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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 100 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Mexico
| The initial letters of the answers spell the name which is shared by two Aztec emperors of Mexico. What is it? | 9 for 10 - Mexico
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Montezuma . Montezuma I died in 1469. Montezuma II, who reigned from (1502-1520, was overthrown by the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés. There are various spellings of Montezuma, including Moctezuma, but that cannot be the right answer as the answer to question three starts with 'n'.
| Which Mexico town on the Pacific coast, is best known for its cliff divers? | 9 for 10 - Mexico
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Acapulco. Today Acapulco is a popular resort town that was an important port from 1565 to 1815. It is sometime called the Mexican Riviera.
Maya . The Mayan people lived not only in southeast Mexico, but also in Guatemala and Belize. Their civilization was at its height from 300AD to 900AD.
| Four states border Mexico. Through which one does the Rio Grande flow? | 9 for 10 - Mexico
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New Mexico. The Rio Grande is 1885 miles in length. It rises in Colorado and then flows south through the center of New Mexico. It then flows in a south easterly direction and enters the Gulf of Mexico. The four states are, from west to east, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
Orizaba. Mount Orizaba is 18,697 feet above sea level. It is an extinct volcano in southern Mexico. It is also known as Mount Citlaltepetl.
Chimborazo and Mount Cotopaxi are in Ecuador and Ojos del Salado is on the Chile-Argentina border.
31. The United Mexican States, the formal name of Mexico, is comprised of 31 states.
Benito Juarez. Benito Mussolini was named after Juarez by his Socialist father.
1985. Mexico City is one of the most geologically unstable "major" cities in the world. Both earthquakes and volcanoes provide uncertainty of when the next significant natural disaster could occur.
Quintana Roo. Quintana Roo is a Mexican state which is located on the Yucatán peninsula. Incidentally, Yucatán is also a state to the West of Quintana Roo.
California. Border towns can be found along all of the states mentioned above, but Tijuana, just south of San Diego, California, is one of the most famous.
Mexico City. Mexico City is located on the ancient "Aztec"/Mexica capital of Tenochtitlan.
| A hair raising six hour drive through the mountains landed us at the beach in a sleepy resort whose name literally means, "undiscovered or hidden port". What is the name of this town? | Travels in Mexico Part 1
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Puerto Escondido. Puerto Escondido, well known among surfers, is a great place to take it easy and relax on the beach.
Monte Alban. The ceremonial site is spectacularly situated on a mountain above the Oaxaca Valley. At its height around 300 AD, the city supported 40,000 inhabitants.
| After nearly running out of gas in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains we reached Oaxaca. This city was founded by which Spanish conquistador in 1529? | Travels in Mexico Part 1
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Hernando Cortez. The city of Oaxaca is capital of the state of Oaxaca and was the birthplace of Benito Juarez, one of Mexico's greatest liberal reformers.
Chilaquiles. Very yummy. This dish is served with raw onions, red or green chili sauce, and cheese. Regional variations may include fried eggs or chicken.
| On January 1, 1994, rebels, calling themselves Zapatistas, seized which city in the state of Chiapas? | Travels in Mexico Part 1
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San Cristobal de Las Casas. The rebels' aim was a redistribution of power and the state's resources from the wealthy to the poor majority. The fighting that ensued resulted in 145 deaths in 12 days before the Zapatistas were driven out of the city.
| While driving in Mexico you will encounter roughly one million speed bumps. What are these delightful impediments called? | Travels in Mexico Part 1
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Topes. Beware of the topes which usually come in pairs and tend to show up in some of the strangest places. Some of favorites include, "the unmarked tope", "the tope that scrapes the bottom of the car off", and "the middle of nowhere tope".
| Continuing our travels, we next stopped in Villahermosa where one can view giant stone heads built by which pre-Hispanic civilization? | Travels in Mexico Part 1
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Olmec. These Olmec heads and other pieces can be viewed in the Parque-Museo de La Venta which also is home to a jolly good wildlife park.
Pico de Orizaba. The volcano last erupted in 1546 and is 18,856 feet high. Its Aztec name is Citlatepetl which means, "star mountain".
Xalapa. Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa in other regional dialects) is home to the University of Veracruz which has an outstanding anthropology museum. We discovered, the hard way, that the museum is not open on Mondays.
| Our first stop was the colonial city of Puebla. Puebla was the site of an historic battle which took place on May 5, 1862. The Mexicans were victorious over which country's army? | Travels in Mexico Part 1
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France. 6,500 French troops were defeated by 4,500 poorly armed Mexicans. The French were trying to establish the reign of Archduke Maximilian.
mi casa es su casa. "Mi casa es su casa" translated is "My house is your house." "Mi cosa es su cosa" - "My thing is your thing." "No mires a mi esposa" - "Don't look at my wife." "Se acabó la cerveza" - "The beer's all gone." Mexicans are wonderfully hospitable and polite.
