Mexico
Mexico as often times received a bad rap with a host of assumed ideas that it is an ignorant, poor country, sort of the step-child in terms of countries. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Yes, there are some parts of the population that live in poverty and unfortunately, because these impoverished are often the ones trying to cross borders into the United States, that is all that people associate with this country.

The Mexican people are diverse and on the whole, proud of their country and heritage. If you look at a map of Mexico, you will see that there are thirty-one states within the Mexico proper. The Mexico map might also reveal that the country shares a large border with the United States as well as both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Mexico City is the capital of this country.

The Mexican flag depicts to an extent, part of this country’s history. This Mexico flag has three different colored vertical stripes – green, white and red. Inside the middle white stripe is the country’s coat of arms. It is of an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. There are many different interpretations as to what the colors stand for in the flag.

Part of the Mexican culture includes music, food and dance. In regards to Mexican food, it does not bare a strong resemblance to the Tex-Mex food you have probably had in the States. Yes, many of the ingredients and dishes are the same like fajitas, chile rellenos and frijoles. However, some of the spices and flavors vary by each Mexican region and is also dependent on the ingredients they have on hand. Of course, those places near the ocean will have Mexican recipes which contain a lot of seafood while the interior areas of the country might have more vegetables and meats.

Mexican music is a treasured part of their culture as well. They have the music that is native to the country like mariachis, corridos and banda. However, they also have their share of contemporary music like rock, rap and alternative music. Their dances tend to be steeped in tradition however. There is the Mexican hat dance which originated in the early 1900’s. It was a celebration of the end of the Mexican Revolution. Ballerina Anna Pavlova popularized it later. It is a dance that tells a story and is still done today.