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Toluca

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Toluca is a major city in Mexico. It is the capital of the State of Mexico. The city sits in the Toluca Valley. It is located southwest of Mexico City. The city is part of a huge area called the Greater Toluca metropolitan area. This area has about 2,347,692 people living in it.

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Because it is near the capital, the city has grown very fast. It is a very important place for industry and business.

The city is very high up in the mountains. It sits at 2,600 meters above sea level. This makes it the highest capital city in North America. Because it is so high, the weather stays cool all year. In the spring and summer, temperatures are usually between 6 and 25 degrees Celsius. In the winter, it can get very cold. Temperatures can even drop to −5 degrees Celsius. Most of the rain falls during the summer months.

Toluca has a very long history. Long ago, the Matlatzincas lived in the valley. They called the land Nepintahihui, which means "land of corn." Later, the Aztecs renamed the area. They called it Tollocan. This name means "place of Tolo" after their god. The Spanish arrived in 1521. They changed the name to Toluca. In 1861, the city took the name Toluca de Lerdo. This was to honor a president named Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.

There are many interesting things to see in the city. You can visit the Cosmovitral botanical garden. There are also many museums and parks to explore. People love to watch soccer here. The Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club is a very famous team. They were founded on February 12, 1917. They play their home games at the Estadio Nemesio Diez. This stadium can hold 30,000 people. The women's team also plays in a professional league.

Nature is very close to the city too. A big volcano called Nevado de Toluca sits to the southwest. Its crater looks like a sleeping man. It is the only volcano in Mexico with two lagoons inside. You can even drive a car up to the crater. The Nevado de Toluca National Park has many trees like pine and fir. You might see animals like eagles, squirrels, or lizards there. The Lerma River also flows through the area toward the west.

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