Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias
Town & Municipality
Church
Seal
Motto(s):  Government that listens and resolves
Chalco location in State of Mexico
Communities in Chalco municipality
Country	Mexico
State	State of Mexico
Region	Amecameca
Metro area	Greater Mexico City
Municipal Status	January 301824
Municipal Seat	Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias
Government
• Type	Ayuntamiento
Area
• Land	219.22 km2 (84.64 sq mi)
• Water	0.00 km2 (0 sq mi)
Elevation (of seat)	2,240 m (7,350 ft)
Population  (2010)
• Municipality	310,130
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Postal code (of seat)	56600
Area code(s)	55
Demonym	Chalquense

Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias (Nahuatl pronunciation: [ˈt͡ʃaːɬko]) is a city in the eastern part of the State of Mexico. It is the main town of the surrounding Chalco municipality. Chalco is located just east of Mexico City and is part of the larger Mexico City metropolitan area.

The name Chalco comes from the Nahuatl language. It combines Chalchihuitlmeaning "green stone" or "jade"and Comeaning "place". SoChalco means "the place of jade".

The second part of the nameDíaz Covarrubiashonors Juan Díaz Covarrubias. He was a doctor and a hero who was shot in Tacubaya in 1859.

History of Chalco

Early Settlements

The first Native American group to arrive in the Chalco region was the "Acxotecas." They came from Tulaan ancient city of the Toltec people. The first town they settled was called Chalco.

Lateranother group called the Mihuaques arrived. Around 1160 A.D.the Teotenancas and Chichimecas came from the Toluca valley. They traveled through Tláhuac. Other groupslike the CuixocasTemimilolcasand Ihuipanecasalso lived around the lake. These groups all joined together with the Chalcas.

By 1354the whole region was known as "Tzacualtitlán-Tenanco Amaquemeca-Chalco." By 1410the Chalca territory was like a group of states. It had four main areas: Acxotlan-ChalcoTlalmanalco-AmaquemecanTenanco-Tepopollanand Xochimilco-Chimalhuacan. Acxotlan-Chalco was the main one.

Wars were common for expanding territory. For examplein 1376there was an eight-year "flower war" between the Mexicans and the Chalco people. Many Chalca people died in this battle. Because of this long fightthe Chalco region did not become as grand as Texcoco or Tenochtitlan.

Spanish Arrival

There are different stories about how Hernán Cortés arrived in the Chalco region. One story says that the Chalcas knew Cortés was in Tlaxcala and Cholula. They waited for him near the volcanoes and brought him gifts of gold. Another story says the Chalcas met Cortés in Texmelucan and gave him jewelryvaluable stonesand blankets.

Cortés wrote in a letter that he started from an Amecameca town in the Chalco province. Along the wayhe met messengers from Moctezuma. They asked him to go back or wait for Moctezuma's orders. Cortés stayed two days in Amecamecawhere he received foodgoldand enslaved people.

Another historianClavijerowrote that Cortés went from Amecameca to Ayotzingo. The leader Cacamac welcomed the Spanish in Ayotzingo. He gave them supplies and offered the city of Texcoco if they would leave.

The Chalcas later allied with the Spanish to protect themselves from the Mexica (Aztecs). This formed a group of different tribes against the Aztecs. After the Aztecs were defeatedthe Chalcas regained control of their land. They helped the Spanish in their expeditions.

Colonial Times and Independence

After the Spanish conquestland was given to the conquerors. In 1533Chalco became a royal province. It was very important for growing cornwheatand other crops. It also produced woodcharcoalfruitsand building materials. Chalco had busy docks where boats carried vegetables and seeds to Mexico City.

The red circle shows where Chalco was locatedwhen the Lake of Texcoco still existed

In the 19th centuryMexico became independent. In 1824the Free and Sovereign State of Mexico was formed. Chalco became part of this new state.

In 1861the main town of Chalco was named a "villa" (a small city). It was given the name "Diaz Covarrubias" to honor Juan Diaz Covarrubiasa medical student killed in 1859. Chalco also hosted a meeting between Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota Amalia.

Modern Chalco

During the time of President Porfirio Díaz (late 1800s)Chalco became a busy trading center. Boats and steamboats continued to connect it to other places. Industries grewand goods were produced. In 1895Lake Chalco was drainedand the land was used for farming. This caused the local fishermen to lose their jobs.

In 1890President Porfirio Díaz laid the first stone for the City Hallwhich opened in 1893.

During the Mexican Revolution in 1910Chalco saw some fighting between Zapata's and Carranza's forces. Churches were damagedand people suffered.

In 1979on the dried-up land of Lake Chalcoa very large settlement called Valle de Chalco began to grow. It quickly had over 500,000 people. Because of this growthChalco de Díaz Covarrubias was officially made a city in March 1989. In 1994the people of Valle de Chalco fought to become their own municipalityand so Valle de Chalco Solidaridad was created.

Todaya major employer in Chalco is the San Rafael paper factory.

The Municipality of Chalco

View from inside of the main church in Chalco.

Santiago Apostol Statuepatron saint of the townit is displayed inside the main church.

The Chalco municipality covers an area of about 234.72 square kilometers (90.626 sq mi). In 2010it had a population of 310,130 people.

Chalco is sometimes confused with the Valle de Chalco Solidaridad municipality because both names include "Chalco." The main difference is that Valle de Chalco Solidaridad is located near the old Lake Chalco. Howeverthe two areas are connected by a road called Avenida Solidaridad.

Towns and Villages

Chalco is one of only a few municipalities in Mexico that have many towns with over 10,000 people. The largest towns and villages in Chalco are:

Transportation

Chalco has a public transportation system that uses Volkswagen vansoften called "combis" or "colectivos." These vans take people from the municipality to the edge of Mexico City. From therepeople can take the subway into the city center. Some colectivos also go directly from Chalco to Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport.

Notable People

• Antonio Pujol (1913–1995)a famous painter.

Images for kids

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  Chalco location in State of Mexico

• 

  Communities in Chalco municipality

See also

In Spanish: Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias para niños