Destination Spotlight

8 Fun Facts About Mexico

When you think of Mexico, maybe you think of a tropical spring break vacation, but Mexico has so much more to offer than just fun in the sun! The country has a fascinating history, wonderful food, and a plethora of natural wonders. Here are eight fun facts you might not know about Mexico:

• Mexico has 10-12% of the world’s biodiversity, making it the fourth most biodiverse country in the world. The wildlife includes tourist favorites like spider monkeys, ocelots, and macaws.
• Chocolate originated in Mexico, where the Aztecs and Mayans first cultivated the cacao plant thousands of years ago. They typically enjoyed it as a drink, and they used the beans as currency.
  
• Mexico is known for its beautiful cenotes—natural pits or water-filled caves that are popular swimming spots for tourists. Cenotes have a particular significance for the Mayan people, who used them as water sources.
  

  

• The Mexican War of Independence ended Spanish rule over Mexico in 1821. Today, September 16 is celebrated as the day of Mexican independence; this is the date the war began.
• Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the dead. Before colonization, it was celebrated in the summer, but now it falls around the same time as Halloween.
• Mexico doesn’t have an official language. While most Mexicans speak Spanish, there are 68 recognized languages in the country, mostly indigenous. Four of these are language isolates, or languages that don’t relate to any other language.
  
• The Great Pyramid of Cholula in Cholula, Mexico is the largest pyramid in the world— it’s even larger than the pyramids of Giza. It’s said to have been constructed for the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.
• Frida Kahlo was born just outside of Mexico City in 1907. Today, she is one of Mexico’s most famous artists, known for her fantastical self-portraits.

Do your students love chocolate? Bring them on a trip to where it all began, in beautiful Mexico!