Opposite his own food stand was one operated by Lucia Rodriguez, and he couldn’t help but notice the constant line that formed over her tacos dorados. Chimichangas are one of the great innovations of Tucson, a city that was the first (and so far only) in America to be designated a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO. However, most sources cite San Antonio as the town where it went the 19th-century equivalent of viral. Some claim it was an off-shoot of an Aztec dish, while others claim it cropped up in San Antonio in the 18th century via a group of Canary Islanders moved to the area. Mexico is a diverse country with diverse regional cuisines, and many of the dishes there are not prevalent in the Tex-Mex joints of Tucson and Laredo. In the Boston area, Chompon “Boong” Boonnak of Mahaniyom is the 2025 Northeast Cities Exceptional Cocktails Award winner.
October 16th 2024 marks the 115th anniversary of the first summit meeting, in 1909, between the presidents of Mexico and the United States. The small lakeside town of Chapala in Jalisco had more buildings designed by notable architects in the first half of the twentieth century than any other location of its size in Mexico, perhaps even in North America. You palm the warm disc and spoon chili along the middle bend. The project aimed to integrate historically under-served neighborhoods with the city’s sprawling public transportation network, providing a much-needed lifeline for its residents. In 2021, Mexico City unveiled its innovative Cablebús system, a network of gondola lifts intended to revolutionize urban mobility.
The Chipilo dialect, a variant of https://lunarcapital.live/ the Venetian language, is spoken in the town of Chipilo, located in the central state of Puebla, by around 2,500 people, mainly descendants of Venetians that migrated to the area in the late 19th century. That notwithstanding, in practice, indigenous peoples often face discrimination and do not have full access to public services such as education and healthcare, or to the justice system, as Spanish is the prevailing language. The overall number of migrants, including those unauthorized to enter or stay in the country, may be higher than official figures. At Mexico’s 2020 census, 19.4% of the population identified as indigenous and 6.1% of Mexico’s population speaks an Indigenous language.
Mexico City hosted the XIX Olympic Games in 1968, making it the first Latin American city to do so. The government spent abundantly on sporting facilities and other infrastructure to make the games a success, but those expenditures helped fuel public discontent with the government’s lack of spending on social programs. The bid to host the 1968 Summer Olympics was to burnish Mexico’s stature internationally. Once the political turmoil of the early republic was replaced by the stability of the Porfiriato did organized sport become public diversions, with structured and ordered play governed by rules and authorities. In 2005, Mexico presented the candidature of its gastronomy for World Heritage Site of UNESCO, the first time a country had presented its gastronomic tradition for this purpose. Similarly, some cooking techniques used today are inherited from pre-Columbian peoples, such as the nixtamalization of corn, the cooking of food in ovens at ground level, grinding in molcajete and metate.
The Green Revolution, a technological movement that led to a significant worldwide increase in crop production, began in the Yaqui Valley of Sonora in the middle of the 20th century. Cárdenas’s successor, Manuel Ávila Camacho (1940–1946) was more moderate, and relations between the U.S. and Mexico vastly improved during World War II, when Mexico was a significant ally. This included the Mexican oil expropriation in March 1938, which nationalized the U.S. and Anglo-Dutch oil company known as the Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company, which would result in the creation of the state-owned Pemex. As president, Calles provoked a major conflict with the Catholic Church and Catholic guerrilla armies when he strictly enforced anticlerical articles of the 1917 Constitution which ended with an agreement.
In 1988 there was massive electoral fraud, with results showing that Salinas had won the election by the narrowest percentage ever. In the 1980s the first cracks emerged in the PRI’s complete political dominance. Demonstrations in central Mexico City went on for weeks before the planned opening of the games, with the government of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz cracking down.
