Mexican words and expressions. What languages ​​are spoken in Mexico?

Spanish in Mexico(Spanish) Español mexico) - a group of adverbs, dialects and sociolects, constituting a special linguistic variant of the Spanish language in Mexico, based on the linguistic norm of the Mexican capital - the city of Mexico, which is the literary standard of this variant. The Spanish of most other regions of the country is fairly close to the metropolitan norm, with the exception of the specific dialects of Yucatan (Yucatan Spanish, based on Caribbean Spanish) and Chiapas (Central American Spanish). Mexican Spanish (as well as the various dialects within it) is the native language of approximately 125 million people (of which over 100 million live in Mexico and about 25 million in the United States, mainly in border areas of Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, etc.). d.). In Mexico, this variety of Spanish is the only official one at the federal level and one of the official ones (along with many Indian languages) at the state level. Mexican Spanish is also the basis for the Spanish language in the United States (see Spanish in the United States), widely used in the media (Univision, Telemundo, etc.), education, etc. In addition, Mexican Spanish is the most common language variety Spanish, since it is native to the majority of Mexicans, who make up about 29% of all Spanish speakers in the world. The main features of the Spanish language in Mexico are the clarity of pronunciation of consonants (especially d and s) and its closeness to the classical standard Spanish of the 16th and 17th centuries, with a strong influence of indigenous languages ​​in the field of vocabulary.

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 5

Spanish from scratch! Lesson 01 Greetings, introductions, farewells in Spanish

Alphabet of the Spanish Language ║ Lesson 1 ║ Spanish ║ For beginners from scratch ║ EL ALFABETO ESPAÑOL.

• Subtitles

Story

Until the 16th century, the territory of modern Mexico was inhabited by quite numerous Indian tribes who spoke several dozen languages, the most common of which were: Navajo in the north, Maya, Nahuatl in the center and many others, which had a significant substrate influence on the Spanish language, which at first only a small but elite stratum of conquistadors, administrators and officials and immigrants from Spain, who made up about 5% of the population, spoke. However, thanks to its prestige and intensive interracial contacts (mixed race), Spanish became the main means of communication for the bulk of Mexicans already in the 17th century. Yet, unlike the United States, Mexico has never pursued a policy of genocide against the indigenous population. After a sharp reduction in the number of Indians due to diseases introduced by Europeans, their number stabilized already in the 17th-18th centuries. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the number of speakers of Indian languages ​​in Mexico increased quite significantly, although their share of the population as a whole continued to decline due to an even more rapid increase in the number of Spanish-speaking mestizos. However, the influence of Amerindian languages, which are still spoken by 7-10% of Mexicans, remains significant. Many Mexicanisms, that is, words, phrases, phonetic and grammatical phenomena characteristic of the spoken Spanish language of Mexico, are explained precisely by the influence of autochonic languages. Another important factor in the formation and spread of Mexican Spanish was the status of the city of Mexico City itself (formerly Tenochtitlan), which for three centuries was the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (see New Spain and Colonies of Spain), as well as the largest in the Western Hemisphere, where in the 16th During the 17th centuries, significant numbers of people arrived from Madrid and Spain. Therefore, just like American English, Mexican Spanish is based mainly on the corresponding European analogue of the language of the 16th-17th centuries. The language, in fact, of Spain continued to develop further, but in Mexico it largely froze as if in a preserved form after gaining independence at the beginning of the 19th century and developed in isolation from Spain.

Phonological features

• Seseo: Latin America as a whole, the Canary Islands and Andalusia still do not differentiate s and interdental z, c(developed in Castile), which are all pronounced /s/. The sound [s] in Mexico is laminodental or apicodental and identical to the Russian sound “s”, but [s] in the center and north of Spain took on an apical-alveolar character in the 19th-20th centuries, so for Russians and Mexicans equally it sounds like “ sh" (the non-distinction between s and sh is also characteristic of the Greek language).
• Eizmo: There is no longer any difference in pronunciation y And ll; pronounced like /ʝ/ or Russian [Y].
• Unlike other varieties of Spanish, which tend to vocalize words according to the Italian model, final and intervocalic consonants in Mexico have a fairly clear quality, and vowels, on the contrary, are reduced: the pronunciation ["tRasts] for "trastes". This often happens on consonant contact [s] with [e], which is dropped. Philologist Bertil Malmberg gives the following example Rafael Lapesa, when many people do not pronounce vowels ( Cómo ’stás, “cómo estás’, nec’sito, ‘necesito’, palabr’s ‘palabras’, much’s gras’s, ‘muchas gracias’).
• Unlike Caribbean Spanish, final [s] (indicator of plural and second person verbs) is always preserved.
• Intervocalic d tends to weaken, but is never completely reduced. Thus, "amado", "partido", "nada" do not become "amao", "partío" and "naa" as in Cuba or Venezuela.
• In much of Mexico, the distinctive [R] and [r] phonemes of Standard Spanish (especially the final -r) are often muted and the contrast between them is somewhat blurred: ["ka§ta]"carta" or "amor", while in the northern states the difference between /rr/ and /-r/ remains. In some areas of the Yucatan Peninsula, r even takes on a uvular quality (as in French).
• The sound (x) in Mexico is a fricative voiceless velar [x], as in ["kaxa] "caja" (box). This sound is in many ways similar to the Russian "kh" and is quite close to the similar sound of northern and central Spain, but, in contrast, it does not have hard uvular overtones. In Caribbean Spanish (which has a strong influence on the speech of the Atlantic coast of Mexico) due to the general weakening of consonants, the letter. j realized as a voiceless exhalation [h], found in Germanic languages.
• Within Mexican Spanish, which has a standardized version, there are a significant number of dialects (especially in the vernacular). Thus, Mexicans themselves, as a rule, can distinguish by ear the speech of people from the states of Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, Yucatan, Mexico City itself, Jalisco, Chiapas or Veracruz.

