Puebla, Mexico

Puebla City (pop. 1,320,000) is the capital of Puebla State in central Mexico. It is an important agricultural, commercial and manufacturing center, as well as a popular tourist spot. Its official name is Heroica. The name was given in honor of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, who defeated the French forces there in 1863.

The city has a mild climate with an average temperature of 16°C. The rainy season lasts from June to October.

Puebla is located 129 km away form Mexico City in a valley reached by crossing the volcanoes to the east, to the north of Tlaxcala and to the south of La Mixteca.

Puebla has cotton mills, onyx quarries and pottery and food industries. The biggest company is Volkswagen. Cars like the VW New Beetle, Bora and Jetta are produced here. The legendary VW Käfer was produced here till 2003.

The city is well known for the colored tiles that decorate its numerous buildings and churches.