| General Information
Location
Mexico is situated in Latin America and surrounded
by the Pacific (Wes) and Gulf of Mexico (East), the
United States (North) and Guatemala and Belize (South).
The country covers around 760,000 square miles and
has over 90 million inhabitants
Situation
Mexico is a country with a gaping poverty divide.
There is a national minimum wage which varies according
to region between $32 and $40 per day (approximately
2 pounds sterling) although many people, particularly
peasant farmers, do not even earn this much. As you
can see, this is not sufficient to provide even the
basic essentials for a family to eat. In order to
give a more realistic point of comparison, an average
wage for a classical musician in an orchestra in
Mexico is $8000 per month.
Art
Music
Mexico's fiestas are a riot of colour and music.
Its cities host numerous national and international
festivals. Cultural activities related to Mexican
traditions are expressed in its music and dance.
There are also permanent or travelling exhibitions
of renowned Mexican painters and sculptors as well
as pop, rock and jazz festivals. Open-air celebrations
in plazas, with dancers weaving through the streets,
together with spectacular expressions of individual
and collective creativity are common in cities.
Music plays a central role in Mexican life and tradition
and is used to express stories, feelings and bring
colour to any Mexican celebration or festival.
Mexican Artists
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo is a famous Mexican artist.
A cinema film has been produced portraying Frida
Kahlo's life.
Self Portrait
Mexican
Festivals
Some national holidays:
1 st January New Year
5 th February Constitution Day
21 st March Birthday of Benito Juárez
April Maundry Thursday
Good Friday
Easter Monday
1 st May Labour Day
16 th September Independence Day
12th October Discovery of America (Día de
la Raza)
20 th November Day of the Revolution
25 th December Christmas Day
Some religious
fiestas
(out of the over 5000 listed in the Mexican calendar)
6 th January Santos Reyes
10 th May Mother's Day
31 st October – 2 nd November Day of the Dead– Día
de los Muertos ( http://www.mexonline.com/daydead.htm)
Day of the Child
Corn Festival
Festival of Tlamanes
Navidad (Christmas)
1st /2nd November All Souls' Day
12th December Our Lady of Guadalupe |
