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, appendages 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, caressing 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 long enough to leave two of the most representative traits of a civilization as a legacy to the country: the language, Spanish, and the religion, Catholic.
However, centuries of colonialism have not managed to annihilate 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 comes to these places will surely appreciate the multifaceted nature of a new culture, the fruit of the coexistence of indigenous people, mestizos, and whites. Mexico: a multifaceted wealth of landscapes, cultural, and social scenery.
The profile of Mexico
- Country: United Mexican States
- Area: 1,972,550 Km²
- Capital: Mexico City
- Population: 106,203,000 inhabitants
- Language: Spanish
- Religion: the majority is Catholic
- System of Government: federal republic
- Major cities: Mexico City, Acámbaro, Acapulco, Cancan, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Leon, medical, 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 registration code: MEX
- Driving side: right
- Entry documents: Passport
- Required vaccination: None
- Electric current: 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: Columbus Day; November 20: Revolution Day; December 25: Christmas; December 26: St. Stephen’s Day
- Climate: dry tropical, arid climate; characterized by two 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 strongly depending on altitude
- Transportation: National airline Aeromexico; others flying to and from Mexico include American Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Alitalia, Iberia and others; domestic flights are operated by Aero California, Aeroméxico and Mexicana serving the main cities of the country.
- Airports: Mexico City International, Mérida, Cancun, Acapulco and Guadalajara. Each state in the republic has an airport for internal and/or international connections
