Mexico City (/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ ˈsɪti/; Spanish: Ciudad de México American Spanish: [sjuˈðað de ˈmexiko], officially known as México, D. F., or simply D. F.) is the federal district (distrito federal), capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the union.[11] It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole. Mexico City is the country's largest city as well as its most important political, cultural, educational and financial center.