Portal:Mexico

Mexico
Mexico
	Flag Coat of arms
Location	Southern portion of North America

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The Temple of Warriors at Chichen Itza, Mexico

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¡Bienvenido! Welcome to the Mexico portal

Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. Covering 1,972,550 km² (761,610 sq mi), it is the world's 13th largest country by area; with a population of over 130 million, it is the 10th most populous country and has the most Spanish speakers in the world. Mexico is a constitutional republic comprising 31 states and Mexico City, its capital and largest city, which is among the world's most populous metropolitan areas. The country borders the United States to the north; as well as Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. It has maritime borders with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.

Human presence in Pre-Columbian Mexico dates back to 8,000 BC as one of six cradles of civilization. Mesoamerica hosted civilizations including the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, and Purepecha. Aztec domination of the area preceded Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, which established the colony of New Spain centered in the former capital, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). The Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century was followed by political and socioeconomic upheaval. The Mexican–American War resulted in significant territorial losses in 1848. Liberal reforms introduced in the Constitution of 1857 prompted domestic conflict, French intervention, and the establishment of an Empire, countered by the Republican resistance led by Benito Juárez. The rise of Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship in the 19th century sparked the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which led to profound changes, such as the 1917 Constitution. Over the 20th century, Mexico experienced significant economic growth; as well as issues of repression and electoral fraud. The late 20th century saw a shift towards neoliberal policies, exemplified by the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, amidst unrest in Chiapas. (Full article...)

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Location of Mayan speaking populations. See below for a detailed map of the different languages.^{[image reference needed]}

The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica, both in the south of Mexico and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least six million Maya people, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. In 1996, Guatemala formally recognized 21 Mayan languages by name, and Mexico recognizes eight within its territory.

The Mayan language family is one of the best-documented and most studied in the Americas. Modern Mayan languages descend from the Proto-Mayan language, thought to have been spoken at least 5,000 years ago; it has been partially reconstructed using the comparative method. The proto-Mayan language diversified into at least six different branches: the Huastecan, Quichean, Yucatecan, Qanjobalan, Mamean and Chʼolan–Tzeltalan branches. (Full article...)

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Clockwise from top left: Miguel Hidalgo, José María Morelos, Trigarante Army in Mexico City, Mural of independence by O'Gorman, Embrace of Acatempan between Iturbide and Guerrero

The Mexican War of Independence (Spanish: Guerra de Independencia de México, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional struggles that occurred within the same period, and can be considered a revolutionary civil war. It culminated with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire in Mexico City on September 28, 1821, following the collapse of royal government and the military triumph of forces for independence.

Mexican independence from Spain was not an inevitable outcome of the relationship between the Spanish Empire and its most valuable overseas possession, but events in Spain had a direct impact on the outbreak of the armed insurgency in 1810 and the course of warfare through the end of the conflict. Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Spain in 1808 touched off a crisis of legitimacy of crown rule, since he had placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne after forcing the abdication of the Spanish monarch Charles IV. In Spain and many of its overseas possessions, the local response was to set up juntas, ruling in the name of the Bourbon monarchy. Delegates in Spain and overseas territories met in Cádiz—a small corner of the Iberian Peninsula still under Spanish control—as the Cortes of Cádiz, and drafted the Spanish Constitution of 1812. That constitution sought to create a new governing framework in the absence of the legitimate Spanish monarch. It tried to accommodate the aspirations of American-born Spaniards (criollos) for more local control and equal standing with Peninsular-born Spaniards, known locally as peninsulares. This political process had far-reaching impacts in New Spain during the independence war and beyond. Pre-existing cultural, religious, and racial divides in Mexico played a major role in not only the development of the independence movement but also the development of the conflict as it progressed. (Full article...)

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Atlantes at the ancient city of Tula, Tula de Allende, Hidalgo

image credit: Rafael Aparicio

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Plaza Sésamo (English: Sesame Plaza) is the first international co-production of the educational children's television series Sesame Street. Its first season premiered in Mexico in 1972, and the last season ended in 2018 during the holiday season and the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street, but the show returned in 2020. It has also aired throughout Latin America, to a potential audience of 25 million children in 34 countries. Unlike some of the earliest co-productions, which consisted of dubbed versions of Sesame Street sketches with local language voice-overs, Plaza Sésamo along with Vila Sésamo were actual co-productions. Half of the show was adapted from the American show, and half was original material, created in Mexico by Mexican writers, performers, and producers. The first season consisted of 130 half-hour episodes. The Plaza Sésamo development process was similar to that of the American show. Its goals were developed by local experts in television, child development, and early education during curriculum seminars in Caracas, Venezuela. Sésamo's goals emphasized problem solving and reasoning, and also included perception, symbolic representation, human diversity, and the child's environment. Other goals included community cooperation, family life, nutrition, health, safety, self-esteem, and expressing emotions. Early reading skills were taught through the whole language method. The show's budget for the first and second seasons was approximately US$1.6 million.

