Image 1: The Maya are a people of southern Mexico and
northern Central America with some 3,000 years of history. The
Aztecs dominated central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries
- their capital was Tenochtitlan on the shore of Lake Texcoco – the
site of modern-day Mexico City. The Mayans, Aztecs and other
Mesoamerican civilizations built many stone "step pyramids" with
temples on top. The remains of these pyramids can be found
throughout the country.
Image 2: Maize, also known as corn, is a grass domesticated
by indigenous peoples in Mexico in prehistoric times. The
Aztecs and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout
central and southern Mexico, to cook or grind into flour. Over
time, the crop spread throughout North America and then was brought
to Europe explorers in the 15th century.
Image 3: "Megadiverse countries" are a group of countries
that harbor the majority of the Earth's species and are therefore
considered extremely biodiverse (in other words there are lots of
different kinds of plants and animals). The United Nations'
World Conservation Monitoring Centre has labeled 17 countries as
megadiverse -- Mexico is one of them. There are over 40
volcanoes in Mexico, many of which are still active. Several
of these active volcanoes are part of the reason that Mexico is
"megadiverse".
Image 4: The sombrero is a Mexican hat with a very wide
brim. They come in many designs with different colorings,
woven patterns, and decorations. In Mexico, peasant sombreros
are usually made of straw, while wealthier people wore sombreros
made of felt. In present times, people do not tend to wear
sombreros except as part of folk costumes - the Mexican sombrero has
become a national and cultural symbol.
Image 5: The flag of Mexico has three stripes: green,
white and red. In the center of the flag is a golden eagle
sitting on a cactus, grasping a snake in it's talons.
Image 6: The dahlia is the National flower of Mexico.
Dahlias are large (almost dinner plate sized) flowers that are
native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. Today, there
are many varieties grown in gardens throughout the world.
Image 7: The cactus family is native to the Americas, where
their range extends from Patagonia in the south all the way north to
parts of Canada, but they are densest and most diverse in the
regions of northern Mexico and the southern tropics of Argentina and
Bolivia. Cacti have many ways to survive in hot, dry weather
-- they often have thick bodies which are able to store moisture and
spines which protect the plant and give it shade.
Image 8: Mexico is a federal constitutional republic in
North America. It is bordered on the north by the United
States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast
by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the
Gulf of Mexico.
Image 9: The national sport of Mexico is bullfighting
(although football/soccer is probably more popular). The
largest bullfighting ring in the world is La Monumental in Mexico
City. Bullfighting was brought to Mexico by the Spanish
explorers that settled there. |
