Fun Facts about Mexico
Mexico's named comes from the Aztecs,
who were also called "Mexica". The official name of the country is
Estados Únidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States).
Mexico has the largest amount of Spanish speakers in the world and the second number of Catholics. (Brazil has the most Catholics.)
There are 100 million people living in Mexico, and one fourth of them live in Mexico City, the oldest capital city in North America. The capital is built over the ruins of the Aztec city Tenochititlán. Because it is built on a lake (and I have no idea how that is done), the city sinks several inches a year as water is pumped for the population of Mexico City.
There is so much information about food in Mexico! You probably could guess it's the home of nachos, tacos, and burritos. But, did you know corn has been a major part of the culture for years? The word "tomato" comes from the Aztec language. The Mayan people chewed gum from the sopadilla tree. And, much to my surprise, a Caesar salad has nothing to do with any leaders of ancient Rome. It was named after Caesar Cardini of Tijuana, Mexico. However, best of all, hot chocolate was a sacred drink of the Aztecs.
When the Spanish explorers came to Mexico, hot chiles spread to the Philippines and on to the rest of Asia.
Mexico has the second longest border in the world. It shares this with the United States. (The longest border is shared by Canada and the US.)
The Spanish brought bullfighting to Mexico. Although it is the national sport, soccer/football is more popular.
The longest river in Mexico is the Rio Bravo. If you've never heard of it, well, in the United States it is called the Rio Grande.
The U.S. state of Texas used to be a part of Mexico. Texas seceded from Mexico in the war that included the battle of the Alamo.
Mexico is located along the "Ring of Fire" so there are earth quakes and volcanoes. The world's smallest volcano, Cuexcomate, is located in Mexico. It is only 43 feet tall!
One of the oldest living trees in the world is also found in Mexico. The "Arbol of Tule" is more than 2,000 years old. And, in all of those years, it still isn't as tall as the smallest volcano. It's only 40 feet tall.
Mexico has the largest amount of Spanish speakers in the world and the second number of Catholics. (Brazil has the most Catholics.)
There are 100 million people living in Mexico, and one fourth of them live in Mexico City, the oldest capital city in North America. The capital is built over the ruins of the Aztec city Tenochititlán. Because it is built on a lake (and I have no idea how that is done), the city sinks several inches a year as water is pumped for the population of Mexico City.
There is so much information about food in Mexico! You probably could guess it's the home of nachos, tacos, and burritos. But, did you know corn has been a major part of the culture for years? The word "tomato" comes from the Aztec language. The Mayan people chewed gum from the sopadilla tree. And, much to my surprise, a Caesar salad has nothing to do with any leaders of ancient Rome. It was named after Caesar Cardini of Tijuana, Mexico. However, best of all, hot chocolate was a sacred drink of the Aztecs.
When the Spanish explorers came to Mexico, hot chiles spread to the Philippines and on to the rest of Asia.
Mexico has the second longest border in the world. It shares this with the United States. (The longest border is shared by Canada and the US.)
The Spanish brought bullfighting to Mexico. Although it is the national sport, soccer/football is more popular.
The longest river in Mexico is the Rio Bravo. If you've never heard of it, well, in the United States it is called the Rio Grande.
The U.S. state of Texas used to be a part of Mexico. Texas seceded from Mexico in the war that included the battle of the Alamo.
Mexico is located along the "Ring of Fire" so there are earth quakes and volcanoes. The world's smallest volcano, Cuexcomate, is located in Mexico. It is only 43 feet tall!
One of the oldest living trees in the world is also found in Mexico. The "Arbol of Tule" is more than 2,000 years old. And, in all of those years, it still isn't as tall as the smallest volcano. It's only 40 feet tall.