Hidalgo is widely considered the father of modern Mexico, and Mexican Independence is celebrated on September 15-16. The Gulf Coastal Plain, which is much wider than its Pacific coast counterpart, extends some 900 miles (1,450 km) along the Gulf of Mexico from Tamaulipas state (on the Texas border) through Veracruz and Tabasco states to the Yucatán Peninsula; it includes the Tabasco Plain in its southeastern section. Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Among the active volcanic peaks of the region is El Chichón, which destroyed several villages in 1982. It is also one of the largest cities in the world. Now they are the name of Mexico's small population: Caucasian Europeans, Americans, and Canadians. These and other Mexican volcanoes are young in geologic terms, from the Paleogene and Neogene periods (about 65 to 2.6 million years ago), and are examples of the volcanic forces that built much of the central and southern parts of the country. Mexico's 1910 elections was a sham designed to keep long-term dictator Porfirio Diaz in power. She gave birth to his first son, who is considered the first. Mexico the People. Several coastal sites, such as Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, and Puerto Escondido, have become alluring tourist destinations. North of the port of Tampico, an outlier of the Sierra Madre Oriental reaches the sea and interrupts the continuity of the Gulf Coastal Plain. 2014 August - Mexico's Congress approves sweeping reforms to the country's energy sector ⦠Important characters in Mexican history like Hernán Cortés, Moctezuma, Emperor Maximilian, and President Porfirio Díaz incorporated Spanish and French food that left their mark on the actual Mexican cuisine. For over 3000 years before the Europeans arrived these civilizations flourished. The first major civilization of Mesoamerica, the Olmecs, populated southern Veracruz state and parts of Tabasco on Mexico's Gulf coast. The Guadalupan name and image are national symbols and widely honored, especially as, according to legend, the name was chosen by the Virgin herself. When Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortés arrived in 1519, the Aztecs believed he was their returning, Spanish conquerors brought bullfighting to Mexico, and, second to, While the charreada (a competitive sport similar to a rodeo) is Mexico's national sport, fútbol (. As the renowned Mexican poet and intellectual Octavio Paz observed. 2Bernal, Ignatio. The first great civilization in Mexico were the Olmecs (1400-300 B.C.) As its official name suggests, the Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States) incorporates 31 socially and physically diverse states and the Federal District. Its hilly central area descends to narrow coastal plains on the south and to the Tabasco Plain on the north. Trans. France temporarily invaded Veracruz in 1838 and in 1861 Napoleon III took Mexico City where he installed a Hapsburg archduke, Maximilian, as 'emperor' for a brief period. Relative to their bodies, Chihuahuas have the biggest brain in the dog world The Chihuahua is the worldâs smallest dog and is named for a Mexican state. The Pacific Coastal Lowlands begin near Mexicali and the Colorado River delta in the north and terminate near Tepic, some 900 miles (1,450 km) to the south. The Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico is an isolated strip of extremely arid land extending between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez). Interesting Mexico Facts List: Mexicoâs official name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States). Mexico is the most populated Spanish-speaking country in the world. All rights reserved. Spanish is one of its recognized regional languages. Although the vast Sonoran Desert dominates their northern section, parts of the lowlands have been irrigated and transformed into highly productive farmland. One of the many interesting facts about Mexico and the Aztec history! 9The World Fact Book: Mexico. Only ten countries in the world have a larger population than Mexico’s 109,955,400 people. Forbes. Relative to their bodies, Chihuahuas have the biggest brain in the dog world, The poinsettia is more famous for its leaves than for its flowers, Catholicism is the dominate religion in Mexico, Mexico is home to the world's smallest volcano, which stands just 43 feet (13 meters) tall, Mexican folk dance is a blend of European, African, and Indigenous heritage, Cacao was a highly valued commodity in pre-Hispanic Mexico, The Great Pyramid of Cholula is also known as. However, the less-hospitable inland basins provide a difficult environment for traditional peasant farmers. Carolyn B. Czitrom. Introduction to Mexico's History. Cities of Blood: Voyages Through Time. Mexico City is ⦠Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population. Mexico is a land of extremes, with high mountains and deep canyons in the center of the country, sweeping deserts in the north, and dense rain forests in the south and east. The date of their arrival in central Mexico remains speculative. The Olmec civilization lasted from 1400 to 400 BC followed by the rise of the Maya culture. Mexico is secular state, which means that the state is neutral in matters of religion. As early as 300 B.C., indigenous people inhabited the area now known as Mexico. The first university in North America, and the second in the Americas, was the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. The snowcapped peak of the volcano IztaccÃhuatl overlooking harvested corn in the agricultural region of Puebla state in the Mesa Central of Mexico. Corrections? 