Nueva España (Viceroyalty of New Spain)

The Viceroyalty of New Spain was a large colonial territory of the Spanish Empire in North America, established in 1521 and lasting until 1821. It included present-day Mexico, much of the southwestern United States, Central America, and the Philippines. Governed by a viceroy representing the Spanish crown, it served as a crucial administrative, economic, and cultural hub for Spain, facilitating the extraction of wealth, the spread of Christianity, and colonial settlement. Its legacy influences the region’s history, culture, and language today.