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Mexico

The United Mexican States or Mexico is a country located in North America, bordered by the United States to the north, and Belize and Guatemala to the southeast. It is the northernmost and westernmost country in Latin America, and also the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. The country is sometimes refered to as Mexican Republic by the Mexicans.

The terrain and climate of Mexico varies from rocky deserts in the north to tropical rain forests in the south. Mexico's major rivers include the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande), the Usumacinta on its northern and southern borders, and the Grijalva, Balsas, Pánuco, and Yaqui in the interior. The Tropic of Cancer effectively divides the country into temperate and tropical zones. Land north of the twenty-fourth parallel (imaginary east-west circle that connects all locatins with a given latitude) experiences cooler temperatures during the winter months. South of the point, temperatures are fairly constant year round and vary solely as a function of elevation.

Mexican food is unlike dishes found in Mexican restaurants in other countries. In the toursits areas you’ll find similar restaurant names and over-priced food. It’s cuisine has some rich or spicy dishes. Mexicans also have to deal with a lot of upset stomachs because of unpurified water used in ice, washing salads and fruit, stressful traveling, or bacteria different to those at home. Some popluar dishes are quesadillas, enchiladas, beans and rice, tostadas, and tortas.

Many religious celebrations have their roots in the pre-Hispanic era, while most public holidays reflect modern historical events. Government offices, banks, schools and some businesses close across the nation for major national holidays. Such shut-downs may also occur during important religious celebrations in individual localities. Essential commerce, however, is rarely suspended, so most market places, supermarkets and small family-operated grocery stores...