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MEXICO
GEOGRAPHY
Mexico Area is 1,953,162 sq km (761,603 sq miles) at the southern extremity of North America and is bounded to the north by the USA, northwest by the Gulf of California, west by the Pacific, south by Guatemala and Belize, and east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Mexico's geographical features range from swamp to desert, and from tropical lowland jungle to high alpine vegetation. Over half the country has an altitude above 1000m (3300ft). The central land mass is a plateau flanked by ranges of mountains to the east and west that lie roughly parallel to the coast. The northern area of this plateau is arid and thinly populated, and occupies 40% of the total area of Mexico. The southern area is crossed by a range of volcanic mountains running from Cape Corrientes in the west through the Valley of Mexico to Veracruz in the east, and includes the magnificent volcanoes of Orizaba, Popocatépetl, Ixtaccíhuatl, Nevado de Toluca, Matlalcueyetl and Cofre de Perote. This is the heart of Mexico and where almost half of the population lives. To the south, the land falls away to the sparsely populated Isthmus of Tehuantepec whose slopes and flatlands support both commercial and subsistence agriculture. In the east the Gulf Coast and the Yucatán peninsula are flat and receive over 75% of Mexico's rain.
The most productive agricultural region in Mexico is the northwest, while the Gulf Coast produces most of Mexico's oil and sulphur. Along the northwest coast, opposite the peninsula of Baja California, and to the southeast along the coast of Bahía de Campeche and the Yucatán peninsula, the lowlands are swampy with coastal lagoons.
HISTORY
Mexico has an ancient and fascinating history. It begins with the Olmec civilization in around 1500BC, which reached its height about 1200BC. Olmec (meaning 'people from the rubber country') were an advanced culture in religion, architecture and mathematical systems. The earliest known date was recorded by them in 31BC, according to our present calendars. By AD500, two great cities had emerged, Teotihuacan (with a population of approximately 200,000) and Cholula, a religious center near Puebla which survived until the Spanish Conquest in 1521.
The height of Mayan civilization was reached between AD600-900. The Toltecs, whose capital was Tula, were the predominant civilization of this time. Known for their fine architecture, elegant speech and intellectual pursuits, they were the ancestors of the famous Aztecs who were thriving at the time Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. In 1519, a Spaniard named Hernan Cortés arrived from Cuba with a crew of 550 sailors and explorers and settled just north of today's city of Veracruz. By this time the Aztec Empire controlled vast territories from the Yucatán peninsula to the Pacific, with over 370 individual nations under their authority.
Ruling from their capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs demanded heavy tribute from their subjects, which may have caused some to side with Cortés in his attack on the Aztecs. The other factor on Cortés' side was the lucky coincidence that 1519 was the exact year when legend had it that the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl, had promised his followers he would return - from the east - and so Cortés was mistaken for a god. After two years of fighting and great loss of life on both sides, the Aztecs were defeated under their final ruler, Cuauhtemoc.
Under Spanish rule, local culture was suppressed and native traditions were discouraged. Mexico achieved independence after the wars of 1810-21. In 1824 a constitution was adopted and Mexico's first President, Guadalupe Victoria, was inaugurated and both Britain and the USA officially recognised the Republic of Mexico. But stability was short-lived. In 1847, Mexico was forced to cede half of its territory to the USA.
In 1861, Benito Juárez, a Zapotec Indian from the state of Oaxaca, was elected President. Faced with overwhelming debts (mainly owed to France, Spain and Britain), Juárez announced a 2-year moratorium on payment of foreign debts. The French Emperor Napoleon III sent an army to Veracruz to enforce his claim to payment. A series of civil wars and conflicts with European governments and the USA punctuated the next 30 years. However, Juárez was elected to a third term and is now considered among Mexico's most popular leaders, having come from a humble background and instituting such welcome changes as a total reform of the education system (making primary school attendance free and obligatory) and completing a railroad from Mexico City to Veracruz.
