10 Facts About Mexico to Get You Started

Beyond tacos, tequila, drug cartels, and spring break, we Americans don’t know much about our neighbor to the south. As such, here are 10 facts about Mexico to help move the needle.

 

1

The population of Mexico is around 130 million, making it the 10th most-populated country in the world. With a population of about 22 million, the country’s capital of Mexico City is the most populous metropolitan area in North America. The modern city, built upon a drained lake, is also known as one of the fastest-sinking cities on the planet, with parts of the city sinking up to 20 inches per year.

 

2

Mexico has the 14th largest nominal GDP in the world. When adjusted for purchasing power parity, the ranking moves up to 13th. Reality sets in if the latter figure is expressed per capita, dropping the country to number 71.

 

3

Mexico is comprised of 31 states and the capital region of Mexico City. Like the US, it is a federal presidential constitutional republic.

 

4

Mexico has no official language at the federal level. Of course, Spanish is the de facto national language, earning the country the label of the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world by population. Another 68 languages (indigenous languages) are recognized as regional languages.

 

5

A brief and extremely incomplete telling of Mexico’s history could start with the indigenous peoples—an alliance known as the Aztec Empire was prominent prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was razed by the newcomers, giving way to what we now know as Mexico City.

The Mexican War of Independence lasted from 1810-1821, at which time the Spanish recognized an independent nation. (Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th to commemorate the start of the struggle in 1810.)

The French later tried to make some inroads in Mexico, with their second invasion kicking off in 1861. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the day in 1862 when the French were defeated by Mexican forces, though the uninvited guests actually hung around until 1867.

Throw in the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), and you get the general idea.

 

6

Sticking with history, as of 1835, Mexico included parts or all of modern-day Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, and California. The Texas Revolution and Mexican-American War clearly changed a few borders.

 

7

Mexico is one of two countries in the world with an x in its name. The other is about 200 times smaller by population, 763 times smaller by land area, and often the world’s number one in terms of per capita nominal GDP—Luxembourg.

 

8

Okay, so I couldn’t help but talk about tequila. By Mexican law, tequila (made from the blue agave plant) must be produced in the state of Jalisco, in which the city of Tequila (not far from Guadalajara) is located. The law also grants certain municipalities in the nearby states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas the right to produce tequila. Here’s a map. Distilled beverages made from other types of agave and/or outside the specified regions are usually referred to as mezcal.

 

9

On a global scale, Mexico City has been recognized as the metropolitan area with the most listeners on the music streaming service Spotify. Perhaps they’re listening to this?

 

10

It’s safe to say that soccer is Mexico’s most popular sport, with its national team being affectionately known as El tricolor, or El tri. That said, other sports have significant traction, including baseball, basketball, American football, boxing, wrestling, and bullfighting. Baseball fans will recall Fernandomania, the 1980s cultural phenomenon surrounding Fernando Valenzuela, a dominant pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

With these facts about Mexico in hand, you’re now equipped to converse about the complicated nation. Or you can just hang out at a resort in Cancún.