If you’re planning a vacation to Mexico then you might want to get to know a bit more about the country you’re about to visit.
Here are 17 facts that you might not have known about Mexico (number 11 has to be false!).
1. The official name of Mexico is the United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos).
2. If you could the total area of the country Mexico is, in fact, the 13th largest nation in the world!
3. Before the Spanish conquistadores came around Mexico was ruled by the Olmec, Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya, and the Aztec.
4. While Spanish is the main language in Mexico there are actually 68 indigenous languages that are recognised by the government.
5. There are more than 113 million people in Mexico which means it is the most heavily populated Spanish speaking nation in the world.
6. Mexico is one of the world’s largest economies!
7. It is also the 10th largest oil producer.
8. Mexico is also the foremost provider of silver in the world.
9. Mexico is, geographically, a part of North America.
10. If you count UNESCO World Heritage sites Mexico actually has so many that it comes in sixth in the world.
11. There is a woman in Mexico who claims she is 127 years old! If this is true this would make her the oldest woman in the world, but unfortunately her birth certificate can’t be found.
12. Mexico is responsible for some of the world’s favorite foods including corn, chillies, and chocolate.
13. The USA – Mexican border is the second largest political border in the whole world.
14. Mexico city lies on the site of an ancient Aztec city called Tenochtitlán which is also sinking by 6 to 8 inches a year because it was built on the bed of an ancient lake.
15. Until September 1810 Mexico was actually a Spanish colony, and had been for around 300 years!
16. The most common surname in Mexico, as reported by the INE, is Hernández followed by de García and Martínez.
