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KIDS’ GUIDE TO

Mexico

Mexico City

Welcome to Mexico Mexico is located in southern North America. It covers 1,972,550 square kilometers (761,610 square miles) and has nearly 9,330 kilometers (5,800 miles) of coastline. Let’s learn about Mexico from kids like you. Meche lives in Cancún, along the Caribbean Sea on the Yucatán Peninsula. She is 10 years old.

Meche loves going to the beach. She enjoys swimming, building sandcastles, and snorkeling to see marine life.

Meche is a nickname. It is short for Mercedes, which means “merciful.” It also means “compassionate.”

Meche wears a bathing suit as well as sunscreen to protect her from the sun. She uses a mask and snorkel to see and breath under the water while snorkeling.

Arturo is Meche’s brother. His name means “strong as a bear.” Arturo is in primary school. He is a good student. Arturo likes rollerblading and playing with spinning tops. He can do both at the same time.

Spinning tops are popular in Arturo’s country. The traditional Mexican toy is called a trompo.

Meche and Arturo love their country and hope you will, too. Let’s learn some more about Mexico.

Where in the World? Mexico’s territory includes numerous islands, and its landscape is diverse. The arid-to-semiarid Central Mexican Plateau covers much of the country’s northern and central regions. The Baja California Peninsula in the northwest is an arid region including the Sonoran Desert and a range of granite mountains that run down the center. Mountains include the Sierra Madre Occidental in the northwestern and western region, and Sierra Madre del Sur, which joins the Sierra Madres and runs through central Mexico. Elena lives in Hermosillo, located in northwestern Mexico where the Sonora and San Miguel rivers join together.

MEXICO

Jose lives in Tehuacan. It is located in central Mexico, in the southeast of the valley of Tehuacan.

Can You Find It? La Paz

Mexico City

Durango

Chihuahua

Jalapa

Morelia

Monterrey

Campeche 5

The climate of Mexico varies, divided by the Tropic of Cancer into a temperate zone in the north and tropical zone in the south. Most of the country has warm temperatures with hot and humid conditions prevailing along the coast. Pablo lives in Torreón in north central Mexico. It has a desert climate with very little rainfall.

Mexico is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. Nearly 26,000 types of plants can be found, including many types of agaves.

The country is home to hundreds of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, including armadillo, puma, bear, boar, and several species of monkeys. Mexico has several protected areas, accounting for 170,000 square kilometers (65,637 square miles) that includes 34 biosphere reserves and 64 national parks. 6

Sea of Cortez Separating Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula from its mainland, the Sea of Cortez offers calm waters, pristine beaches, and a variety of outdoor recreation. The sea’s diverse marine life makes it popular with scuba divers.

Sea of Cortez

Lake Chapala Pico de Orizaba

Lake Chapala Just south of Guadalajara, Mexico’s largest freshwater lake is surrounded by mountains and hills. It is fed by four rivers and has three small islands. People visit to swim, boat, and fish.

Pico de Orizaba This inactive volcano is Mexico’s tallest peak and North America’s third highest, rising 5,636 meters (18,491 feet).

History 1325–1521 CE Mexica people settle in central Mexico, migrating from desert regions north of the Rio Grande River. They establish the Aztec Empire with the capital, Tenochtitlan, becoming the world’s largest city.

1521 Spanish conquistadors defeat the Aztec, taking the city of Tenochtitlán and renaming it Mexico City, the capital of the colony of New Spain.

1810 Father Miguel Hidalgo leads thousands to capture cities but is defeated by the colonial government.

1846 Hostilities between the US and Mexico over Texas, New Mexico, and California lead to a declaration of war. Later, a peace treaty gives nearly half of Mexico’s territory to the US. 8

1934 A former revolutionary general, Lázaro Cárdenas, assumes the presidency and launches significant reforms, including redistributing land to peasant farmers and nationalizing the oil industry.

1946 The ruling political party elects its first civilian president in more than 30 years and renames itself the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

2000 PRI ends with the election of Vicente Fox, leader of the Partido de Acción Nacional (PAN), who targets corruption and drug trafficking.

2014

Congress approves massive reforms to the energy sector that will open the field to foreign oil firms. Pemex is stripped of the monopoly it has held since 1938. 9

People More than half of Mexico’s population is mestizo, having a mixed ancestry that includes European—often Spanish—and indigenous groups. Mestizo also includes African and Asian ethnicities.

Maria has native Mexican ancestry. Her lessons at school are taught in Spanish, but she speaks Nahuatl with her family at home. Amerindians, also called Native Americans, make up the next largest ethnicity, and the remainder of the population is white, meaning European.

