Il Mexico, among the 14 largest countries in the world, is traversed from North to South by two great mountain ranges: the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental, extensions of the Rocky Mountains. Numerous islands are part of Mexican territory, the most important being Revillagigedo, Marías, and Guadalupe; overall, Mexico’s non-continental territory covers an area of about 5000 km2. Vast plains merge into peninsulas, such as the Yucatan Peninsula, tickling the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Cut in two by the Tropic of Cancer, Mexico shows marked climatic variability: depending on the geographical location, it is possible to go from a temperate to a tropical climate. Around the 16th century, Mexico, land of flourishing Aztec empires, was stormed by Spanish conquistadors, who ruled it for so long as to leave the country two of the most representative traits of a civilization: the language, Spanish, and the religion, Catholic.
However, centuries of colonialism have not succeeded in annihilating the richness of pre-existing civilizations which, splendidly, still reveal themselves today to the eyes of those fortunate enough to visit places like Teotihuacán, the largest pre-Columbian archaeological site in North America. In short, anyone who visits these places will surely appreciate the multifaceted nature of a new culture, the result of the coexistence of indigenous people, mestizos, and whites. Mexico: a multifaceted wealth of landscape, cultural, and social scenarios.
Mexico Profile
- Country: United Mexican States
- Area: 1,972,550 Km²
- Capital: Mexico City
- Population: 106,203,000 inhabitants
- Language: Spanish
- Religion: the majority are Catholic
- Form of Government: federal republic
- Major cities: Mexico City, Acámbaro, Acapulco, Cancun, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, León, medicali, Monterrey, Puebla, Queretaro, Tampico, Tijuana, Veracruz, Zacatecas, Merida, Oaxaca, Cuernavaca
Useful Information about Mexico
- Currency: Mexican Peso (1 euro = 14.73 MXN)
- International dialing code: +52
- International vehicle code: MEX
- Driving side: right
- Entry documents: Passport
- Vaccination required: None
- Electricity: 110V, 60Hz (American voltage)
- Unit of measurement: metric decimal
- Time zone: from -7 to -9 hours compared to Italy; Mexico has three time zones
- Fixed-date holidays: January 1: New Year’s Day; February 5: Constitution Day; March-April: Good Friday; March-April: Easter; March-April: Easter Monday; March 21: Anniversary of Benito Juarez’s birth; April 8: Children’s Day; May 1: Labor Day; May 5: Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla; September 1: National Day; September 16: Independence Day; October 12: Race Day; November 20: Revolution Day; December 25: Christmas; December 26: St. Stephen’s Day
- Climate: dry tropical, arid climate; characterized by two types of seasons, the dry season from November to May, and the wet season from June to October
- Average temperatures: from 9°C to 29°C annually; the climate varies significantly from north to south and even more depending on altitude
- Transport: National airline Aeromexico; others operating flights to and from Mexico: American Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Alitalia, Iberia and others; domestic flights are managed by Aero California, Aeroméxico and Mexicana which offer service to the main cities of the country.
- Airports: Mexico City International, Mérida, Cancun, Acapulco, and Guadalajara. Every state in the republic has an airport for domestic and/or international connections
