Language: Spanish
Currency: Peso (MXN)
Mexico, whose official name is the United Mexican
States, is an American country located in the southern part of North
America. Its capital is Mexico City. Politically it is a democratic,
representative and federal republic composed of 32 federative
entities (31 states and the federal capital). The Mexican
territory has an area of 1,964,375 km², making it the fourteenth
largest country in the world and the third largest in Latin America.
It is bordered on the north by the United States of America along a
3155 km border, while on the south it has a border of 958 km with
Guatemala and 276 km with Belize, the coasts of the country border
on the west with the Pacific Ocean and to the east with the Gulf of
Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, adding 9330 km, making it the third
largest American country on its coasts.
Mexico is the
eleventh most populous country in the world, with an estimated
population of more than 124 million people in 2017, most of which
have Spanish as their mother tongue, which the state recognizes as a
national language along with 67 indigenous languages own of the
nation. In the country around 287 languages are spoken, due to the
characteristics of its population, it is the most populous
Spanish-speaking country, as well as the seventh country with the
greatest linguistic diversity in the world.
The human
presence in Mexico dates back to 14,000 years before the present.
After thousands of years of cultural development, the Mesoamerican,
aridoamerican and oasisamerican cultures arose in the Mexican
territory. The current territory of Mexico was the main center of
the greatest civilizations of the Aztec people and, in part, of the Mayan people, the
two most important civilizations of pre-Columbian America. After
almost 300 years of Spanish domination, Mexico began the struggle
for political independence in 1810. Subsequently, for nearly a
century the country was involved in a series of internal wars and
foreign invasions that had repercussions in all areas of life of the
Mexicans. During a good part of the 20th century (mainly the first
half) a period of great economic growth took place within the
framework of a policy dominated by a single political party.
According to the World Tourism Organization, Mexico is the main
tourist destination in Latin America and the eighth most visited in
the world, this is due in large part to the 32 cultural or natural
sites that are considered by UNESCO as World Heritage. However
recent criminal activity put many tourists at risk. Struggle with
orginized crime has been a problem for the Mexican government. In
macroeconomic terms, by gross domestic product (GDP) it is the
fourteenth world economy and the eleventh by parity of purchasing
power (PPP); on a regional scale, it is the second economy in Latin
America and the fourth in the continent. According to the 2015 UN
Human Development Report, it has a high human development index of
0.762, and ranks 77th in the world, which has made great strides
alongside countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand and South
Africa, considered the fact that in 1980 it had a human development
index of 0.598.Mexican is also one of the countries with the
greatest diversity of climates in the world, considered one of the
12 megadiverse countries of the planet, it is home of the 10-12% of
the world's biodiversity and is home to more than 12,000 endemic
species.
Frescoes with colorful depictions of a Mayan life survived at this ancient archeological site of Cacaxtla.
Ancient pyramids of Cantona archeological site seem to rise right from the Mexican desert.
Cascadas de Agua Azul are a series of splendid water cascades located 125 km Northeast of San Cristobalck, Chiapas.
Cempoala is an ancient archeological site located 44 km (27 mi) North of Veracruz in the state of Veracruz in Mexico.
Cenote Cho Ha is underground pool surrounded by beautiful geological formations in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.
Cenote Dzitnup is an underground pool in the Yucatan limestone formed after natural geological processes.
Magnificent ruins of Chichen Itza are located in Yucatan peninsula. It is largest and one of the most impressive Mayan city states.
Copper Canyon in the Mexican state of Chihuahua gets its name from a green color walls that look like a copper at a distance.
Mayan city of Coba is famous for numerous religious buildings including the highest pyramid constructed by the Mayan civilization.
Whether you like to explore ancient ruins, dive in the reefs or just bask in the sun, Cozumel has it all.
Massive Cueva de la Boca outside of Mexican city of Monterrey is a famous roosting home for thousands of bats.
El Tajin is a major Mayan city those remains are located in a magnificent condition in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Ek Balam or 'Black Jaguar' is a Yucatec- Maya city located just 30 km North of Valladolid in Yukatan peninsula Mexico.