The show's set consisted of a typical neighborhood square (or plaza) found throughout the region. New Muppets and human characters were created. In all, four seasons of Sésamo were filmed. The first season resulted in some of the highest ratings in Mexico. The fourth season, filmed in 1995, was broadcast in the U.S., making it the first foreign-language co-production shown in the U.S. Studies conducted after the first season of Sésamo showed that it had a demonstrable impact on the educational achievement levels of its young audience. Highly significant difference were found in tests about general knowledge, letters, and numbers after children were exposed to the show. Significant gains were made in several cognitive and perceptual areas by regular viewers, even in subjects that were not taught by the show. Characters from the show participated in campaigns promoting health and nutrition; in 2009, Sesame Workshop, the organization responsible for the show, was awarded the "Champion of Health" award by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for its efforts. (Full article...)

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Saint Juan Diego by Miguel Cabrera, 1752

Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474–1548), also known simply as Juan Diego (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌxwanˈdjeɣo]), was a Nahua peasant and Marian visionary. He is said to have been granted apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe on four occasions in December 1531: three at the hill of Tepeyac and a fourth before don Juan de Zumárraga, then the first bishop of Mexico. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, located at the foot of Tepeyac, houses the cloak (tilmahtli) that is traditionally said to be Juan Diego's, and upon which the image of the Virgin is said to have been miraculously impressed as proof of the authenticity of the apparitions.

Juan Diego's visions and the imparting of the miraculous image, as recounted in oral and written colonial sources such as the Huei tlamahuiçoltica, are together known as the Guadalupe event (Spanish: el acontecimiento Guadalupano), and are the basis of the veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This veneration is ubiquitous in Mexico, prevalent throughout the Spanish-speaking Americas, and increasingly widespread beyond. As a result, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is now one of the world's major Christian pilgrimage destinations, receiving 22 million visitors in 2010. (Full article...)

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Vicente Fox Frida Kahlo Porfirio Díaz Emiliano Zapata Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Cantinflas Pancho Villa Antonio López de Santa Anna Chespirito Agustín de Iturbide Maximilian I of Mexico Benito Juárez Carlos Slim Diego Rivera Francisco I. Madero Juana Inés de la Cruz Carlos Salinas de Gortari Miguel de la Madrid

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1 January 2025 – Foreign relations of Mexico: Mexico's Tax Administration Service implements new tariffs, including a 19% duty on goods from countries without international trade agreements with Mexico and a 17% duty on goods from Canada and the United States under certain value thresholds. (Reuters)
27 December 2024 –: A traffic collision between a truck and a bus kills eight people and injures 27 others in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. (AP)
23 December 2024 – Mexican drug war: Seventeen people are killed in a string of attacks over the past 48 hours across the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. (El País)
22 December 2024 –: Seven people are killed when a private Cessna 207 crashes into a hill in El Montoso, Jalisco, Mexico. (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archive)
19 December 2024 – Mexican drug war: Two soldiers are killed after an explosion caused by a improvised landmine at a drug laboratory in Michoacán, Mexico. Three days earlier, two other soldiers were killed and three more injured during a similiar incident in Michoacán. (AP)
17 December 2024 – Mexican drug war: Two municipal policemen are killed and three civilians are wounded in an attack near the Jerécuaro-Apaseo el Alto state highway in Jerécuaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. In the same day, four State Public Security Forces officers are killed and two more are wounded after a confrontation with gunmen in the city of Uriangato. (Milenio)

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A sugar skull, a common gift for children and decoration for the Day of the Dead.

A calavera (Spanish – pronounced [kalaˈβeɾa] for "skull"), in the context of the Day of the Dead, is a representation of a human skull or skeleton. The term is often applied to edible or decorative skulls made (usually with molds) from either sugar (called Alfeñiques) or clay, used in the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) and the Roman Catholic holiday All Souls' Day. Calavera can also refer to any artistic representations of skulls or skeletons, such as those in the prints of José Guadalupe Posada, or to gifts or treats in relation to the Day of the Dead. Some widely known calaveras are created with cane sugar, decorated with items such as colored foil, icing, beads, and sometimes objects such as feathers. They range in multiple colors.

