Fun Facts about Mexico

United Mexican States

The official name of Mexico is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which translates to United Mexican States, although everyone in the world, practically, refers to it simply as Mexico. When the Aztec people ruled the area, their capital city was named Mexico-Tenochtitlan. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in the 16th century, they razed the capital and built a new Spanish-style city on its ruins, and named it Mexico City.

Unfortunately, Mexico City was built on a lake bed, and as a result is slowly sinking. Yes, the entire city. It’s sinking at a rate of about 20cm a year, which may not sound like much, but it adds up. Already much of the city’s infrastructure is under threat, and no long-term solution has ever been proposed. It’s possible the city could actually have to be abandoned, someday.

The Mexican flag is very recognisable, and is made up of three stripes (green, white, and red). Each stripe has a symbolic meaning. The green stripe represents hope, the white stripe represents unity, and the red stripe honours the blood of the nation’s heroes. The eagle and the snake (the Coat of Arms) in the centre is based on an Aztec legend, honouring Mexico’s Aztec legacy.

Pure Fun

We all love a chihuahua, those tiny, shivery little dogs that have occasionally been used to sell us tacos. The breed is the smallest in the world, and is named after the area where it first appeared – the Chihuahua region of Mexico. No one is quite sure where or how the chihuahua dog came to be, but the best theory is that they are descendants of companion dogs raised by ancient Indian tribes that lived in the region long before the Spanish conquest.

Bullfighting is a huge sport in Mexico. In fact, the Plaza Mexico is the largest bullring in the world and can accommodate over 40,000 people. Introduced by the Spanish, bullfighting is more or less the national sport. In recent years there have been increasing calls to end what is seen as a cruel sport, but its popularity remains high in the country.