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Benito Juárez is one of the 16 delegaciones (boroughs) into which Mexico's Federal District is divided. It is a largely residential area, located to the south of downtown Mexico City, with population of 359,334 as of 2000 and a land area of 26.67 km² (10.3 mi²). It was named after Benito Juárez, Mexico's revered 19th-century president. In September 2004, Benito Juárez was reported as having the highest Human Development Index of any municipality or city borough in the country. In the July 2003 local election, Benito Juárez was one of only two delegaciones to elect a borough mayor from the National Action Party.
The borough was created on December 29, 1970, along with fifteen others, when Mexico City was divided. The history of the area extends much farther than this, however. At one time, much of the area was covered in water, and was the location of several small settlements of pre-hispanic farmers and ranchers. During the colonial period of Mexico's history, a number of small towns in the area devloped, but the area remained largely rural. During the 20th century, urbanization of the area began, leading the new borough to a maximum population of 576,478 during the early 1980s.
The borough contains 57 colonias, in which 113,441 households are located. Only about 2% of the area of the borough is used for industrial purposes. 88% of the population is Roman Catholic, and only 1.8% of the population speaks an indigenous language in addition to Spanish. 99% of the population is literate, and nearly half the population has studied in a university. 41% of the population makes more than three times the country's minimum wage, and 16% makes less than the minimum wage.
External link
- Delegación Benito Juárez (http://www.delegacionbenitojuarez.gob.mx/) Official site (in Spanish)