MAYAN WORLD
More than 3000 years ago, there emerged a highly sophisticated civilization, the Mayas, in the diverse landscape of what is now Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and part of El Salvador, as well as the Mexican states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco. The variety of landscape is matched by the abundance of flora and fauna, unrivalled anywhere else in the continent. Birdlife, especially, seems to abound, including toucans, parrots and macaws, hummingbirds and others.
The lowland rainforest of Chiapas, Campeche and Quintana Roo is home to such exotic wildlife as ocelots, margays, whitetail deer, anteaters, peccaries, tapirs, howler and spider monkeys and jaguars, the largest wildcats in the Americas. The upland cloud-forests are home to the multicolored guacamayas as well as the resplendent and elusive quetzal, an emerald-coloured bird with trailing feathers once considered sacred by the ancient Mayas. The coast also supports a wealth of birdlife, as well as alligators and manatee, a rare aquatic animal distantly related to the elephant, which can be found in the coastal lagoons. The Wildlife Reserve of Contoy Island is the resting and nesting place for hundreds of migrant and resident birds. Even the underwater world can offer a richness of species such as marlin, snapper, grouper, bonito, wahoo, shrimp, lobster, octopus and sailfish, and the beaches are important nesting places for sea turtles during the summer months.
At the height of their development (AD250-900), the Mayans built extraordinary temples and ceremonial centers, many of which are now engulfed by the rainforest. Among the most important archaeological sites to be found in this region are Palenque and Bonampak (Chiapas); La Venta and Comacalco (Tabasco); Edzna, Chicanna and Becan (Campeche); Chichén-Itzá and Uxmal (Yucatán) and Tulum and Coba (Quintana Roo).
Nestled in the foothills at the edge of the Chiapas rainforest lies Palenque. This small but important Mayan site is one of the most aesthetically appealing sites of the Mayan world, with its exquisite stucco façades. The Temple of Inscriptions (above the crypt of a Maya king), the Multileveled Palace and the Temple of the Count are other highlights. It is easily reached in a couple of hours drive from Villahermosa or San Cristobal de las Casas.
The site of Bonampak, 150km (90 miles) southeast of Palenque, is famous for the finest Mayan murals ever to be discovered. Housed in the Temple of Frescoes, the multicolored murals depict scenes of Mayan warfare, sacrifice and celebration.
The museum park of Parque-Museo La Venta not only boasts one of the few extensive collections of Olmec artifacts, but it is also the only archaeological site ever to be completely transplanted. The original Olmec city of La Venta (1500BC) was situated on the island of Tonala and featured, among other exceptional sculptures, the colossal human heads that now characterize the Olmec civilization. Originally evacuated in 1925, it was moved to Villahermosa in the 1970s because of the fear that nearby oil drilling would damage the site. The museum park contains 30 Olmec sculptures set in a botanical garden.
About 67km (42 miles) from Villahermosa is Comacalco. This archaeological site of the Maya civilization dates back to the late Classic period (AD500-900). Some of the structures resemble those at Palenque though they are still unique in the region. All the buildings here are made from bricks rather than the stone used elsewhere. In fact, Comacalco means "in the house of bricks". Sights include the Great Acropolis with its detailed stucco masks and the small museum.
Edzna, 65km (40 miles) southeast of Campeche, dates back to 300BC. Besides the Chenes-style architecture, visitors can also see an extensive network of canals, reservoirs and waterholes. Attractions include the Great Acropolis, the Small Acropolis, the Platform of the Knives, the Ball Court, the Temple of Stone Masks and the Nohochna.
The famous archaeological and UNESCO World Heritage site of Chichén-Itzá, 120km (75 miles) east of Mérida, contains the Pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo), where one can find the "Red tiger with jade eyes". During the spring and autumn equinoxes (March 21-22 and September 21-22), huge crowds gather to see a unique spectacle, when shadows create the illusion of a serpent descending the northern staircase. Of interest are also the snaking columns of the Temple of the Warriors, a ball court in perfect condition, El Caracol (the observatory), the Caves of Balankanche and the Sacred Cenote (where bejeweled young girls were thrown into the well as sacrifices to the rain god Chac).