In 1521, Spanish colonizers arrived in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), thus introducing the Spanish language into the territory of modern Mexico. However, it took several generations for the zones to acquire their own personal linguistic character. This happened only 100 years later. The Creole Spanish language of Mexico begins to emerge when the first children are born in Mexico, but their parents still spoke European Spanish, so their children could not yet be said to speak pure Mexican Spanish.

In Mexico, as subsequently in all other countries of Latin America, a number of changes are taking place in the Spanish language system: linguistic territories are expanding (as happened in Spain, when the Spanish language replaced other languages ​​that existed on the Iberian Peninsula), phonological changes are taking place (by -the other begins to pronounce j, the sound θ gradually disappears and is replaced by s, phonetic adaptation of words borrowed from Indian languages ​​occurs), etc.

One of the first impressions that modern Mexican Spanish can make on an observer is that it is “conservative.” In the literary texts of Spanish writers of the 16th and 17th centuries, one can find words that today in Spain are archaisms and are practically unrecognizable to native speakers, or are used extremely rarely. In Mexico these words continue to be used and are not perceived as archaic. Here are some examples of such lexical units:

Mexican word (is archaic in the Castilian version)	Equivalent in Castilian version Spanish	Translation
Aburricion	Aburrimiento	Boredom, annoyance
Alzarse	Sublevarse	Revolt, rebel
Amarrar	Atar	tie, connect
Anafre	Hornillo	Portable oven
Apeñuscarse	Apiñarse	crowd, crowd
Balde (para agua)	Cubo	Bucket, tub
Botar	Tirar	Throw away, throw away
Chabacano	Albaricoque	Apricot
Chapa	Cerradura	Lock
Chicharo	Guisante	Peas
Cobija	Manta	Blanket
Conyo	Konna	Buddy
Despacio (hablar despacio)	En voz baja	Quiet (speak quietly)
Dilatar	Tardar	To be delayed, to be late
Droga	Deuda	Duty
Durazno	Melocoton	Peach
Ensartar (la aguja)	Enhebrar	Thread a needle)
Esculcar	Registrar	Search, rummage (in pocket)
Expandir	Extender	Expand, spread
Frijol	Judía, habichuela	Beans
Hambreado	Hambriento	Hungry
Postergar	Aplazar, diferir	Save
Prieto	Moreno	Dark
Recibirse	Graduarse	Get a degree
Renco	Cojo	lame
Resfrio	Resfriado	Cold, runny nose
Retobado	Rezongon	Grouchy
Rezago	Atraso	Delay, tardiness
Zonzo	Tonto	Stupid, bad

These are just a small number of words currently used in Mexican Spanish that have fallen out of use in the Iberian Peninsula.

The presence of such a lexical layer has given rise to the erroneous view among many linguists of the Mexican version of the Spanish language as an archaic variant (Wagner, 1949; Zamora Vicente, 1974; etc.). However, Moreno de Alba writes about this: “The vocabulary of the Spanish language is the complete sum of all the vocabulary of all its dialects (geographical, historical and social). Therefore, the problem of so-called archaisms must be reconsidered. Of course, there are archaisms in the strict sense of the word and these would be linguistic phenomena that are used sporadically and have disappeared from the entire Spanish language, such as the verb catar meaning “to see” or yantar meaning “to eat”. But there is also an infinite number of archaisms in a relative sense, which, although used in some dialects, have ceased to be the norm in others. Thus, the word estafeta can be perceived as an archaism by Latin Americans, ... and the vocabula prieto will be so for the Spaniards" (Moreno de Alba, 2001: 264 - 265). Thus, these words are archaisms in the Castilian version of the Spanish language, while in the Mexican version they are commonly used and cannot be regarded as archaic.

