25 Interesting Facts about Mexico
There’s lots to learn about Mexico, from interesting cultural aspects to shocking facts that will blow your mind. When backpacking Mexico, I collected for you some of the most informative, fun and weird facts about this incredible Latino country. Here is a mix of 25 interesting facts to prepare you for visiting Mexico. Let’s see how many of these 25 Mexican facts you know!
1. Mexico is one of the most diverse countries in the world with 10-12% of the world’s biodiversity.
2. Mexico is a vibrant country that perfectly blends Indigenous, African, and Spanish cultures.
3. For almost 300 years, Mexico was under Spanish rule and known as New Spain (La Nueva España).
4. While Spanish is the national language spoken by the majority of Mexico’s population, though it is not its official language. There are over 60 different languages in the country, including Spanish and indigenous languages. Unfortunately, 60% of them may disappear in the future.
5. The minimum wage in Mexico is $6,50 per day (exceptions are Northern border territories is $9,75 a day).
6. Mexico is home to 34 UNESCO World Heritage Site including 28 cultural, 5 natural and one mixed.
7. The most popular sport in Mexico is soccer.
8. Mexico has an exclusive sea, called the Gulf of California and it is the second largest reef in the world.
9. Mexicans are the hardest workers in the World. An average worker in Mexico spend 2257 hours per year at work place.
10. The most iconic Mexican artist is Frida Kahlo, who was born in Coyocoan, Mexico City in 1907. Her birth place and childhood home is now a museum La casa Azul in Mexico City.
11. The first people who tried to eat cacao beans were Olmecs, which is the first major civilization in Mexico (1500 – 400 BC).
12. Mexico is the world’s largest prominent exporter of beer.
13. Mexico has few national animals. The golden eagle is the national bird, the xoloitzcuintli is the national dog and the jaguar is the national mammal.
14.. Mexico City is home to over 100,000 registered taxi cabs, making it the largest taxi fleet in the world.
15. The Mexican Flag is a mix of national symbolism: the red stripe means the blood of fallen heroes, the white stripe means unity, the green stripe means hope.
16. Every year, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and USA to spend the winter in Mexico.
17. The ethnic groups in Mexico are Indian-Spanish 60%, Indian 30%, Caucasian 9% and other 1%.
18. Despite Mexico’s economy is the 15th largest economy in the world, about half of all Mexicans live in poverty.
19. Approximately 90% of cocaine coming into the United States transits Mexico. According to the statistics, Mexico’s drug cartels nearly $50 billion a year.
20. A suburb of the city of Puebla in Mexico has the world’s smallest volcano called the Cuexcomate volcano.
21. Mexico is home to one of the seven wonders of the world.
22. For the Mayan civilization, cenotes were the source of fresh water but also, they had a highly religious meaning. The Maya people considered them to be “gates to the kingdom of the dead” and the water was said to be sacred.
23. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, an ancient Aztec temple in Puebla is world’s largest pyramid. It’s 4 times larger than the famous Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza.
24. Pueblos Mágicos are a selection of Mexican villages that stand out for its cultural, historical, gastronomical and natural treasures. Towns with unique characteristics. The Magical Towns in Mexico Program contains 111 destinations in all 31 states of Mexico.
25. Mexico has over 500 species of edible insects, which is more than any other country in the world. Some of the most famous are Chapulines ( deep-fried grasshoppers ) – the Mexican traditional delicacy. It is said that chapulines contain more protein than chicken, beef or pork.
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