Impressive ruins of an Aztec city of Malinalco is harmoniously combined with surrounding picturesque jungles.
Monte Alban is an impressive site of ancient Mayan ruins in a Mexican province of Oaxaca.
Museo Frida Kahlo is a former house of the famous Mexican artist on the outskirts of Mexican capital Mexico City.
Museo Leon Trotsky is a former house of Russian- Jewish revolutionary who was killed here by the orders of Stalin.
Nonoch Nah Chich in Quintana Roo state of Mexico is one of the largest flooded underground caves.
Paquime or Casas Grandes is an ancient archeological site in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico constructed before the arrival of Columbus.
Palenque that is located in Yucatan peninsula is one of the largest and mysterious of Mayan city states.
Paricutin Volcano started erupting in the early twentieth century and covered human structures. Some are still visible today.
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is a large nature preserve that protects diverse Mexican ecosystem.
Mysterious ruins of Teotihuacan still puzzle many historians with its origins, purpose of symbolism in its construction as well as life style of its residents.
Tula is an ancient archeological site situated 85 km North of Mexico city in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Tulum is an ancient Mayan city in Yucatan peninsula in Mexico that served as a harbor for trade.
Mayan city of Uxmal is famous for its unique architecture as well as great preservation state of the buildings.
Valladolid is a pleasant small town with Spanish architecture, small streets and several parks.
Xcaret Underground River is a natural geological formation that was worshipped by ancient Mayans as the entrance to the Underworld.
Xochicalco is a ancient Mayan archeological site situated 40 km Southwest of Cuernavaca in the Mexican state of Morelos.
- avoid marshy areas and take insect repellant. Insects might transfer several deadly diseases in addition to causing discomfort
- check weather conditions before visiting
- if you plan to camp in the jungle protect your equipment and food from water and moisture
- wear pants and water- resistant boots to reduce chance of a snake insect bite
- drink plenty of bottled water, prevent dehydration
January 1: New Year's Day
January 6: The Three Wise Men day,
celebrating arrival of the Three Wise Men to see and bring gifts to
the baby Jesus (not an official holiday).
February 2: The
Candelaria Day ("Day of the candles"), celebrated in many places
around the country (not an official holiday)
February 5:
Constitution Day (1917)
February 24: Flag Day (not official)
March 21: Birth of Benito Juárez (1806)
April 30: Kid's Day
May 1: Labor Day
May 5: Cinco de Mayo, the Battle of Puebla
against the French army, 19th century (not an official holiday)
May 10: Mother's Day
May 15: Teacher's Day
September 1:
Presidential Address Day
September 15: Grito de Dolores
September 16: Independence Day (celebrates the start of the fight
for the independence from Spain in 1810, achieved until September
27, 1821)
October 12: Day of the Race (not a public holiday)
November 2: Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) (not a public holiday)
November 20: Mexican Revolution Day (1910)
December 12: Virgin
Mary of Guadalupe Day. Not a public holiday, but is one of the most
important Mexican holidays
December 24: Christmas Eve (not a
public holiday, but normally a full non-working day)
December 25:
Christmas
December 31: New Year’s Eve (not a public holiday, but
normally a full non-working day)
Easter is widely observed
nationwide, according to the yearly Catholic calendar (the first
Sunday after the first full moon in Spring). Actual non-working days
may shift to the Monday before the holiday, so check an up-to-date
calendar. Visitors from the U.S. may be surprised to notice that the
despite Cinco de Mayo being an important part of the cultural
identity of Mexican-Americans, it is not regarded as a major holiday
in Mexico, and hardly celebrated by Mexicans outside the state of
Puebla.
According to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretaria
de Relaciones Exteriores), certain foreign nationals who intend to
stay in Mexico fewer than 180 days for the purpose of tourism or 30
days for business can fill out a tourist card at the border or upon
landing at an airport after presenting a valid passport, for US$22.
If arriving via air, it is included in the price of the fare. This
service is available to citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Aruba,
Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece,
Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia,
Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal,
Puerto Rico, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United
States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela (see official list here).
