BIENVENIDOS A MEXICO

1. BIENVENIDOS A • MEXICO

2. ¡Bandera de México! Legado de nuestros héroes, Símbolo de la unidad de nuestros padres de nuestros hermanos, te prometemos ser siempre fieles a los principios de libertad y justicia que hacen de nuestra Patria, la nación independiente, humana y generosa, a la que entregamos nuestra soy de pablos existencia. Flag of México! Legacy of our heroes, Symbol of the unity of our parents and of our siblings, we promise you to be always faithful to the principles of liberty and justice that make of our Homeland, the independent, humane and generous nation, to which we dedicate our existence. Día de la Bandera

3. Donde esta Mexico?

4. El Capital de Mexico es… La Ciudad de Mexico, D.F.

5. El Presidente de Mexico es ... Felipe Calderon

6. Facts • Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. • A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. • The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. • The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). They have 6 year terms with not possible re-election. • He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON. • In 2000, Mexico received $7 billion in U.S. remittances.

7. Scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; Rural to urban migration; Natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north. Inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; Raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; Widespread erosion; Desertification; Deteriorating agricultural lands; Serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico Border. Air pollution in Mexico City and Guadalajara is severe, especially from December to May, and combined with high altitude could affect travelers with underlying respiratory problems. Environment - Current Issues

8. Corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico. Soaring international demand for corn has caused a spike in prices for Mexico's humble tortilla, hitting the poor. For low-income Mexicans, who earn about $18 a day on average, the increasing prices have hit hard. According to the government, about half of the country's 107 million citizens live in poverty. With a minimum wage of less than $5 a day here, the reasons behind the spike are less important than the pesos being lost. Naomi López cleans a building in Mexico City and earns 1,400 pesos ($127) a month. The Tortilla Price Stabilization Pact was an agreement between the MexicanFederal Government, headed by PresidentFelipe Calderón, and several tortilla producing companies in Mexico to limit the volatility of price in tortillas in early 2007.

9. CENSUS • Population:108,700,891 • Age structure:0-14 years: 30.1% (male 16,696,089/female 16,011,563) 15-64 years: 64% (male 33,624,812/female 35,925,372) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 2,917,563/female 3,525,492 • Population growth rate:1.153% • Birth rate:20.36 births/1,000 population • Death rate:4.76 deaths/1,000 population

10. QUIENES SON MEXICANOS? • Ethnic groups:mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1% • Religions:Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census) • Languages:Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages • In 2007, Mexico received a reported $20 billion in remittances.

11. Government type:federal republic • Capital:name: Mexico (Distrito Federal) Mexico is divided into four time zones • Administrative divisions:31 states and 1 federal district*; Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas • Independence:16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain) • Constitution:5 February 1917

12. ECONOMY Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Per capita income is $10, 700

13. Trafficking in persons: Mexico is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for sexual exploitation and labor. While the vast majority of victims are Central Americans trafficked along Mexico's southern border, other source regions include South America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Women and children are trafficked from rural regions to urban centers and tourist areas for sexual exploitation, often through fraudulent offers of employment or through threats of physical violence. The Mexican trafficking problem is often conflated with alien smuggling, and frequently the same criminal networks are involved. Pervasive corruption among state and local law enforcement often impedes investigations.

14. Illicit drugs: Major drug-producing nation; Cultivation of opium poppy in 2005 amounted to 3,300 hectares yielding a potential production of 8 metric tons of pure heroin, or 17 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States. Marijuana cultivation decreased 3% to 5,600 hectares in 2005 - just two years after a decade-high cultivation peak in 2003 - and yielded a potential production of 10,100 metric tons. Government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world. Continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements towards the US stopping in Mexico. Major drug syndicates control majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market .

15. Los Personas de Mexico son … Mexicanos.

16. Los Deportes Populares de Mexico son …

17. Bullfighting • Called "Corrida de Toros" by Mexicans, bullfights have three stages. • After the opening parade, the bull is rushed into the arena where two picadors try to thrust lances into its shoulders to weaken it. • During the second stage, the bandelleras stick long streamered darts into the shoulders to further debilitate the animal. • The third part is announced with trumpets that usher in the matador to finish off the bull. The matador dodges and taunts the now-weakened, angry and dying bull with his cape. He does this to bring the bull to a strategic spot in the arena, in front of judges, pretty senoritas or government officials, where he will hopefully deliver the "estocada" (killing sword thrust) into the neck of the bull. • Not for everyone, but definitely an interesting look into the history and culture of Mexico.

