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Mexico
Table of Contents
Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
Relief
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Cultural life
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Daily life and social customs
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Food and drink
Holidays and festivals
The arts
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History
Pre-Columbian Mexico
Early, Middle, and Late Formative periods
Classic Period
Post-Classic Period
The rise of the Aztecs
Conquest of Mexico
Expansion of Spanish rule
Colonial period, 1701–1821
Independence
The Mexican Empire, 1821–23
The early republic
The age of Santa Anna: Texas and the Mexican-American War
La Reforma
French intervention
The restored republic
The age of Porfirio Díaz
Precursors of revolution
The Mexican Revolution and its aftermath, 1910–40
The military revolution
The constitution of 1917
The northern dynasty: Obregón and Calles
Resurgence under Cárdenas
World War II, 1941–45
Mexico since 1945
Prosperity and repression under the PRI
Beyond single-party rule
Peña Nieto and the return of PRI rule
The election of López Obrador and the shift leftward
Presidents of Mexico from 1917
References & Edit History
Facts & Stats
Images, Videos & Interactives
For Students
Mexico summary
Quizzes
The Country Quiz
Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz
Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz
Which Country Is Larger? Quiz
Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz
Related Questions
What are some of Mexico’s top tourism destinations?
What are some of Mexico’s most important holidays?
What is traditional Mexican cuisine like?
What are the major ethnic groups of Mexico?
Where did Benito Juárez get his education?
Read Next
¡Viva México!
12 Influencers Throughout History
World Poetry Day
Discover
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
Flags That Look Alike
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
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Mexico: Media
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https://www.britannica.com/place/Mexico/images-videos
Videos
Hear Carlos Tortolero, director and founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art, speak on the preservation of Mexican culture
A discussion concerning the preservation of culture at the National Museum of Mexican...
Video: Great Museums Television (
A Britannica Publishing Partner
)
The true meaning of Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day—and it actually impacted the American...
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
See a golden eagle take flight from its nest to swoop down on rabbit prey
A golden eagle (
Aquila chrysaetos
) taking flight and capturing a rabbit.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Why is there a shortage of natural vanilla?
An overview of the history, chemistry, and economics of natural and synthetic vanilla.
Video: © American Chemical Society (
A Britannica Publishing Partner
)
Monarch butterfly migration explained
Learn about the monarch butterfly, including its annual migration to Mexico.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Rinus Baak/Dreamstime.com
Explore the breathtaking resort city of Cancún, Mexico
Overview of the popular resort city of Cancún, Mexico.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Jonathan Ross/Dreamstime.com
View original footage of Paricutín's nine-year volcanic eruption and the devastation experienced by surrounding communities
The eruption of Paricutín lasted for nine years and produced one of the world's youngest...
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Images
Mexico
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mayan pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Mayan pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
© diegograndi—iStock/Getty Images
Mexico
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Physical features of Mexico
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Sierra Madre
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Iztaccíhuatl volcano, Puebla state, Mexico
The snowcapped peak of the volcano Iztaccíhuatl overlooking harvested corn in the...
Chip and Rosa Maria de la Cueva Peterson
Mexico City: Metropolitan Cathedral
Metropolitan Cathedral at night in Mexico City.
Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (
A Britannica Publishing Partner
)
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City, Mexico
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City, Mexico.
© Rafael Ben-Ari/stock.adobe.com
Copper Canyon, Chihuahua state, Mexico
Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in the Sierra Madre Occidental, in Chihuahua state,...
© Kerrick James
Citlaltépetl, Veracruz state, Mexico
Citlaltépetl (Orizaba Peak), the highest point in Mexico, located in western Veracruz...
© Digital Vision/Getty Images
Acapulco, Mexico
Panoramic view of the coastal resort of Acapulco, Mexico.
Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images
Tarahumara people
Tarahumara persons in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico.
Art Resource, New York
charro
Mexican
charro
in a traditional costume and sombrero.
Constantine Manos/Magnum
Mayan Chac Mool sculpture and pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Mayan Chac Mool sculpture (foreground) and pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
© Digital Vision/Getty Images
Old Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City
Old Basilica of Guadalupe, the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint,...
© Byelikova/Dreamstime.com
Baja California: agave
Agave plants growing in Baja California, Mexico.
© Robert and Linda Mitchell
oil refinery in Mexico
An oil refinery on the Tabasco Plain, near Villahermosa, Mexico.
© Robert Frerck/Odyssey Productions
Cancún, Mexico
Coastline of Cancún, a popular resort city in Mexico.
© Digital Vision/Getty Images
Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico
Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, with mosaics...
