Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City

The borough is located in the northwest of Mexico City, just west of the historic center. The borough is divided into eighty one neighborhoods called colonias. The largest of these is Bosques de las Lomas at 3.2 km2, and the smallest is Popo Ampliación with only 0.33 km2. It is bordered by the boroughs of Azcapotzalco, Cuauhtémoc, Benito Juárez, Álvaro Obregón and Cuajimalpa, and the State of Mexico to the west. It has a territory of 47.68 km2 which is 3.17 percent of the total Mexico City. The borough consists of an area which used to the west bank of Lake Texcoco, with three major zones, Tacuba, Chapultepec and Tacubaya. The geography of the borough includes canyons, hills and mesas associated with the Sierra de las Cruces, most present in the southwest bordering Cuajimalpa. In the northeast, mostly defined by the Interior Circuit ringway. The most important elevation is the Cerro de Chapultepec at 2,260masl. One of the newest parks in the borough is located on Lago Caneguin in Colonia Argentina, created over a former roadway called Ruta 100. The unnamed park has 10,000 meters of surface area, kiosk, gymnasium, bicycle path, multipurpose room, parking, rain water containment system and child care center. It serves about 40,000 area residents. In 2008, reforestation efforts were undertaken, beginning at the Cañitas Park. While there were important rivers here such as Remedios, today there are no longer any free flowing currents of water. The climate is semi moist and temperate with annual rainfall varying between 700 and 800mm. The average annual temperature is 15C with lows in the winter about 8C and highs around 19C. These areas include the América, Daniel Garza, 16 de Septiembre, Daniel Garza Apliación and Observatorio neighborhoods, which are particularly affected, but the problem also is found in El Capulín, Monte Sol and Ex Hacienda de Pedregal. The number of people living in these areas is estimated at over 25,000, and about 500 families living in very high risk areas. Abandoned mines have also been detected in Tacubaya, Lomas Altas, Bosque de las Lomas and even under Chapultepec Park. ==Demographics and socioeconomics==

As of 2005, the borough had 106,005 residences of which 25,308 were freestanding houses, 54,079 were apartments and the rests of other types. This total number grew to a total of 123,910. About eighty percent of homes are owned by their residents and not rented. Around 95% have basic services such as electricity and running water. While the borough contains mostly working class areas in and around Tacuba and Tacubaya, the southwest contains some of the most exclusive colonias of the borough. The working population is 45.4% of the total. Overall socioeconomic marginalization of the borough is ranked very low. A number of stationary public markets have problems with abandoned stalls. This is occurs in the Tacuba, Anáhuac Anexo, Anáhuac Zone and El Chorrito markets. The main reason that these markets struggle is competition from supermarkets, but the deterioration of the buildings is another factor. ==History==

The borough is named after Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who began the Mexican War of Independence . Until the 20th century, Tacuba, Chapultepec and Tacubaya had separate histories, all part of the Federal District of Mexico City during most of this entity's existence under various arrangements. In 1899, the Federal District was divided into the municipality of Mexico and six prefectures, one of which was Tacubaya. This arrangement was reconfirmed in 1917. In 1928, the Federal District was reorganized as a department under the direct control of the federal government. The territory was reorganized into Mexico City proper and thirteen boroughs: Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Azcapotzalco, Iztacalco, General Anaya, Coyoacán, San Ángel, La Magdalena Contreras, Cuajimalpa, Tlalpan, Iztapalapa, Xochimilco, Milpa Alta and Tláhuac. The city proper was divided into twelve districts. What is now Miguel Hidalgo, was part of Mexico City proper. In 1970, the city area was subdivided into four parts, Cuauhtémoc, Venustiano Carranza, Benito Juárez and Miguel Hidalgo. At the beginning of the 20th century, the very edge of Mexico City has reached the villages of Tacuba and Tacubaya. During the first third of this century, the country estates, farmland and ranches between Tacuba, Tacubaya and Mexico City proper were turned into subdivisions for housing, with roads and other paved areas taking over empty fields. From the 1930s, population growth and development increased with the establishment of industrial and commercial areas. In the 1940s, the Polanco area between Chapultepec and Santa Julia was developed. Various public and private enterprises were installed along the avenues of Ejército Nacional and Marina Nacional. The Secretary of Defense made its home at Lomas de Sotelo. On the far west of the borough large cemeteries such as Panteón Francés, General Sancturum, Panteón Inglés and Panteón Español were opened. One reason for the westward expansion was that wealthy families were abandoning the historic center of Mexico City for newer areas. This began with areas such as Colonia Roma and Condesa, but later they would move to Polanco. This movement west still continues into the Lomas area. ==Chapultepec==

