The Mexico course
Facts about Mexico, for your next trip
Explore Mexico through ten illustrated topics, from ancient cities and mountain landscapes to food and everyday life. Play the available facts rounds as you move through the course.
Capital Mexico City · North America · 10 topics · 20 rounds · 80 questions · 20 seconds each
Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the meeting point of two great historical currents, the indigenous civilisations of Mesoamerica and three centuries of Spanish rule. Its 3,145-kilometer border with the United States makes it central to North American trade and migration alike.
Mexico is a federal republic of 31 states plus Mexico City, narrowing from a wide northern desert to a tropical isthmus in the south. Two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental, run down either side of a high central plateau, and Mexico City sits on that plateau at about 2,240 meters over the drained bed of a lake, which is why parts of it are sinking. The Tropic of Cancer cuts the country roughly in half, and the flat limestone of the Yucatán in the southeast is riddled with the freshwater sinkholes the Maya depended on.
Greater Mexico City holds over 21 million people and dominates the country politically and culturally. Guadalajara is the home of mariachi and the tequila country around it, Monterrey in the north is the industrial counterweight nearest the American border, and Oaxaca and Puebla are the acknowledged centers of Mexican cooking. Visitors usually choose between the Caribbean resorts and Maya ruins of the Yucatán, the colonial silver towns of the central highlands, and the Pacific coast, with Chichén Itzá and Teotihuacan the two sites almost everyone sees.
- Population
- 130 million
- Area
- 1,964,375 km²
- Currency
- Mexican peso ($)
- Official language
- Spanish, de facto
- States
- 31 states and Mexico City
- Highest point
- Pico de Orizaba, 5,636 m
Mexico · Geography
Geography of Mexico
Follow the Sierra Madre ranges between northern deserts and the tropical south. Mexico faces the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, with a high plateau at its centre.
Commonly asked
- Which countries border Mexico?
- Mexico shares land borders with the United States to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast.
- How is Mexico divided?
- The federation consists of 31 states and Mexico City. The capital is a federal entity with its own constitution, rather than a state.
Mexico · History
History of Mexico
Explore the cities of the Maya and Mexica, the Spanish conquest and the struggle for independence. The Revolution of 1910 reshaped land, politics and the constitution.
Commonly asked
- When did Mexico become independent?
- The independence movement began in 1810. Independence from Spain was achieved in 1821.
- What stood where Mexico City is today?
- Tenochtitlan, the Mexica capital, stood on an island in Lake Texcoco. Spanish forces and their Indigenous allies conquered the city in 1521.
Mexico · Language
Languages of Mexico
Spanish connects much of the country, alongside a rich landscape of Indigenous languages. Nahuatl and Maya languages are living languages used in homes, communities and cultural life.
Commonly asked
- What language is spoken in Mexico?
- Spanish is the most widely spoken language. INALI classifies the Indigenous languages into 68 groupings and 364 linguistic variants, reflecting far more diversity than a single language label suggests.
- Which English words come from Nahuatl?
- Chocolate, tomato, avocado and coyote reached English through Spanish from Nahuatl. Many Mexican place names also preserve Nahuatl roots.
Mexico · Culture
Mexican culture and traditions
Marigold altars, mariachi ensembles and public murals tell different parts of Mexico’s story. Regional and Indigenous traditions shape celebrations, music and daily life.
Commonly asked
- What is Día de Muertos?
- It is a time to remember deceased relatives and friends, especially around 1 and 2 November. Families may prepare ofrendas with photographs, flowers and favourite foods; customs differ by community.
- Where does mariachi come from?
- Mariachi developed in western Mexico and is closely associated with Jalisco. Ensembles combine singing with instruments such as violins, trumpets, the vihuela and the guitarrón.
Mexico · Economy
Mexico’s economy
Factories, farms, tourism and services connect Mexico’s regions to one another and to international markets. The northern industrial cities have especially close links with the United States.
Commonly asked
- What does Mexico manufacture?
- Important industries include vehicles and auto parts, electronics and aerospace components. Industrial centres include Monterrey and cities across the northern border region and central Bajío.
- What is Mexico’s currency?
- The Mexican peso, with the international currency code MXN. The dollar sign is also used for pesos, so the currency should be made explicit when comparing prices.
Mexico · Politics
Government and politics in Mexico
A federal republic brings together 31 states and Mexico City. Learn how the presidency, Congress and state governments fit together, and why the six-year presidential term matters.
Commonly asked
- How long is a Mexican presidential term?
- A president serves one six-year term, known as a sexenio, and cannot be re-elected.
- What are the two chambers of Congress?
- Mexico’s federal Congress consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Together they form the national legislature.
Mexico · Nature & Wildlife
Wildlife and landscapes of Mexico
Deserts, cloud forests, reefs and volcanic highlands support an extraordinary range of life. In the central mountains, monarch butterflies gather in fir forests after their migration south.
Commonly asked
- Where do monarch butterflies spend the winter?
- The eastern migratory population gathers in mountain forests in central Mexico, including the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán and the State of Mexico.
- What is a cenote?
- A cenote is a natural opening in limestone that exposes groundwater. These sinkholes are especially associated with the Yucatán Peninsula and have long been important to Maya communities.
Mexico · Food & Cuisine
Mexican food and cooking
Maize, beans and chillies underpin a cuisine that changes from region to region. Explore tortillas, complex mole sauces and Yucatán dishes alongside the techniques that make them possible.
Commonly asked
- What is nixtamalisation?
- It is the process of treating maize with an alkaline solution, traditionally limewater. The softened grain can be ground into masa for tortillas and tamales, and the process improves the availability of some nutrients.
- What is mole?
- Mole is a family of sauces made from combinations of chillies, spices and other ingredients. Recipes vary; some contain chocolate, but many do not.
Mexico · Landmarks
Landmarks of Mexico
Explore Chichén Itzá, Teotihuacan and Palenque, three very different ancient cities. Their architecture opens a window onto societies that developed over many centuries.
Commonly asked
- Is Teotihuacan an Aztec city?
- Teotihuacan flourished centuries before the Mexica empire. The later Nahuatl-speaking inhabitants gave the ancient city the name by which it is now widely known.
- Where is Palenque?
- Palenque is a Maya archaeological site in Chiapas, in southern Mexico. Its palace, temples and inscriptions illuminate the history of its Classic-period rulers.
Mexico · People & Society
People and everyday life in Mexico
Mexico’s communities include Indigenous peoples, Afro-Mexicans and families with many other backgrounds. Urban neighbourhoods, rural towns and migration all shape contemporary life.
Commonly asked
- What is Mexico’s capital?
- Mexico City is the national capital. Its metropolitan area extends beyond the city’s administrative boundary into neighbouring parts of central Mexico.
- Are Mexican traditions the same everywhere?
- No. Language, food, festivals and daily routines vary greatly between regions and communities, from the northern border cities to Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatán.
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