Permanent residents of the United States, Canada, Japan, United
Kingdom, and Schengen area countries are also eligible for visas on
arrival regardless of citizenship.
The Mexican tourist card
is a Forma Migratoria Múltiple (Multiple Immigration Form), or FMM.
It has a perforation that divides the card into two parts, of which
the right side asks for some of the same information requested on
the left side. At entry, after reviewing your passport and
filled-out FMM, the immigration officer will stamp your passport and
the FMM, separate the FMM along the perforation and give the right
side of the FMM back to you with your passport. Keep the FMM
together with your passport at all times. It is your responsibility
to make sure the right side of the FMM is returned to the Mexican
government at time of departure so that the bar code can be scanned,
thus showing that you left the country on time. For example, if you
are flying with Aeromexico, they will ask for your passport and FMM
at check-in for your flight home, then staple your FMM to your
boarding pass. You are expected to then hand the boarding pass
together with your FMM to the gate agent as you board your flight.
If you lose your FMM during your visit to Mexico, you may be subject
to substantial delays and fines before you can leave the country.
There are several hypotheses about the origin of the country's name,
including those based on toponymic legends. According to one legend[9],
Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and patron of the country, had a secret
name "Metzli" or "Meshi". In this case, the toponym "Mexico" would mean
"place of Mesha" or "land of war".
Another hypothesis is that the
name "Mexico" is derived from the fusion of the Aztec words mētztli
("moon") and xīctli ("navel") and thus means "place in the center of the
moon", which may allegorically refer to the location of Tenochtitlan in
the middle of the lake. Texcoco.
Another hypothesis says that the
name of the country is derived from Mektli, the goddess of the agave.
The last two versions were rejected by the American linguist Francis
Karttunen. In her opinion, the final form "Mēxihco" differs in vowel
length from both intended components. The 16th-century Spanish
missionary and linguist Bernardino de Sahagún noted in his writings that
the toponymy of the Aztec languages is full of mysticism, and, in
turn, gave a mystical interpretation: Mexico can mean "the center of the
world" and in many writings it is presented as a place where everyone
flocks water currents that cross Anahuac ("world" or "land surrounded by
seas") - in particular, in the drawings in the Codex Mendoza.
Geography
Being located in North America (approximately 23° north
latitude and 102° west longitude), Mexico makes up the majority of
Central America. In terms of physical geography, the area east of the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, including the Yucatan Peninsula (which makes up
about 12% of the country), is located in Central America; in terms of
geology, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt separates the northern region
of the country. Geopolitically, however, Mexico is considered a North
American country. The California Peninsula (1200 km long) in the west of
the country is separated by the Gulf of California.
The total
area of Mexico is 1,972,550 km², including about 6,000 km² of islands
in the Pacific Ocean (including the island of Guadalupe and the Revilla
Gigedo archipelago), the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf
of California. In terms of land area, Mexico ranks 13th in the world.
In the north, Mexico borders on the United States (the length of the
border is 3141 km). East of the city of Ciudad Juarez to the Gulf of
Mexico, the border runs along the meandering Rio Grande. Several natural
and man-made markers define the border with the United States west of
Ciudad Juarez to the Pacific Ocean. In the southeast, Mexico borders
Guatemala (871 km) and Belize (251 km).
Climate
The climate of
Mexico is tropical and subtropical. The level of precipitation is
300-600 mm/year and less. In most populated areas of the southern part
of the highlands, including Mexico City and Guadalajara, the average
annual rainfall is 600–1000 mm/year. The thermometer in areas north of
the 24th parallel, located above 2500 m above sea level, ranges from + 2
° C in winter to + 15 ° C in summer; at the same time, on the coast
towards the south, the temperature is constant and does not fall below
+20°C. The average annual temperature in the coastal plains and the
Yucatan Peninsula ranges from +24°C to +28°C.
