Mexico facts and information

Pirated Merchandise: Counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available in Mexico. Their sale is largely controlled by organized crime. Personal Property: Travelers should always leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place, or avoid bringing them at all. Visitors are encouraged to make use of hotel safes, avoid wearing expensive jewelry, clothing, or accessories, and carry only the cash or credit cards that will be needed on each outing.

There have been significant numbers of incidents of pickpocketing, purse snatching, and hotel-room theft. Public transportation is a particularly popular place for pickpockets. Do not leave valuables in rental vehicles, even when locked. Some travelers have had their passports stolen from their bags at airports. Remember to secure your passport within a zipper pocket or other safe enclosure so that it cannot be easily removed from your person or your luggage.

Be vigilant of your passport even after passing through security and while waiting in a departure lounge to board your flight. Business travelers should be aware that theft can occur even in apparently secure locations. A number of U. If you receive what you believe to be a counterfeit banknote, bring it to the attention of Mexican law enforcement.

Personal Safety: Visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times, even when in areas generally considered safe. Women traveling alone are especially vulnerable and should exercise caution, particularly at night. Some U. S Citizens have reported being sexually assaulted, robbed of personal property, or abducted and then held while their credit cards were used at various businesses or Automatic Teller Machines ATMs.

Individuals who have been targeted were often walking alone in isolated locations. Be very cautious in general when using ATMs in Mexico. If you must use an ATM, it should be accessed only during the business day at large protected facilities preferably inside commercial establishments, rather than at glass-enclosed, highly visible ATMs on streets.

Travelers to remote or isolated hunting or fishing venues should be aware that they may be some distance from appropriate medical services, banking facilities such as ATMs , and law enforcement or consular assistance in an emergency. Kidnapping: Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of U. So-called express kidnappings, i. Kidnappings are largely crimes of opportunity, increasingly carried out by younger, less "professional" criminals, and are more violent than in the past.

The National Citizens' Observatory, a think tank, reported on June 27, , that kidnappings in Mexico increased by 17 percent in the first quarter of compared with the last quarter of The Mexican government had reported a decline in kidnappings until it stopped publishing statistics on this category of crime in April Review the sections above on personal property and personal safety for common sense actions you can take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

Information that can be used against victims may also be obtained from social networking websites. Calls are often placed by prison inmates using smuggled cellular phones. In the event of such a call, it is important to stay calm, as the vast majority of these calls are hoaxes. Any kidnapping, real or virtual, should be reported to the police as well as to the Embassy or nearest consulate.

There have been reports of instances in which U. In addition to skimming, the risk of physical theft of credit or debit cards also exists. To prevent such theft, the Embassy recommends that travelers keep close track of their personal belongings and that they only carry what they need. Most restaurants and other businesses will bring the credit card machine to your table so that you can keep the card in your possession at all times.

If travelers choose to use credit cards, they should regularly check their account status to ensure there are no unauthorized transactions. Buses and Public Transportation: Whenever possible, visitors should travel by bus only during daylight hours and only by first-class conveyance. Although there have been several reports of bus hijackings and robberies on toll roads, buses on toll roads have experienced a markedly lower rate of incidents than second and third-class buses that travel the less secure "free" highways.

Although the police have made progress in bringing this type of crime under control, armed robberies of entire busloads of passengers still occur, including recent armed robberies of local commuter buses traveling within Mexico City. There was one recent incident involving the placement of contraband under a bus seat of an unwitting U.

Be sure to check around and under your seat and immediately report any items that do not belong to you. Metro subway robberies are frequent in Mexico City, especially during peak travel times. If riding the metro or the city bus system, U. Taxis: Robberies and assaults on passengers in "libre" taxis that is, taxis not affiliated with a taxi stand are frequent and violent in Mexico, with passengers subjected to beating, shooting, and sexual assault.

When in need of a taxi, telephone a radio taxi or "sitio" regulated taxi stand — pronounced "C-T-O" , and ask the dispatcher for the driver's name and the taxi's license plate number. Ask the hotel concierge or other responsible individual to write down the license plate number of the cab you are taking. Avoid "libre" taxis and the Volkswagen beetle taxis altogether.

Although "libre" taxis are more convenient and less expensive, these are not as well regulated, may be unregistered, and are potentially more dangerous. Embassy employees in Mexico City are prohibited from using "libre" taxis, or any taxis hailed on the street, and are authorized to use only "sitio" taxis. Passengers arriving at any airport in Mexico should take only authorized airport taxis after pre-paying the fare at one of the special booths located and well-publicized inside the airport.

