Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico, the most populous in North America, and a top global cultural and financial hub, ranked as an Alpha world city in 2024. Founded as the Indigenous Mexica city of Tenochtitlan in 1325, it is the oldest capital in the Americas; after the Spanish siege of 1521, it was rebuilt and later established as the Federal District in 1824. With a city proper population of over 9.2 million (and 21.8 million in the Greater Mexico City area), it generated a GDP of $411 billion in 2011, accounting for 15.8% of Mexico's total economy. After gaining political autonomy in 1997, the city has adopted progressive policies like legal abortion, same-sex marriage, and legal gender change. On 29 January 2016, it was officially renamed Ciudad de México (CDMX) to reflect greater autonomy, though it still cannot become a full state while serving as the capital. Colloquially known as the "City of Palaces" and home to residents called chilangos—a term once derogatory but now proudly embraced—it remains a cultural powerhouse.