When Cortez encountered the Aztecs in 1520, the population was approximately 28 million. What was the population of the Mexican heartland a century later?

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The population of the Mexican heartland a century after Cortez encountered the Aztecs in 1520 had drastically decreased to approximately 1 million. This dramatic decline was primarily due to diseases brought by the Europeans, such as smallpox, against which the indigenous population had no immunity, combined with the effects of conquest and colonization.

When Cortez Encountered the Aztecs in 1520, the Population Was