From the ashes of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, to formal independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and a loss of almost half its territory to a US invasion in 1846, the land known as Mexico is a place of evolving identities (like much of Latin America). It is geographically American, European in language/legal system, ethnically mixed between the Spanish colonial descendants, Aztecs, Mayans, and other indigenous/immigrant groups, and it is culturally unique. For example, in some regions here Christianity blends traditional Catholicism with indigenous pre-colombian religious traditions (known as Folk Catholicism). A common display of this is the common practice of visiting "witches" in the Lake Catemaco area.  

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​Post trip thoughts: Amazing food, colorful colonial cities, beautiful waterfalls, and friendly people. It was safe, cheap, and very enjoyable. We never set foot on a resort, didn't encounter any problems, and had some great conversations with locals. Don't let the newspaper headlines scare you away or distort reality. 

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Quick facts: Source: CIA World Factbook

Area: 3 times the size of Texas

Population: 131 million people 

Ethnic groups: Mestizo 62%, predominately Indigenous 21%, Indigenous 7%, other 10%  

Language: Spanish 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous mix 5.4%, indigenous only .6%, other .2%  

Religion: Catholic 78%, Protestant/evangelical 11.2%, unaffiliated 10.6% 

Capital: Mexico City

GDP Per Capita: $22,000 per year

Currency: Peso ($1 = 18.73)​