1999. Mexico is home to a very rare rabbit called the volcano rabbit which lives near Mexican volcanoes. While it is more than 1,850 miles (3,000 km) across from northwest to southeast, its width varies from less than 135 miles (217 km) at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to more than 1,200 miles (1,900 km) in the north. Eventually Spanish Conquistadors took over the ⦠8Sola, Katie. Accessed: May 5, 2017. It is one of the poorest areas of Mexico. Often seen as the more calm neighbor of the USA, Canada is full of unexpected wonders. The mountains have major deposits of copper, lead, and zinc. Mexico, country of southern North America and the third largest country in Latin America, after Brazil and Argentina. To the northwest and paralleling the coast is the Grijalva River valley. A group of highly dissected, folded, and faulted mountains is located between the valley and the Tabasco Plain, a southeastern extension of the Gulf Coastal Plain. On their southwestern side, approximately from Puerto Vallarta to the Gulf of Tehuantepec, are a series of relatively low ranges known collectively as the Sierra Madre del Sur. The Mesa del Norte begins near the U.S. border; covers great stretches of the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, Jalisco, and Aguascalientes; and ends near San Luis Potosà city. Guadalupe is also considered to be the link that unites Mexicans together, religiously and ethnically. Modern Mexican artists include great painters, photographers, sculptors and muralists (people who create artwork on walls). It is known as a newly industrious country and is slowly finding its place in the worldâs economy. 2004. At least three great civilizationsâthe Mayas, the Olmecs, and the Toltecsâpreceded the wealthy Aztec empire, conquered in 1519â1521 by the Spanish under Hernando Cortés. While the modern Mexican nation is only a few centuries old, its indigenous history goes back much further. Bounded on the east by the steep-sided Sierra Madre Occidental, the lowlands are a series of coastal terraces, mesas, and small basins interspersed with riverine deltas and restricted coastal strips. 1968. However, the majority of people donât know the facts about Mexico, its culture, and its people.. Their opinion is based on stereotypes and bad press. Mexico is located in one of the Earthâs most dynamic tectonic areas. Panoramic view of the coastal resort of Acapulco, Mex. Professor Emeritus of Geography, San Diego State University, California. The descendants of the Aztecs speak a form of the Aztec language called Nahuatl. The central core of the peninsula is a granitic fault block with peaks of more than 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) above sea level in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir and Sierra de Juárez. In Mexico, artists can pay their taxes with their artworks. Mexico is an ancient land that, long before the arrival of the Europeans, had already seen the rise and fall of great Indian empires. The country remains economically fragile despite the forging of stronger ties with the United States and Canada through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexican warriors threw hornet nests at enemies. The cultural remnants of great pre-Columbian civilizations, such as Teotihuacán or the Mayan pyramids at Chichén Itzá and Tulum, provide a contrast to colonial towns such as Taxco or Querétaro. About 1% of everyone alive now has been forced from their home. The Olmecs Did it First They built great cities and created remarkable works of art. Citlaltépetl (Orizaba Peak), the highest point in Mexico, located in western Veracruz state. The Maya and other Indians made impressive murals, sculptures, and jewellery. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). South from there the plain is narrow and irregular, widening at the northern end of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Uniquely in the Western Hemisphere, Mesoamerican civilizations developed glyphic writing systems, recording the political history of conquests and rulers. The plateau tilts gently upward from the north toward the south; at its northern end, the Mesa del Norte is about 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) above sea level. Mexican society is characterized by extremes of wealth and poverty, with a limited middle class wedged between an elite cadre of landowners and investors on the one hand and masses of rural and urban poor on the other. Mexico’s size is 756,066 square miles, which is almost three times larger than, Mexican children do not receive presents on. They would sacrifice between 10,000 to 50,000 victims per year. It has a total area of 1,964,375 square km. Browse our immigration facts to learn more about the ebb & flow of the world's population. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Yet even the bustling capital city, which has been continually built and rebuilt on the rubble of past civilizations, reveals Mexicoâs wide range of social, economic, and cultural struggles. Mexico is the 14th largest country area wise. The border between Mexico and the United States is the second largest border in the world (only the U.S.-Canadian border is longer). Books with film numbers can be ordered through local family history centers, and some may be found in major research libraries. Often considered an extension of the Rocky Mountains (which are cut by the Rio Grande but continue in New Mexico and western Texas), it runs roughly 700 miles (1,100 km) from north to south before merging with the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica. 2001. Interesting Mexican Culture Facts: The name 'Mexico' is derived from the Aztec word 'Mexica'. The islands of Cozumel and Mujeres lie off the peninsulaâs northeastern tip, near the resort boomtown of Cancún. May 5, 2016. New York, NY: Henry N. Adams, Inc. 3Cobb, Allan B. The Southern Highlands are a series of highly dissected mountain ranges and plateaus, including the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mesa del Sur, and the Chiapas Highlands, also called the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. There is little surface drainage, and subterranean erosion has produced caverns and sinkholes (cenotes), the latter being formed when cavern roofs collapse. Mexico City is its capital and largest city. Past epochs never vanish completely, and blood still drips from all their wounds, even the most ancient. Photo: Kamira / Shutterstock.com But in spite of the challenges it faces as a developing country, Mexico is one of the chief economic and political forces in Latin America. The Sonoran Desert extends onto the peninsula along the northern end of the gulf. 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