Mexican authorities have cooperated in investigating such cases, but one must have the officer's name, badge number, and patrol car number to pursue a complaint effectively. Please note this information if you have a problem with the police or other officials. In addition, tourists should be wary of persons representing themselves as police officers or immigration, or other officials.

When in doubt, ask for identification. Be aware that offering a bribe to a public official to avoid a ticket or other penalty is a crime in Mexico. One extortion technique, known as the " grandparent scam ", involves calls placed by persons alleging to be attorneys or U. The caller asks for a large sum of money to ensure the subject's release. When the recipient of the call checks on their family member, they discover that the entire story is false.

If the alleged detainee cannot be located in the U. Embassy or nearest U. Consulate for assistance in determining if they have been detained by authorities. Further information on international financial scams is available on our website. Beware of possible scams involving inflated prices for tourist-related goods and services and avoid patronizing restaurants and other service providers that do not have clearly listed prices.

You should check with your hotel for the names of reputable establishments and service providers in the area. When using credit cards for payment you should try to maintain direct visibility of the person swiping the card in the machine to protect against credit card skimming. Sexual Assault: Rape and sexual assault continue to be serious problems in resorts and other areas.

Many of these incidents occur at night or during the early morning hours, in hotel rooms, or on deserted beaches. Acquaintance rape is a serious problem. Hotel workers, taxi drivers, and security personnel have been implicated in many cases. Women should avoid being alone, particularly in isolated areas and at night. It is imperative that victims file a police report, which should include a rape "kit" exam, against the perpetrator s as soon as possible at the nearest police station.

There have been several cases where the victim traveled back to the U. Interaction with such individuals may put a traveler at risk. There have been instances of contamination or drugging of drinks to gain control over the patron. See the information under "Special Circumstances" below regarding Spring Break in Mexico if you are considering visiting Mexican resort areas between February and April when thousands of U.

Additional information designed specifically for traveling students is also available on the U. Transnational Crime in Mexico: Mexican transnational criminal organizations TCOs are engaged in a violent struggle to control trafficking routes and other criminal activity. The Mexican Armed Forces maintain significant infrastructure, including facilities for the design, research, and testing of weapons, vehicles, aircraft, naval vessels, defense systems and electronics; military industry manufacturing centers for building such systems; and advanced naval dockyards that build heavy military vessels and advanced missile technologies.

Since the s, when the military escalated its role in the war on drugs , increasing importance has been placed on acquiring airborne surveillance platforms, aircraft, helicopters , digital war-fighting technologies, [ ] urban warfare equipment and rapid troop transport. Historically, Mexico has remained neutral in international conflicts, [ ] with the exception of World War II.

However, in recent years some political parties have proposed an amendment of the Constitution to allow the Mexican Army, Air Force or Navy to collaborate with the United Nations in peacekeeping missions , or to provide military help to countries that officially ask for it. The National Human Rights Commission has had little impact in reversing this trend, engaging mostly in documentation but failing to use its powers to issue public condemnations to the officials who ignore its recommendations.

Mexico has fully recognised same-sex marriage since , [ ] and anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation have existed in the nation since Mexico's drug war , ongoing since , has left over , dead and perhaps another 37, missing. The boundaries and constituent units of Mexico evolved from its colonial-era origins. Central America peacefully separated from Mexico after independence in Texas separated in the Texas Revolution and when it was annexed to the U.

The sale of northern territory known in the U. The United Mexican States are a federation of 31 free and sovereign states, which form a union that exercises a degree of jurisdiction over Mexico City. After the slowdown of the country recovered and grew 4. The electronics industry of Mexico has grown enormously within the last decade.

Mexico produces the most automobiles of any North American nation. Although multiple international organizations coincide and classify Mexico as an upper middle income country, or a middle class country, [ ] [ ] Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy CONEVAL , which is the organization in charge to measure the country's poverty reports that a huge percentage of Mexico's population lives in poverty.

Among the OECD countries, Mexico has the second-highest degree of economic disparity between the extremely poor and extremely rich, after Chile — although it has been falling over the last decade, being one of few countries in which this is the case. Nevertheless, according to a Goldman Sachs report published in , by Mexico will have the 5th largest economy in the world.