19. Famous Mexicans Frida Kahlo ----July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954 -Mexicanpainter. Many of her works are self-portraits that symbolically express her own pain. Kahlo was married to and influenced by the Mexican/Spanish muralist Diego Rivera and shared his Communist views. Of her 143 paintings, fifty-five are self-portraits, which frequently incorporate symbolic portrayals of her physical and psychological wounds. She was bisexual and had numerous affairs with men and women. Rivera tolerated the affairs with women but became jealous over the affairs of men. They divorced after he slept with her sister. They later remarried.

20. Diego RiveraDecember 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957, born Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez in Guanajuato City) was a world-famous Mexicanpainter. Rivera's large wall works helped establish the Mexican Mural Renaissance.

21. Jose Clemente Orozco---November 23, 1883- September 71949Mexicansocial realistpainter, who specialized in bold murals that established Mexican Mural Renaissance. Orozco was the most complex of the Mexican muralists, fond of the theme of human suffering, and less realistic than fascinated by machines.

22. Carlos Santana

23. Las Reglas • If you are involved in an automobile accident, you will be taken into police custody until it can be determined who is liable and whether you have the ability to pay any penalty.  • If you do not have Mexican liability insurance, you may be prevented from departing the country even if you require life-saving medical care, and you are almost certain to spend some time in jail until all parties are satisfied that responsibility has been assigned and adequate financial satisfaction received.  • Drivers may face criminal charges if injuries or damages are serious.

24. In Mexico, one is deemed guilty until proven innocent. No death penalty exists in Mexico, a feature Mexico shares with most Latin American countries for historic reasons. • Mexican law never allows parole or bail on personal recognizance. An individual charged with a criminal offense must post a financial bond to be released on bail, which may not be available if the potential sentence in years surpasses a certain limit under a formula set forth in Mexico's Constitution.

25. Pirated Merchandise: Counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available in Mexico.  Their sale is largely controlled by organized crime.  Purchase for personal use is not criminalized in Mexico; however, bringing these goods back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.

26. Mexican Prisons • If you escape from prison and do not break any laws, you will not be charged for anything and if you are caught time will not be added to your sentence.  • Prison escape is not illegal.  • If you avoid capture by the police it is not a crime.  • Lying on the witness stand when testifying in your case is not perjury.  • All of these things are human nature and there not only legal but considered to be the right thing to do.

27. Inmates are allowed to buy a little comfort. Some prisoners split the $200 monthly rent to live in cells with their own toilet and shower. Convicts can buy small refrigerators, stoves, fans, and TVs -- cable is available, for $30 a month. Some individual cells even have window-unit air conditioners. • Prison authorities here assert that conjugal visits are the main reason male-on-male rape is rare inside their lock-ups. Convicts pay $10 a night to an inmate cooperative that keeps the "all-night visitation cells" clean, and curtained. • At CERESO I, prison administrators allow the inmates to create their own miniature cash economy. The prison has five privately operated snack bars. Most of the American prisoners are lucky enough to have relatives send them money -- but poor inmates have to earn money inside the prison by shining shoes, washing clothes or doing odd jobs.

28. Arrests & Notifications: The Mexican government is required by international law to notify the U.S. Embassy or the nearest U.S. consulate promptly when a U.S. citizen is arrested, if the arrestee so requests.  In practice, however, this notification can be delayed by months or may never occur at all, limiting the assistance the U.S. Government can provide.  U.S. citizens should promptly identify themselves as such to the arresting officers, and should request that the Embassy or nearest consulate be notified immediately.  • Prison Facilities:  Prison conditions in Mexico can be extremely poor.  In many facilities food is insufficient in both quantity and quality, and prisoners must pay for adequate nutrition from their own funds.  Most Mexican prisons provide poor medical care, and even prisoners with urgent medical conditions receive only a minimum of attention.  U.S. citizens who are incarcerated in Mexico are sometimes forced to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars in “protection money” to fellow prisoners. • Prisoner Treatment/Interrogations:  Mexican police regularly obtain information through torture and prosecutors use this evidence in courts.  The Mexican Constitution and the law prohibit torture, and Mexico is party to several international anti-torture conventions, but courts continue to admit as evidence confessions extracted under torture.  Authorities rarely punish officials for torture, which continues to occur in large part because confessions are the primary evidence in many criminal convictions.  U.S. citizens have been brutalized, beaten, and even raped while in police custody.  Since the beginning of 2002, 21 U.S. citizens have died in Mexican prisons, including five apparent homicides. 

