Facts

★ Located in the southern

portion of North America
★ President is Andrés Manuel
López Obrador
★ 13th largest country in the
world
★ Spanish is the official
language
★ Capital: Mexico City
★ Population: as of 2020, 128.9
million
★ Made up of 31 states and 1
federal district
Geography
★ More than half the population
live in the center of the country
★ Nearly ⅘ of Mexicans live in
urban areas
★ Migrants from impoverished
rural areas migrated into
Mexico’s cities
★ Bordered by the Pacific Ocean,
the Carribean Sea, and the Gulf
of Mexico
★ The United States is north of
Mexico and Belize and
Guatemala are south of Mexico
Climate
★ Tropical with a rainy and dry
season
★ There is little changes in
temperature from season to
season
★ Along the coasts it is extremely
hot and humid
★ Areas with higher elevations have
more temperate and dryer
climates
★ Mexico City has a higher elevation
and can reach freezing
temperatures in the winter
 Economy
★ Currency: Peso
★ Developing market economy
★ 12th largest exporter in the
world- the economy depends
on exports
★ Mexico has trade agreements
with 46 other countries which
is more than any other nation
★ The world’s 8th largest
producer of oil
★ Biggest challenge is trying to
get rid of drug cartels
 Religion
★ Mexico does not have an official religion
★ Catholicism is the dominant faith where
82.7% of the country identifies as Catholic
★ Not all Mexicans attend church services
every week, rather religion is celebrated
through festivities, events, or idol worship
at homes
★ In recent years, there has been a lot of
conversion to Christianity throughout
Mexico because a number of Mexicans
have been disappointed with the Catholic
Church
★ Patron saint of Mexico is La Virgen de
Guadalupe
 Food
★ Combination of
Mesoamerican and
Spanish cuisine
★ Famous dishes:
○ Tacos al pastor- thinly sliced pork,
pineapple, coriander leaves, onions
○ Tostadas- cheese, vegetables, meats,
garnishes
○ Enchiladas- stuffed with meat,
seafood, or vegetables, chili sauce
poured on top
○ Elote- corn served with many spices
and garnishes
 Animals
★ Mexico’s national bird is the
golden eagle.
★ The national reptile of Mexico
is the green turtle and is also
home to numerous species of
lizards, and over 380 species
of snakes.
★ Spider monkeys are also
native to Mexico because of
its tropical rainforests and
woodland.
Holidays
★ Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)
○ Celebrated November 1st and 2nd
★ Día de la Revolución (Mexican Revolution Day)
○ Celebrated November 20th
★ Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of
Guadalupe)
○ Celebrated December 12th
★ Navidad y las Posadas (The Christmas Season)
○ Celebrated from December 16th- December 25th
Schooling
★ Divided into three steps:
○ Primary school (primaria)- grades 1-6
○ Junior high school (secundaria)- grades 7-9
○ High school (preparatoria)- grades 10-12
★ Private schools and parochial schools may teach
religion, but receive no government funding
★ Public schools follow a set curriculum approved by
the government, and until the age of 12, all
children are required to attend
★ School days are divided- half the lessons being
taught in Spanish, and the other half in the
second language that the student is learning.-
most choose English
★ After graduation, Mexican high schools offer
opportunities for students who are planning
careers outside of higher education
★ Families who move from the US to Mexico will
usually send their children to public school for half
of the day and then homeschool for the other half.
Fun Facts
★ Mexican children do not receive
presents on Christmas
★ Mexico is home to the world’s
smallest volcano and home to
the largest pyramid in the world
★ There are women-only cars in
the subway
★ Colored TV was invented in
Mexico
★ Mexico City is sinking