MEXICO!

HOW DID MEXICO BECOME A COUNTRY?

• On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a parish priest from the town of Dolores, issued a call to rebellion. In response, rebel leader Vicente Guerrero and defected royalist general Agustín de Itúrbide collaborated to gain Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821.

WHERE IS MEXICO LOCATED?

• The relative location of Mexico: Disected by the Tropic of Cancer, the country is positioned in North America, and bordered by Belize, Guatemala, the United States, and the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
• The absolute location of Mexico: 23.6345° N, 102.5528° W

WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT DOES MEXICO HAVE?

• Mexico is a federal presidential representative democratic republic wherein the President is both the head of state and head of government.
• Mexico has the ninth-largest economy in the world. Its main industries are food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, and tourism. It is a major exporter of silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton, oil and oil products.

WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE RELIGIONS PRaCTCED IN MEXICO?

• Catholic Christianity is the dominant religion in Mexico, representing about 82.7% of the total population as of 2010. In recent decades the number of Catholics has been declining, due to the growth of other Christian denominations – especially various Protestant churches and Mormonism – which now constitute 8% of the population, and non-Christian religions (1.9%). Conversion to non-Catholic denominations has been considerably slower than in Central America, and central Mexico remains one of the most Catholic areas in the world.
• Mexico uses Peso as their currency. The exchange rate is 1 Mexican Peso equals 0.052 US Dollars.

WHAT LANGUAGES DOES MEXICO SPEAK?

• Some of the most widely spoken languages in Mexico, aside from Spanish, are Nahuatl, which has almost 1.4 million speakers, Yucatec Maya, spoken by over three quarters of a million people, and Mixtec, whose speakers amount to about half a million. Some of the most widely spoken languages in Mexico, aside from Spanish, are Nahuatl, which has almost 1.4 million speakers, Yucatec Maya, spoken by over three quarters of a million people, and Mixtec, whose speakers amount to about half a million.
• Mexico used Peso as their currency, and the exchange rate is 1 Peso= 0.052 US Dollar

WHAT KIND OF GEOGRAPHY DOES MEXICO HAVE?

• Mexico can be divided into nine major physiographic regions: Baja California, the Pacific Coastal Lowlands, the Mexican Plateau, the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica, the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Southern Highlands, and the Yucatán Peninsula.

WHAT KIND OF FOODS DO MEXICO EAT?

• Enchiladas. Enchiladas date back to Mayan times when people in the Valley of Mexico would eat corn tortillas wrapped around small fish. These days both corn and flour tortillas are used and are filled with meat, cheese, seafood, beans, vegetables or all of the above.
• Chilaquiles are a popular traditional breakfast dish features lightly fried corn tortillas cut into quarters and topped with green or red salsa (the red is slightly spicier). Scrambled or fried eggs and pulled chicken are usually added on top, as well as cheese
• You’ll find someone selling elote, the Mexican name for corn on the cob, on nearly every city street corner in Mexico. The corn is traditionally boiled and served either on a stick (to be eaten like an ice-cream) or in cups, the kernels having been cut off the cob. Salt, chilli powder, lime, butter, cheese mayonnaise and sour cream are then added in abundance.
• Guacamole is undoubtedly one of Mexico’s most popular dishes but few know that this traditional sauce dates back to the time of the Aztecs. Made from mashed up avocadoes, onions, tomatoes, lemon juice and chilli peppers (and sometimes a clove or two of garlic), guacamole is often eaten with tortilla chips or used as a side dish.
• Tamales were first developed for the Aztec, Mayan and Inca tribes who needed nourishing food on the go to take into battle. Pockets of corn dough are stuffed with either a sweet or savoury filling, wrapped in banana leaves or cornhusks and steamed. Fillings vary from meats and cheeses to fruits, vegetables, chillies and mole. Remember to discard the wrapping before eating!

WHAT ARE SOME CULTURAL DAYS mExICO CELEBRATES?

• The Day of the Dead, is a celebration that represents the unity between life and death. It emphasizes death as part of the cycle of life and was borne from the merging of the Catholic feast of All Soul’s Day (a day to remember the dead with prayer) and with Indian rituals of death. The celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Hanal Pixán in Mayan language) coincides with indigenous celebrations and the catholic celebrations of All Saints Day (Nov 1st) and All Souls Day (Nov 2nd ). On October 31st relatives clean and decorate the altars (at the Grave Site) in anticipation of the honoured guests: deceased family’s souls. This festivity mark a very special occasion when the living have an opportunity to show respect for their departed loved ones, whose spirits are expected to return to their homes.
• The origination for Cinco De Mayo, The Fifth Of May, commemorates the defeat of the French army by the Mexicans at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, but is also celebrated in other parts of the country and in U.S. Cities with a significant Mexican population.
• The beginning of the Christmas festivities is marked with Las Posadas, nine consecutive days of candlelight processions and lively parties starting December 16th. Families gather to re-enact the holy family’s quest for lodging in Bethlehem. The procession is headed by a small plaster Virgin Mary and San José. They are followed by other children portraying angels, the Three kings and pastores (shepherds). The breaking of a piñata is a rigorous part of this celebration.l

HOW MANY STATES ARE IN MEXICO?

• Mexico is divided into 32 federal entities, of which 31 are states and one is a federal district.
• Mexico City is the capital of Mexico.