40+ Interesting Facts About Mexico

1. Mexico is a country in the southern part of North America. A small area in southern Mexico is part of Central America, a region of North America.
2. Mexico has the highest number of Spanish speakers in the world. Nearly 125 million Mexicans are native speakers of Spanish. The native Spanish speakers in Colombia, the second-largest Spanish country, are less than 51 million. (Source)
3. According to a discovery in 2020, humans initially settled in Mexico around 32,000 years ago during the last ice age. (Source)
4. Mexico is part of Mesoamerica, one of the five cradles of civilization. This civilization continued for thousands of years before the Spanish colonization in the 16^th Century.
5. According to scientific estimates, the asteroid that caused the extinction of dinosaurs formed the Chicxulub crater in Mexico. This event happened 66 million years ago. (Source)
6. The White Cave System (Sistema Sac Actun) in Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) is the longest underwater cave system, having a length of approximately 372 km (over 231 miles). Before its discovery in 2019, the previous longest cave system (Sistema Ox Bel Ha) was also in Mexico. (Source)
7. The three oldest continuously inhabited cities of North America are in Mexico. These include Tepoztlan (1500 BCE), Cholula (800 – 200 BCE), and Motul (1050 CE). Mexico City, founded in 1325 AD, is the 7^th oldest city on the continent. (Source)
8. Chapultepec Park in Mexico City is the oldest and largest urban park in Latin America. It receives around 15 million visitors annually. (Source)
9. In 1968, Mexico became the first Latin American country to host the summer Olympics. During the opening ceremony of the 1968 Olympic Games, Mexican athlete Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman ever to light the cauldron. (Source) 

   

   A Mexican athlete was the first woman to light Olympic cauldron

   
   
10. The top 6 most dangerous cities in the world are in Mexico. Celaya in south-central Mexico has a murder rate of 109.39 homicides per 100,000 people, the highest in the world. The other five most dangerous cities are Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Obregon, Irapuato, and Ensenada. (Source)
11. Mexico has been facing powerful drug cartels since the 1990s. The Mexican government started large-scale operations against these cartels in 2006. This drug war has resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people across Mexico. (Source)
12. The independence movement of Mexico started after Napoleon Bonaparte captured Spain in 1808 and installed his brother. Consequently, Spanish authorities gave more rights to local representatives.
13. The Mexican War of Independence started on 16^th September 1810, marked as Mexican independence Day. It ended in 1821 with victory and independence of Mexico. Spain recognized this independence in 1836.
14. The Mexican-American War started in 1846 over disputed border areas. It lasted for more than 21 months and ended with an American victory. The USA gained the states of Texas, California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and western Colorado after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in February 1848.
15. Mexico altered its system of government several times between an empire and a federal republic since independence. It resulted in several armed conflicts, like the War of Reform (1858-61), the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861-67), and the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). The country became the United Mexican States after adopting the current constitution of Mexico in 1917.
16. The PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) ruled Mexico continuously from 1929 to 1999. It makes it the longest-ruling party in the world. (Source)
17. The Plaza Mexico in Mexico City is the largest bullring in the world. It has a seating capacity of around 55,000 spectators.
18. Mexico is among the top 10 most visited countries in the world. It receives the second-highest number of visitors in the Americas after the USA.
19. There are 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mexico, the highest in the Americas and the 7^th highest overall. (Source)
20. Mexico is one of the 17 megadiverse countries. It is the 6^th most biodiverse country in the world and contains more species than any other country in North America.
21. Mexico has the highest number of endangered species. These include 665 species related to amphibians (219), fish (181), reptiles (98), mammals (96), and birds (71). The primary reason behind this problem is large-scale deforestation for agricultural purposes. (Source)
22. Nearly 90% of Mexicans follow Christianity. It has the second-largest Roman Catholic population after Brazil.
23. Mexico was the first Latin American member of the OECD. It joined this organization of high-income economies in 1994.
24. Mexico is the world’s biggest exporter of delivery trucks, beer, tropical fruits, and tomatoes. On the other hand, it is the biggest importer of corn, corrugated paper, cyanides, aluminum pipes, and stranded copper wire. (Source)
25. The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) in Mexico is the largest single-dish, millimeter-wavelength telescope. It can assist in observing the coldest objects in the universe. (Source)
26. Mexico is the birthplace of chocolate. Humans discovered cocoa plants 4,000 years ago in ancient Mesoamerica. (Source)

    

    Humans discovered cocoa plants in Mexico

    
    
27. Carlos Slim, who belongs to a family of Lebanese immigrants to Mexico, remained the richest person in the world from 2010 to 2013. He and his family own America Movil, the biggest mobile telecom firm in Latin America.
28. Mexico City has the highest number of registered cabs in the world. There are approximately 140,000 registered and 45,000 unregistered taxis operating in this city. (Source)
29. Mexico City International Airport is the busiest airport in Latin America. Cancun International Airport is the 4^th busiest in this region. (Source)
30. Quetzalcoatl Pyramid in Mexico is the largest in the world. Its estimated volume is 3.3 million m³. (Source)
31. The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, founded in 1551, is the oldest university in North America and the second-oldest in the Americas. (Source)
32. Nearly 60% of the Hispanics in the USA have Mexican origin. Their population was more than 37 million in 2021.
33. Mexico hosts the highest number of American expats in the world. There are nearly 800,000 US citizens in Mexico out of 8 million living abroad. (Source)
34. More than 60% of the Mexican population is mestizos (a mixture of white and indigenous people). The remaining are the European and Amerindians (American Indians).  
35. Spanish is the official and the most widely spoken language in Mexico. There are more than 50 indigenous languages in the country.
36. Mexico has the highest per capita consumption of coca-cola in the world. The annual consumption of Mexicans in 2021 was 634 servings of 8 ounces bottles. (Source)
37. UNESCO inscribed traditional Mexican cuisine on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. It includes local foodstuff, farming techniques, and cooking skills. (Source)
38. Volcano rabbit is one of the smallest breeds of rabbits. It lives exclusively on the slopes of four extinct volcanoes near Mexico City.
39. The first printing press in North America was established in 1539 in Mexico City. (Source)
40. The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is famous for numerous cenotes (natural sinkholes) due to its limestone surface. During the ancient period, humans and precious objects were thrown in these wells as offerings to gods. Now, these cenotes are tourist attractions.
41. The Day of the Dead is an ancient ritual to honor the dead. It originated in Mexico around 3,000 years ago and is celebrated in Latin American countries from 31^st October to 2^nd November.
42. Chichen Itza, an ancient Maya city in Mexico, is one of the 7 Wonders of the World. It was founded in the 6^th Century CE and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
43. Chihuahua, a Mexican breed, is the world’s smallest dog. It can attain weight and length up to 6 pounds and 8 inches, respectively.