Mexico has attracted plenty of attention of late, especially thanks to the new American President Donald Trump, who is adamant that he’s going to build a wall that runs the entire length of the USA-Mexico border. But don’t be fooled by men in terrible wigs. ‘South of the Border’ is an amazing place to visit. To prove it, we’ve listed below 10 amazing Mexican facts that you – or at least President Trump – probably didn’t know.

Mexican facts and traditions #1:

The official name of Mexico is Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States).
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Mexican facts and traditions #2:

The border between Mexico and the United States is the second longest border in the world (only the US-Canadian border is longer). Good luck building that wall, Mr. Trump.
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Mexican facts and traditions #3:

Mexico’s flag is made up of three vertical stripes. The left green stripe stands for hope, the middle white stripe represents purity, and the right red stripe represents the blood of those who died fighting for Mexico’s independence. The picture of an eagle eating a snake in the centre is based on an Aztec legend. In the fourteenth century, a group of Chichmecas (warrior nomads) called the Aztecs (or Mexicas) settled in Mexico. There they saw an eagle (representing the sun) standing on a cactus (a symbol of the heart) clutching a snake (a symbol of the earth or Quetzalcoatl). That legend has been passed on through the centuries.

Mexican facts and traditions #4:

Mexican children do not receive presents on Christmas Day like most other Christian nations. They instead receive gifts on January 6, the day on which Mexicans celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men.

Mexican facts and traditions #5:

The first great civilization in Mexico was the Olmecs (approx. 1400-300 BC). They established many cities along the eastern coast of Mexico and sculpted the famous Colossal Heads. They even worshipped a mysterious, unnamed god that was part human and part jaguar.
mexican facts

Mexican facts and traditions #6:

The Aztecs played ritual ball game known as tlachtli in which the losers were often sacrificed to the gods. Tlachtli is kind of like basketball mixed with soccer. Games similar to basketball have been played all over Mesoamerica by peoples like the Aztec, the Maya, and the Olmec. The object of Tlachtli is to put a ball through a hoop made of stone at one end of a court.
mexican facts

Mexican facts and traditions #7:

Mexico remained under Spanish control for nearly 300 years. They didn’t become independent until the Mexican people, led by a priest named Father Hidalgo, rose up against the Spanish on September 16, 1810. Hidalgo is widely considered the father of modern Mexico, and Mexican Independence is celebrated on September 15-16.

Mexican facts and traditions #8:

About 60% of the modern Mexican population is mestizo (Indian-Spanish). 30% is Indian or predominately Indian, 9% is Caucasian, and 1% is other.

Mexican facts and traditions #9:

Only ten countries in the world have a larger population than Mexico’s 109,955,400 people.
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Mexican facts and traditions #10:

Mexico is second only to Brazil in the number of Catholic citizens.
© Lantern Club, Roselands