The fascinating country of Mexico lies in the extreme north of Latin America, just south of the United States. The Rio Grande forms about two-thirds of the border between Mexico and the United States. In the western Hemisphere, only the United States and Brazil have more people than Mexico. Only Canada, the United States, Brazil and Argentina have more land. Few other countries have landscapes and climates as varied and lying so close to one another. Mexico presents a land of towering mountains, high plateaus, dry deserts and coastal rain forests. You can find mountains peaks in tropical southern Mexico that are permanently snow-capped! It is also located on the eastern edge of the Ring of Fire which is a belt circling the Pacific Ocean where numerous earthquakes and volcano eruptions occur. It also lies in the path of hurricanes that form in the warm, tropical air over the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, all these naturals disasters are painfully familiar to the Mexican people. Read more about the weather in Mexico.

The flag of Mexico features three color stripes. The color green as seen on the flag represents independence, the color white as seen on the flag represents religion and the color red as seen on the flag represents union. The coat of arms located in the center of the flag shows an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak and is located in the center of the white band on the flag.The country is made up of thirty one states and a Federal District. The great majority of the people of Mexico are mestizos, people of mixed European and Indian ancestry, creating an interesting blend of Spanish and Indian cultures.

The culture of Mexico is mixed as a result of its long and colorful history. Hundreds of years ago, Mexico was the home of great Indian civilizations. These Indians built cities and temples, they developed a calendar, a counting system and a form of writing. The last of the Indian empires fell to Spanish invaders in 1521. As a result, for the next 300 years, Mexico was a Spanish colony. These Spaniards introduced the Mexican Indians to new agricultural methods and new forms of government. Unfortunately, they also took Mexico's land and mineral riches and the Mexican Indians were left poor. uneducated and without political power within their country. Mexico today is an independent nation and the mestizo population takes great pride in its Indian ancestry. Read more about the people of Mexico.