2020 Travel the World - Week 37

I'm a day early with this week's card in my Travel the World series as tomorrow is the 15th, which means it will be time to post for the Dueling Darlings.

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Mexico

The country is located on the continent of North America, bordering the United States to the North and Guatemala and Belize to the South. On the east you will find the Gulf of Mexico while the North Pacific Ocean is on the west.

Traditionally, Mexico has been one of the most visited countries in the world.

The border between Mexico and USA is the busiest and most frequently crossed international border in the world. It is estimated that over 350 million people make this border crossing each year.

Mexico is one of only a few countries with more coastline than land borders. There are 1,365 islands scattered along the coast.

Mountains cover much of Mexico.

Located partway between the Equator and the Arctic Circle, the country supports a huge variety of plant and animal life and is a great refuge for animals looking for temperate climates and great conditions away from the extreme cold and intense heat between the tropics. The rainforests and wetlands are home to thousands of exotic animals and tropical plant species. Think jaguars, pumas, quetzal birds, and iguanas. Whales, manatees, and manta rays are a beautiful sight in the waters off the coast and various types of monkeys, lizards, and birds call the jungles of the southern Mexico home.

The national symbol of Mexico is the golden eagle.

The Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico.

Mexico is the largest silver producer in the world.

The Chihuahua has Mexican origins.

Artists can pay their taxes using artwork that they create.

Mexico City (the capital city) is the most populous metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere and the 7th largest in the world.

Mexico City is the most traffic-congested city in the world. It also has the largest taxi fleet of any city in the world boasting 100,000 taxis.

The subway system in Mexico is the least expensive in the world.

Mexico has the third highest number of airports of any country in the world.

Mexico has 68 official languages with Spanish being the most common.

Mexico has the second highest number of Catholic in the world, after Brazil. 81% of adults in the country identify as Roman Catholic.

The Christmas season lasts for almost a month until January. Children do not receive any presents on Christmas day, but on 6 January, the day referred to as El Dia De Reyes, commemorating Three Kings Day or arrival of the Three Wise men.

Mexico is the 14th largest country by land area and the 11th most populated country in the world with approximately 130 million people.

Mexico is home to the largest pyramid in the world. the Great Pyramid of Cholula standing at 180 feet tall. This pyramid is also one of the largest monuments ever constructed, measuring 1,480 square feet at its base.

Mexico is also home to the world’s smallest volcano in recorded history. The Cuexcomate volcano in Puebla stands at a mere 43 feet tall. For reference, the largest volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii is 13,678 feet tall.

The longest and largest underwater cave system in the world is found in Mexico.

It is illegal to play the Mexican national anthem incorrectly.

The oldest university in North America, the National University of Mexico, was established in 1551.

Caesar salad was invented in Mexico.

Mexico is to be thanked for introducing these favorites to the world: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chilies, and Corn.

Mexico was also the first country to use tomatoes as food.

Popcorn was first domesticated 9,000 years ago in Mexico.

There’s a 3-foot tamale that weighs 150 pounds.

Mexico is the world’s biggest consumer of Coca Cola, with the highest consumption per capita. Each year, 118 million locals drink over 160 liters of Coca Cola each, equaling about half a liter every day. It is also the largest consumer of bottled water in the world.

Mexico has some of the strictest firearm regulations in the world. There is only one gun store in the entire country, located in Mexico City, and it is operated by the military. To purchase a weapon, citizens must submit references and subject themselves to background checks, fingerprinting, and being photographed, among other steps. Then and only then are they allowed to buy a single gun and a single box of bullets. The majority of the guns in Mexico, over 90%, are smuggled in from the U.S.

There’s a yearly volleyball match at the Mexican-US border between residents in Naco in Arizona and residents from Naco in Mexico. 

The national sport of Mexico is the Charreada. This is a competitive sport somewhat similar to a rodeo. A lively vibe of cowboys in costume show off their lassoing while attempting to make their mounts dance to the music. 

I decided to let this Mexico fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Bullfighting is a 500-year-old traditional Mexican sport played in a bullring for the entertainment of the audience.  The largest bullfighting ring in the world – the Plaza Mexico in Mexico City – has a seating capacity of up to 50,000 persons.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Sugar Pea Designs Hug a Bull stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

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