Xochimilco, city in south central Mexico, in the Distrito Federal (Federal District). Situated near Mexico City, it is a commercial and tourist center. Flower-lined canals and the 16th-century Church of San Bernardino attract many visitors each year, as do the famous floating gardens of Lake Xochimilco. The gardens were formed by the Aztecs and other Native Americans who built rafts (chinampas) on the lake, covered them with soil, and planted flowers and vegetables on them. Eventually the rafts became islands rooted to the bottom of the shallow lake, which was transformed into a network of waterways. Population (1995) 332,314.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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