The minimum wage has rapidly increased throughout the last few years, as it was set at The Mexican satellite system is domestic and operates earth stations. There is also extensive microwave radio relay network and considerable use of fiber-optic and coaxial cable. Energy production in Mexico is managed by the state-owned companies Federal Commission of Electricity and Pemex.

This is the world's fourth most productive hydroelectric plant. Mexico is the country with the world's third-largest solar power potential. The National Autonomous University of Mexico was officially established in , [ ] and the university became one of the most important institutes of higher learning in Mexico. Most of the new research institutes were created within UNAM.

Twelve institutes were integrated into UNAM from to In , the Mexican chemist Mario J. Crutzen and F. Sherwood Rowland for their work in atmospheric chemistry, particularly concerning the formation and decomposition of ozone. Mexico was ranked 56th in the Global Innovation Index in As of , Mexico was the 6th most visited country in the world and had the 15th highest income from tourism in the world which is also the highest in Latin America.

A smaller number also come from other Latin American countries. The coastlines of Mexico are rich in sunny beach stretches. According to the Constitution of Mexico Article 27 , the entirety of the coastlines is under federal ownership. Other notable tourist destinations include Acapulco with crowded beaches and multi-story hotels on the shores. At the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula is the resort town of Cabo San Lucas , noted for its marlin fishing.

In Mexican cities along the Mexico—United States border , the most lucrative hospitality industry is now medical tourism , with remnants of the traditional motivations that drove tourists to Mexico's northern borderlands for nearly a century. Dominant medical tourism for tourism planning are the purchase of medication , dentistry , elective surgery , optometry , and chiropractic.

Despite its difficult topography, Mexico's roadway is extensive and most areas in the country are covered. The roadway network in Mexico has an extent of , km , mi , [ ] of which , km 72, mi are paved, [ ] making it 9th largest of any country. Starting in the late nineteenth century, Mexico was one of the first Latin American countries to promote railway development, [ ] and the network covers 30, km 19, mi.

The Secretary of Communications and Transport of Mexico proposed a high-speed rail link that will transport its passengers from Mexico City to Guadalajara , Jalisco. According to Mexico's National Geography and Statistics Institute , the country's estimated population in was of ,, people. Throughout the 19th century, the population of Mexico had barely doubled.

This trend continued during the first two decades of the 20th century, in the Mexican population was a little more than 13 million. The Mexican population doubled in twenty years, and at that rate, it was expected that by there would be million people living in Mexico. Mexico's population grew from 70 million in [ ] to Mexico's population is highly diverse, but research on Mexican ethnicity has felt the impact of nationalist discourses on identity.

While Mestizos are a prominent ethnic group in contemporary Mexico, the subjective and ever-changing definition of this category has led to its estimations being imprecise. Spanish is the de facto national language spoken by the vast majority of the population, making Mexico the world's most populous Hispanophone country.

Mexico facts and information

The federal government officially recognizes sixty-eight linguistic groups and varieties of indigenous languages. Tzeltal and Tzotzil , two other Mayan languages , are spoken by around half a million people each, primarily in the southern state of Chiapas. Aside from indigenous languages, there are several minority languages spoken in Mexico due to international migration such as Low German by the 80,strong Mennonite population , primarily settled in the northern states, fueled by the tolerance of the federal government towards this community by allowing them to set their educational system compatible with their customs and traditions.

As of , it is estimated that Historically, and relative to other countries in the Western Hemisphere, Mexico has not been a destination of mass migration. The next four largest metropolitan areas in Mexico are Greater Monterrey 5. Religion in Mexico census [ ]. Although the Constitutions of and put limits on the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico, Roman Catholicism remains the country's dominant religious affiliation.

The 97,, [ 1 ] Catholics of Mexico constitute in absolute terms the second largest Catholic community in the world, after Brazil 's. Migratory phenomena have led to the spread of different aspects of Christianity, including branches Protestants , Eastern Catholic Churches and Eastern Orthodox Church. According to the census, there are 58, Jews in Mexico.

There is often a syncretism between shamanism and Catholic traditions. Other examples are the representations of the Passion of Christ and the celebration of Day of the Dead , which take place within the framework of the Catholic Christian imaginary, but under a very particular reinterpretation. In the s, Mexico made a commitment to rural health care , mandating that mostly urban medical students receive training in it and to make them agents of the state to assess marginal areas.

