Xico, Valle de Chalco facts for kids

Xico is a city located in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is the main town, or "municipal seat," of the Valle de Chalco municipality. This means Xico is the center of government for the whole area. The city and municipality are very close to Mexico City and are part of its large metropolitan area.

Xico sits on what used to be the bottom of Lake Chalco. This lake was drained a long time ago, just like many other lakes in the Basin of Mexico. The city's name comes from a nearby hill called Cerro de Xico. The municipality's name comes from the old lake and a special program called "National Program of Solidarity." The official symbol, or glyph, and shield of the municipality show both these names. Xico is different from another nearby city called Chalco. Both names, "Chalco," refer to the Chalca tribe, who were some of the first people to live in this region.

The City of Xico

Ancient History of Xico

Long ago, much of the area where Xico is now was underwater. This was especially true around the Cerro de Xico hill and the Island of Xico. From about 900 BC to 100 AD, the area was home to small fishing villages.

Later, from 550 to 650 AD, the powerful Teotihuacan culture had a strong influence here. Then, from 650 to 750 AD, a settlement of the Otomi became important. Around 1328, the Acxoteca people arrived. This was also when a special type of farming called chinampa farming began. Chinampas are floating gardens built on lakes.

Aztec Rule and Spanish Arrival

In 1381, the Aztec leader Tezozomoc conquered Xico. After this, groups of Mexica people, who were part of the Aztec empire, settled here. They expanded the chinampa farming system during the 14th and 15th centuries.

In 1529, the Spanish king gave this land to Hernán Cortés. The modern city of Xico began to take shape in the 19th century. At that time, President Porfirio Díaz ordered Lake Chalco to be drained. This greatly harmed the economies of the communities that used to live by the lake.

Modern Development

After the Mexican Revolution, efforts were made to help these communities. They created special communal lands called ejidos. The two largest ejidos in this area were Estación Xico (about 507 hectares) and San Miguel Xico (about 250 hectares). Today, the city and municipality of Xico are built almost entirely on this former lakebed.

For many years, the area was mostly empty. But in the late 1970s, many families moved here from other parts of Mexico. They were looking for land and a new home. Even though it was close to Mexico City, there were no basic services like schools for children. Many people bought ejido land, which caused legal problems.

The government had to step in to provide basic services. They also helped to make the property rights legal for over 77,000 pieces of ejido land that had been sold. Xico officially became its own separate municipality in 1994. In 2005, the population of Xico was 331,321 people.

Notable Places in Xico

There are a few interesting places to visit in Xico:

• The Cerro del Marqués is a hill with old buildings and archaeological remains. However, these are not open to the public.
• The Museo Comunitario (Community Museum) is a great place to learn about the local history. It shows archaeological finds from the area. This museum is located inside the Casa de Cultura “Chalchiuhtlicue”.
• The Ex – Hacienda de Xico is an old estate that was built around the same time the lake was drained.

The Municipality of Valle de Chalco

As the main town, Xico is the governing center for several communities. These include Las Bombas, Comalchica, Santa Cruz, El Triángulo, El Invernadero, Colonia Ampliación (San Miguel Tláhuac), and Ejido Tulyehualco (Tabla Número Nueve). There are also 13 other smaller communities. The total population of the municipality is 332,279 people.

The municipality of Valle de Chalco shares borders with several other municipalities. To the east, it borders Ixtapaluca, Chicoloapan, Los Reyes Acaquilpan, and Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias. To the south, it borders the Federal District (which includes the areas of Iztapalapa and Tláhuac). The total size of the municipality is about 46.36 square kilometers (17.9 square miles).

See also

In Spanish: Xico (Estado de México) para niños