It borders the states of Querétaro and Hidalgo to the north, Morelos and Guerrero to the south, Michoacán to the west, and Tlaxcala and Puebla to the east.

These territorial separations have left the state with the size and shape it has today, with the Toluca Valley to the west of Mexico City and a panhandle that extends around the north and east of this entity.

[9] Anáhuac was the proper term for all territories dominated by the Aztec Empire, from Cem Anáhuac, "the entire earth" or "surrounded by waters" e.g. the waters of Lake Texcoco which were considered to be the center of the Aztec world,[10][11] and as such was proposed as an early name for the entire nation of Mexico prior to independence, to distinguish it from the (preexisting) administrative division of New Spain that became the State of Mexico.

[12] The earliest evidence of human habitation in the current territory of the state is a quartz scraper and obsidian blade found in the Tlapacoya area, which was an island in the former Lake Chalco.

Most have been found in the areas of Los Reyes Acozac, Tizayuca, Tepexpan, San Francisco Mazapa, El Risco and Tequixquiac.

These people were thought to be nomadic, hunting large animals such as mammoths and gathering fruits as evidenced by archaeological evidence found at the site.

This city is walled with plazas, terraces, temples, altars, living quarters, and a Mesoamerican ball game court.

During the rest of the War, most battles were fought between local insurgent leaders such as Manuel de la Concha and Castillo Bustamante and royalist forces.

The vast territory of the state was divided into eight districts: Acapulco, Cuernavaca, Huejutla, Mexico, Taxco, Toluca, Tula and Tulancingo.

The choice was made official on 18 November 1824 and Congress delineated a surface area of two leagues square (8,800 ac) centered on the Zocalo.

This area did not yet include the population centers of the towns of Coyoacán, Xochimilco, Mexicaltzingo and Tlalpan, all of which remained as part of the State of Mexico.

During this war, a number of major figures such as Melchor Ocampo, Santos Degollado and Leandro Valle [es] were executed by firing squad in the Toluca Valley regions.

[13] The period before the Mexican Revolution was relatively prosperous for the state, especially under governor José Vicente Villada, who promoted public education, government reform, the establishment of a teachers' college for women, and the Instituto Cientifico y Literario (later UAEM).

It was designed by Pastor Velázquez with the motto of Patria, Libertad, Trabajo y Cultura ("Country, Liberty, Work, and Culture").

[22] The judiciary (Poder Judicial del Estado de México) is composed of: The trial courts are divided based on municipalities.

[34][35] One distinguishing feature of the campus is the mural done in the old chapel, now University Ceremonies Room by Diego Rivera called "Tierra Fecundada" (Fertile Land).

The Buenavista-Cuauhtitlan line was inaugurated in 2009, bringing the total rail ine to 27 km serving communities such as Tultitlán, San Rafael, Tlanepantla and others.

The main crop is corn, with peas, barley, beans, potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, avocados and guava also grown.

[42] While mining has been historically important, today it is only a minor activity despite residual deposits of gold, silver, lead, and other minerals.

Located on the skirts of the Tenismó mountain, the most outstanding structure is the temple dedicated to Ehécatl, or Quetzalcoatl in his wind god aspect.

The town is filled with red tile roofs and stone paved streets and has been named a "Pueblo Magico" by the federal tourism agency.

It is a series of live caves in which running water creates formations, some of which are called "The Mammoth", the "Bride and Groom", "The Hand" and "The Palace".

Its small population is almost completely dedicated to the pilgrims who come to visit the Sanctuary of Chalma, the second most important pilgrimage site in Mexico.

The sanctuary is dedicated to an image of what many people describe as a "black Christ" on a cross that legend says miraculously appeared in an area cave where the worship of a deity commonly known as Oxtoteotl used to take place.

The best-known pottery and ceramics locale is Metepec, which specializes in large decorative pieces and sculptures called Trees of Life.

[60] The making of piñatas, decorative cut-outs, and other objects from paper and/or cardboard is known in Acolman, Metepec, Toluca, Huixquilucan, Nezahualcoyotl and Otumba.

[63] Other crafts practiced in the state include the making of candies, basketry, artistic ironwork, and items from bone, horn, stone, and wood.

[43] The state is known for its red and black moles, the barbacoa of Capulhuac and Tenango del Valle, the chorizo sausage of Toluca, and the cheese products of Ayapango and Aculco.

[63] The Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México or Mexico State Symphonic Orchestra was established in 1971 by Enrique Bátiz Campbell.

[65] Nuevo León Chimalxochitl II - Queen consort of Cuautitlan Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz - Feminist writer, poet and philosopher Nezahualcoyotl - King of Texcoco Enrique Peña Nieto - Former president of Mexico and former governor of the state