The world’s most populous Spanish-speaking country is Mexico. The government recognizes 68 indigenous languages as well. 10

Most of Mexico’s population practices Catholicism with some using pre-Hispanic Mayan traditions.

Other Christian denominations include Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Anglican. There also are small numbers of Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews. Gabor’s family practices Catholicism as well as some Mayan customs. His traditional Mayan name means “God’s bravest man.”

Names Hector

Silvia

The name Hector comes from a Greek word meaning “to hold fast.” Silvia is a Latin name that means “woods” or “forest.”

Jorge Alicia

Alicia is a Spanish name that means “noble.”

The name Jorge comes from a Greek word that means “farmer.”

e (Male) Nam

Carlos

Origin

M e aning

Spanish

free man

Hebrew

“God is my judge”

Jose

Hebrew

“God increases”

Juan

Hebrew

“God is gracious”

Luis

Spanish

famous warrior

Mario

Latin

dedicated to Mars

Miguel Oscar Ramon

Hebrew Irish Spanish

“Who is like God?” spear of the gods wise protector

Roberto

German

bright fame

Daniel

e (Female) Nam

Origin

M e aning

Ana

Hebrew

grace, favor

Claudia

Latin

lame

Graciela Maria

Latin Latin

grace star of the sea

Marta

Aramaic

lady of the house

Mirta

Spanish

crown of thorns

Monica Norma

Latin English

advisor from the North

Rosa

Latin

rose

Susana

Hebrew

lily 13

Learn Spanish Spanish is spoken by 98 percent of the population. Over 6 million Mexican citizens speak one or more indigenous languages, with the most widely spoken being Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya. Hola

OH-lah (Hello)

Buenos dias

BWEH-noss DEE-uss (Good morning)

Mi nombre es

mee NOHM-breh ehs_____ (My name is ___)

¿Cómo estás?

KOH-moh ehs-tahs (How are you?)

Tengo hambre

TEHNG-goh ahm-bre (I’m hungry)

Tengo sed

TEHNG-goh sed (I’m thirsty) Gracias

GRAH-see-ahss (Thank you)

Por favor

pohr fah-VOR (Please)

see (Yes)

no (No)

Adiós ah-dee-OHSS (Goodbye) 15

Holidays and Festivals Mexico has a rich and dynamic culture, and Mexicans celebrate many holidays and festivals throughout the year. Here are a few:

Independence Day September 16 marks the anniversary of the day Mexico became independent from Spain in 1810. It is a day-long fiesta featuring patriotic decorations, music, and dancing. Festivities include parades, rodeos, bullfights, carnivals, street performers, arts and crafts, concerts, and food vendors.

Candlemas Forty days after Christmas, Candlemas is celebrated by Christians on February 2 to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary. Candles are blessed on this day.

Day of the Dead Celebrations to recognize departed loved ones are held on November 1-2, Día de los Muertos. Families create a home altar and decorate graves with flowers, candles, sacred images, and sugar skulls, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods.

Revolution Day November 20 commemorates the 1910 beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Celebrations include parades with people marching in military uniforms or traditional farming clothes. There are mariachi bands, dancers, and rodeo demonstrations.

International Meeting of Mariachi and Charrería This 10-day event celebrates mariachi music, culture, and the national sport of charrería, or Mexican rodeo. Mariachi musicians, rodeo stunt performers, artists, and dancers gather in Guadalajara. 17

Food Mexican cuisine uses native ingredients in a wide variety of ways, among them avocado, cacao, beans, chilies, papaya, and tomato. However, no ingredient is more important to the culture than corn. Domesticated in central Mexico about 10,000 years ago, corn—also known as maize—was processed into a nutritious and versatile dough called masa. Without masa, there would be no tortillas.

Guacamole Guacamole is made from mashed avocado and seasonings. It is served as a dip with tortilla chips.

Quesadillas When cheese is melted between two tortillas and fried, it becomes a quesadilla. Cooked and shredded chicken or steak can be added too.

Escabeche These pickled vegetables are a popular garnish in Mexico and usually include carrots and jalapeño peppers.

Sopa de Tortilla This traditional Mexican soup includes fried corn tortilla pieces in a broth of tomato, garlic and onion.

Enchiladas This dish has several regional variations and can include cheese, meat, and vegetables. They are wrapped in tortillas, topped with a pepper-based sauce, and baked. 19

Arroz Rojo This popular side dish means “red rice” and is rice steamed with tomatoes, onions, and seasonings.

