ALL ABOUT MEXICO A SUMMARY By Gayle A. Dudley

MEXICO’S LOCATION Located southwest of the United States Borders Central America to the southeast

FLAG OF MEXICO

HISTORY OF MEXICO Hunter-gatherer people believed to have discovered more than 28,000 years ago (prehistoric times) Spanish defeat of Mexico in 1521 marked the beginning of the Colonial Period, which lasted from 1521 to 1810 Mexico gained independence from Spain as a result of the Mexican War of Independence, in 1821 During the Mexican-American War, the U.S. took possession of unsettled territories, ( ) The Constitution of 1857 drafted to maintain rights of the Roman Catholic Church The War of Reform: Liberals vs. Conservatives; Liberals were victorious; war ended in 1861

Mexico’s Government Current President: Vincente Fox Government Type: Federal Republic Capital: Mexico City No motto Mexicans refer to as the Mexican Republic Mexican General Election took place in 2000; to take place again in 2006 PRI, PAN, PRD (most important parties)

MEXICO’S CURRENT PRESIDENT Vincente Fox has reigned as president since December 1, 2000.

CURRENT POPULATION Last census: year 2000; approximately 97,500,000 An estimated 103,000,000 reside in Mexico today Mexico City, Mexico’s capital city, has the largest population with approximately 22 million residents

MEXICO: ITS CULTURE  Favorite activities include: Sports activities such as football, soccer, baseball Professional wrestling Bullfighting Watching soap operas and the local news

MEXICO: DEMOGRAPHICS  A racially and ethnically diverse country with many Latin American immigrants  Majority are mixed with Spanish and American Indian  Afro-Mexicans least populated  Approximately 5 million bilingual  About 10% European

The Languages of Mexico  Official language is Spanish  French and German also popular languages spoken  English primarily used in business and industry  Bilingual education provided in schools

THE ECONOMY OF MEXICO  Majority of trade takes place with the U.S.  Classified as an upper middle-income country  Many residents are underemployed and low-income  Labor laws, as well as its tax system, are outmoded

GEOGRAPHY/CLIMATE OF MEXICO About ¼ the size of the U.S. About ¼ the size of the U.S. Located in the southwestern part of North America Located in the southwestern part of North America Lies west of the Gulf of Mexico Lies west of the Gulf of Mexico Tropic of Cancer serves to divide country into tropical and temperate zones Tropic of Cancer serves to divide country into tropical and temperate zones Has many tropical rain forests Has many tropical rain forests Major river: The Rio Grande Major river: The Rio Grande

MEXICO: EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS 9-year mandatory education 9-year mandatory education High literacy rate High literacy rate “Distance learning” very popular means of education, via satellite “Distance learning” very popular means of education, via satellite Multi-language textbooks Multi-language textbooks Education is free Education is free

RELIGION OF MEXICO Mostly Roman Catholic population The Virgin of Guadalupe is a well-known symbol representing the main aspiration of the Mexican community Islam practiced by mostly Arabs and Turkish communities Judaism quite popular Many Jews in Mexico at this time Return to Home Page