It is known that the Indian languages ​​that dominated the territory of what is now Mexico before the arrival of the Spaniards had almost no impact on the phonological and grammatical level of the Spanish language in Mexico. On the other hand, all linguists recognize their influence on the lexical composition of the language. Thus, in the Spanish language of Mexico we can find a huge number of Indianisms, in particular those originating from the Nahuatl language. These are mainly words related to flora and fauna. Here are some of them:

Indianisms	Translation
Aguacate	Avocado
Ahuehuete
Cacahuate	Peanut
Cacao	Cocoa
Chayote	Chayote (tree and fruit)
Chile	Indian pepper
Copal	Copal, copal gum, leguminous plant
Coyote	Coyote
Mezcal	Type of alcoholic drink
Ocelote	Ocelot
Quetzal	Quetzal (bird)
Tomate
Zapote	Sapotle tree, akhras, sapota (fruit of the tree, a genus of oblong apple)

The large number of Indianisms recorded in general dictionaries and in dictionaries of regionalisms may suggest that the Indian component is the most important in Latin American national varieties of the Spanish language. It must be taken into account that when compiling dictionaries, authors start from written sources (chronicles, letters, protocols, memoirs, documents, etc.), collecting all found autochthonous words, including toponyms, anthroponyms and ethnonyms. However, all this much-needed data for conducting diachronic research distorts linguistic reality when conducting research in a synchronous manner, forcing many researchers to believe that all Indianisms registered in dictionaries are actively used in speech in a particular country. Thus, Dario Rubio believed that such a large number of Nahuatlism in Mexico would “cause a truly terrible chaos” that would make communication between Mexicans difficult (Rubio, 1990: XXII). In fact, many words recorded in dictionaries may not even be known to Mexicans, or they may know them passively, that is, know them but never use them in speech. Mexican linguist Lope Blanche, in his work “Indian Vocabulary in the Spanish Language of Mexico” (1969), divides the Nahuatlisms existing in the Mexican version into six groups. Below are some examples:

Vocable	Translation
Group 1. Vocabularies known to absolutely everyone (99-100% of Mexicans)
Aguacate	Avocado
Cacahuate	Peanut
Cacao	Cocoa
Coyote	Coyote
Cuate	Friend, buddy
Chamaco	Boy, child
Chicle	Gum
Chihuahua	Dog breed in Mexico
Chile	A variety of hot pepper
Chocolate	Chocolate
Escuincle	Small child
Guajolote	Turkey
Jitomate	Tomato (red)
Papalote	Kite
Petatearse	Die
Popote	Drinking straw
Pozole	Posole (national Mexican dish)
Tamal	National Mexican dish
Tequila	Tequila
Tomate	Green tomato (a type of cooking tomato)
Group 2. Vocabularies that are known to almost all Mexicans (85-98%)
Ahuehuete	A type of tree of great height
Ajolote	Mexican amphibian
Ayate	Ayate (rare fibrous fabric made from agave)
Chamagoso	Sloppy, dirty
Mapache	American badger
Mezquite	American acacia genus
Olote	Corn cob without grains
Piocha	Goatee, goatee
Group 3. Vocabularies known to half of the speakers (50-85%)
Chachalaca	Mexican bird of the gallinaceae family
Jicote	A species of wasp
Quetzal	Quetzal (bird)
Tiza	Chalk
Tlaco	Ancient coin
Group 4. Little-known vocables (25-50%)
Acocil	Lobster size 3-6 cm
Colote	Corn storage
Achahuisclarse	Being affected by aphids
Jilotear	Ripen, fill (about corn)
Nauyaca	Naujaca (poisonous snake)
Group 5. Very little-known vocables (2-25%)
Ayacahuite	Pine (species)
Cuescomate	Corn Barn
Juil	Carp (species)
Tepeguaje	Stubborn, persistent
Aguate	Small sharp spine (on the trunk of a cactus)
Group 6. Almost unknown vocables (0-1%)
Cuitla	Bird droppings
Pizote	One of the mammals
Pascle	Thick ash-green moss (used as a holiday decoration in the house)
Yagual	Roller (for carrying weights on the head)
Zontle	Sonte (unit of counting corn, fruits, etc.)

It should be noted that Nahuatlism, being an important factor in the Mexican version of the Spanish language, is currently showing a tendency to disappear due to constant changes in life, economy and education (Yakovleva, 2005:25). In addition to Nahuatlisms, the Mexican version of Spanish also contains borrowings from other Indian languages, for example, Mayan. Examples include words such as balac, chich, holoch, pibinal, tuch, xic. However, borrowings from the Mayan language are mainly present in the southeast of the country and are dialectal phenomena that are not part of the norm of the entire Mexican version of the Spanish language, which is based on the cultural speech of Mexico City. Therefore, we will not dwell in detail on these lexical units.

