Lake Texcoco

E49096

Lake Texcoco was a large, now mostly drained lake in the Valley of Mexico that once surrounded the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan and is central to Mexico’s national origin myth.

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf endorheic basin
former lake
geographical feature
adjacentTo Lake Chalco
linked to: former Lake Chalco

Lake Xaltocan
Lake Xochimilco
Lake Zumpango
archaeologicalSignificance remains of Aztec causeways and chinampas
associatedWithCulture Aztec civilization
linked to: Aztec Empire

Mexica people
linked to: Mexica
basinCountry Mexico
capitalCityOnIslands Tenochtitlan
Tlatelolco
conqueredBy Spanish conquistadors
conquestYear 1521 (fall of Tenochtitlan)
drainage endorheic (no natural outlet)
drainageBegan 16th century
elevation about 2,240 metres above sea level
environmentalIssues dust storms from dry lakebed
land subsidence in Mexico City
loss of wetland habitat
hasCoordinateRegion central Mexico
hasLanguageName Classical Nahuatl: Tetzco(h)co
Spanish: Lago de Texcoco
historicalPeriodOfImportance Aztec Empire period
Postclassic Mesoamerica
hydrologicalType closed basin lake
knownFor role in Mexico’s national origin myth
site of the eagle on cactus founding legend of Tenochtitlan
surrounding the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan
locatedIn Valley of Mexico
locatedInCountry Mexico
locatedInPresentDay Mexico City metropolitan area
locatedNear Sierra Nevada volcanic range
Sierra de Guadalupe
Sierra de las Cruces
majorDrainageProjects Desagüe del Valle de México
linked to: Valley of Mexico

Grand Canal of the Valley of Mexico
modernLandUse agricultural land
infrastructure projects
urban development
mostlyDrainedBy 20th century
mythologicalSignificance place where Mexica saw eagle on cactus devouring a serpent
partOf Mexican Plateau
lake system of the Valley of Mexico
siteOf former Mexico City New International Airport project
surrounded Tenochtitlan
Tlatelolco
symbolAppearsOn coat of arms of Mexico
flag of Mexico
waterType brackish
saline

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (19)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Tenochtitlan founding legend setIn Lake Texcoco
Tenochtitlan locatedIn Lake Texcoco
Aztec Empire mainLake Lake Texcoco
Texcoco, Mexico namedAfter Lake Texcoco
La Noche Triste location Lake Texcoco
Nezahualcóyotl locatedOnFormer Lake Texcoco
Former Lake Zumpango northOf former Lake Texcoco
subject linked to: former Lake Zumpango
linked to: Lake Texcoco
Texcoco polity associatedWith Lake Texcoco
Tlacopan polity locatedNear Lake Texcoco
Cerro de la Estrella National Park locatedNear Lake Texcoco (former) area
linked to: Lake Texcoco
Siege of Tenochtitlan location Lake Texcoco
The Sad Night tookPlaceNear Lake Texcoco
Aztec mythology associatedWithPlace Lake Texcoco
Mount Tlaloc hasViewOf Lake Texcoco (former) region
linked to: Lake Texcoco
Lake Xochimilco originallyPartOf Lake Texcoco system
linked to: Lake Texcoco
Grand Canal of the Valley of Mexico divertsWaterFrom Lake Texcoco basin
linked to: Lake Texcoco
Tlatelolco altepetl locatedOn Lake Texcoco