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Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico. The Sandia Mountains run along the eastern side of Albuquerque & the Rio Grande flows through the city.
The town of Alburquerque was built in the traditional Spanish village pattern of a central plaza surrounded by government buildings, homes & a church. The central plaza area has been preserved as a public museum & is referred to as "Old Town Albuquerque".
Travelers on Route 66 appeared in Albuquerque in 1926 & motels, restaurants & gift shops quickly sprung up along the roadside to serve them.
Albuquerque is geographically divided into four quadrants which are officially part of the mailing address. The north-south dividing line is Central Avenue (the path that Route 66 took through the city) & the east-west dividing line is the BNSF Railway tracks.
Albuquerque lies at the center of the New Mexico Technology Corridor, a concentration of high-tech private companies & government institutions along the Rio Grande.
Albuquerque has the largest hot air balloon gathering in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta & is held during early October. It was started in 1972 with 13 balloons, in 2000 there were a record 1000 balloons.
