We are currently living in San José, Costa Rica, where we are studying Spanish full time.  We will finish in December of this year.  Once we finish language school, we will be living and working in Mexico City.  With a population of between 22-30 million (population estimates vary widely) Mexico City is generally recognized as the second largest city in the world (after Tokyo, Japan).  Current day Mexico City is built on the ruins of the city of Tenochtitlan, the capitol of the Aztec empire.  The Spanish almost completely destroyed the city in the process of conquering the empire, and rebuilt the city in 1524.  It soon became the regional political and economic center of the Spanish empire.  In 1810 Mexico declared their independence from Spain, and after 11 years of war and instability, the Treaty of Córdoba was signed in 1821 which recognized the independence of Mexico.  Mexico City soon became the capitol, and shortly thereafter the Federal District was created, moving the capitol city outside of any state (similar in structure to Washington DC).  Today, Mexico City is an enormous and important city.  It is the eighth richest city in the world, and by itself has the 25th largest economy in the world.  Sitting at an altitude over 7000 feet above sea level, Mexico City enjoys a mild climate year-round.  As with most major cities, it has areas of extreme poverty, as well as areas of tremendous wealth.  In addition to being a regional business and transit hub, many people visit Mexico City for the large number of historical sites, museums, and shopping.  The city is the home of the Mexican National Fútbol Team, as well as several major club teams.  Baseball, car racing, wrestling, and bull fighting are also popular in the city, however all sports pale in comparison to fútbol.