Coexisting with words of a conservative nature, in the Spanish language of Mexico there are currently a large number of neologisms, that is, vocables that follow an American path that is different from the European one.

In particular, in the Mexican version we can hear anglicisms that are not registered in dictionaries, but dominate in speech over common Spanish words. Such anglicisms are absent in other national varieties of the Spanish language. Examples include words such as:

Many philologists, writers and cultural figures are concerned about the unjustified and excessive inclusion of English vocabulary in everyday life and oppose its negative consequences, considering this phenomenon a reflection of the political, economic, scientific and technical expansion of the United States and its partners, a consequence of the Americanization of Mexican popular culture. Quite often you can hear the opinion that the abundance of anglicisms is one of the distinctive features of the Spanish language of Mexico (Lopez Rodriguez, 1982). However, Lope Blanche, in the article “Anglicisms in the Cultural Norm of Mexico,” states the following: “Mexico is a country overly susceptible to contamination by the English language. Being a neighbor to the United States, it has a border with them that is more than 2,500 km long. It maintains close economic relations with its powerful neighbor. It receives a significant number of American tourists every year, and hundreds of thousands of Mexicans go temporarily to work in the United States. English is the most studied foreign language in Mexico. ... However, it is quite possible that the Spanish language of Mexico does not differ in this respect from other Spanish-speaking countries much more distant geographically, historically and politically from the United States" (Lope Blanch, 1982: 32 - 33).

In a study of the cultural speech of Mexico City within the framework of the “Project for Joint Research on the Cultural Linguistic Standards of the Main Cities of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula,” the total number of registered Anglicisms was 170 vocables, which is 4% of the 4452 questions of the questionnaire used at that time. However, not all of these Anglicisms are used with the same frequency in Mexico.

Lope Blanche divides Anglicisms into 5 groups.

1. Commonly used anglicisms: basquetbol, ​​bateo, beisbol, bikini, boxeo, closet, champú, coctel, cheque, elevador, emergencia, esmoquin, futbol, ​​gol, líder, refrigerador, supermercado, etc.
2. Frequently used anglicisms: bar, bermudas, bistec, chequera, jochey, kinder, poncharse, ponchada, shorts, etc.
3. Anglicisms of medium frequency: barman, manager, porter, túnel, videotape, zípper, etc.
4. Little-used anglicisms: bilet, blazer, lonch, mofle, ofside, standar, stewardess, stop, tándem, etc.
5. Spontaneous anglicisms: bartender, comics, game, gorra de golf, locker, magazine, pull-over, rosbif, etc.

One third of Anglicisms denote concepts related to sports. In second place are words related to technology, followed by vocabulary related to clothing and food. However, despite the geographical proximity of Mexico and the United States, the Spanish language of Mexico lacks a number of anglicisms that are actively used in other Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain. We are talking about words such as clown (payaso), bacon (tocino), espíquer (locutor), shut (tiro, disparo), water (excusado), autostop (aventón), aparcar / parquear (estacionar), etc.

Thus, Mexican Spanish has anglicisms. However, their number in cultural speech does not differ much from other national varieties of the language.

Mexico is very popular among tourists from all over the world. This state is known not only for a huge number of various attractions, but also for its developed tourist infrastructure. In addition, Mexico, although not often, is chosen as a country for immigration. Of course, in order to feel comfortable in this country, you need to know what language is spoken in Mexico.

Mexican Spanish

The United Mexican States is a multicultural state that recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to maintain and develop their own dialects. The main language in the country is Spanish – it is spoken by about 90% of the population. To understand why Spanish is spoken in Mexico, you need to look at history. In 1521, Spanish colonialists arrived in Mexico City (formerly Tenochtitlan), who introduced and spread their language throughout the state. As a result of intensive interracial contacts and the birth of children (mixed race), the Creole (Mexican) Spanish language began to form.

Mexican Spanish is the most widely spoken variety of Spanish. It is understood not only in its historical homeland, but throughout Latin America, as well as in the United States. However, Spanish and Mexican are not the same languages. Thus, the formation of Mexican Spanish was significantly influenced by its proximity to the United States.

Mexican Spanish is the native language of Mexico. It is spoken by approximately 125 million people. Of these, more than 100 million live in the state itself and about 25 million in the United States (mainly in the border areas of Texas, California, Arizona, etc.).