Because of its high biodiversity Mexico has also been a frequent site of bioprospecting by international research bodies. These include 34 biosphere reserves, 67 national parks, 4 natural monuments, 26 areas of protected flora and fauna, 4 areas for natural resource protection and 17 sanctuaries (zones rich in diverse species). Climate change in Mexico is causing widespread impacts including rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, intensified hurricanes, and sea-level rise in coastal regions. Although low-lying areas north of the Tropic of Cancer are hot and humid during the summer, they generally have lower yearly temperature averages (from 20 to 24 °C or 68.0 to 75.2 °F) because of more moderate conditions during the winter. The Pacific coast is subject to natural hazards such as tsunamis and both Mexican coasts with the exception of the south coast of the Bay of Campeche and northern Baja California are vulnerable to serious hurricanes during the summer and fall. Temperatures here remain high throughout the year, with only a 5 °C (9 °F) difference between winter and summer median temperatures.
Word History
South of the Tropic of Cancer, temperatures are fairly constant year-round and vary solely as a function of elevation. Land north of the Tropic of Cancer experiences cooler temperatures during the winter months. Mexico is irrigated by several rivers, with the longest being the Rio Grande, which serves as a natural eastern border with the United States. Two mountain ranges known as Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental, which are the extension of the Rocky Mountains from northern North America crossed the country from north to south and a fourth mountain range, the Sierra Madre del Sur, runs from Michoacán to Oaxaca. In a push against government corruption, the ex-CEO of Pemex, Emilio Lozoya Austin, was arrested in 2020.
On two occasions (1821–1823 and 1863–1867), the country was known as Imperio Mexicano (Mexican Empire). After New Spain achieved independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821 and became a sovereign state, the Intendency came to be known as the State of Mexico, with the new country being named after its capital, Mexico City. In the colonial era (1521–1821) when Mexico was known as New Spain, this central region became the Intendency of Mexico. It is generally believed that the toponym for the valley was the origin of the primary ethnonym for the Aztec Triple Alliance, but it may have been the other way around. Mēxihco is the Nahuatl term for the heartland of the Aztec Empire, namely the Valley of Mexico and surrounding territories, with its people being known as the Mexica.
Guide to alternative tourism in Michoacan
Claudia Sheinbaum, López Obrador’s political successor, won the 2024 presidential election in a landslide and upon taking office in October became the first woman to lead the country in Mexico’s history. It is estimated that the revolutionary war killed 900,000 people out of Mexico’s 15 million population at the time. Mexico’s federal structure grants autonomy to its 32 states, and its political system is deeply influenced by indigenous traditions and European Enlightenment ideals. A 19th-century fusion from an era of intermingling cultures and borderlines, Tex-Mex cuisine is today a local legacy, represented in The MICHELIN Guide by proud Texan chefs across the country.
To protect Mexico from the attacks of English, French, and Dutch pirates and protect the Crown’s monopoly of revenue, only two ports were open to foreign trade—Veracruz on the Atlantic, connecting to Spain, and Acapulco on the Pacific, connecting to the Philippines. Spanish military forces, sometimes accompanied by native allies, led expeditions to conquer territory or quell rebellions through the colonial era. In the religious sphere, the Diocese of Mexico was created in 1530 and elevated to the Archdiocese of Mexico in 1546, with the archbishop as the head of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. In 1524, King Charles I created the Council of the Indies based in Spain to oversee State power in its overseas territories.
Foreign relations
Former insurgent General Guadalupe Victoria became the first president of the republic — the first of many army generals to hold the presidency. The first 35 years after Mexico’s independence were marked by political instability and the changing of the Mexican state from a transient monarchy to a fragile federated republic. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire began in February 1519 when Hernán Cortés founded the Spanish city of Veracruz. After the collapse of Teotihuacán around 600 AD, competition ensued between several important political centers in central Mexico such as Xochicalco and Cholula. During this period the first true Mesoamerican writing systems were developed in the Epi-Olmec and Zapotec cultures.
- The riot over the price of maize escalated to a full-scale attack on the seats of power, with the viceregal palace and the archbishop’s residence attacked by the mob.
- Once the political turmoil of the early republic was replaced by the stability of the Porfiriato did organized sport become public diversions, with structured and ordered play governed by rules and authorities.