29. 1968 Summer Olympics—Hosted by Mexico City • It was at the 1968 Olympic Games that drug testing debuted. • Though these Games were filled with political statements, they were very popular Games. • Approximately 5,500 athletes participated, representing 112 countries.

30. Bailamos The various Folklorico dances represent the different geographical regions in Mexico from which they originate. For example, Jalisco, located west of Mexico City, is considered to be the land of beautiful women, charros, and birthplace of Mariachi music. Jalisco dances are those of courtship, while, Veracruz, the oldest city along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, mixes Spanish, African and Carribean rhythms. Its dances contain diverse steps or "zapateados" with flamenco characteristics. Regardless of the region represented, colorful, flamboyant costuming is part of every performance. As with Mariachi, Folklorico groups can now be found throughout the United States.

31. Danza Azteca In pre-Columbian México, the ritual dance ceremonies of the Azteca/Mexica people were a way of engaging in prayer with the deities of the sun, earth, sky and water. The rites and ceremonies in the cities of Tenochtitlan and neighboring Tetzcoco, and their symbolic art and architecture, gave expression to an ancient awareness of the connection between nature and humanity. The indigenous dances are rituals performed in adoration of the sun, mother earth and in celebration of life. The brilliance of the costumes comes alive with brilliant vivid reds, blues, purples, and gold that adorn their exuberant feathered headdresses along with their attire, and musical instruments. The Aztec dancers communicate across generations to carry on a tradition which they have been entrusted with.

32. Michoacán • The mosaic begins with the one of the most popular dances of this state "La Danza de los Viejitos" (Dance of the old men), that is danced mainly by men, wearing a Purepecha styled costume with a "morral" (bag) and a "sombrero" from which colorful ribons are hanging. • Other jarabes are well known such as"Jarabillo de Tress and "Jarabillo de los Novios" (Dance of the fiancés), a romantic dance that symbolizes a couple that is getting married.

33. Chiapas The music and traditional dances of Chiapas are very cheerful and come from both indigenous and Spanish roots. The Marimba which is the most representative instrument of this state, also owes its roots to the Afican rythms. To the compass of the sounds from the wood instrument, these dances are simple but carry rhythmical steps that can become frenetic with complex footwork. The Danzon has become a signature dance of the region, performed in such dances as "Las Chiapanecas" and "El Alcaraván".

34. Norte The northern part of Mexico also known as el Norte is recognized for its energetic and joyful dances. These dances, the polkas, chotis and redovas became popular during the Mexican Revolution of 1910 with some dances evolving as recently as the 1970's. The music and dance forms are highly influenced by Central European countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Germany, mother of the accordion sound that is now symbolic of "norteño" music.

35. Veracruz The land of fishermen and home of the oldest and most important port in Mexico. Their music is comprised of a mixture of Spanish music influenced by African and Caribbean rhythms. This lively and contagious music is played on a harp, jarana (small guitar), and requinto (small rhythm guitar). Its dances, Sones and Jarabes are made up of very intricate footwork or “zapateados” with flamenco characteristics. The complex footwork is the emphasis in the fast-paced Veracruz dances. The women wear beautiful white long dresses decorated with gold that represent the ocean and sea life.

36. Durango • The dances of Durango originated in Europe. • The polka and schottische is danced in this region. • In the beginning, dances were "corrida y huarachazo" (running and flat footed steps). • The ability of the man to move the women, using brusque movements called "jalón" or pull gives the dance a special style and distinct rural character.

37. Sonora The Yaqui Indians from the state of Sonora and Sinaloa continue to execute this dance in a way that is believed to be almost identical to the way it was performed before the arrival of the Spanish. The dance of the deer, which represents the spirit of the forest, is incarnated in the traditional Yaqui Deer Dancer, who imitates the graceful movements of the animal in its free state. The dance is performed to the accompaniment of a scraper and flute. • The dancer carries rattles in his hands, and tied around his legs are tenabaris, dried butterfly cocoons, which also ratter as he dances. • The head of a young deer tops the headdress of the dancer. • La Danza del Venado" (The Dance of the Deer) has been danced on the shores of the Pacific since ancient times. • The Yaqui Indians honor the deer as the center of their religious culture. • The dance is a symbol of their respect for the deer's endurance of spirit, as depicted through the deer's struggle against pursuing hunters.