National language of Mexico

The United Mexican States pursues a policy of bilingualism - this is stated in the country's Constitution. Therefore, speaking about which language is the official language in Mexico, it should be noted that the government of the country recognizes, in addition to Spanish, 68 more local dialects. At the same time, many consider Spanish to be the official language. However, this is an erroneous opinion, since there is no such definition in the country’s legislation.

When answering the question of which language is the official one in Mexico, one should again turn to the country’s Constitution, which states that due to the multinationality of the state, Spanish and local dialects have equal rights as official languages.

And this despite the fact that only 6% of the population speaks dialects.

In 2003, the Mexican Congress adopted a decision to support the law on the linguistic rights of indigenous peoples, which secured the right of the local population to use their native speech when communicating with authorities and preparing official documents. And yet the de facto national language in this state is Spanish.

Dialects of local languages ​​in Mexico

Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the United Mexican States, local residents spoke Indian languages. However, this had virtually no effect on the grammatical and phonological level of Spanish, although linguists still recognize their influence on the lexical composition of speech.

The most common Indian languages ​​in Mexico are:

• Nahuatl (Aztec group);
• Yucatecan (from the group of languages ​​of the Mayan Indians);

And finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the status of the debtor that is easiest to “forget” when getting ready for your next vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2018; we recommend finding out information about the presence of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

• Mixtec;
• Zapotec;
• Tzeltalian;
• Tzotzil.

There are 364 different dialects in the state, with significant differences. For example, Nahuatl is the language of the Aztec empire. It is spoken by about one and a half million people. However, it is highly fragmented geographically. But the largest adjacent dialect is Yucatecan, which is spoken by about 800 thousand people. It is used on the Yucatan Peninsula. Therefore, it is quite difficult to answer unequivocally what language is spoken in Mexico.

Other popular languages

The United Mexican States is one of the most developed countries in Latin America, which annually attracts a huge number of tourists from all over the world. Therefore, for those who have never been to this country, it is important to know what other language, besides Spanish, is understood in this state.

For example, English in Mexico is not widely spoken in all states, and you need to be prepared for this. However, recently, thanks to the active development of the tourism sector and an increase in the level of service to travelers, employers have begun to attach great importance to the proficiency of applicants for work in restaurants and hotels in English, Italian, German, French and Portuguese. Moreover, in some luxury hotel complexes the staff even speak Russian.



When going on a trip, tourists are interested in what is the main language in Mexico City. As throughout the state, the vast majority of residents speak Spanish. However, in this city you can also meet many people who speak English. The same goes for other cities such as Palenque, Villahermosa, Campeche and Cancun. But if you go to the south, then knowledge of Spanish is already necessary.

It should be noted that most excursions and entertainment events specially prepared for tourists are conducted in English.

Spanish language courses

Mexico is a leader in providing Spanish learning opportunities in Latin America, with students from all over the world taking Spanish courses here. Language schools and courses provide an opportunity not only to learn Spanish quickly and effectively, but also to become better acquainted with the culture of this distant state.

Language schools in the United Mexican States are located in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen. They offer various programs, but the standard and intensive courses are in greatest demand.

Mexico: Video

Many tourists, planning to visit Mexico, wonder what language is spoken in this country. Since the United Mexican States is one of the former colonies of Spain, its residents communicate with each other mainly in Spanish. This is the official language of Mexico, or rather, one of them.

Mexico's location on the globe

The country is inhabited by approximately a third of the planet's Spanish-speaking population. But it is worth noting that the Spanish dialect in this country is still different from the usual modern Spanish language. These changes occurred as a result of influences from local traditions and dialects, as well as the survival of some older spoken forms.

Until the mid-19th century, or more precisely until 1821, the country was called New Spain. The influence of the Spanish conquerors on it was so strong that as a result, today 92% of the population is Spanish-speaking and considers this dialect to be their native language.

An interesting fact is that, despite its prevalence, Spanish is not official in Mexico. This country positions itself as a multicultural state and promotes bilingualism. That is, in fact, Spanish remains the main spoken form; it is spoken everywhere. But at the same time, Mexicans of Indian origin can draw up documents with government agencies in their native dialect.

What language to speak in Mexico, watch the video.

Story

Before the arrival of the Spaniards on the American continent, the Aztec Empire was located in a vast territory stretching from the central regions of modern Mexico to the Isthmus of Panama. The dialect that the local population used to communicate was called Nahuatl.

It has survived to this day and includes various related languages ​​and spoken dialects. It is spoken by about 1.5 million people, most of whom live in Mexico and are direct descendants of the Aztecs. There are many variants of Nahuatl, which is spoken by residents of different regions of the country, but most of these variants are similar to each other.

The version that can be heard in Mexico City is recognized by the Mexican Constitution as one of the official ones. Modern books are written on it, the press is published, and various legal documents are also published.