Norman Tomalin/Bruce Coleman Inc.
tostada
Tostadas, crisply fried tortillas typically topped with meat, beans, cheese, lettuce,...
Scott B. Rosen/Eat Your World (
A Britannica Publishing Partner
)
mole poblano
A serving of chicken
enmoladas
, covered with
mole poblano
.
© Marcos Elihu Castillo Ramirez—iStock/Getty Images
burrito
Burrito made with rice, chorizo sausage, black beans, roasted peppers, and cilantro...
© LauriPatterson—E+/Getty Images
pile of churros
A pile of sugary churros at a street vendor's stall in Mexico.
© rawfile redux—Photodisc/Getty Images
Day of the Dead toys
Day of the Dead toys made of pottery and paper, from Oaxaca, Mexico, 1960; in the...
Courtesy of the Girard Foundation, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Cinco de Mayo
Children in traditional Mexican costumes dancing at a Cinco de Mayo celebration.
© Lawrence Migdale
Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes, 2003.
Daniel Aguilar—Reuters/Newscom
Distribution of the Land
mural, Mexico City
Distribution of the Land
, three mural panels by Diego Rivera, 1923–28; in...
Lucas Vallecillos/Alamy
Doña María de la Luz Padilla y (Gómez de) Cervantes
Doña María de la Luz Padilla y (Gómez de) Cervantes
, oil on canvas attributed...
Photograph by Trish Mayo. Brooklyn Museum, New York, Museum Collection Fund and the Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 52.166.3
Desierto de los Leones National Park, Mexico
Desierto de los Leones (“Desert of the Lions”), a national park near Mexico City.
© abalcazar—iStock/Getty Images
Olmec carving
The Olmec people carved huge heads out of volcanic rock.
George Holton/Photo Researchers
Teotihuacán
The remains of the ancient city of Teotihuacán, Mexico, include pyramids, temples,...
© Ian D. Walker/Shutterstock.com
Mayan temple
Mayan temple at Tikal in present-day Guatemala.
© Hugoht/Dreamstime.com
Toltec stone columns
Stone columns carved by the Toltec in Mexico.
© piginka/iStock.com
Aztec sacrifice
Aztec priest performing a sacrificial offering of a living human heart to the war...
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZC4-743)
Xochimilco: floating gardens
The floating gardens (
chinampas
) of Xochimilco, near Mexico City, formerly...
Peter M. Wilson/Alamy
winged god Huitzilopochtli
Map showing winged god Huitzilopochtli instructing Aztec elders to migrate (19th-century...
The Newberry Library (
A Britannica Publishing Partner
)
Francisco Goya:
The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, or “The Executions”
The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, or “The Executions,”
oil on canvas by Francisco...
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain/Giraudon, Paris/SuperStock
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna, daguerreotype.
Courtesy of the San Jacinto Museum of History Association, San Jacinto Monument, Texas
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Maximilian
Maximilian, emperor of Mexico (1864–67).
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Mexico c. 1900
Map of Mexico (c. 1900) from the 10th edition of the
Encyclopædia Britannica
.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Porfirio Díaz
Mexican Pres. Porfirio Díaz in uniform, 1911.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-100275)
Francisco Madero
Francisco Madero, c. 1910.
Archivo Casasola
Pascual Orozco
Gen. Pascual Orozco.
Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-14419)
Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa on horseback.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
broadside
Broadside advertising the premature death of Emiliano Zapata and containing the lyrics...
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Francisco Madero
Francisco Madero (third from the right) with his rebel leaders, 1911.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-80775)
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza (seated) and other leaders of the forces that rebelled against...
Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-14637)
Álvaro Obregón
Gen. Álvaro Obregón, 1917.
Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-hec-09853)
Mexico: drug cartels
Major Mexican drug cartels, 2009.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The arrest of “El Chapo”
Joaquín (“El Chapo”) Guzmán following his capture, 2014.
© Xinhua/David de la Paz—Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Mexico
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Spanish viceroyalties and Portuguese territories in the Americas, 1780
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Leftist governments in Latin America.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico City earthquake of 1985
Map depicting the epicentre of the earthquake that devastated Mexico City on Sept....
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The Rio Grande basin and its drainage network.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Distribution of Meso-American Indians.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Audio
National anthem of Mexico
The instrumental version of the national anthem of Mexico.
Interactives
Mexico: Ethnic composition
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico: Religious affiliation
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico: Urban-rural
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico: Age breakdown
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico: Major import sources
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mexico: Major export destinations
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
States and capitals of Mexico
Interactive map of states and capitals of Mexico.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski
VIEW MORE
in these related Britannica articles:
Media for: Guanajuato
Media for: North America
Media for: Veracruz
Media for: Mexico City