The center of the borough is Chapultepec Park. Chapultepec Park, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico, is the largest city park in Latin America, measuring in total just over 686 hectares. The area has been considered special since long in the pre Hispanic period when it was a ceremonial site and later a retreat for Aztec emperors. There is also evidence of settlements here by the Chichimecas and Toltecs. The Mexicas lived here at before they were expelled by Azcapotzalco. After finally establishing Tenochtitlan, the Mexicas or Aztecs considered Chapultepec sacred. The first aqueduct from there to Tenochtitlan/Mexico City was built by Moctezuma Ilhuicamina. Later Moctezuma Xocoyotzin had fish tanks and gardens constructed on the site. And Nezahualcoyotl had a palace constructed at the base of the hill. Of all of the museums in the park, the most famous is the Museo Nacional de Antropología, considered to be one of the greatest archeological museums in the world. The museum has a number of antecedents beginning from the colonial period, but the current institution was created in the 1960s with the building and grounds designed by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. This museum has an area of 44,000m2 and 25 exhibit halls with sections devoted to each of the major pre-Hispanic civilizations in Mexico including the Aztec, Maya, Toltec and Olmec. The permanent collection is so large, that it is possible to spend an entire day to see it. There are also temporary exhibits as well. From the 19th in to the 20th centuries, this structure was used as the official residence of Mexico's heads of state until this was changed to Los Pinos in the 1930s. Residents included Maximiliano I of Mexico, who had Paseo de la Reforma, which passes through Chapultepec Park, built to connect the area with the center of the city. Today, it is home to the National History Museum. Other features of the park include the Chapultepec Zoo, two artificial lakes with a lake house (Casa del Lago) and various pre Hispanic ruins including the remains of the Baths of Moctezuma, which was used until the 19th century when the area's springs dried up. ==Neighborhoods==

Neighborhoods (colonias) in the borough include Bosques de las Lomas, Lomas de Chapultepec, Granada, Ampl. Granada, Pensil, Polanco, San Miguel Chapultepec, and the two formerly independent municipalities of Tacuba and Tacubaya. Tacuba Tacuba was called Tlacopan in the pre Hispanic period. The church and former monastery of San Gabriel is located next to the Tacuba Metro station. The main entrance to the atrium has a stone gate with three arches. The small atrium is mostly paved with a few trees. The façade is mostly Baroque with the portal marked the two grooved Doric columns and topped by a frieze with vegetative design done in relief. It has one bell tower with two levels also in Baroque. The side portal faces Calzada Mexico-Tacuba. It also has an arched entryway, but marked with wavy grooved pilasters and topped with a niche. Part of the former cloister is also preserved. The interior is focused on the main altar, which is gilded and has twelve colonial era paintings of the Virgin Mary and various saints along with Salomonic columns. In the center is an image of the crucified Christ and the top has an image of God, the Father. One other feature of the church is an image of the Child Jesus called the "Niño futbolista" (Football playing child), named such because it is dressed in the uniform of Mexico's national team when it plays in the World Cup. ==Economy==

Interjet has its headquarters in Lomas de Chapultepec. Google Mexico also has its headquarters in Lomas. Wamos Air has its Mexico City office in Polanco. ==Diplomatic missions==

Most of the diplomatic missions in Mexico City are located in Miguel Hidalgo, mainly in the Lomas de Chapultepec and Polanco area. Embassies • Algeria • Angola • Argentina • Australia • Austria • Belgium • Belize • Bolivia • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • Chile • Cyprus • Cuba • Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • Ecuador • Egypt • El Salvador • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Guatemala • Haiti • Hungary • India • Indonesia • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Ivory Coast • Jamaica • Japan • Lebanon • Malaysia • Morocco • Netherlands • New Zealand • Nicaragua • Nigeria • North Korea • Norway • Panama • Pakistan • Paraguay • Peru • Philippines • Portugal • Romania • Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic • Saudi Arabia • Serbia • Slovakia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey • Ukraine • Uruguay • Venezuela Other diplomatic offices • European Commission Delegation • Special Palestinian Delegation • Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mexico, the de facto mission of the Republic of China on Taiwan. ==Education==

Public high schools of the Instituto de Educación Media Superior del Distrito Federal (IEMS) include: • Escuela Preparatoria Miguel Hidalgo "Carmen Serdán" (Argentina Antigua) International schools in Miguel Hidalgo include: • Lycée Franco-Mexicain (Liceo Franco Mexicano) in Polanco • The Plantel Lomas Kindergarten Prado Norte facility of the Campus Poniente/Campus West (formerly Campus La Herradura) of the Colegio Alemán Alexander von Humboldt is located in Lomas de Chapultepec. • The Lomas campus of Peterson Schools is in Lomas de Chapultepec • Two campuses of the Westhill Institute in Lomas • The Wingate School Virreyes campus in Lomas (opening 2016) Other private schools: • Colegio Ciudad de México Plantel Polanco • The toddler center campus and the preschool campus of the Eton School in Lomas. • Two campuses of the Escuela Sierra Nevada: one for preschool, one for elementary school ==References==