Some public universities in Mexico, such as the University of Guadalajara , have signed agreements with the U. Health care costs in private institutions and prescription drugs in Mexico are on average lower than that of its North American economic partners. As of , the literacy rate in Mexico is Mexican culture reflects a long and complex history of interactions between various peoples through migration, conquest, and trade.

Three centuries of Spanish rule resulted in the blending of Spanish culture with those of different indigenous groups. Efforts to assimilate the native population into Christian European culture during the colonial era were only partially successful, with many pre-Columbian customs, traditions, and norms persisting regionally particularly in rural areas or becoming syncretized ; conversely, many Spanish settlers integrated into local communities through acculturation or intermarriage.

However, a high degree of stratification along the lines of class, ethnicity, and race perpetuated distinct subcultures. The Porfirian era el Porfiriato — , which brough relative peace after four decades of civil unrest and war, saw the development of philosophy and art, often with government support. Since that time, as accentuated during the Mexican Revolution , cultural identity has had its foundation in mestizaje : the blending of different races and cultures, of which the indigenous i.

Amerindian element is the core. Painting is one of the oldest arts in Mexico. Cave painting in Mexican territory is about years old and has been found in the caves of the Baja California Peninsula. As with most art during the early modern era in the West, colonial-era Mexican art was religious during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Starting in the late seventeenth century, and, most prominently in the eighteenth century, secular portraits and images of racial types, so-called casta painting appeared. In early post-independence Mexico, nineteenth-century painting had a marked romantic influence; landscapes and portraits were the greatest expressions of this era. Hermenegildo Bustos is one of the most appreciated painters of the historiography of Mexican art.

They were commissioned by the Mexican government to paint large-scale historical murals on the walls of public buildings, which helped shape popular perceptions of the Mexican Revolution and Mexican cultural identity. In the 21st century, Mexico City became home to the highest concentration of art museums in the world. The architecture of Mesoamerican civilizations evolved in style from simple to complex.

The cities of the Maya stand out to modern architects as examples of integration between large urban centers with elaborate stone construction and a thick jungle, generally with a complex network of roads. Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica also saw distinctive architectural influences from the Olmec , the Puuc and oasiamerican peoples. With the arrival of the Spanish, architectural theories of the Greco-Latin order with Arab influences were introduced.

In addition, the interaction between Spaniards and Indigenous people gave rise to artistic styles such as the tequitqui from the Nahuatl: worker or builder. Years later, Baroque and Mannerist styles prevailed in large cathedrals and civil buildings, while in rural areas, haciendas or stately estates with Mozarabic tendencies were built.

The art nouveau , and the art deco were styles introduced into the design of the Palacio de Bellas Artes to mark the identity of the Mexican nation with Greek-Roman and pre-Columbian symbols. As a new sense of nationalism developed in the 20th century, a strengthened central government issued formal policies that sought to use architecture to show Mexico's modernity and differentiation from other nations.

The development of Mexican modernist architecture was especially manifested in the mids construction of the Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City , the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Juan O'Gorman was one of the first environmental architects in modern Mexico to develop the "organic" theory, trying to integrate buildings onto the landscape within the same approaches of Frank Lloyd Wright.

He won the Pritzker Prize , the highest award in architecture. The origin of the current Mexican cuisine was established during the Spanish colonial era, a mixture of the foods of Spain with native indigenous ingredients. Similarly, some cooking techniques used today are inherited from pre-Columbian peoples, such as the nixtamalization of corn, the cooking of food in ovens at ground level, grinding in molcajete and metate.

With the Spaniards came the pork, beef and chicken meats; peppercorn , sugar, milk and all its derivatives, wheat and rice, citrus fruits and another constellation of ingredients that are part of the daily diet of Mexicans. From this meeting of two millennia old culinary traditions, were born pozole , mole sauce , barbacoa and tamale in its current forms, chocolate , a large range of breads , tacos , and the broad repertoire of Mexican street foods.

Mexican literature has its antecedents in the literature of the indigenous settlements of Mesoamerica. Poetry had a rich cultural tradition in pre-Columbian Mexico, being divided into two broad categories—secular and religious. Aztec poetry was sung, chanted, or spoken, often to the accompaniment of a drum or a harp. While Tenochtitlan was the political capital, Texcoco was the cultural center; the Texcocan language was considered the most melodious and refined.

