The Spanish Empire was, without a doubt, one of the most extensive the world has ever known, with possessions across every known continent. Like any empire in history, Spain’s power rested on trade; however, the centre, the economic heart of that Spain was not Seville, nor, by any means, Madrid. The commercial heart of Spain was the present-day Mexico City, the place where the two greatest trade routes of the time converged: the Carrera de Indias and the Manila Galleon.Mexico was the opulent capital of the Kingdom of New Spain, a vast realm stretching from southern Alaska to Costa Rica, and from Puerto Rico to the Philippines. The Consulate of Mexico was the institution that controlled both internal and external trade across the entire viceroyalty.