¡Muchas gracias!
| A spicy Mexican sausage, made with various kinds of meat and spices, is often served with eggs. You'll see it hanging in long ropes in meat markets everywhere. Can you tell me the name of this spicy sausage? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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chorizo. Huevos con chorizo (eggs with chorizo) is a breakfast favorite, but chorizo can also be served alone, or mixed with beans or potatoes. Chorizo is usually made from pork and seasoned with chili. It has become quite popular in the United States. Churros are sweet fried pastries, chimichangas are similar to burritos, and chicharrones are fried pork rinds, all Mexican favorites.
| This city is located in the state of Guerrero, probably the most famous of all the wonderful Mexican resort spots. Can you name this Pacific Ocean resort? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Acapulco. Everyone should go to Acapulco. There are so many attractions: beaches, water sports, fine dining, beautiful hotels and restaurants, and great night life. You won't want to miss the La Quebrada Cliff Divers, a group of professional divers that perform for the public daily. The World Cliff Diving Championships take place at La Quebrada in Acapulco. Guadalajara, Monterrey and Leon are all large cities in Mexico.
| Sitting on the benches that surround the plaza, you're bound to hear discussions about politics. In 2000, the presidential elections had an unprecedented result. After 70 years of uninterrupted rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, always known as "PRI", a former Coca-Cola executive from the opposition party made history with his electoral victory. Who was he? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Vicente Fox. Mexico's first president from the National Action Party (PAN), his election was an historic event. Born in Mexico City in 1942, Vicente Fox Quesada was elected Mexico's 62nd president in July 2000, defeating the PRI candidate, Francisco Labastida. He had been Coca-Cola's chief executive in Mexico, then went on to become governor of his home state of Guanajuato. His election has been called "the fairest in Mexico's history." He faced an enormous challenge, but has managed to do a decent job, in the opinion of many.
Mexican politics are very entertaining and at the same time quite maddening. A good percent of elected officials are crooked, bribes are endemic and affect everyone, and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. I've traveled a good deal in Mexico, and have been shaken down by traffic cops and customs officials.
Diego Fernandez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Cuauhtemoc Cardenas are all political figures in Mexico.
| This comedian is certainly the most popular in Mexico's history. He also starred in "Around the World in Eighty Days", playing David Niven's sidekick. Can you name him? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Cantinflas. "Cantinflas" was actually Mario Moreno (1911-1993). His character was a poor, street-wise man, constantly getting into scrapes. He has been referred to as the "Charlie Chaplin of Mexico", which describes him perfectly. He appeared in "Around the World in 80 Days" in 1956. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture for that year. Cantinflas was hilarious in it, and in everything else he ever appeared in. He was hugely successful in Latin America, making over 50 films during his long career.
Tin Tan and Resortes were both famous comedians. Carlos Salinas was a particularly disastrous ex-president of Mexico.
| Mexico has produced many fine artists. Probably the most famous was a painter and muralist born in Guanajuato, Mexico. He was married to the painter Frida Kahlo. Can you name this artist? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Diego Rivera. Diego Rivera was a cubist painter and muralist. He was quite well-known in the US for a mural he painted in the lobby of the Rockefeller Building, depicting communist figures contrasted with the US founding fathers. That particular work was destroyed by an infuriated Rockefeller staff before it could be displayed.
Along with Mexican artists José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo, he experimented with murals and large frescoes. He soon developed his own unique style. He was also involved with left-wing politics, and many of his murals dealt with political subjects. He was a controversial figure in Mexico, in particular because of his attacks on the Catholic church. Rivera's murals can be seen in the National Palace in Mexico City, a must-see if you're ever in the Mexican capitol.
| In any marketplace in Mexico, you'll find large, colorfully decorated papier-maché figures, filled with candy, to be hung from a tree and broken with a stick. What are these called? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Pinatas. No Mexican birthday fiesta is complete without a piñata. The piñata originally came from China. Marco Polo introduced the piñata to Europe after having come upon them during his travels there. The Spanish then introduced piñatas to Mexico, where they became part of the Catholic religious celebration called the posada. Their use in celebrations has continued and spread throughout North America.
Muñecas (dolls), cochinitos (little pigs) and perritos (little dogs) are children's toys.
| This delicious traditional dish is made with a corn dough (masa) wrapped around meat or other fillings, which is then wrapped in corn husks and steamed. Can you name this Mexican favorite? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Tamales. Almost anything can be used as a filling for tamales. Pork, chicken and beef with a mild chili sauce are favorites. But you can also use cheese, there are sweet tamales, fish tamales, almost anything edible can be used. They are traditional at Christmastime, when all the women in the family gather to make dozens of tamales. As you stroll in any plaza, you're bound to come across a stand where tamales are sold. Enchiladas, burritos and tacos are all dishes wrapped with tortillas.
| In any plaza, you'll come across a cantina (bar) where Mexico's national alcoholic beverage is served. It's distilled from the maguey (or agave) succulent. You'll need it for your margaritas. Can you name this beverage? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Tequila. The maguey plant for tequila is primarily grown in Jalisco. The plant begins to mature at 7-12 years, and it becomes enormous. There are strict standards for the making of tequila. It must be at least 51% agave; the remainder is usually liquid made from sugarcane or maize. There are many different qualities of tequila. The finest tequila goes down smoothly and is quite delicious. Other drinks made from maguey are pulque and mezcal. Aguardiente is brandy, and azucar is sugar.
| You're strolling in any plaza (town square) on a Sunday afternoon. Along comes a group of musicians, playing and singing, dressed in fancy, tight-fitting suits and large sombreros. What are these musicians called? | Mexico: A Taste of the Culture
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Mariachis. The mariachi is symbolic of Mexican culture and tradition. No fiesta, wedding or even funeral is complete without mariachis. They accompany singers, or perform by themselves. A tradition in Mexico is for a young man to hire a mariachi group and serenade the young woman he loves at her bedroom window. Though most groups are composed of men, there are all-women mariachis, mixed-gender groups and children's groups. Their instruments are usually violins, several types of guitars and wind instruments. "Las Mañanitas" and "Cielito Lindo" are typical mariachi songs. Whenever the late (and much beloved) Pope John Paul II visited Mexico, he would be serenaded by mariachis, to his apparent delight.
Maracas are a popular musical instrument, manzanas are apples, and the marimba is also a musical instrument.
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