Interesting facts about Mexico you probably didn’t know

1. 31 states and Mexico City make up the country officially known as the United Mexican States (Estados Únidos Mexicanos)
2. Mexico has over 117 million people making it the 11^th most populated country
3. In terms of land, Mexico is the 14^th largest in the world
4. There are over 30 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mexico
5. The national symbol of Mexico is the golden eagle
6. Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice, once in 1970 and then again in 1986
7. Tools found in Mexico suggest humans have inhabited the area for around 23,000 years
8. The biggest cat in Mexico is the jaguar
9. The world’s smallest dog is the Chihuahua and is named after the Mexican state
10. Mexico City is built on a lake and is sinking at around 6 inches a year
11. Modern Mexicans are made up of Olmec, Toltec, Maya, Aztec, Inca, Zapotec, French and Spanish among others
12. The USA/Mexico border is the second longest in the world
13. Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world
14. Mexico has the second most Catholics behind Brazil
15. The Mayans used hornets’ nest to throw as their enemies during battles
16. Mexico is home to the world’s smallest volcano, standing at just 13 metres tall
17. The bloodythirsty Aztecs played a ballgame called tlachtli. The loser was sacrificed
18. Chitchen Itza is named as one of the Seven Wonders of the World
19. Over 50 different languages are spoken in Mexico
20. The Great Pyramid of Cholula is the largest monument ever constructed
21. The rare volcano rabbit lives near the volcanoes of Mexico
22. Chocolate, chilies and corn all come from Mexico
23. Texas was a part of Mexico until 1836 before declaring independence
24. The Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortés was believed to be a returning god when he arrived in 1519 and was offered hot chocolate
25. The first printing press came from Mexico City in the early 16^th century
26. Mexican children receive gifts on the 6^th January, not on Christmas Day
27. The oldest university in North America is in Mexico City and was founded in 1551
28. The country is located on one of the earth’s most volatile volcano and earthquake zones
29. There are some similarities between the ancient Aztec language and English – avocados are ahuacatl, tomatoes are tomatl and chocolate is chocolatl
30. Mexico was under the control of the Spanish for over 300 years

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