<P> After the Empire fell and the Republic was established in 1824, a Federation name form was adopted; which was, at most times, more de jure than de facto . The Mexican name stuck, leading to the formation of the Mexican Republic which formally is known as the United Mexican States . </P> <P> Complications arose with the capital's former colloquial and semi-official name "Ciudad de Mexico, Distrito Federal (Mexico, D.F.)", which appears on postal addresses and is frequently cited in the media, thus creating a duplication whereas the shortened name was "Mexico, D.F., Mexico". Legally, the name was simply Distrito Federal (Federal District or District of the Federation). This ended with the change in statute of Mexico City into a state in 2016 . Today it's officially called only "Ciudad de México, México" abbreviated CDMX, Mexico . </P> <P> The official name of the country is the "United Mexican States" (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos), since it is a federation of thirty - two states . The official name was first used in the Constitution of 1824, and was retained in the constitutions of 1857 and 1917 . Informally, "Mexico" is used along with "Mexican Republic" (República Mexicana). On 22 November 2012, outgoing Mexican President Felipe Calderón proposed changing the official name of the country to simply México . </P> <P> Anahuac (meaning land surrounded by water) was the name in Nahuatl given to what is now Mexico during Pre-Hispanic times . When the Spanish conquistadors besieged México - Tenochtitlan in 1521, it was almost completely destroyed . It was rebuilt during the following three years, after which it was designated as a municipality and capital of the vice-royalty of New Spain . In 1524 the municipality of Mexico City was established, known as México Tenustitlan, and as of 1585 became officially known simply Ciudad de México . The name Mexico was used only to refer to the city, and later to a province within New Spain . It was not until the independence of the vice-royalty of New Spain that "Mexico" became the traditional and conventional short - form name of the country . </P>

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