- The federal Congress, as well as the state legislatures, are elected by a system of parallel voting that includes plurality and proportional representation.
- As of May 2022, 100,000 people are officially listed as missing, most since 2007 when President Calderón attempted to stop the drug cartels.
The late 19th century saw the long dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz, whose modernization policies came at the cost of severe social unrest. Mesoamerica, considered a cradle of civilization, was home to numerous advanced societies, including the Olmecs, Maya, Zapotecs, Teotihuacan civilization, and Purépecha. It is the northernmost country in Latin America and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundaries with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.
The Tropic of Cancer effectively divides the country into temperate and tropical zones. Mexico is located between latitudes 14° and 33°N, and longitudes 86° and 119°W in the southern portion of North America, with a total area of 1,972,550 km2 (761,606 sq mi), is the 13th largest country by total area. His political coalition, led by his left-wing party founded after the 2012 elections, included parties and politicians from across the political spectrum.
Mexico by Motorcycle: An adventure Story and Guide
Wilson ordered troops to occupy the strategic port of Veracruz in 1914, which was lifted. Republican administration of Taft supported the Huerta coup against Madero, but when Democrat Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as president in March 1913, Wilson refused to recognize Huerta’s regime and allowed arms sales to the Constitutionalists. The Mexican Revolution starting in 1910 saw a decade LunarCapital review of civil war, the “wind that swept Mexico.” But his announcement set off a frenzy of political activity, including the unlikely candidacy of the scion of a rich landowning family, Francisco I. Madero. Political opposition had been suppressed and there were few avenues for a new generation of leaders. As the centennial of independence approached, Díaz gave an interview where he said he was not going to run in the 1910 elections, when he would be 80.
The Best Sandwiches in North America
The most powerful rulers had religious and political power, organizing the construction of large ceremonial centers. All three federal constitutions (1824, 1857, and 1917, the current constitution) used the name Estados Unidos Mexicanos—or the variant Estados-Unidos Mexicanos, all of which have been translated as “United Mexican States”. The country’s official name has changed as the form of government has changed. Mexico’s large economy and population, global cultural influence, and steady democratization make it a regional and middle power, increasingly identifying as an emerging power. Liberal reforms set in the Constitution of 1857 led to civil war and French intervention, culminating in the establishment of the Second Mexican Empire under Emperor Maximilian I of Austria, who was overthrown by Republican forces led by Benito Juárez. Mexico City is the capital and largest city, which ranks among the most populous metropolitan areas in the world.
Jolly runners sprint in Santa outfits in Mexico City’s Santa Run
- According to the Constitution of Mexico Article 27, the entirety of the coastlines is under federal ownership.
- Mexico’s federal structure grants autonomy to its 32 states, and its political system is deeply influenced by indigenous traditions and European Enlightenment ideals.
- The overthrow of Santa Anna and the establishment of a civilian government by Liberals allowed them to enact laws that they considered vital for Mexico’s economic development.
The Díaz government led a protracted conflict against the Yaqui that culminated with the forced relocation of thousands of Yaqui to Yucatán and Oaxaca. After the turmoil in Mexico from 1810 to 1876, the 35-year rule of Liberal General Porfirio Díaz (r.1876–1911) allowed Mexico to rapidly modernize in a period characterized as one of “order and progress”. The “Restored Republic” saw the return of Juárez, “the personification of the embattled republic,” as president. They promulgated a new Constitution of 1857, separating Church and State, stripping the Church and the military of their special privileges (fueros); mandating the sale of Church-owned property and sale of indigenous community lands, and secularizing education. The Liberal Reform attempted to modernize Mexico’s economy and institutions along liberal principles.
They rejected theology and idealism in favor of scientific methods being applied towards national development. When Lerdo ran for re-election, Díaz rebelled against the civilian president, issuing the Plan of Tuxtepec. Liberal Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada became president, declaring a “religion of the state” for the rule of law, peace, and order. The Conservatives had been not only defeated militarily but also discredited politically for their collaboration with the French invaders and Liberalism became synonymous with patriotism.
