A cultural analysis of Mexico.

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Introduction

History

Mexico as a nation holds a great deal of pride in its vast history and signs such as icons and landmarks make-up a significant portion of the country's cultural environment through its practices, stories, and its architecture. The symbols of the country date back as far as Mexico's history. In order to gain a true appreciation of the Mexican culture, and furthermore interact with its people, it is essential that a traveler have at least a basic understanding of Mexican history; especially because it is often a topic of conversation. Mexico's culture has been affected by two major dimensions of its history: its native roots amongst a vast number of tribes and seven major periods of history.

Ancient Beginnings and Native Peoples:

There is evidence of human existence in México since 20,000 years BC. In Tepéxpan to the North of the Valley of México, the remains of a human corpse were found beside those of a mammoth.

Using the Carbon 14 test, these remains were dated at approximately 10,000 years BC. Agriculture began to manifest itself from the year 3,000 BC. The American continent was isolated during many centuries, which explains the originality of its civilization. Northern México was populated by peoples who lived from hunting and collecting in a desert or semi-desert geographical environment. The South was populated by agricultural societies.

Even though in the vast Mesoamerica region (a term used by scholars to designate peoples which occupied the central area of México down to Guatemala and Honduras to the South), many different peoples with their own ethnic and linguistic differences coexisted, they had a cultural homogeneity, for instance they cultivated corn, they have a singular structure of government, they used the 365 day calendar, they built pyramids, they used similar rituals and worshiped the same gods...