By the way, you and I also use in our speech words borrowed from the ancient Nahuatl dialect. This:

• avocado;
• cocoa;
• chili (name of pepper);
• tomato;
• chocolate and many other words that are still used both in modern Mexico and throughout the world.

In addition to Nahuatl, there are approximately 60 dialects spoken by indigenous peoples in Mexico. These are the descendants of the Mayans, Zapotecs and other Indian peoples. Their numbers are not so large, but many have retained their native language, using Indian dialects as a language for intraspecific communication. It is the second most popular among the Indian population.

But still, the main percentage of Mexicans prefer to speak Spanish. It is this colloquial form that is the most popular means of communication in Mexico. But as mentioned earlier, Mexican Spanish has its own linguistic norms that distinguish it from modern common Spanish.

Flags of Spain and Mexico

The states of Chiapas and Yucatan are especially distinguished by their dialects. Those who hear the Mexican version of Spanish for the first time cannot help but notice that it is somewhat “old-fashioned.”

This happened because Mexico, having gained independence at the beginning of the nineteenth century, got rid of the influence of the colonial country and began to develop in its own way. This also affected the Spanish dialect, which began to form independently, absorbing local ethnic dialects, but remaining the same in form, as if frozen in the 19th century. Therefore, Mexicans still use words that no one has used in modern speech for a long time.

Television has shaped the image of Mexico as a very poor country where drug cartels are constantly at odds with each other. But in reality this is not the case at all. Every year, more than 20 million foreign tourists come to this country to see the unique monuments and pyramids of the Mayan and Aztec Indians, ancient Spanish forts, colonial palaces, try unforgettable Mexican cuisine, and, of course, relax at Mexican beach resorts, among which “shine” » Acapulco and Cancun.

Geography Mexico

Mexico is located in the south of North America. Mexico borders the United States in the north, and Guatemala and Belize in the southeast. In the southeast the country is washed by the Caribbean Sea, in the east by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and in the south and west by the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Mexico includes several islands in the Pacific Ocean, including the Revilla Gijedo Island group and Guadalupe Island. The total area of ​​this state, including the islands, is 1,972,550 square meters. km., and the total length of the state border is 4,353 km.

The Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental mountain ranges stretch from north to south through Mexico; they are located between the Mexican Highlands. The south is dominated by the Sierra Madre Sur mountain system. The highest local peak is Mount Orizaba, whose height reaches 5,700 meters.

Mexico has quite high seismic activity. In addition, there are many volcanoes, some of which are still active (such as Colima and Paricutin).

The largest Mexican rivers are the Usumacinta (560 km), Grijalva (480 km), Papaloapan (534 km), and Coatzacoalcos (282 km).

Capital of Mexico

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. More than 9 million people now live in this city. Historians say that Mexico City was founded by the Aztec Indians in 1325.

Official language

Mexico has one official language - Spanish.

Religion

More than 82% of residents are Catholics, about 9% are Protestants.

State structure

According to the current Constitution, Mexico is a presidential republic in which the head of state is the President (he is elected by popular vote for a term of 6 years).

The bicameral Mexican parliament is called the Congress, it consists of the Senate (128 senators, elected for 6 years) and the Chamber of Deputies (500 deputies, elected for 3 years).

The main political parties are the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the National Action Party, the Democratic Revolution Party, the Green Party and the Labor Party.

Administratively, Mexico is divided into 31 states and one federal district with its center in Mexico City.

Climate and weather

The climate is tropical and temperate, depending on the region and altitude relative to sea level. On the Yucatan Peninsula, the average annual air temperature is +26-30C.

The rainy season lasts from May to October. The rest of the year it also rains, but much less frequently. In general, you can vacation in Mexico all year round, but it depends on the destinations where tourists want to go (some destinations are better to choose in certain months).

Average air temperature in Cancun (Caribbean coast):

1. January – +23C
2. February - +23C
3. March - +25C
4. April - +26C
5. May - +27C
6. June - +28C
7. July - +28C
8. August – +28C
9. September - +28С
10. October - +27С
11. November - +25C
12. December - +24C

Seas and oceans of Mexico

In the southeast the country is washed by the Caribbean Sea, and in the south and west by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The total length of the coastline is 9,330 km.

Average sea temperature off the coast of Cancun (Caribbean coast):

1. January – +26С
2. February - +26C
3. March - +26C
4. April - +27C
5. May - +28C
6. June - +29С
7. July - +29C
8. August – +29С
9. September - +29C
10. October - +29C
11. November - +28C
12. December - +27С

Rivers and lakes

Several fairly large rivers flow through Mexico - Usumacinta (560 km), Grijalva (480 km), Papaloapan (534 km), Coatzacoalcos (282 km). In the state of Guadalajara, at an altitude of 1,524 meters above sea level, there is a freshwater lake, Chapala, with an area of ​​1,100 square meters. km, the largest in this country.