Relief
Mexico is
crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges: the Sierra Madre
East and the Sierra Madre West, which are an extension of the Rocky
Mountains of North America. From east to west, the Trans-Mexican
Volcanic Belt, also known as the Sierra Nevada, runs through the center
of the country. The fourth mountain range, the Sierra Madre South, is
located between the states of Michoacán and Oaxaca. Thus, most of
central Mexico and the northern territories are located at high
altitudes. The highest mountains are in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt:
Orizaba Peak (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5462 m), Istaxihuatl (5286 m) and
Nevado de Toluca (4577 m). Three large urban agglomerations are located
in the valleys between these four heights: Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico City
and Puebla de Zaragoza.
Water resources
On the territory of
Mexico there are several dozen fairly large lakes and reservoirs.
Evidence of human presence in Mexico dates back at least to the 2nd
millennium BC. In the middle of the first millennium BC. sedentary
cultures develop in central and southern Mexico.
In the XII-V
centuries. BC On the territory of Mexico, the Olmec culture flourished,
which had a significant impact on the formation of later classical
civilizations. These civilizations flourished in the 4th-9th centuries;
these were the cultures of Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Totonac, Toltec, Maya.
Mayan achievements include hieroglyphic writing, advanced architecture
and decorative arts, extensive knowledge of mathematics and astronomy,
and an accurate calendar. In the XII century, the Aztecs appear in
Central Mexico; having conquered many tribes living there, they created
a powerful empire.
In 1517, a purposeful exploration and conquest
of Mexico by Europeans began. The Spaniards sent three expeditions to
the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The first in 1517 was led by Francisco
Hernandez de Cordoba, the second in 1518 by Juan de Grijalva, and the
third in 1519 by Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztec empire. In 1522,
the Spanish emperor Charles V approved the latter as captain-general and
governor of the conquered lands, transferring 64,750 km² of land with
100,000 Indians to his possession.
In 1528, the power of Cortes
was limited, an audience was sent to Mexico - an administrative-judicial
collegium, reporting directly to the king. In 1535, Mexico became part
of the newly created Viceroyalty of New Spain. From 1521 to 1821 Mexico
remained a colonial possession of Spain. Its economy was based on the
exploitation of the Indians, forced to work on the lands taken from them
and in the mines. The economy of New Spain was subordinated to the
interests of the metropolis, its most important industry was the
extraction of precious metals.
The dissatisfaction of various
segments of the population with discrimination and political lack of
rights, on the one hand, and the events on the European continent, the
struggle of the English colonies in North America for independence, the
penetration of progressive ideas into Latin America, on the other,
caused the peasant unrest of 1810, which led Mexico to a ten-year war
for independence. . Among the leaders of the rebels, the priests Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla and José Maria Morelos stood out - both were captured
and executed. At the end of the war, the liberation movement was led by
Agustín de Iturbide.
On August 24, 1821, the representatives of
the Spanish crown and Iturbide signed the Treaty of Cordoba, which
recognized the independence of Mexico in accordance with the provisions
of the Plan of Iguala. On September 27, the liberation army entered
Mexico City, and on September 28, the “Declaration of Independence of
the Mexican Empire” was promulgated in the capital. On May 18, 1822, the
people and garrison of the city of Mexico City proclaimed Iturbide the
Mexican emperor, and he ascended the throne under the name Agustin I
(Augustine I). In March 1823, the empire fell and Mexico became a
republic.
In 1835, the Mexican state of Texas begins the War of
Independence. As a result of the decisive battle lost by the Mexicans in
1836, the Republic of Texas achieved secession, and soon (in 1845)
entered the United States.
In 1841-1848, the Republic of Yucatan
existed on the peninsula of the same name, which announced its
separation from Mexico. In 1845, an uprising broke out in California,
the rebels announced the creation of their own government and were
executed. At the end of the war, the liberation movement was led by
Agustín de Iturbide.
In the spring of 1846, US troops invaded
Mexican territory. By the fall of 1847, the Americans had captured a
vast area and the capital, Mexico City. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
signed on February 2, 1848, put an end to the war. Upper California, New
Mexico and parts of the lands of other states went to the USA; this
amounted to more than half of the entire area of Mexico.