Traditional methods for producing sugar skulls with molds have been in use for a long time, though the first known mention of the sale of skeletal figures dates to the 1740s. The sugar skulls were originally created as gifts, to be eaten by children. They are sometimes now used as offerings to be placed on altars known as ofrendas ("offerings") for Día de Muertos. It has been argued that the tradition has roots in indigenous celebrations, by groups including the Aztec, Mayan, and Toltec commemorations. However, what we now call Day of the Dead is more Catholic than indigenous because the Spanish tried to eradicate indigenous religions Moreover, as Stanley Brandes has argued, these skulls and skeletons have nine characteristics. They are: (1) ephemeral; (2) seasonal; (3) humorous; (4) secular; (5) commercial; (6) made for living people; (7) meant to be played with; (8) small and transportable; (9) made and consumed by an urban population. They are "lighthearted emblems of death." Thus they are not derived from sacred Mesoamerican traditions. (Full article...)

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Mexican cuisine Cuisine of Chiapas Cuisine of Veracruz Crema (dairy product) Aztec cuisine Oaxacan cuisine Mole sauce Guacamole Enchilada Mexican breads Nachos Burrito Mexican street food Pozole Cheeses of Mexico Taco Pan dulce Mexican wine Sopa de fideo Tostilocos Beer in Mexico Champurrado Mexican Coke Menudo (soup)