The elaborate stucco work and detailed facades of Uxmal, 80km (50 miles) south of Mérida, have led to a comparison of the city with Rome. Among the fine stonework are the entwined serpents in the Nun's Quadrangle, the House of Pigeons and the Ball Court. Other attractions include the Pyramid of the Magician and the Governor's Palace.
The walled fortress of Tulum, 131km (78 miles) south of Cancún, has been described as one of the most dramatic sites of the pre-Hispanic world. Perched atop rugged cliffs on the coast, this last outpost of the Maya civilization commands a breathtaking view of the Caribbean. Settlement here dates from AD900-1500 and sights include the Temple of the Descending God, El Castillo and the Temple of the Frescoes.
Coba, 38km (24 miles) north of Tulum, is possibly the largest archaeological site on the Yucatán peninsula. This town, set amongst dense jungle and marshlands and including four lakes, dates from the classical period and is believed to have been occupied during the time of the conquest. The most significant groupings of sites are the Coba Group, Las Pinturas, the Macanxoc Group, the Crossroad Pyramid and the Chumuc Mul Group. It also houses the tallest structure in Yucatán, the Nohoch Mul Pyramid.
CLIMATE
Climate varies according to altitude. Coastal areas and lowlands (tierra caliente) are hot and steamy with high humidity, while the central plateau is temperate even in winter. The climate of the inland highlands is mostly mild, but sharp changes in temperatures occur between day and night. The cold lands (tierra fría) lie above 2000m (6600ft). Rainfall varies greatly from region to region. Only the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the state of Chiapas in the far south receive any appreciable amount of rain during the year, with the wet season running between June and September. All other areas have rainless seasons, while the northern and central areas of the central plateau are dry and arid. There is some snow in the north in winter. The dry season runs from October to May.
TIME
Mexico spans three different time zones:
South, Central and Eastern Mexico: GMT - 6 (Central Standard Time). (GMT - 5 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur: GMT - 7 (Mountain Time). (GMT - 6 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
Baja California Norte (Pacific Time):GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Press: The major daily newspapers published in Spanish are Excélsior, El Universal, La Prensa and El Día. The English-language papers available are New York Times, The News, Mexico City Times, and USA Today
CONTACT ADDRESSES
Secretaria de Turismo (SECTUR):
Presidente Mazaryck 172, Colonia Polanco, 11570 México DF, Mexico
Tel: (5) 254•8920 (marketing) Fax: (5) 254•0942 (marketing)
Web site: http://www.mexico-travel.com
Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR):
22nd Floor, Insurgentes Sur 800, Colonia del Valle, 03100 México DF, Mexico
Tel: (5) 687•2697 or (250) 01•23•01•53 (travel hotline). Fax: (5) 687•5052.
Web site: http://www.fonatur.gob.mx
Consejo de Promocion Turistica de Mexico:
Mariano Escobedo 550, 8th Floor, 11580 México DF, Mexico
Tel: (5) 255•5026 or 255•0830 Fax: (5) 203•1087
E-mail: cptmex@infosel.net.mx
Mexican Embassy:
1911 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC, 20006
Tel: (202) 728•1600 Fax: (202) 728•1718
E-mail: info@embassyofmexico.org
Web site: http://www.embassyofmexico.org
Mexican Consulate:
2827 16th Street, NW, Washington DC 20009
Tel: (202) 736•1000 Fax: (202) 797•8458
Mexican Government Tourism Office:
21 East 63rd Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022
Tel: (212) 821•0314 or (800) 446•3942 (toll free; USA and Canada) Fax: (212) 812•0367
E-mail: jcrmgto@interport.net
Offices also in: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Coral Gables.
Embassy of the United States of America:
Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, 06500 México DF, Mexico
Tel: (5) 209•9100. Fax: (5) 208•3373
E-mail: embeuamx@pd.state.gov (general information)
Web site: http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov
Consulates General in: Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara and Tijuana.
Consulates in: Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mérida, Monterrey and Nuevo Larido, Acapulco, Cancún, Mazatlán, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, San José and Tijuana.
Country dialing code: 52
Source: World Travel Guide
MayaWorld – Email: info@mayaworld.com