In
1854-1860. there is a bourgeois revolution and a civil war between
Mexican conservatives and liberals led by Benito Juarez. The conflict
ended in an unconditional victory for the latter.
In 1861,
Britain, France and Spain, supported by Mexican conservatives,
intervened in Mexico. In 1862, their coalition broke up, but French
troops remained in Mexico. Her army occupied a number of states and
entered Mexico City. The country was declared an empire headed by the
monarch, Maximilian I. Since only a small minority of Mexicans supported
the invaders, in 1867 Napoleon III, having more ambitious plans in
Europe and fearing US intervention, withdrew French troops from Mexico.
In 1867, the forces of Maximilian I were defeated, and he himself was
convicted and shot.
In 1876, having made a coup, General Porfirio
Diaz came to power, who ruled the country for more than 30 years; The
reverse side of the economic successes of his reign was high social
tension. In 1910, a civil war began, ending with the adoption of the
Constitution of 1917. The 1920s were marked by revolutionary caudilism,
especially when Plutarco Calles was in power.
In 1934, Lázaro
Cárdenas became president, famous for the nationalization of property
owned by foreign oil companies. In the 1940s, an economic boom begins,
ending with a crisis in the 1980s caused by falling oil prices. In the
mid-1980s, the country moves to neo-liberal reforms. In 1994, the
Zapatistas rebelled against neo-liberalism. As a result, investors began
to be wary of investing their money in an unstable region, which led to
a new financial and economic crisis in the same year.
In 2000,
elections were held in Mexico that ended the long-term hegemony of the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (IRP), the victory was won by the
representative of the MHP, Vicente Fox. But on July 1, 2012, the PRI
candidate, Enrique Peña Nieto, was again elected president of the
country, who took office on December 1, 2012.
Since the 2000s,
armed clashes between drug cartels and the official authorities of the
country have intensified.
The president
On July 10, 2006, another presidential election was
held in Mexico. Felipe Calderón, the candidate of the ruling National
Action Party, won with 14,981,268 votes (35.88%). For his main rival,
the leader of the opposition Revolutionary Democratic Party Andrés
Manuel López Obrador, 14,745,262 voters (35.31%) voted.
In
September 2006, the Federal Electoral Tribunal of Mexico recognized
Felipe Calderon as the elected president. The new president took office
on December 1, 2006 for six years.
On July 1, 2012, the next
presidential elections in Mexico were held, which were won by Enrique
Peña Nieto (who took office on December 1, 2012).
On July 1,
2018, Andres Manuel López Obrador, a candidate from the coalition
“Together we will make history (Eng.)”, was elected President of Mexico
(inaugurated December 1, 2018).
Parliament
Bicameral Congress
- the Senate (128 seats, elected for a 6-year term) and the Chamber of
Deputies (500 seats, elected for a 3-year term).
Political
parties
Left
Labor Party (PT) - communist/left socialist
National Revival Movement - Left Socialist
Left center
Party
of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) - social democratic
Civil movement
(former Convergence) - socialist
Center
Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI) - broad centrist
Right center
New
Alliance Party (PNA) - neoliberal
The Ecological Green Party (PVEM)
is a conservative environmentalist
National Action Party (PAN) -
conservative
Far right
Nationalist Front of Mexico (FRENAMEX)
- continues the tradition of the Tecos far-right movement
Foreign
policy
The main principles of Mexico's foreign policy are respect for
international law and the legal equality of states, recognition of the
sovereignty and independence of states, non-interference in the internal
affairs of other countries, the peaceful settlement of conflicts and the
promotion of collective security through participation in international
organizations. Traditionally, Mexico's foreign policy has been shaped by
leftist, pro-revolutionary, and nationalist interests. Demonstrating
independence from United States foreign policy, Mexico supported the
Cuban government in the 1960s, the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua in
the late 1970s, and left-wing revolutionary groups in El Salvador in the
1980s.
The population is 133,140,936 as of December 2018. Self-name -
Mexicans (Spanish mexicanos).
