2. Mexico, Spanish: México; officially the United Mexican
States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos), and also
referred to as the United States of Mexico (Spanish: Estados
Unidos de México), is a federal constitutional republic in
North America. It is bordered on the north by the United
States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the
southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea;
and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico.
3. FOOD
Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. Most of
today's Mexican food is based on pre-Columbian traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with
culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists.
The conquistadores eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and
onions with the native pre-Columbian food, including
maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, guava, papaya, pineapple, chili pepper, beans, squash, sweet
potato, peanut, and turkey.
Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among
the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in
varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef, goat and ostrich production and meat dishes, in
particular the well-known Arrachera cut.
Central Mexico's cuisine is largely made up of influences from the rest of the country, but also has its
authentics, such as barbacoa, pozole, menudo, tamales, and carnitas.
4. CULTURE
Mexican culture reflects the complexity of the country's history through the blending of indigenous
cultures and the culture of Spain, imparted during Spain's 300-year colonization of Mexico. Exogenous
cultural elements mainly from the United States have been incorporated into Mexican culture.
The Porfirian era (el Porfiriato), in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th
century, was marked by economic progress and peace. After four decades of civil unrest and
war, Mexico saw the development of philosophy and the arts, promoted by President Díaz himself.
Since that time, as accentuated during the Mexican Revolution, cultural identity has had its
foundation in the mestizaje, of which the indigenous (i.e. Amerindian) element is the core. In light of
the various ethnicities that formed the Mexican people, José Vasconcelos in his publication La Raza
Cósmica (The Cosmic Race) (1925) defined Mexico to be the melting pot of all races (thus extending
the definition of the mestizo) not only biologically but culturally as well.This exalting of mestizaje was a
revolutionary idea that sharply contrasted with the idea of a superior pure race prevalent in Europe
at the time
5. EDUCATION
In 2004, the literacy rate was at 97% for youth under the age of 14
and 91% for people over 15, placing Mexico at the 24th place in
the world rank accordingly to UNESCO.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ranks 190th place in
the Top 200 World University Ranking published by The Times Higher
Education Supplement in 2009. Private business schools also stand
out in international rankings. IPADE and EGADE, the business schools
of Universidad Panamericana and of Monterrey Institute of
Technology and Higher Education respectively, were ranked in the
top 10 in a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal among
recruiters outside the United States.
