Cuernavaca

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Mexican State	Morelos
Cuernavaca

Location in Mexico
Government
- Mayor 2006-2009	Jesús Giles Sánchez
Area
- City	151.2 km² (58.38 sq mi)
Elevation	1,548 m (4,856 ft)
Population (2005)
- City	332,197 city; 349,102 municipality
- Metro	787,556
Website: http://www.cuernavaca.gob.mx/

Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It is the municipal seat of the municipality of Cuernavaca. The city had a population of 332,197 and the municipality 349,102 as of the 2005 census. The municipality has an area of 151.2 km² (58.38 sq mi) and includes numerous small localities outside the city.

Cuernavaca is located about 85 km. (50 miles) south of Mexico City on the M-95 freeway. It is known as "the city of eternal spring" because of its consistent 27 °C year-round weather. Cuernavaca is truly in the heart of Mexico, and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and culturally rich regions of the country.

The city's name comes from Nahuatl Cuauhnāhuac "place near trees" (IPA: [kʷawˈnaːwak]), the name of the pre-Columbian altepetl at the location. The name was altered to Cuernavaca by influence of the Spanish words cuerno "horn" and vaca "cow".

1 Tourism
2 In literature
3 Famous people
4 Quoted in Movies and Television
5 Sister cities
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Tourism

Palacio de Cortés seen from the zocalo of Cuernavaca

Cathedral's side-chapel at dawn

Cuernavaca has always been a popular vacation destination for people from the Mexico City valley, from the Aztec kings, to the Spaniards and now the wealthy. The opportunity for interesting side trips are many, all being within only a couple of hours drive, at most, from the capital. Many sights, from populous Mexico City to 18,000 feet volcanoes, are a short distance from the heart of the city.

Cuernavaca is a favorite spot for its historical richness, striking scenery, colorful life, and delightful climate. The terrain is hilly and the streets are narrow and quaint. A wide variety of activities are available with all of the normal services of a modern city. The city's bus system is economical and easy to use. This condition has added historical value to the city. The city has examples of ancient Aztec and Tlahuica cultures and of colonial buildings such as the Palacio de Cortés. Cuernavaca has historical sites from the Revolution, workshops of important artists, and more. Unfortunately, however, a rapidly-increasing population in the last couple of decades and a hugely-increased volume of traffic on the city's streets have brought problems of severe congestion and air contamination to large parts of the municipality.

The city has a number of language schools and has, for more than 25 years, been hosting visitors from around the world who want to learn Spanish.

Bus destinations from Cuernavaca include very regular services to Mexico City (1.5 hours) as well as services to Toluca, Puebla, Tepoztlan, Taxco, Acapulco and destinations throughout Morelos.

Cuernavaca is no longer served by rail services.

[edit] In literature

Albeit somewhat disguised, Cuernavaca (or Quauhnahuac) is the setting for Malcolm Lowry's harrowing novel of alcohol-induced self-destruction, Under the Volcano.

[edit] Famous people

Emperor Maximilian
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the exiled Shah of Iran.
Dwight Morrow, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and father-in-law to Charles Lindbergh, had a weekend home in Cuernavaca.
Manuel Puig, an Argentine writer, moved to Cuernavaca in 1989 and died there in 1990.
Erich Fromm lived here around 1950.
Maurice Ascalon (1913-2003), the Israeli sculptor and industrial designer, spent the last years of his life in Cuernavaca, where he resided with his son, the artist Adir Ascalon.
Warren Zevon (1947-2003), the Chicago-born rock artist, made cryptic allusion to the city of Cuernavaca in the song Veracruz, included on his 1978 breakout release, Excitable Boy.
Notable jazz figures Charles Mingus (1922-1979) and Gil Evans (1912-1988) both died in Cuernavaca after suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease and peritonitis, respectively.
Ivan Illich founded the Centro Intercultural de Documentación (CIDOC) in Cuernavaca in the early 1960s. This institution served as his base for many years.
Miahuaxihuitl, a princess from Cuauhnahuac (modern Cuernavaca), a city to the south of the Valley of Mexico was the mother of moctezuma I, an aztec emperor.

[edit] Quoted in Movies and Television

In Men In Black when the INS agent asks the driver of a van that transports illegal aliens from Mexico, "Where are you coming from?" the driver answers, "I was fishing in Cuernavaca."(We should note that Cuernavaca possesses no lakes or rivers of significance, just cliffs and some creeks).
In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Helpless (3x12), exactly 5 minutes into the episode, Buffy is talking to Giles in the library. "I'm way off my game. My game's left the country. It's in Cuernavaca."
In Heroes episode 14, "Distractions", half-way through the episode Claire's mother claims that she spent some time in Cuernavaca.