1. Beautiful & HistoricMxico

2. When many think of Mexico theythink of the negative and notnecessarily the positive.Mexico is full of rich history, religion, myths and culture; all thosethings come into account when you visit a diverse country like Mexico. 3. In the beginning..It was said that some of the earliest Mexicans could have been of the stone-age hunter-gatherers from the north. Not much is known, but by around 10,000 B.C Mexico had alreadybecome populated. 4. The OlmecOlmec HeadBy around 1500 B.C.- A.D. 300 a civilizationcalled the Olmecsettled in Tabasco and Veracruz coasts. Theywere regarded byanthropologists as"Mesoamericans motherculture because they established a pattern for latercivilizations,developing basic calendar, writing andnumbering systems" (Delsol 18). They had an affinity with were jaguar believing thatthey and in the past awoman born children ofa jaguar.Olmec Altar, La Venta, with half human-jaguar babies 5. Rise of CivilizationsFollowing the Olmec, the Maya,Teotihuacan, Monte Alban and Palenque became the center civilizations in Mexico. The city ofTeotihuacan was inhabited by 200,000people, it was built near present-day Mexico city and is now the most visited archaeological site in Mexico.The city of Teotihuacan today. In the cities of Monte Alban, the elite reigned. During thePost-Classic period the Toltecs rose to power in the capital of Tula. The Toltects had a lot of violent influence andcontributed to a lot of warfare. They had large military classes, with numbers as large as 40,000 people. But by the 13th Century their power had diminished, mostly due to civil wars and rivalary. 6. ReligionBefore the 15th century, most of thepopulation in Mexico had universal beliefs: a belief of forces in nature, respect of thecalendar, and human sacrifice. But once theSpaniards arrived they successfully converted the population to Catholicism. Today, Catholicism is thedominant religion in Mexico, followed by Protestants,Muslims, Mennonites, and Jews. One of the most famousand second-most visisted Roman Catholic holy sites in the world is the Basilica de Nuestra Seora deGuadalupe. Between 1974 and 1976 the modern church of Basilica was built. It has seating space for 10,000people. The new and old Basilica side by side. 7. Dia de los MuertosMexicans have forms of staying true to ancient traditions. The holiday of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), still hold similiar traditions to those of the Atzec byoffering food and valuables to the dead. It is celebrated on November 1st & 2nd.Catrinas, one of the most popular figures ofthe Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. 8. geography Mexico also has manygeological features. Itis home to the CopperCanyon, which is larger and sometimes deeper than the Grand Canyon. There are two deserts,150 rivers, five of therivers hold more than half of the water in allPopocatpetl Volcanothe rivers combined and four of these arelocated in the southern part of the country. Mexico also has activevolcanoes, Popocatepetl and Volcan de Fuego de Colima. Because Mexicois on top of three tectonic plates, it isone of the most seismologically activeCopper Canyonplaces on Earth. 9. WildlifeMexico is known for being one of the most naturally diversedplaces in the world. Mexico also places first in reptilebiodiversity, with more than 740 known species; second in mammals, at 526; fourth in amphibians, at 290; and 10th inbirds, at 1,150 (Delsol 49). Mexicos salvas (jungles) arealso home to various fauna, such as howler monkeys, jaguars,numerous species of birds and coatimundis.The Mesoamerican Reefwhich is located off the Yucatan Peninsula is the second-largest reef in the world. There are 380 types of freshwaterfish, 1,300 ocean species, the most endangered porpoise, the vaquita, blue whale, seven of the eight species of sea turtles and manatees are all located in the waters of Mexico. 10. DangersWhen visiting Mexico it is importantto know that, although it is a beautifulcountry it can also be dangerous. Mexico is known for drug trafficking and thecartel is known to become very violent but travelers are the least of their worries,but it is still advised to be safe and not lurk in any suspicious areas that are notfamiliar to you. 11. Many people travel to Mexico to enjoy the resorts in Alcapulco or Cancun, butMexico has so much more thanthat. From archaeological sites like Teotihuacan, which stills has thePyrimads built hundreds of years ago, to the RuggedCopper Canyon and sea turtle nesting sites. Travel in November and witness the culture tradition of Dia de los Muertos, or view thestunning artwork of MiguelCabrera or Frida Khalo andthe intricate interior ofthe Santa Prisca y San Sebastian Church. No matterwhat you do in Mexico, remember that everything there has rich history,strong culture and exuberant people. 12. Mexico City