Mexico City Research Paper

Mexico is located towards the southern part of North America. It borders the United States in the north, the Gulf of Mexico in the east, and Guatemala and Belize in the south. Also, the Pacific Ocean borders the western side. There are about 130 million people living in Mexico. The country spands over 758,400 miles and has three major rivers flowing through it. It contains a wide range of physical environments and natural resources. There are two major mountain chains which are the Eastern Sierra Madre and the Western Sierra Madre. These mountains run from north to south and meet in central Mexico. Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and is located in the center of the country.
The Mexican flag was adopted in 1968 and there are many meanings of it. To begin, the Mexican flag has three colored vertical stripes, green, white and red. In the center of the flag on the white stripe is a national Coat of Arms which is a left-facing eagle. The eagle stands on top of a cactus and has a snake in its beak. When the flag was originally created, the three colors had different meanings than they have today. The green stripe
used to represent Mexico’s independence from Spain. The white color was symbolizing the purity of the Catholic religion. Red represented the connection between the Americas and Europe. Today the meanings have changed; “green represents hope, white symbolizes purity and red stands for the blood of the heroes who fought for independence” (Pariona). The coat of arms represents the Aztecs, a tribe in northern Mexico who would make their shelter where they saw an eagle on a cactus while eating a snake.
One of the most popular monuments in Mexico is the Angel of Independence.
It is a tribute to Mexico defeating Spain in the War of Independence. In 1910, the Mexican Revolution occurred and the construction of the monument was completed. The idea of the revolution “was to overthrow Diaz, who oversaw the building of the monument. While Diaz was responsible for modernizing the nation, he also subjected many rural and native groups to poverty. Diaz invited foreign investments into Mexico to build its wealth, but foreign companies exploited the poor of Mexico” (Miller). Mexican Revolution was a defining moment in the country's history. Another turning point in Mexican culture was building the Angel of Independence. During an earthquake in Mexico City in 1957, the monument got destroyed. However, the citizens rebuilt it and today the monument is as good as
new.
One very popular and unique place to visit in Mexico is the capital, Mexico City. It is one of the world's most popular capitals and it is a must see if you are visiting Mexico. One place to visit there is Palacio de Bellas Artes. It is located in the center of Mexico City and people say it is spectacular. The exterior of the palace demonstrates decorative architecture. On the inside, there is the national museum, theater and many famous paintings. The palace is open to the public to view Tuesday through Sunday for only a small fee.
Additionally, Mexico celebrates its Independence Day on September 16th. The country gained its independence in 1810 from Spanish-born people who ruled at the time. Every year at midnight of September 15th, people gather in their town as their mayor reads the “grito” or the words of freedom. During the following day, there are parades, fairs, dancing and fireworks. There is also lots of traditional food. The most classic dish is chiles en nogada, which is a meal made from stuffed poblano peppers doused in a walnut sauce.
Overall, Mexico is definitely one of the most interesting countries in the world. The Mexican flag has 3 different colors and each color represents a different meaning. The Angel of Independence is a very beautiful monument in Mexico representing independance. Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and it is one of the most popular capitals in the world. Lastly, Mexico celebrates Independence Day every year on September 16th.