15 Facts about Mexico you probably didn't know

We hope this guide shows people that Mexico is worth visiting and different than often portrayed by the media and movies.

• Area: 1,964,375 sq km (758,449 sq miles). Compared to the U.S., Mexico is about 5 times smaller.
• Population: 166 million.
• Capital: Ciudad de Mexico.
• Government: Federal republic, same as the U.S. Government.
• Head of state: President Andres Lopez Obrador since 2018.
• Official language: The official language of Mexico is Spanish; however, there are 68 indigenous languages ​​with 364 variants.
• States and division: The Mexican territory is divided into thirty-one states and Mexico City, the country’s capital. In turn, each state is divided into municipalities.
• Currency: The Mexican peso is the official currency of Mexico. Foreign tourists can change dollars in cash or traveler’s checks to pesos at banks at a maximum amount of $ 1,500 per month. Using Mexican pesos in establishments and shops is recommended since not all locations accept dollars as a means of payment. However, most service providers will accept credit cards.
• Visas for travelers: To enter Mexico, you must present your valid passport and the Tourist Immigration Form; this form is obtained online. Know the details and countries that require a visa here.
• Maximum stay in Mexico: As a tourist, you can stay in Mexico for a maximum of 180 days; however, this depends on many factors, and you could get less.
• Vaccines to enter Mexico: At the moment, there is no mandatory vaccination requirement to enter Mexico,
• Covid-19 test requirements: At this time, a negative COVID-19 test is not required to enter Mexico. Check the measures you must take before traveling at: https://coronavirus.gob.mx/
• Tax requirements: It is important to consider that the Value Added Tax (IVA) of 16% is included in all consumptions, purchases, or contracting of services. In addition, as of April 1, 2021, the state of Quintana Roo, in the south of the country, introduced a new tax for foreigners. Learn more about it here.

Mexico Fact 1. Mexico’s Location.

Mexico is located on the American Continent. Some of you would say Mexico is in North America, and others may say Central America. To be more exact, the American continent includes all countries from Canada to Argentina. The continent was named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and the term America referred to a single continent was used in the U.S. until the 1950s; however, in many other countries, the term America is used when referring to the whole continent.

Mexico Fact 2. Mexico’s Real Name is Not Mexico

Mexico’s official name is not Mexico; it is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, translated into English as the United Mexican States. The country is divided into 32 states, but this is recent. Until 2017, there were 31 states and one Federal District; similarly to the U.S., where Washington DC isn’t s state, it’s a district.

Before 2017, Ciudad de Mexico was not the official name; it was Distrito Federal or D.F. Now that became a state, the official name is Cuidad de Mexico (Mexico City), so if you see CDMX, it means Ciudad de Mexico.

Mexico Fact 3. Mexico isn’t a Third World Country

The term ‘third world’ was invented during the Cold War as one of three geopolitical alignment divisions. Countries aligned with NATO were considered “first world,” those aligned with the Soviet Union were “the second world,” and non-aligned countries were “the third world” however, nowadays, the term “third world” has become synonymous with poverty.

Pop culture, Hollywood movies, and news present an image of Mexico as nothing but dirt road pueblos, which have a generally poor economy, and its citizens are Spanish-speaking cowboys riding horses around town, making people think that Mexico is a third-world country. However, Mexico has a thriving economy, an incredibly developed infrastructure, and low infant mortality rates compared to most.

According to the IMF, Mexico is the 15th largest economy in the World and the 11th largest in terms of purchasing power parity.

On the other hand, the gap between poor and rich is quite extensive; while some households have a maid and a driver, others don’t have enough to live on.

Mexico Fact 4. Mexico in numbers

• Mexico is the 7th most visited country in the World.
• Mexico is the 4th most Biodiverse country.
• Mexico is the Top Latin American Destination.
• Mexico is the World’s Largest Beer exporter, followed by the Netherlands, which exports half of what Mexico does.
• Mexico City is the 2nd city with more museums in the World.
• Mexico’s got 34 UNESCO sites within its borders. The list includes the historic centers of towns like Guanajuato, Mexico City, and Puebla, dozens of ancient ruins, the agave fields of Tequila, and much more.
• Mexico has the Largest University in The World and the oldest in America. The National University of Mexico (UNAM) was founded in 1551 by Charles V of Spain, 85 years before Harvard.
• Mexico City has the Most Taxi Cabs in the World, with about 140,000 units, which doesn’t include ride-sharing services.

