Mexiko

Location: Mexico is located in Central America and officially belongs to the continent of North America.

Mexico borders the states of USA, Guatemala and Belize. It also borders the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

Area: Around 2mio m²

Regions: Mexico consists of thirtyone states, also many nearby islands belong to it. The main states are Veracruz, Sonora, Distrito Federale and Durango.

Capital City: Mexico City. It does not belong to a federal state, but forms an independent capital district. High houses and a large, well organized subway system are typical of the city. Mexico City is surrounded by high mountains. The capital is the center of the country’s culture, politics and economy. Most of Mexico’s sights are located here. What is special about the town is that it was built on a lake that had previously been filled in. The city is often affected by small earthquakes. Other major cities: Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Puebla. Mountains and waters: The mountains include the Eastern and Western Sierra Madre as well as the highlands of Mexico. The largest mountain and volcano at the same time is called Citlaltèpetl and is about 5600 meters high. The longest river is called Rio Grande (between Texas and Mexico), and the largest lake is Lake Chapala.

Climate: The climate is mostly in the Subtropical Zone, small areas also in the Tropical Zone. Due to the differences in altitude, some places have an alpine climate. In the middle of the country at the Tropic of Capricorn, the climate is subtropical all year round.

Flora: In Mexico there is a great variety of plants, because due to the size and the different altitudes of the country, many different plants can grow. There are about 30,000 plant species in Mexico. Some species are endangered.
Typical Mexican plants include the dahlia (national flower), the mahogany tree, three cactus species found in the desert: Cardón cactus, candelabra cactus, prickly pear cactus.

Fauna: Also the animal world is colorful and rich in species due to the different vegetation zones. The biggest cat of prey in Mexico is the jaguar. Also the puma, the ocelot, the raccoon, the wild boar, monkeys, and especially typical for Mexico, the monarch butterflies can be found in the country. Reptiles like the iguana and the crocodile, birds like the pelican, toucan, quetzal, and flamingos have their habitat in Mexico. In the desert one occasionally encounters rattlesnakes, scorpions and coyotes.

Underwater world: Mexico is very well-known and popular because of its amazing underwater world. Barracudas, king mackerels, whale sharks, Grey whales, turtles, angel sharks, manta rays, parrot fish, swordfish and other fish can be found as divers in Mexico. Also large coral gardens (e.g. the Maya Reef) and underwater plants such as the Mexico horn leaf, green and reddish brown Mexican hair nixie, Mexican Rotala can be admired particularly well in the Caribbean. Thus, many tourists are attracted by the diving offers in the Caribbean Sea.

Economy: Mexico is an economically important and in relation to other Latin American countries a widely industrialized country, in the export ranking it occupies 8th place. The GDP is about €7600 per capita. Mexico is rich in oil, gas and other natural resources (gold, copper, zinc). Mexico mainly grows cotton, tobacco, coffee, vegetables, cereals and fruit. Tourism and industry are also very important economic sectors for Mexico. More than half of the industrial production is generated in Mexico City or the surrounding area. Textiles, chemicals, electrical goods, steel, various foodstuffs are produced there. Despite the relatively well functioning economy, almost half of the total population is below the poverty line and the unemployment rate is around 5%.

Type of Government: Federal republic
Form of government: Presidential democracy (President: Enrique Peňa Nieto)
Currency: Mexican Peso
Official language: Spanish
Population: About 100mio inhabitants. The inhabitants consist of a large extent of mestizos, less Indians and whites. A very small proportion consists of foreigners and refugees from Guatemala. More than one tenth of the total population is illiterate, most of the inhabitants are Christians.

Culture peoples: The Aztecs and the Maya are probably the most well-known, also there are the Olmeks, the Toltecs, the Totonaks, the Mixteks, the Naua, the Otomi & the Tarasks.

Culture: Mexico has a rich cultural heritage. Mexico’s culture reflects the country’s past in many ways. The inhabitants are very diverse and have their own well-known traditions in art, music, cuisine and fashion, which are very typical for the country. For example, the typical Mexican music is played by a so-called “Mariachi”; band. Also the population is known for the ponchos and for the big straw hats, the sombreros.

Cuisine: The Mexican cuisine is widespread, in many areas there are Mexican restaurants. Typical dishes from Mexican cuisine include tacos and burritos. These are usually served with salsa (hot tomato sauce) or guacamole (avocado and tomato dip). Another well-known representative of Mexican cuisine is tortillas with dip.

Places of interest / tourist attractions: Mexico is, as already mentioned, a very diverse country, so there are also sights from different areas. At the “Place of Three Cultures”; in Mexico City, for example, there are buildings from three eras of Mexican history. There are other possibilities to admire the traces of the cultural peoples: El Rey, the old ruins of the Maya, or the old town of Uxmal are among the most popular tourist attractions. We also offer snorkeling and diving expeditions as well as various bathing holidays and excursions, for example a round trip on the Yukatàn peninsula or a cave tour in Rio Secreto.