango people. ==Notable people==

• Huitzilihuitl, born in Zumpango, tlahtoani of Mexico Tenochtitlan. • Wenceslao Labra Garcia, born in Zumpango, was a State of Mexico governor. ==See also==