The best well-known pre-Columbian poet is Nezahualcoyotl. There are historical chronicles of the conquest of the Aztec Empire by participants, and, later, by historians. Sor Juana was famous in her own time, called the "Ten Muse". Mexican films from the Golden Age in the s and s are the greatest examples of Latin American cinema, with a huge industry comparable to the Hollywood of those years.

Mexican films were exported and exhibited in all of Latin America and Europe. Mexico has a long tradition of music from the prehispanic era to the present. Much of the music from the colonial era was composed for religious purposes. Corridos were particularly popular during the Mexican Revolution —20 and in the present era include narcocorridos.

The embrace of rock and roll by young Mexicans in the s and s brought Mexico into the transnational, counterculture movement of the era. In Mexico, the native rock culture merged into the larger countercultural and political movement of the late s, culminating in the protests and redirected into counterculture rebellion, La Onda the wave.

On an everyday basis most Mexicans listen to contemporary music such as pop , rock , and others in both English and Spanish. Folk dance of Mexico along with its music is both deeply regional and traditional. Telenovelas , or soap operas , are very traditional in Mexico and are translated to many languages and seen all over the world. Mexico was a pioneer in edutainment , with TV producer Miguel Sabido creating in s "soap operas for social change".

The "Sabido method" has been adopted in many other countries subsequently, including India, Peru, Kenya, and China. Bilingual government radio stations broadcasting in Spanish and indigenous languages were a tool for indigenous education —65 and since the Instituto Nacional Indigenista has established a national network of bilingual radio stations.

There was a major reform of the telecommunications industry in , with the creation of new broadcast television channels. There had been a longstanding limitation on the number of networks, with Televisa , with a virtual monopoly; TV Azteca , and Imagen Television. New technology has allowed the entry of foreign satellite and cable companies.

Mexico became the first Latin American country to transition from analog to all digital transmissions. Organized sport in Mexico largely dates from the late nineteenth century, with only bullfighting having a long history dating to the early colonial era. Once the political turmoil of the early republic was replaced by the stability of the Porfiriato did organized sport become public diversions, with structured and ordered play governed by rules and authorities.

Baseball was introduced from the United States and also via Cuba in the s and organized teams were created. After the Mexican Revolution, the government sponsored sports to counter the international image of political turmoil and violence. The bid to host the Summer Olympics was to burnish Mexico's stature internationally, with it being the first Latin American country to host the games.

The government spent abundantly on sporting facilities and other infrastructure to make the games a success, but those expenditures helped fuel public discontent with the government's lack of spending on social programs. With its past hosting of the and tournaments, Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host the men's World Cup three times.

Mexico is an international power in professional boxing. While usually not as strong as the United States, the Caribbean countries and Japan, Mexico has nonetheless achieved several international baseball titles. Despite efforts by animal rights activists to outlaw bullfighting, it remains a popular sport in the country, and almost all large cities have bullrings.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Country in North America. This article is about the country. For other uses, see Mexico disambiguation. Estados Unidos Mexicanos Spanish. Mexico in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico and its states. Main article: Name of Mexico.

Main article: History of Mexico. Indigenous civilizations before European contact pre Main articles: Pre-Columbian Mexico and Mesoamerican chronology. Spanish conquest and colonial era — Main articles: Spanish conquest of Mexico and New Spain. Independence era — Liberal era — Mexican Revolution — Main article: Mexican Revolution. Political consolidation and one-party rule — Further information: Maximato and Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Main article: Geography of Mexico. Main article: Climate of Mexico. See also: Wildlife of Mexico. Main articles: Politics of Mexico and Federal government of Mexico. Main article: Foreign relations of Mexico. Law enforcement and human rights. Main articles: Law enforcement in Mexico and Crime in Mexico. Main article: Administrative divisions of Mexico.

Further information: States of Mexico and Municipalities of Mexico. See also: List of Mexican state legislatures. Gulf of Mexico. Pacific Ocean. Central America. United States of America. Mexico City. Baja California. Baja California Sur. Quintana Roo. Main article: Economy of Mexico. See also: Economic history of Mexico. Main article: Mass media in Mexico.

See also: Electricity sector in Mexico. Further information: History of science and technology in Mexico. Main article: Tourism in Mexico. Main article: Transportation in Mexico. Main article: Demographics of Mexico. Main article: Mexicans. Main article: Languages of Mexico. Emigration and immigration. Main articles: Emigration from Mexico and Immigration to Mexico.

