Mexico is the fifth largest country in total area, bordered to the north by the United States and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. With over 113 million people, Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. The Aztec people were ethnic groups who dominated parts of central Mexico from the 14th to 16th centuries, particularly those who spoke the Nahuatl language such as the Mexica of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City.

2. Mexico is bordered to the north by the States;
on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.
Bing almost two million square
kilometres, Mexico is the fifth largest country
in the total area and is the largest
independent nation in the world. With an
estimated population of over 113 million, it is
the most populous Spanish-speaking country
in the world.
Location

3. Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for Fifth of May which is
held in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla. The
significance of this celebration is to remember that the
Mexican‟s took down the French when the Mexican army was
outnumbered by the French and since the battle of Puebla no
country in the Americas has subsequently been invaded by any
other force.
The history of Cinco de Mayo is that in 1861 a French
fleet tried to invade Mexico whilst the US were in Civil war.
When the French invaded Veracruz, with their 8,000 troops,
they marched toward Mexico City, but, they encountered
heavy resistance forts near Puebla and they were attacked by
poorly equipped, small Mexican army of 4,500. But on May 5.
1862, Mexicans managed to decisively crush the French army,
then considered "the premier army in the world". The
Mexican‟s victory was short lived, being that a year later the
French invaded Mexico for three years(1864 to 1867) until the
US came out of their Civil War and helped Mexico get rid of the
French.
Celebrations, Customs and Traditions

4. Dia de los Muertos means „Day of the Dead‟ but
really, this celebration is important to both the dead, and the
living. The Day of the Dead is held on the 1st and 2nd of
November, during these days the Mexican‟s remember the
members of their family who have passed away.
The first day is dedicated to the children who have
passed away, this day is called Día de los Inocentes meaning
“Day of the Innocents” or Día de los Angelitos meaning “Day of
the Little Angels”. The second day is spent remembering the
deaths of any adults or elderly, this day is called Día de los
Muertosor Día de los Difuntos meaning “Day of the Dead”.
The families of the deceased bring gifts to the graves
of their loved ones, such as a favorite toy for the children, or a
favorite food and drink for the adults. Paper mache sculptures
depict the dead in an everyday context, such as skeletons, and
most are comical in nature.
Celebrations, Customs and Traditions

5. Is a form of professional wrestling that has developed
within those countries. Although the term nowadays refers
exclusively to professional wrestling, it was originally used in the
same style as the English term "freestyle wrestling", referring to
an amateur wrestling style without the restrictions of Greco-
Roman wrestling. Mexican wrestling is characterized by
colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers. The
wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches
are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently
remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight
attached.
Celebrations, Customs and Traditions

6. Bote pateado -A hide and seek game with a twist that
requires a can to play. The “seeker” must go back and
forth to the can between searches giving the players time
to hide again.
Burro castigado - Similar to hide and seek. The seeker has
10 minutes to find five players or he/she becomes the
“punished donkey”.
Coleadas - A game in which children hold hands on one is
in charge of running and zigzagging around things until
other fall off.
Chinche al agua -“ Buck buck” is a team game in which
players from one team jump on the backs of players from
the other and try not to fall off.
Piñata - the piñata game in which children are
blindfolded and try to break the piñata.
Games

7. The common perception of the music and look of mariachi
developed in the 20th century, as the music was transformed from a
regional rural folk music to an urban phenomenon that came to
represent Mexico. The music was first introduced to Mexico City in
1905. During this time, many farm workers moved to the
city, including those from Jalisco, which settled around Plaza
Garibaldi. These mariachi musicians developed new practices, such
as performances in plazas and restaurants. However, it also
continued its more traditional venues such as serenades, and
performances at major family events.
During this time, the Mexican government was heavily
involved in cultural promotion as a way to create a unified Mexican
identity after the end of the Mexican Revolution. One of these efforts
was the promotion of mariachi as an international symbol of
Mexican identity, first with radio and sound recordings and later
with films.
Traditional Music

8. Traditional rancheras are about love, patriotism or nature. Songs
are usually in a major key, and consist of an instrumental
introduction, verse and refrain, instrumental section repeating
the verse, and another verse and refrain, with a tag ending.
Instrumentation may
include guitars, strings, trumpets, and/or accordions, depending
on the type of ensemble being utilised. Besides the typical
instrumentation, ranchera music, as well as many other forms of
traditional Mexican music, is also noted for the grito mexicano, a
yell that is done at musical interludes within a song, either by the
musicians and/or the listening audience.
Traditional Music

9. A guiro is a dried gourd with ridges on the surface of
the shell to provide a rough place to rake a wooden stick
across. Dating to pre-Columbian times, this percussion
instrument is still used by Salsa bands today. Some guiros can
be produced by metal, plastic or fibre glass. This instrument is
also known as a calabazo, guayo, ralladera or rascador.
Maracas are a percussion instrument that are used
in Salsa music. They are made of the fruit of the higuera tree.
The round and small fruit is first dried. Through two drilled
holes, small pebbles are inserted and a handle is attached. The
amount of pebbles in a maraca is traditionally an uneven
number to create a distinct sound.
The guitarrón mexicano or Mexican guitarron, is a
very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass played
traditionally in mariachi groups. Although similar to the
guitar, it is not a descendant of that instrument, but was
independently developed from the sixteenth-century
Spanish bajo de uña. It achieves audibility by its great
size, and does not require electric amplification for
performances in small venues.

10. Cesar Millan: A Mexican-born dog trainer that has gained
fame in the reality series The Dog Whisperer.
Diego Boneta: An actor who had a leading role in the musical
Rock Of Ages, and played the role of Alex Santiago in Pretty
Little Liars alongside Ashley Benson.
Kat Von D: A Celebrity tattoo artist who is featured on Miami
Ink and LA ink.
Javier Hernandez: A Mexican star striker for Manchester
United and Mexico's national team also known as Chicharito.
Salma Hayek: A Mexican actress who gave a memorable
performance in Frida in 2002. She‟s also the voice of Kitty
Softpaws in the movie Puss in Boots.

11. Tropical fruits such as guava, prickly
pear, sapote, mangoes, bananas, pineapple and
cherimoya (custard apple) are popular, especially in the centre
and south of the country. It has been debated how much
Mexican food is still indigenous and how much is
European. However, the basis of the diet is still corn and beans
with chili pepper as a seasoning as they are complimentary
foods.
In most of Mexico, much of food, especially in rural
areas, is still consumed in the home with the most traditional
Mexican cooking still done domestically, based on local
ingredients. Cooking for family is considered to be women‟s
work, including cooking for celebrations. Traditionally girls
have been considered ready to marry when they can cook, and
cooking is considered a main talent for housewives.
Mexican street food is one of the most varied parts of
the cuisine. It can include
tacos, quesadillas, pambazos, tamales, huaraches and food not
suitable to cook at home including barbacoa, carnitas and
since many homes in Mexico do not have ovens, roasted
chicken.

12. The federal government of Mexico is the national
government of the United Mexican States, the central
government established by its constitution to share
sovereignty over the republic with the governments of the
31 individual Mexican states and one Federal District, and
to represent such governments before international bodies
such as the United Nations.

13. The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of
central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke
the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts
of Mesoamerica from the 14th to 16th centuries.
The Nahuatl words aztecatl and aztecah mean
"people from Aztlan", a mythological place for the
Nahuatl-speaking culture of the time, and later
adopted as the word to define the Mexican people.
Often the term "Aztec" refers exclusively to
the Mexican people of Tenochtitlan (now the location
of Mexico City), situated on an island in Lake
Texcoco, who referred to themselves as Mexica
Tenochca or Cōlhuah Mexica.