Mexico Fact 5. U.S. citizens are the most significant immigration group in Mexico

According to the U.S. state department, there’s an estimate that 1.5 million U.S. citizens live in Mexico. Still, the number can be higher as the U.S. does not spend too much time tracking immigration into Mexico.

Mexico Fact 6. Mexican Burritos Are Only Eaten in the North

Everyone seems to love Mexican food, and UNESCO recently classified it as an irreplaceable part of the cultural heritage of humanity. Although, outside of Mexico, what people refer to as “Mexican food” is actually Tex-Mex.

In Mexico, nobody actually eats Chipotle-style burritos filled with rice, beans, and meat; for many Mexicans, that combination is actually gross.

Mexico Fact 7. Not all Mexican food is spicy, and other food misconceptions

One big misconception is that Mexican food must always follow a specific spiciness level. Most authentic Mexican food is not very spicy or hot; it’s actually sour due to the use of limes, which in Mexico are called lemons. While there are 64 different kinds of peppers in Mexico, the other ingredients make the food flavorful. Also, in Mexico, you’re not supposed to be in pain when eating Mexican dishes.

Tacos are made of everything but chicken, as chicken is used to make stews, soup, and tamales. That goes as well for quesadillas; in Mexico, chicken is not mixed with cheese; quesadillas are basically cheese and veggies, but it’s ok to mix cheese with steaks or chorizo.

Hard-shell tacos and nachos are not Mexican

Cesar salad was invented in Mexico; to be more exact, it happened in Tijuana in 1924.

Another famous salad in Mexico is called Russian salad, which is, in fact, Russian.

Mexico Fact 8. Key Mexican inventions that changed the World

Without Mexico, the World would be black and white for a long time. Guillermo González Camarena invented the chronoscopes adapter for television equipment, which was an early color tv transmission system. He was only 17 during WWII, and his first official color transmission was from Mexico City in 1946.

Luis Ernesto Miramontes Cardenas, a 25-year-old Mexican chemist, came up with the chemical compound that would make the main component of the first birth control pills in 1951.

Mexico Fact 9. The first printing press in America was used in Mexico

The first printing press in America was used in Mexico City in 1539 at the House of the First Printing Press in the Americas (Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América). Long before it was used in the United States.

Mexico Fact 10. Mexicans Don’t Celebrate 5 de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day. Most Mexicans don’t celebrate it except for people in the state of Puebla, as it only commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when Mexico won against the French army.

Although Mexico declared independence on September 27, 1821, Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16 as it all started on September 16, 1810.

Mexico Fact 11. Mexico’s pyramids facts

Mexico has more than 30 pyramids; one of them, the Pyramid of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World,

If you asked most people where the largest Pyramid in the World is? I can guarantee you 99% would say that the largest one is the Pyramid of Ginza in Egypt. However, the Largest Pyramid ever constructed is the Great Pyramid of Cholula in Puebla. It is 54m (177ft), and its base covers an area of nearly 45 acres.

Mexico Fact 12. Mexico’s volcanos

Mexico is in the middle of the “Ring of Fire,” where almost 90% of the World’s earthquakes and about 81 % of the planet’s volcanic eruptions take place. Mexico has in total, 42 active volcanos.

Mexico is also home to the World’s smallest volcano. The volcano sits just outside the city of Puebla and stands 13m (43 ft).

Mexico is also where a rare rabbit called the volcano rabbit lives.

The meteor that killed the dinosaurs hit Mexico, specifically in the Yucatan peninsula.

Mexico Fact 13. Mexico City is Sinking Every Year

Mexico City has the highest elevation and is the oldest city in North America. But not only that, it’s also built over the ruins of a great Aztec city Tenochtitlán on a lake.

However, unlike the Aztecs, who created intricate systems of dikes and canals for flood control, the Spanish insisted on draining the lakebed once they got a taste of the work needed to maintain their watery existence.

As a result, Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population.

Mexico Fact 14. The meteorite that wiped-out dinosaurs struck Mexico.

The meteorite that wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago hit the Mexican peninsula of Yucatán. A 180-square meters crater with more than 600 meters in depth was left behind. Employees of the state oil company PEMEX discovered the crater in 1981 while drilling an oil well.

Mexico Fact 15. Final facts

The only true Castle on the American continent is located in Mexico City, and it’s called Castillo de Chapultepec.

Mexico has the only blowhole on earth called La Bufadora, located in Ensenada.

Millions of butterflies migrate to and from Mexico every year, and it’s a spectacular event.