Main article: Metropolitan areas of Mexico. See also: List of cities in Mexico. Largest metropolitan areas in Mexico National Population Census [ ]. Main article: Religion in Mexico. Religion in Mexico census [ ] Catholicism Protestantism Unaffiliated 2. Other religions 0. No religion 8. Main article: Healthcare in Mexico. Main article: Education in Mexico.

Main article: Culture of Mexico. Main article: Mexican art. Main article: Architecture of Mexico. Main article: Mexican cuisine. See also: Mexican wine and List of restaurants in Mexico. Main article: Mexican literature. Main article: Cinema of Mexico. Main articles: Music of Mexico and Folk dance of Mexico. Further information: Mexican television , List of newspapers in Mexico , and List of Mexican magazines.

Main article: Sport in Mexico. Archived from the original on 14 February Retrieved 26 January Archived from the original PDF on 11 May Retrieved 14 August Archived from the original on 24 March Retrieved 11 October United Nations Population Division. Retrieved 1 January Mexico ". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 22 October Retrieved 20 September United Nations Development Programme.

On Nov. The crash killed all eight passengers onboard. Due to his position, Mora, the country's second most powerful government official, led the battle against drug traffickers. Moreira stepped down because of a financial scandal which threatened his party's chances in the presidential election. News media coverage connected Moreira to debt and loan irregularities in Coahulia, a state which he governed until Jan.

He worked to convince voters that the Institutional Revolutionary Party has moved passed its history of corruption. Mota, an economist and former education secretary, becomes the first woman nominated by a major party to run for president. Since , the country has been in a period of multiparty democracy. He vowed to focus more on reducing violence instead of making arrests and raids in attempts to block drugs from getting into the United States.

In Sept. The two storms caused flooding in several towns and cities. Major highways were cut off. Heavy rains caused deadly landslides. More than people were killed. Thousands were left homeless. The government declared the storms, which were some of the most damaging in decades, a national emergency. As the storms continued, stranded tourists had to be airlifted from Acapulco to Mexico City.

Although several hotels in Acapulco were not damaged from flooding and mudslides, power failures and destroyed highways made getting food and other provisions to tourists impossible. At least 40, tourists were stranded in Acapulco. In Oct. According to the report in Der Spiegel, the NSA's hacking involved "diplomatic, economic and leadership communications which continue to provide insight into Mexico's political system and internal stability.

Mexican authorities say they would seek answers from U. Former President Calderon responded on Twitter that the hacking was an "affront to the institutions of the country, given that it took place when I was president. Drug cartel kingpin Joaquin Guzman Loera was arrested on Feb. Federal prosecutors wanted Loera brought to the U. However, lawyers for Loera sought and received an injunction against his extradition.

Loera headed the Sinaloa Cartel, which the U. Forbes magazine had him ranked as one of the most powerful people in the world since When he was arrested in , Loera faced charges in at least seven U. On Feb. If found guilty, Loera would face up to 40 years in prison. Throughout the fall of , thousands of protestors took to the streets in Mexico City, setting fires and blocking highways.

The protests were over the 43 college students from Iguala who were abducted and presumed killed in September. The students disappeared after clashing with the police on Sept. Mexican pyramids are different from the Egyptian ones. Egyptian pyramids are smooth sided and tend to taper to a point while Mexican pyramids are usually Step Pyramids.

Their sides are like huge staircases that lead to a temple at the top. Moreover, Egyptian pyramids were places used to lay the dead while the Mexican pyramids were built for gods or as a military installation for defense purposes. Santa Anna, the famous Mexican general, had a state funeral for his amputated leg. The 34th Mexican president ruled for less than 60 minutes before quitting.

Mexicans like to host parties at their homes and making the visitor comfortable is an important part of their customs and values. Elders are well respected in the family, and the needs of the family might be given priority on individual needs and wants of the family members. Mexican culture is the result of mixing of indigenous culture and that of the Spanish during the Spanish rule of more than years.

In , Mexico is the tenth most populated approximately million people country in the world. Other countries that are among the top ten most populated are China, India, U. By area, Mexico is the fourteenth largest country in the world. There are 31 states in Mexico, and Chihuahua is the largest of all with a land area of , square kilometers. Mexico has one federal district.

The Fact File. As of , indigenous people make up Frontal aerial view of the statue of the angel of independence on Reforma Avenue. Credit: Aberu. Ruins of the Great Pyramid of Cholula in Mexico. Traffic in the historic center of Mexico City. Source