History of Mexico

People settled in the territory of modern Mexico several thousand years ago. In the early centuries of our century, several Indian tribes lived there, including the famous Mayans, who created hieroglyphic writing, a calendar and the grandiose pyramids. Around the 12th century, the Aztecs appeared there.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors led by Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernan Cortez arrived in Mexico. After some time, Mexico became part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and remained a Spanish colony until 1821.

In 1823, after a long war of independence, the Republic of Mexico was proclaimed. Throughout the 19th century, bloody wars took place on the territory of this country, as a result of which the Mexican states of Texas, New Mexico, and Upper California were ceded to the United States.

The beginning of the 20th century was not without wars for Mexico. From 1910 to 1917, the civil war continued there. As a result, the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz was overthrown and a Constitution was adopted, guaranteeing the separation of church and state, agrarian reform, the creation of trade unions, etc.

Since the 1950s, Mexico, which has very large oil reserves, has experienced economic recovery. In the mid-1980s, oil prices fall and an economic and political crisis begins in Mexico. Now this country is still experiencing economic problems, but the situation is quite stable.

Culture

The culture of Mexico was formed on the basis of the traditions of the Indians, and then it was strongly influenced by the Spaniards. Every Mexican city or town has its own festival in honor of a saint.

At the end of February, Mexico City hosts a grandiose Carnival, which usually lasts 5 days. Throughout these 5 days, colorful processions with music and dancing take place through the streets of the Mexican capital.

On December 12, Mexico City and some other Mexican cities celebrate the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, with a lot of different events. On this day, colorful performances take place in the capital's Basilica de Guadalupe square.

September 16 marks the most revered national Mexican holiday - Independence Day.

Kitchen

Mexican cuisine is famous all over the world. The main foods are corn, beans, rice and vegetables. Important ingredients for preparing Mexican dishes are spices and hot chili peppers.

The diet of the Mayan Indians once upon a time consisted mainly of corn and some vegetables; spices, herbs and chilies were used in preparing dishes. After the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, the Indians' diet was replenished with animal meat and fish. Thanks to the fusion of the culinary traditions of the Indians and Spaniards, modern Mexican cuisine was formed.

In the south of the country, dishes are spicier than in the north. By the way, in the south, tourists are usually offered chicken as a meat dish, while beef is more common in the north. In general, each region or city has its own special dish - “cochinita pibil” (Yucatan) and “huevos rancheros” (Sonora).

We recommend that tourists first ask what a particular dish is made from, because... some of them may seem very exotic to Europeans. For example, you may be served “Chapulines” (fried grasshoppers) for lunch.

1. "Guacamole" - sauce with fried tortilla pieces;
2. “Tacos Tortillas” - tortillas with different fillings (most often meat filling);
3. “Pozole” - chicken or pork soup with corn and spices;
4. "Carnitas" - fried pork;
5. “Chilaquiles” - fried potatoes with tomatoes;
6. "Sopes" - a cornmeal patty with chicken, cheese and hot sauce;
7. “Tostados” - tortilla with chicken, beans, tomatoes, onions, cream, cheese and hot sauce;
8. "Huachinango" - perch;
9. "Ceviche" - raw fish with lime juice (added to salad).
10. Pollo Pibil is charcoal-braised chicken marinated in spices and wrapped in banana leaves.

Traditional alcoholic drinks are beer, tequila, tepache (made from pineapple), tuba (fermented coconut palm juice) and pulque (fermented agave juice with a strength of 5-8°).

Sights of Mexico

Mexico now has several thousand archaeological, historical and architectural sites. The most famous of them are, of course, the pyramids of the Mayans and Aztecs. But this country also has many medieval Spanish forts, churches and palaces. The top ten best Mexican attractions, in our opinion, include the following:

• Pyramid of the Sun
• Pyramid of the Moon
• Pyramid at Cholula
• Pyramids of Mitla and Monte Alban
• Mayan city of Chichen Itza
• Cathedral in Mexico City
• Palace of Cortez in Mexico City
• National Palace in Mexico City
• Mayan city of Uxmal
• Mayan city of Palenque

Cities and resorts

The largest cities are Tijuana, Puebla, Ecatepec de Morelos, Leon, Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey, Zapopan, and, of course, Mexico City.

Tourists come to Mexico mainly for a beach holiday, although, of course, there are many historical attractions left over from the pre-Columbian era. The most popular Mexican beach resorts are Acapulco, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Costa Maya and Zihuatanejo. Acapulco and Cancun are extremely popular among foreigners.

