Famous landmarks in Mexico

Mexico is a large country in North America, between the United States to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the south, with coasts on the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Its capital, Mexico City, is one of the biggest cities in the world. Mexico has more Spanish speakers than any other country. It is famous for ancient pyramids, colourful festivals such as the Day of the Dead, mariachi music and foods like tacos, chocolate and chilli.

On My Earth Toy you can climb among the ruins of Chichén Itzá, Teotihuacan, Tulum and Uxmal's Pyramid of the Magician, and visit Mexico City's Templo Mayor, Metropolitan Cathedral, Palacio de Bellas Artes and Museo Soumaya. Look for the smiling axolotl, and discover the Chicxulub crater and the Cave of the Crystals.

Geography and nature

Two long mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental, frame a high central plateau. Volcanoes rise across the middle of the country, including Pico de Orizaba, the highest peak at 5,636 metres. The north has the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, and the flat Yucatán Peninsula is dotted with cenotes, natural sinkholes filled with clear water. Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, and millions of monarch butterflies spend each winter in its mountain forests.

People, languages and culture

Spanish is spoken by almost everyone, and Mexico also recognises dozens of Indigenous languages, such as Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya. Most Mexicans are Catholic. On the Day of the Dead, families decorate altars with marigolds, sugar skulls and photos to remember loved ones. Mariachi music and traditional Mexican cooking are both on UNESCO's heritage lists. English words such as chocolate, tomato and avocado come from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.

History in a nutshell

The Olmecs built one of the earliest civilisations here about 3,000 years ago, followed by the great city of Teotihuacan and the Maya cities of the south. In 1325 the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlan on an island in a lake, where Mexico City stands today. Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521, and the region became New Spain. Mexico's war of independence began in 1810, and independence was won in 1821. The Mexican Revolution took place from 1910 to about 1920.