¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to the land of vibrant traditions, ancient empires, and world-class cuisine—Mexico!

A North American powerhouse that serves as a bridge between the north and the south. There are around 130 million people living here, and the capital is Mexico City, one of the oldest and largest metropolitan areas in the world, built right on top of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The official language is Spanish, though the government recognizes 68 indigenous languages, including Nahuatl and Maya.

Mexico covers about 1,964,375 square kilometers (758,449 square miles). To imagine its size, the country is roughly three times the size of the state of Texas in the U.S., or about the same size as Saudi Arabia. In European terms, it is approximately the same size as Spain, France, Germany, and Italy combined. The landscape is incredibly diverse, featuring the rugged Sierra Madre mountains, vast deserts in the north, and steaming tropical jungles in the south.

The most popular sport is Football, but Lucha Libre (masked professional wrestling) and Baseball are also massive cultural staples. Their national animal is the Golden Eagle, famously depicted on their coat of arms.

The flag consists of three vertical stripes of green, white, and red with an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake in the center, where the green represents hope, the white symbolizes purity, and the red stands for the blood of those who fought for independence.

The food is so legendary it was the first cuisine to be designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. You must try authentic Tacos al Pastor, thin slices of marinated pork with pineapple. Another crown jewel is Mole Poblano, a complex, rich sauce made with dozens of ingredients, including chili peppers and chocolate. You can’t miss Chiles en Nogada, which features the colors of the flag, or a fresh Tamale steamed in a corn husk. For a drink, Mexico is the birthplace of Tequila and Mezcal, both distilled from the agave plant.

Mexico is home to Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, featuring the massive El Castillo pyramid built by the Maya. You can also visit Teotihuacán to climb the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. The country is part of the Ring of Fire and contains the world’s smallest volcano, Cuexcomate, which is only about 13 meters tall! For nature lovers, the Copper Canyon in the north is actually larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon in the U.S. Every year, millions of Monarch Butterflies migrate thousands of miles to spend the winter in the forests of central Mexico, a breathtaking natural spectacle.

From the turquoise waters of Cancún and Tulum to the colorful “Day of the Dead” celebrations in Oaxaca, Mexico is a land of deep history and explosive energy. ¡Gracias! That means “Thank you!”