General images

The following are images from various Mexico-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Equestrian statue of Charles IV in Mexico City (from History of Mexico)
Image 2Singer and actor Pedro Infante, one of the leading figures of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 3Ignacio Comonfort significant role during the tumultuous period of the mid-19th century, including the Reform War and early stages of the Mexican Republic's transition. (from History of Mexico)
Image 4Chihuahua Cathedral and a monument to the city's founder, Antonio Deza y Ulloa (from History of Mexico)
Image 51985 Mexico City earthquake (from History of Mexico)
Image 6Plaza de las Tres Culturas (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 7Liberación (Liberation). Jorge González Camarena. 1908. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 8Logo of the Partido Nacional Revolucionario, with the colors of the Mexican flag (from History of Mexico)
Image 9Plutarco Elías Calles politician and revolutionary general who served as President of Mexico from 1924 to 1928, known for his role in shaping modern Mexico through reforms and the consolidation of state power. (from History of Mexico)
Image 10José Pablo Moncayo known for his orchestral works, particularly "Huapango" (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 11Portrait and book by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Baroque poet and writer. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 12The Volkswagen Beetle, known in Mexico as the "Vocho," is perhaps the most iconic classic car in the country. Its production in Mexico began in 1967, and it continued until 2003, making it a symbol of Mexican automotive culture. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 13Victoriano Huerta, ruler of Mexico from 1913 to 1914 (from History of Mexico)
Image 14El Chapo in US custody after his extradition from Mexico. (from History of Mexico)
Image 15Battle of Miahuatlán took place on 3 October 1866. The liberal victory at Miahuatlán was significant because it allowed them to consolidate their control over southern Mexico and advance their agenda of liberal reforms (from History of Mexico)
Image 16Fireworks in Mexico City for New Year's Day. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 17Variegated maize ears (from History of Mexico)
Image 18Olmec colossal (from History of Mexico)
Image 19Gilberto Bosques Saldívar took the initiative to rescue tens of thousands of Jews and Spanish Republican exiles from being deported to Nazi Germany or Spain. (from History of Mexico)
Image 20Surrender of Santa Anna by William Henry Huddle shows the Mexican president and general surrendering to a wounded Sam Houston in 1836. (from History of Mexico)
Image 21Logo of Nacional Financiera (NAFIN), the state development bank. (from History of Mexico)
Image 22Distribution of linguistic groups around 1500. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 23Porfirio Díaz dominant Mexican political and military figure who served as President for much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by his long rule and the modernization efforts known as the Porfiriato. (from History of Mexico)
Image 24General Pancho Villa at the entrance of Ojinaga (from History of Mexico)
Image 25Goddess, mural painting from the Tetitla apartment complex at Teotihuacan, Mexico, 650–750 CE (from History of Mexico)
Image 26Spanish and Portuguese empires in 1790 (from History of Mexico)
Image 27Agustín de Iturbide the first Emperor of Mexico in 1822 after leading the Mexican War of Independence against Spain, but his reign was short-lived, lasting only until 1823 when he abdicated, and Mexico transitioned to a republic. (from History of Mexico)
Image 28La huida a Egipto (The Flight into Egypt). Miguel Cabrera, around 1700. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 29"The Torture of Cuauhtémoc", a 19th-century painting by Leandro Izaguirre (from History of Mexico)
Image 30Cerro del Cubilete ("Dice Cup Hill"). At the top of the hill is the Cristo Rey (Christ the King) statue. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 31Teotihuacan view of the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Sun, from the Pyramid of the Moon (from History of Mexico)
Image 32The Zócalo (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 33Panel 3 from Cancuen, Guatemala, representing king T'ah 'ak' Cha'an (from History of Mexico)
Image 34Mexican Army troops in the Zócalo in the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre. (from History of Mexico)
Image 35Making cigarettes in the El Buen Tono factory, Mexico City (from History of Mexico)
Image 36Exconvento (Ex-convent), by José María Velasco. 1860. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 37President Carranza in La Cañada, Querétaro, January 22, 1916. (from History of Mexico)
Image 38A statue of a Chichimeca Warrior in the city of Querétaro (from History of Mexico)
Image 39Comanchería, territory controlled by the Comanches, prior to 1850 (from History of Mexico)
Image 40A map of Mexico 1845 after Texas annexation by the U.S. (from History of Mexico)
Image 41Silk rebozo from Santa María del Río, SLP on a mannequin at the Feria de Rebozo in Tenancingo, State of Mexico. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 42The Castillo, Chichen Itza, Mexico, ca. 800–900 CE (from History of Mexico)
Image 43Chacmool, Maya, from the Platform of the Eagles, Chichen Itza, Mexico, ca. 800–90 CE (from History of Mexico)
Image 44U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto during their meet at the White House following Peña Nieto's election victory. (from History of Mexico)
Image 45Three world leaders: (background, left to right) Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, observe the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement. (from History of Mexico)
Image 46President Felipe Calderón with President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. (from History of Mexico)
Image 47Viceroy José de Iturrigaray (from History of Mexico)
Image 48Cabinet Officers of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (left) and of Enrique Peña Nieto (right). (from History of Mexico)
Image 49Battle of Tampico (1829) a conflict between Mexican forces led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna and Spanish loyalists attempting to reconquer Mexico, resulting in a decisive Mexican victory that further solidified Mexico's independence from Spain. (from History of Mexico)
Image 50Pear, Quince and Psidium cajeta. In 2010 declared the Bicentennial Dessert of Mexico. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 51Mexican Central Railway train at station, Mexico (from History of Mexico)
Image 52Matches between Club América and Cruz Azul at the Estadio Azteca, known as the "Clásico Joven." (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 53Battle of Centla, the first time a horse was used in battle in a war in the Americas. Mural in the Palacio Municipal of Paraíso, Tabasco (from History of Mexico)
Image 54The Execution of Emperor Maximilian, 19 June 1867. Gen. Tomás Mejía, left, Maximilian, center, Gen. Miguel Miramón, right. Painting by Édouard Manet 1868. (from History of Mexico)
Image 55Dining table, painted between 1857 y 1859, oleo sobre tela (oil on canvas) by Agustín Arrieta (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 56Lázaro Cárdenas mural (from History of Mexico)
Image 57Colossal atlantids, pyramid B, Toltec, Tula, Mexico, ca. 900–1180 AD (from History of Mexico)
Image 58"The Fall of the Alamo" by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk (from History of Mexico)
Image 59Toltec carving representing the Aztec Eagle, found in Veracruz, 10th–13th century. Metropolitan Museum of Art. (from History of Mexico)
Image 60Quechquemitl from Hidalgo at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 61Mexico City street market (from History of Mexico)
Image 62The first Braceros arrive in Los Angeles by train in 1942. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. (from History of Mexico)
Image 63A unit of Cristeros preparing for battle. (from History of Mexico)
Image 64Entry into Mexico City by the Mexican army (from History of Mexico)
Image 65Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc, Maya, lintel 24 of temple 23, Yaxchilan, Mexico, ca. 725 ce. (from History of Mexico)
Image 66April 2, 1867. Entry of General Porfirio Díaz into Puebla. (from History of Mexico)
Image 67Murals of Bonampak (between 580 and 800 AD) (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 68President Vicente Fox with Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh (from History of Mexico)
Image 69Subcomandante Marcos (from History of Mexico)
Image 70Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (from History of Mexico)
Image 71General Santa Anna known for his leadership during the Texas Revolution, Mexican-American War, and turbulent periods of Mexican history marked by political instability and territorial losses. (from History of Mexico)
Image 72President Obregón. Note that he lost his right arm in the Battle of Celaya (1915), earning him the nickname of Manco de Celaya ("the one-armed man of Celaya"). (from History of Mexico)
Image 73Buffalo Soldiers of the American 10th Cavalry Regiment taken prisoner during the Battle of Carrizal, Mexico in 1916. (from History of Mexico)
Image 74Modern group monument of Cortés, Doña Marina, and their mestizo son Martín (from History of Mexico)
Image 75La leyenda de los volcanes (The legend of the volcanoes). Saturnino Herrán. 1910–1912. (from Culture of Mexico)
Image 76Sawdust carpet made during "The night no one sleeps" in Huamantla, Tlaxcala (from Culture of Mexico)

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