38. Jalisco • Known as the land of mariachis and the infamous "Jarabe Tapatio," known as the "Mexican hat dance" is embraced as the national dance of México. • The folklore in Jalisco has turned into one of the national symbols par excellence. • Dances and tunes (sones) reached a development in the late decades of the last century, such as the Dance of the Rope and the Jarabe Tapatio, along with La Negra. • With their rhythmic footwork, large sombrero charro, and colorful dresses, the dances from Jalisco express the characteristics of the Mexican culture and evoke the heart and soul of Mexico.

39. Mexican Hat Dance • The dance tells the story of love and courtship. It can be performed either by a couple or a group of couples. • A charro, dressed in the traditional "charro suit", a three-piece suit composed of a vest, jacket, and pants bearing silver buttons down the seam), makes initial courtship gestures to la china (wearing the traditional China Poblana outfit). • They flirt throughout the beginning of the dance, during which time the man attempts to woo the woman with his zapateado (stamping and tapping) and his machismo. • Just as he has impressed the woman, he becomes "drunk" with glory, and is shooed away as a "borracho" (an inebriate), but ultimately, he succeeds in "conquering" the china, throwing his hat to the ground and kicking his leg over his partner's head as she bends down to pick it up. • The two do a triumphant march to a military tune called a diana, and the dance ends with a romantic turn or the couple hiding their faces behind the man's sombrero in a feigned kiss.

40. La Musica---Mariachi • Instruments:violins, trumpets, guitars, a vihuela, and a guitarron-- The vihuela and the guitarron give the group its distinct sound. The vihuela is a variation of a small guitar with a belly in the back and five treble strings. The guitarron resembles a large bass guitar, and also has a belly in the back. It has six strings tuned within an octave and a half range, and is the heart of the Mariachi ensemble.Attire:The standard Mariachi costume for performing is known as "charro" or Mexican cowboy. Ankle boots, sombrero, mono or large bow tie, short jacket, snug trousers without back pockets and shiny buttons along the side, and a wide belt define the outfit. Some groups however choose to appear in traditional regional costumes. In Mexico, traditionally only males are allowed to be part of a Mariachi ensemble, but in the United States women are increasingly performing in Mariachi bands.Mariachi Music:The rhythmic pattern distinguishes Mariachi music. It is an alteration between 3/4 and 6/8 with heavy syncopation. Trumpets and violins make extensive use of grace notes. Lyrics, for the most part, are humorous and not to be taken seriously.

41. The best-known Mexican genre by far is ranchera, interpreted by a band of mariachis. • Another important music style is the traditional "norteño," or Northern tunes, which has been the basis for the development of more popular genres such as banda music. • Not only are these styles popular in many regions of Mexico. Norteño, similar to Tejano music, arose in the 1830s and 40s in the Rio Grande border region of southern Texas. • Influenced by Bohemian immigrant miners, its rhythm was derived from the European polka dance popular during the 1800s. • Banda, similar to norteño in musical form, originated from the Mexico state of Sinaloa during the 1960s. • Other new styles such as cumbia, pop, and rock have seen increased popularity as the music of Mexico infuses a new generation of young people.

42. Norteño • (similar to Tex-Mex or Tejano music in the United States) almost always has the accordion and bajo sexto as the lead instruments, with guitars serving as its roots. • Before the introduction of accordion, violin was the main instrument. During the late XIX century, Bohemian and Czech migrants to Northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest brought different styles among them: la redova", la varsoviana and the polka. • These styles blended with the local Mexican Son (music) and gave way to modern Northern music. • In the late 1910s and 1920s, the corridos entered a golden age when Mexicans on both sides of the border recorded in San Antonio-area hotels, revolutionizing the genre alongside Mexico's political revolution. • Later in the century, Ramon Ayala, Cornelio Reyna, Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon and Carlos y Jose commercialized Northern music. • Other bands such as Los Tigres del Norte and Los Cadetes de Linares added influences from cumbia, rock music, and other new styles, thus creating a unique new blend in some of their new songs. One lesser known genre of Northern music is the a cappella Canto Cardenche, surviving only in southwestern Coahuila.