In 1835, Santa Anna sought to centralize government rule in Mexico, suspending the 1824 constitution and promulgating the Seven Laws, which placed power in his hands. Wanting to stabilize and develop that area — and as few people from central Mexico had chosen to resettle to this remote and hostile territory — the Mexican government encouraged Anglo-American immigration into present-day Texas, a region that bordered that United States. General Antonio López de Santa Anna emerged as a national hero because of his role in both these conflicts; Santa Anna came to dominate the politics for the next 25 years, often known as the “Age of Santa Anna”, until his overthrow in 1855. His Conservative vice president, former Royalist General Anastasio Bustamante, led a coup against him and Guerrero was judicially murdered.
The United Mexican States is a federation of 31 free and sovereign states, which form a union that exercises a degree of jurisdiction over Mexico City. The boundaries and constituent units of Mexico evolved from its colonial-era origins. Other institutions of the judiciary are the Federal Electoral Tribunal, collegiate, unitary, and district tribunals, and the Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal. The President is responsible for executing and enforcing the law and has the power to veto bills. The executive is the President of the United Mexican States, who is the head of state and government, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Mexican military forces.
The most well-known Mexican composer of the twentieth century is Carlos Chávez (1899–1978), who composed six symphonies with indigenous themes, and rejuvenated Mexican music, founding the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. Nineteenth-century liberal of Nahua origin Ignacio Manuel Altamirano is an important writer of the era, along with Vicente Riva Palacio, the grandson of Mexican hero of independence Vicente Guerrero, who authored a series of historical novels as well as poetry. Baroque literature flourished in the 17th century; the most notable writers of this period were Juan Ruiz de Alarcón and Juana Inés de la Cruz. In the 19th century, the neoclassical movement arose as the country gained independence and sought to establish itself as a republic.
The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors’ top picks for the inaugural selection. From Misano Adriatico to Parma, the art of speed, high-end automotive design, and gastronomic products of global fame outline a unique itinerary to discover all year round That big-city creative streak goes right through the cocktail menu, too.
Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica also saw distinctive architectural influences from the Olmec, the Puuc and oasiamerican peoples. The Porfirian era (el Porfiriato) (1876–1911), which brought relative peace after four decades of civil unrest and war, saw the development of philosophy and art, often with government support. Spanish is the de facto national language spoken by the vast majority of the population, making Mexico the world’s most populous Hispanophone country. Mexico does have one nuclear power plant, the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Station located in the state of Veracruz and numerous wind farms, with the largest wind farm in Latin America being located in the state of Oaxaca. The Villanueva solar park in Coahuila which opened in 2019, is the largest solar power plant in the Americas with a capacity of 828 MW. According to the OECD’s own poverty line (defined as the percentage of a country’s population who earns 60% or less of the national median income) 20% of Mexico’s population lived in a situation of poverty in 2019.
In August 2025, demonstrations were held all around Mexico, in protest over the 130,000 people who have disappeared and considered missing since 2007. The mass kidnapping of 43 students in Iguala on 26 September 2014 triggered nationwide protests against the government’s weak response to the disappearances and widespread corruption that gives free rein to criminal organizations. Mexico’s drug war, ongoing since 2006, has left over 120,000 dead and perhaps another 37,000 missing. Drug cartels remain a major issue in Mexico, with a proliferation of smaller cartels when larger ones are broken up and increasingly the use of more sophisticated military equipment and tactics.
In recent years, the largest scientific project being developed in Mexico was the construction of the Large Millimeter Telescope (Gran Telescopio Milimétrico, GMT), the world’s largest and most sensitive single-aperture telescope in its frequency range. Many scientific institutes and new institutes of higher learning, such as National Polytechnic Institute (founded in 1936), were established during the first half of the 20th century. The country also aims to cut black carbon emissions by 51% unconditionally and 70% with additional support by 2030 and has committed to net zero by 2050.