Mexico is one of North America's most culturally rich nations. Home to former Aztec tribes, the nation of Mexico is a historic hot spot, loaded with ancient artifacts and stories about how North America developed. The population of Mexico alone is nearly 1/3 of the population of the United States, pulling in nearly 100 million people amongst its 800,000 square miles of hot farmland.
Are you planning a trip to Mexico? Then check out these interesting facts about the nation:
- Mexico is home to the largest city in the entire world, Mexico City. Mexico City is also the capitol of Mexico. Mexico City was built on an ancient city called Tenochtitlan, which was originally built by the Aztecs as far back as 1325. When the Spanish soldiers stormed into Mexico, they destroyed the city of Tenochtitlan, and it remained razed until Mexico City was built.
- You don't have to have a huge army to win battles in Mexico. In 1519, the Spanish military leader named Hernando Cortez moved his men into the Mexico Valley. Cortex took on the indigenous Aztec tribe with less than 200 solders and only a handful of horses. Cortez defeated the Aztecs in 1521 and took over the area. Henceforth, Spanish has been the official language in Mexico.
- Mexico is home to many volcanoes, including two that can be seen from the capitol city. North America had volcanoes throughout the West at one point, but the area of North America with the most active volcanoes is in Mexico. The two famous volcanoes that can be seen from Mexico City are called Popocatepetl and Ixtacihuatl. While neither is active, Popocatepetl will still emit streams of steam and smoke into the air, which can also be seen from Mexico City.
- Mexicans are known across North America for being corn people. Corn is, in fact, the main crop in Mexico and goes into just about every dish, from burritos and tacos, to salads and more. Of all of the cultivated farmland, corn is grown on at least half of it. The early inhabitants of Mexico are said to have started eating corn about 10,000 years ago when corn grew on wild plants. As far back as 5,000 B.C., the Aztecs and their ancestors cultivated corn so that they could grow it themselves in a controlled environment.
- When children are born in Mexico, they take on the last names of both of their parents so that lineage is maintained
- When a child is born, a father will weave a god's eye for the child. The father will weave an additional god's eye for the child on each of its birthdays for the first five years of the child's life.
- Mexico is the birthplace of the tortilla and the burrito.