The best Mexican beaches, in our opinion, include the following:

1. Cancun
2. Playa del Carmen
3. Puerto Vallarta
4. Los Cabos
5. Tulum
6. Mazatlan
7. Cozumel
8. Huatulco

Souvenirs/shopping

Souvenirs in Mexico (“reminder”) are probably best purchased at roadside stands and rural markets. Tourists buy in this country ceramics, a Piñata toy (an ancient Aztec game), dresses, blouses, handmade blankets and carpets, leather goods (purses, wallets, belts, sandals), silver and coral items, cigars, chocolate, vanilla, various Mexican sauces, and, of course, tequila.

Office hours

Banks:
Mon-Fri: 09:00-17:00
Some banks are also open on Sundays.

The shops:
Mon-Sat: 09:30-20:00
Supermarkets in Mexico City are open 7 days a week, with some operating 24 hours a day.

Visa

Ukrainians need a visa to visit Mexico.

Currency

Mexico is a huge country in North America, with a total area of ​​1.95 million km. Mexico borders the United States on the northern and eastern parts. From the eastern part, the country is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Caribbean Sea. Mexico also includes numerous Pacific islands. The capital of this state is Mexico City - one of the oldest cities. But does this country have its own language?

What language do Mexicans use?

In fact, in everyday communication they use Spanish - more precisely, its Mexican dialect. This happened historically, as a result of the conquest of local lands by European conquistadors. Therefore, there is no Mexican language as such. However, in addition to Spanish, about 68 local languages ​​are also used. But the vast majority of the population - about 90% - still communicates in Spanish.

Is Spanish official?

It remains the most widespread in Mexico - it is spoken almost everywhere. Although Spanish is widely spoken, it is not an official language. This is a very common misconception. The fact is that the Mexican constitution states: Mexico is a multinational country. That's why she always advocates bilingualism, or Spanish plus vernacular.

English in Mexico

Some tourists heading to Mexico rush to find a Russian-Mexican phrasebook. Others, knowing that now the vast majority of Mexicans communicate in Spanish, grab their heads: before the trip they need to learn a new language as quickly as possible. However, there are also travelers who are sure that you can survive in any country if you know English. This is a big misconception about Mexico. English not only won’t help here, but can also seriously hinder you. The fact is that Mexicans do not like their neighboring Americans. Therefore, if a tourist begins to communicate with a local resident in English, most likely he will take on an indifferent look. Or he will communicate in an unfriendly manner.

Local dialects

Indigenous dialects are spoken by no more than 6% of the country's total population. And this is about 6 million people. It is interesting that the number of those who stubbornly consider themselves descendants of the great Indians is twice this number. The most widely spoken local Mexican language is called Nahuatl, which includes various dialects. Nahuatl is used in everyday life by about 1.3 million people.

One of the main languages ​​of the Aztec group is Classical Nahuatl. Beginning in the 16th century, it was systematically displaced by invading Europeans. Gradually, the Aztec language began to break up into dialects. At the moment, classical Nahuatl is classified as However, it has preserved a large number of literary monuments recorded using the Latin alphabet. Many people call the Nahuatl language Mexican. Translation into different languages ​​and even courses in learning Nahuatl have now ceased to be exotic.

Mayan languages

The next most common language is occupied by the language of the ancient Mayans - Maaya Taan, or Yucatecan language. Its carriers are about 759 thousand people. It is distributed mainly in the Yucatan Peninsula. The oldest written language of the Mayan Indians is the language of the classical era of this civilization. It is believed that the common ancestor of the Yucatecan dialects is the Proto-Mayan language.

Q'eqchi - Mayan dialect

About 450 thousand people speak the Qekchi language. This language is spoken mainly in Guatemala. Here, about 90% of the total number of residents communicate in it. However, Qekchi can also be heard in El Salvador and Belize. For a very long time, the Kekchi ethnic family was isolated from other regions. Therefore, different dialects of this language differ from each other very insignificantly. The main dialect is the Western dialect. Q'eqchi is distinguished by the fact that among its representatives there is the largest number of monolingual speakers.

Mixtec dialects

Another 423 thousand people. They use the languages ​​of the Mixtec group in everyday life. The area where the Mixtec Mexican language is spoken is the area called La Mixteca. The word "Mixtec" means "resident, inhabitant." Typically, speakers of this group of languages ​​use the poetic phrase “Word of Rain” to denote their native dialect. In total, the Mixtec language has 52 local dialects.

Zapotec Mexican languages

410 thousand people in Mexico are native speakers of Zapotec languages. The Zapotec civilization began around 700 BC. e. In the 16th century it was finally conquered by European conquerors. The Zapotec Empire was located in the modern Mexican state of Oaxaca. The largest Zapotec settlement was a city called Monte Alban, which was the first of the empire's capitals. The Mixtecs neighboring to the north were the constant enemies of the state.