Annual increase - 1.1% (emigration
rate - 0.4%, fertility - 2.3 births per woman).
Average life
expectancy: 73 years for men, 79 years for women.
Age
composition: from 0 years to 14 years - 28.7%, from 15 years to 64 years
- 64.9%, 65 years and older - 6.4% (for 2010).
Ethno-racial
composition: Caucasians - 67 million, mixed - 48 million, Indians - 15
million, Africans - 5 million.
Religions: Catholics - 76.5%,
Protestants - 4.9% (including Pentecostals from the Assemblies of God -
1.4%), atheists - 3.1%, Jehovah's Witnesses - 1.1% (1.91% on 2011),
undecided - 13.8%, other religions - 0.3% (according to the 2000
census).
Several thousand Mexicans are Orthodox Christians under
the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America.
Languages:
92.7% of the population speak only Spanish, 5.7% speak Spanish and some
Amerindian language, and 0.8% speak only the local Amerindian language
(2005 estimate).
Literacy: 92% male, 89% female, overall literacy
91% (2004 est.).
The level of urbanization is 77% (in 2008).
Infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - 0.3% (2007
estimate). The total number of people infected with HIV is 200 thousand
people (30th place in the world).
Administrative division
Mexico is administratively divided into 31 states (Spanish: estados) and
one federal district (Spanish: Distrito Federal), collectively called
federal entities (Spanish: Entidades federativas).
According to
the Constitution of 1917, the states are free and sovereign, and they
are free to govern themselves according to their own laws. Each state
has a constitution that cannot conflict with the federal constitution,
which covers matters of national jurisdiction. States may not enter into
alliances with other states or any independent nation without the
consent of the entire federation, except for protection and security
agreements necessary to ensure the security of border states in the
event of an invasion.
Municipalities. The states are divided into
municipalities. There are 2,448 municipalities in Mexico (not counting
the 16 districts of Mexico City).
Mexico is an industrial-agrarian country, one of the most
economically developed in America. Oil, natural gas (one of the leading
places in America), iron ore, sulfur, ores of antimony, mercury and
graphite are extracted.
Mexico is one of the world's leading
producers and exporters of fluorspar. In the manufacturing industry, the
most developed are ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical
engineering, chemical and petrochemical, cotton, and food and flavor
industries.
Oil refining is underdeveloped; As one of the world's
largest oil exporters, Mexico imports petroleum products.
Agriculture is dominated by crop production: corn, wheat, soybeans,
rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruits, tomatoes. Developed logging.
From January 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Mexico is, depending on
the territory and industry, from 172.87 pesos ($8.47) to 222.67 pesos
($10.91) per day in the main part of the country and 260.34 pesos (
$12.76) per day along Mexico's border with the United States, which has
a special economic status, the Northern Frontier Free Zone, which
consists of municipalities bordering the United States.
International trade
Mexico is part of the North American Free Trade
Area (NAFTA), created in 1994-2008. As a result, in 1993-2013, Mexico's
exports to the United States increased from $49.5 billion to $277.7
billion, and to Canada from $3.3 billion to $25.5 billion. And the value
of imports over this period increased from the US from $50.8 billion to
$216.3 billion, and from Canada from $0.8 billion to $5.4 billion.
Exports ($357 billion (in 2011)): electronic equipment, cars and
parts for them, oil and oil products, gold and metals.
The main
recipients are the USA (71%), Canada (6.5%), China (2.1%), Colombia
(1.7%), Germany (1.6%).
Imports ($280 billion (in 2011)):
industrial equipment, cars and car parts, aviation equipment, electronic
equipment.
The main suppliers are the USA (57%), Canada (9%),
China (4.9%), Germany (2.6%), Brazil (2.3%).
In Mexico, the production and trade of drugs are widely developed.
The country is the main transit hub for the shipment of drugs to the
United States.
Mexican drug cartels have been around for decades.
