Mexico is one of the most visited countries by tourists.. This is a country with a very rich history and impressive sights. What is the Caribbean alone worth? Also, do not forget that Mexico is the birthplace of the Mayans and the Aztecs. The state is located in the south of North America. Its area is 2000 m² with a population of about 110 million people.
The political system is a federal republic, which includes 31 states headed by the president. The country is fraught with a lot of unrevealed secrets. We have compiled 10 of the most interesting facts about Mexico that you can find out right now.
10. More than 60 state languages
Yes, everyone knows that Mexico's official language is Spanish. But no matter how surprising it is, in this country they speak more than 60 languages, and all of them are considered state languages. Nahuatl is the most spoken language besides Spanish. It is used by over a million people. In addition, more than 700 thousand people use the ancient Mayan language, and about 500 thousand use mixtes. It turns out that about seven million Mexicans use another language. Some languages are used by a very small number of citizens.
9. Previously, it was the 5th largest country on Earth.
Mexico today has a fairly large area, but before it was much larger. Everyone knows the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California and Texas were once part of Mexico.. But that is not all. Nicaragua, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador were also part of Mexico. Owning these states today, Mexico would be the largest EU and would be in fifth place in terms of size. But, unfortunately, by the end of 1820 these territories were lost. After 25 years, the territorial position was worsened by the Mexican-American War.
8. The smallest presidential term in history
Once upon a time Mexico the shortest presidential term Glorified Pedro José Domingo. This man was president for only about an hour. The Mexican revolution was the cause of this event. General Victoriano Huerta overthrows Madero. The Mexican Constitution refers to the transfer of power of the deposed ruler to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Domingo was precisely this very minister. Huerta insisted that Domingo be appointed president. Next, Pedro José Domingo appointed General Huerta Minister of Foreign Affairs and immediately resigned. So he he was only about an hour as president.
7. In some states there is a third kind
In Mexico, LGBT people are very ambiguous. In some states, bars for gay people are smashed, while in others, gay relations are legalized. But besides all this there is also third gender. It includes men who choose the life of a woman. It is surprising for Mexico that such people are perceived normally here. They have the same rights as male and female. In addition, there are annual events especially for them. As it turned out, such people existed in Mexico long before the advent of the LGBT abbreviation.
6. The smallest volcano on Earth
Besides the shortest presidential term in history, Mexico boasts the smallest volcano. The volcano is called Kueksomat. He began his formation, having separated from the large volcano Popocatepetsl, in 1664. Kueksomat began to grow rapidly by itself. True, the growth of the volcano also rapidly ended, reaching only thirteen meters in height. Kueksomat is extremely small and has not been active for a long time, so it can be safely found in the courtyards of residential buildings that are built near this volcano.
5. Here is the oldest university in all of North America.
The bulk of people think that Harvard is oldest North American University. But this is not so. The oldest educational institution in North America is the National Autonomous University of Mexico (NAUM). The foundation year of this institution is 1553. Its discovery occurred during the Holy Roman Empire.
Then it was called - Royal and Papal University of New Spain. Just think, at the time of the opening of this educational institution, many famous personalities have not even been born yet.
4. Entered the war with France over cakes
At all times, peoples and countries waged war with each other for various reasons. But in world history there has never been a war over some cakes. It all started with the defeat of a bakery in the capital of the country, which belonged to the Frenchman. The baker demanded redress, but he was answered only with ridicule. Then he demanded an audience with the king of France - Louis-Philippe. The king even agreed to help the Frenchman. Mexico has filed a claim for damages in the amount of six hundred thousand pesos.
Thus, Mexico refused the demand and was bombed and bombarded. The war lasted 4 monthswhile taking hundreds of human lives. Over two hundred people were injured.
3. Mass exodus of Mexicans from the United States, immigration is no longer a problem
Mexican immigration to the United States has always been a high-profile topic. Indeed, before 2000, over two million Mexicans moved to the United States. But over time, the situation has reversed. Nowadays, immigrants are increasingly returning home from the United States of their own free will. This indicates a total decline in the influx of Mexicans in the United States. There are many reasons: the development of the Mexican economy, the economic crisis in the United States, the strengthening of border controls and much more.
2. The capital is sinking
No matter how scary it sounds, but, unfortunately, it is. Every year, the capital loses 3 meters in height, despite the fact that Mexico City is on the eighth line of the rating of the highest capitals. The reason for this is water. Residents of Mexico City use the water of neighboring villages, thereby depleting the shared water basin and affecting the soil. Every year the population of the capital is growing, therefore, in the near future it will continue to sink even faster.
1. The most deceived emperor in history
Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph has the honor of being the second and last emperor of Mexico. A member of the European royal line of the Habsburgs (who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Maximilian received a letter in 1863 stating that the people of Mexico voted to make him their emperor. Maximilian rushed off to Mexico and declared himself emperor.
When Maximilian proclaimed himself emperor of Mexico, he provoked a civil war that lasted three years. Apparently, Maximilian did not understand this, and thought that he was loved and that he had finally found his true calling. Peasants executed him on a hillside near Queretaro in 1867. The reign of the last emperor of Mexico is over.