43. Banda • Created with a strong Native American influence and the imitation of military bands that were imported during the reign of emperor Maximillian in the 1800s. • It was further popularized during the Mexican Revolution when local authorities and states formed their own bands to play in the town squares. • Revolutionary leaders such as Pancho Villa, also took wind bands with them wherever they went. Banda has, to this day remained popular throughout the central and northern states. It has however, diversified into different styles due to regions, instruments and modernization. • Today people associate banda closer to Sinaloense. This originated in the 1940s when the media distributed Banda el Recodo repertoire as exclusively from Sinaloa when it was actually regional music from all over Mexico. • Although banda music is played by many bands from different parts of Mexico, its original roots are in Sinaloa and Zacatecas, which are hugely famous for bands such as Banda el Recodo from Sinaloa and Banda Jerez from Zacatecas.

44. Rumba • Came from the black Mexican slaves in Veracruz, Mexico city, and Yucatan.These were originated first from Cuba that later became famous in the black Hispanic community of Mexico like la bamba a song originated from afro-Mexicans from a tribe called bamba, these songs are mostly popular in the south of Mexico.

45. Gruperas The mixed sound of rumba and ranchera music mostly heard in the mid south of Mexico this music contains both rumba rhythms and ranchera rhythms which these are mostly heard at parties,clubs,and Mexican radio.

46. Danzon *The European influence on Cuba's later musical development is most influentially represented by danzón, which is an elegant dance that became established in Cuba before being exported to popular acclaim throughout Latin America, especially Mexico. * Its roots lay in European social dances like the English country dance, French contredanse and Spanish contradanza. *Danzon developed in the 1870s in the region of Matanzas, where African culture remained strong. *It had developed in full by 1879 and later was brought to Mexico.

47. Duranguense • (often called el pasito duranguense) is a type of music which originated in the northern Mexican state of Durango. • In the United States, it first became popular in Chicago, which has a large community of immigrants from Durango. • It has grown to become a popular genre in the US Latino market. • This music is based on both brassandwind instruments and includes the melodica, saxophone, trumpet, flute, and drums. • Duranguense bands usually play their songs at a rapid, danceable tempo and tend to rely much more on percussion than Sinaloense does. In the 2000s, música duranguense rapidly gained recognition along with banda sinaloense and norteño as a style of Mexican music. Duranguense bands play mainly rancheras, polkas, and cumbias.

48. Cumbia • The 1980s saw Colombiancumbia become even more popular in Mexico than its native land, and it was by far the dominant genre throughout the decade, before banda overtook it in the 1990s. In the early 1970s and 1980s Mexican bands like Rigo Tovar y su Costa Azul topped the charts, and helped, by the end of the decade, El Gran Silencio. Top Artist include: • Rigo Tovar y su Costa Azul • Selena • El Gran Silencio • Sabor Kolombia • Los Chicos del Barrio

49. Rock • In the 60's and 70's, during the PRI government, most rock bands were obligated to appear underground, that was the time after Avándaro (a Woodstock-style Mexican festival) in which groups like El Tri, Enigma, The Dugs Dugs, Javier Batiz and many others arose. In that time Carlos Santana got famous after Woodstock. • During the 80's and 90's many Mexican bands went to the surface and popular rock bands like Molotov, Control Machete, Café Tacuba, Los Caifanes, Maná, and Maldita Vecindad got many followers. • The latter are "grandfathers" to the Latin ska movement. • Mexico City has also a considerable movement of bands playing surf rock inspired in their outfits by local show-sport lucha libre, with Lost Acapulco initiating and leading the movement. Mexico recently has had a "rebirth" of rock music with bands like Moderatto, Allison, Masappan, Panda, Motel, and Nikki Clan which have made this genre popular again.

50. Electronic Music • Mostly centered around dense urban areas or resorts, like Acapulco, Cancún, Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Puebla and Tijuana. • These cities enjoy frequent rave parties and events, but some also contribute to the movement. • Electronic music is by far most popular among young people and has been getting stronger in Mexico over the last ten years. • It is heavily influenced by American and European disco music. • Several music labels promote this type of music, including Nopalbeat, Abolipop, Advanced Synergy, Soundsister, Involved Records, Discos Konfort, Filtro and Noiselab Collective, Static Discos, and many others. • Nortec Collective, from Tijuana, is perhaps the most internationally known electronic music band from Mexico, but other bands exist, including Sentidos Opuestos, Belanova and Kinky.