Capital City: 

Brief National History:

Mexico was originally ruled by the Aztecs, one of the seven tribes that settled in the area of what is today the capital of the republic, from the land of Aztlan. The country was colonised by the Spanish from 1521 until 1821, when the war for independence was won. The country established first a Republic and later a monarchy.

Mexico still endured internal fighting between the liberal and conservative factions. The country also suffered foreign intervention from France and the United States. To the later country Mexico lost half its territory in the treaties of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848.

In the 1860's Mexico fought against the French who, with the backing of the conservatives, tried to establish a monarchy in Mexico. With U.S. Aid the French were forced out, putting an end to Napoleon III's dream of establishing a foothold in the America's.

General Porfirio Diaz ruled the country for more than 30 years, triggering the start of the Mexican revolution of 1910, that would last into the early 1920's. This saw internal fighting between the many revolutionary factions, until the establishment of stable governments in the late 1920's and 1930's.

From 1936 to 1939 Mexico sided with the Spanish Republican government in their civil war, giving them support in the way of weapons and recognition of the legal government, even after their defeat. Mexico declared war on the Axis powers in 1942, after German submarines sank a number of Mexican ships. The country fielded a fighter squadron that fought in the liberation of The Philippines in 1945. In addition, thousands of volunteers joined and fought in the Allied armies.

Recently Mexico elected it's first opposition president in more than 70 years of one party rule.

Further Information on Mexico: 

Yahoo Mexico page
Columbus World Travel Guide - North America - Mexico
Library of Congress / Area Handbook Series / Mexico

Governments on the WWW: Mexico

Military Air Arms:

• Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana) 
• Naval Aviation (Aviación de la Armada de Mexico) 

Other Central Government Agencies:

• Paramilitary Police (Policia Federal Preventiva)
• Justice Department (Procuraduria General De La Republica)

Bibliography:

• Armed Forces of Latin America (Adrian English)
• SEDENA web site
• America Vuela (Mexico D.F.)Various issues for the year 2000
• Historia Grafica de la Fuerza Aerea Mexicana by Hector Davila Cornejo
• Flap International, No.334 Julio 2000