What are the five most interesting things you have learned about Mexico?

Answer 1

1. Mexico is not small, underpopulated and hot.

• It has the same size of Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany combined.
• It has a population of 112 million people (11th in the world).
• Of course there are deserts and jungles in Mexico, but the Mexican plateau is mostly temperate, and some regions on northern Mexico and along the Sierra Madre mountain ranges have seasonal snowfalls.

2. Not all Mexicans look like Speedy Gonzalez.

That is a laughable stereotype: there are white, black, mestizo, Asian and even middle-eastern Mexicanos.

3. Mexico is not a backward, undeveloped country

Mexico has poor regions indeed, but there are areas with a development on par to countries such as Norway, the United States or Japan. One instance is Mexico City, with a GDP Per Capita on par to Portugal and South Korea.

4. Mexico's Independence Day is not Cinco de Mayo.

The "Cinco de Mayo" celebration commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza. The Battle was important because 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated a much better-equipped French army composed of 8,000 men that had not been defeated for almost 50 years. Mexico's Independence Day is celebrated on September 15th on Mexico City's zocalo. A military parade takes place on September 16.