Until the 1980s, Mexico's role was to transit drugs from Colombia to
North America, but its own production gradually began to expand. Mexican
drug cartels intensified after the collapse in the 1990s of the
Colombian drug cartels - Medellin and Cali. Drug cartels in their
activities are assisted by many government agencies in Mexico. In
conflicts with the official authorities of the country, not only police
officers, but also army officers take part on the side of drug cartels.
In terms of the structure of the drug business, Mexico differs
markedly from the countries of the Andean Triangle. It ranks fourth in
Latin America in terms of total production of plant-derived drugs and is
far ahead of other countries in the production of synthetic drugs. Along
with Colombia, Mexico occupies a leading position in the region in the
cultivation of opium poppy and the production of heroin.
Currently, Mexico is the main foreign supplier of cannabis, cocaine and
methamphetamine to the US, and Mexican drug cartels dominate the
wholesale illicit drug market in the US.
Literature
Pre-Columbian era
From the pre-Columbian era,
samples of the lyric and epic poetry of the indigenous peoples of
Mesoamerica have come down to us.
Conquest and colonial period
The first examples of proper Mexican literature are the chronicles of
the conquista. The most prominent representatives of this genre were the
conquistadors Hernan Cortes and Bernal Diaz del Castillo, the monks
Bernardino de Sahagun, Toribio Motolinia and Juan de Torquemada.
The most notable of the works written in the first decades of the
Spaniards' stay in what is now Mexico is Bernardino de Sahagún's General
History of the Affairs of New Spain, to which he devoted his entire
life. This work is written in Nahuatl and Spanish and includes a
description of the Maya civilization.
The first work of fiction
in Mexican literature was Bernardo de Balbuena's poem "The Splendor of
Mexico" (1604).
In the 17th century, three figures stand out
among the representatives of the so-called "learned poetry": Carlos
Siguenza y Gongora, the poetess Juana Ines de la Cruz and Juan Ruiz de
Alarcón.
By the end of the 18th century, with the brewing of
protest against the colonial regime of Spain, the tendency of
self-affirmation found expression in such works as the poem "Rural
Mexico" (1781) by R. Landivar and "The Ancient History of Mexico"
(1780-1781) by Francisco Clavijero.
The period of the war of
independence and the formation of the Mexican state in the XIX century
Representatives: revolutionary classicism - A. Quintana Roo (1787-1851);
romanticism and costumbrism - M. Acuña (1849-1873), G. Prieto
(1818-1897), M. Paino (1810-1894), L. Inclan (1816-1875), J. T. de
Cuellara (1830-1894) ), J. M. Altamirano (1834-1893), José Joaquin
Fernandez de Lisardi (1776-1827).
Literature of the late XIX-XX
centuries
Representatives: modernism - Salvador Diaz Miron
(1853-1928), Manuel Gutierrez Najera (1859-1895), M. H. Oton
(1858-1906), Amado Nervo (1870-1928); naturalism - J. Lopez Portillo y
Rojas (1850-1923), F. Gamboa (1864-1939), E. Frias (1870-1925), A. del
Campo (1868-1908); realism - Mariano Azuela (1873-1952), Martin Luis
Guzman (1887-1976), Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes (1897-1966), Jose Ruben
Romero (1880-1952), Agustín Yañez (1904-1980), H. Mansisidor
(1895-1956); poetry - R. Lopez Velarde (1888-1921), Enrique Gonzalez
Martinez (1871-1952), C. Pelliser (1897-1977), Javier Villaurrutia
(1903-1950); cultural philosophy - Jose Vasconcelos (1881-1959), Alfonso
Reyes (1889-1959), Antonio Caso (1883-1946), Samuel Ramos (1897-1959).
Contemporary Mexican Literature
Representatives: Juan Jose
Arreola (1918-2001), Juan Rulfo (1918-1986), Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012),
Fernando del Paso (1935-2018).
Mexican poet and essayist Octavio
Paz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1990.
Sport
The most popular sport is football. The 1968 Summer Olympics were held
in Mexico City. The country has hosted the FIFA World Cup twice (1970,
1986) and will host it in 2026 jointly with the US and Canada.