Mexico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mexico - Research Paper Example Mexico got its independence from Spain on the 21st of September 1821. It was declared and established as an independent republic in 1824. It is also known as the United Mexican States. Mexico went through numerous challenges because of invaders and other kinds of national problems that affected it throughout the twentieth century. It has risen from its troubled past, however, and is currently one of the most popularly liked and thriving nations of the world. Mexico is the fifth largest country in North America and the thirteenth largest in the whole world. Mexico fits in geographically with North-America, but ethnologically, it is part of Latin America (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). Mexico has the highest population in all of Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Around 70% of the people live in urban areas (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). Based on some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is roughly 18 million, which means it has the highest population concentration in the Western Hemisphere (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. It has always been the centre of economic, political, social and cultural values of the nation, even before Mexico became a part of Spain. But when Mexico became independent, ultimately, Mexico City was made the capital of the United Mexican States. The flag of Mexico is quite different from other flags of the world. It is not only unique, but also holds a very deep and interesting story, as well as strong facts about the country Mexico. The flag consists of three colored bands placed in a vertical manner. Starting from the left, the first band is of green color, which represents hope, joy, love and prosperity (Barbezat, n.d.). The second band is of white color, which depicts peace, unity, and honesty (Barbezat, n.d.). The third band has the color red, which symbolizes courage and strength (Barbezat, n.d.). Initially, the green stood for independence, white symbolized religion, and red represented the union of Americans and Europeans; however, during the secularization of the country under President Benito Juarez (president of Mexico from 1858 to 1872), the implications of the colors were changed: green meant hope, white for unity, and red for the blood of the national heroes (Barbezat, n.d.). In the center of the white band is The Mexican Coat of Arms. It is composed of an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus (Barbezat, n.d.). The Mexican Coat of Arms is based on an Aztec legend, which narrated the way in which t he Aztecs came to select the site where they built their capital city of Tenochtitlan (where Mexico City is located at present). The Aztecs, also called as the Mexica ("meh-shee-ka"), were a nomadic people who came from the north of the country (Barbezat, n.d.). The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, showed himself in a dream of an Aztec leader. Huitzilopochtli told this leader that they should settle in the land, where they would find an eagle sitting on top of a prickly pear cactus with a serpent (Barbezat, n.d.). The Aztecs saw this eagle in a quite inhospitable place, a swampy location in the middle of three lakes, but they believed in this vision and built the grand city of Tenochtitlan (Barbezat, n.d.). The currency of Mexico is â€Å"Peso.† Though American and Canadian dollars are accepted at some places where there are maximum visits of tourists, the peso is widely used in every area of Mexico. III. Mexico is widely famous around the world for innumerable features, includin g its astounding natural beauty, as well as man-made amusements. It is a well-developed country and is popular in different parts of the globe. These are some of the reasons that attract tourists towards Mexico. Tourists are usually found in almost every season of the year, especially during school and office vacations, and there are many tourists who enjoy living the Mexican lifestyle for a few days. IV. The following are some of the discussions about language, art, marriage,