Tortillas de Harina Tortillas can be made from corn or flour, with the latter used for this simple recipe.

Frijoles Charros Beans are another popular side dish, usually only lightly seasoned and served whole or mashed. 20

Shrimp Ceviche Shrimp ceviche is very common in Mexico. It differs from the same dish in other Latin countries in that it commonly includes fresh, crisp vegetables such as radishes. Total Time

45 min

Ingredients 1 lb (450 g) large shrimp, peeled and de-veined 2 lemons or limes, juice only 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil ½ bunch cilantro, chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 clove garlic 3 serrano peppers, finely chopped 8 radishes, finely chopped salt and black pepper to taste

Directions Place shrimp in a non-reactive bowl. Chop shrimp first if finer pieces are preferred. Pour lemon or lime juice over shrimp and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate a half hour, until shrimp are opaque. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Add cilantro, onion, tomato, garlic, serrano peppers, and radishes. 6 Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold.

National Symbols National Bird Golden Eagle (common name) Aquila chrysaetos (scientific name)

National Day Independence Day September 16

National Flower Dahlia (common name) Dahlia pinnata (scientific name)

National Animal The golden eagle is an important symbol in Mexico and is both the country’s national bird and animal.

National Flag First used – 1821 (current version adopted September 16, 1968)

National Currency Mexico’s official currency is the Mexican peso and centavo. 1 peso = 100 centavos

National Anthem “Himno Nacional Mexicano”

Lyrics by: Francisco Gonzalez Bocanegra

Spanish Lyrics

English Translation

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra El acero aprestad y el bridón, Y retiemble en sus centros la tierra Al sonoro rugir del cañón. Y retiemble en sus centros la tierra Al sonoro rugir del cañón.

Mexicans, when the war cry is heard, Have sword and bridle ready. Let the earth’s foundations tremble At the loud cannons roar.

Things to See and Do Bishopric Lookout Atop Cerro del Bishopric Hill, named for a bishop’s 18th century home, flies the largest Mexican flag in the country. A path leads around the 230-kilogram (507-pound) flag

Cumbres del Ajusco National Park Encompassing 907 hectares (2,240 acres), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park contains four mountains taller than 3,700 meters (12,000 feet), with the extinct volcano Ajusco, also known as Cruz del Marqués.

Guadalajara Zoo This 40-hectare (100-acre) zoo features Discover Africa, a drivethough safari across a savannah and river that features African wildlife and Maasai culture. Other attractions include an underwater tunnel, Australian village, and animal shows. 24

La Gran Plaza Built in the early 1980s, this plaza in the heart of Monterrey is regarded as one of the world’s largest. Spread over 40 hectares (99 acres), it consists of various monuments, smaller plazas, and gardens.

Vallarta Botanical Gardens This expansive garden features a wide array of native plants and flowers, including an orchid collection. Visitors can climb large rocks, swim in the river, and hike the trails.

Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park Protected since 1993, this park on East Cape boasts the only living coral reef on the West Coast of North America.

Chichen Itza One of the best-preserved Mayan archaeological sites in Mexico, Chichen Itza is a large preColumbian temple city, built by the Mayans.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City This Spanish baroque cathedral is the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

Palace of Fine Arts This is the most important cultural center in Mexico and houses paintings and other works of art.

El Rey Ruins Located in Cancun’s Hotel Zone, these are ruins of an ancient city and several pyramids. They date to 3000-4000 years ago and feature painted frescoes and sunbathing iguanas. 26

Bishopric Lookout Cumbres del Ajusco National Park Guadalajara Zoo La Gran Plaza Vallarta Botanical Gardens Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park Chichen Itza Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City Palace of Fine Arts El Rey Ruins

Location Guid e

Fun Facts Small But Mighty Chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed in the world, named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua where they are thought to have originated.

Tomato Timeline Tomatoes originate in Mexico. It is believed that Spanish explorer, Hernán Cortés brought them to Europe as seeds in 1519.

Colossal Cholula The largest pyramid in the world is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, standing 54 meters (180 feet) tall. Its base is 450 by 450 meters (1,480 by 1,480 feet), four times larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Monarch Migration Every year, millions of Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico from as far away as Canada, settling in the state of Michoacan.

Sinking City Built above a former lake, Mexico City is sinking at a rate of almost 50 centimeters (20 inches) per year. As water is removed from aquifers underneath the city, the ground compresses and sinks. 29

KIDS’ GUIDE TO

Mexico Guadalajara

Mexico City

San Francisco de Campeche

San Miguel de Allende

Taxco City