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Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum Day of the Dead/ Día de los Muertos

Thousands of years prior to the Spanish Conquest ethnic groups of the region including Olmec, Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs honored their dead with rituals by burying them in graves with offerings that included pottery, jewelry, textiles, food, and household objects. Special months to honor and commemorate the deceased were dedicated, separating celebrations based on age and mode of death such as drowning, childbirth, or warfare. During these months of celebration, the indigenous people believed that the deceased would return and they would need to offer gifts, flowers, food, incense, dances, and music as a way of gaining their favor.

Aztec Blessing Performance
Hollywood Forever Cemetery. LVM, 2009.

Highlights for the Hollywood Forever Day of the Dead Festival 2012

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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Honoring Our Ancestors - Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC) - Google Arts & Culture

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Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum Day of the Dead/ Día de los Muertos Thousands of years prior to the Spanish Conquest ethnic groups of the region including Olmec, Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs honored their dead with rituals by burying them in graves with offerings that included pottery, jewelry, textiles, food, and household objects.

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Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers, the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of over 129 million people, Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world, while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City, which is the capital city and its most populous city. Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, Tijuana, and León.
Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec before first contact with Europeans.

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Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico.

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ZOOM | Kid Musician: Mexico's Guitar Town | PBS LearningMedia

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Perfecting the frequency at which a guitar vibrates is important to creating pleasant-sounding guitar music. However, for many, including the boy featured in this ZOOM video segment and the others in his "guitar-crazy" town, guitar music goes beyond simple sound vibrations.

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Virtually explore Mexico City in a fully immersive 360-degree experience.

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MEXICO CITY TOUR IN 360° |  4K Travel Guide

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Guadalajara Mexico is commonly referred to as the most "Mexican" of cities. Some also call it the cultural center of Mexico. The city and its surrounding area are where tequila and mariachi music originated. Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco and is also one of Mexico's largest metropolises. Only Mexico City is larger. (Read More)

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Fun Facts About Guadalajara

Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco and the second-largest city in Mexico.

Guadalajara Mexico and the surrounding area are where tequila and mariachi music originated. This is also the land of charros, or Mexican cowboys.

Guadalajara was founded in the 16th century and is well known for its colonial architecture and heritage.

Guadalajara was the capital of the former Spanish New World kingdom of New Galicia - this kingdom dominated the territory all the way up to what is now San Francisco, California.

Today, Guadalajara is a major economic hub and is widely considered to be one of the best overall cities in the Americas.

Guadalajara is the second-largest city in Mexico and the tenth-largest city in all of Latin America. A very forward-moving metropolis, it has received plenty of foreign investment in recent decades and counts commerce and industry among its main economical sectors. Thanks in part to Guadalajara's historic downtown core, tourism is also a major economic sector. In relation to Guadalajara's location, you can find the city in the west-central part of Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Jalisco and is well-connected by modern highways to Mexico City, as well as the major Mexican beach resorts of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Manzanillo.

Guadalajara History
Guadalajara Mexico was officially founded on February 14, 1542. Mexico was under Spanish rule at the time. By 1561, work on the city's beautiful Cathedral had begun. As Guadalajara grew in importance, it became the capital of a region that was known as Nueva Galicia. In 1791, the University of Guadalajara was established. This is the second oldest university in Mexico and one of the country's most significant institutions of higher learning. Guadalajara retained its role as the capital of Nueva Galicia until the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). After the war, it was designated as the capital of the newly created state of Jalisco. During the 19th century, Guadalajara experienced a considerable amount of economic, technological, and social growth. Another substantial growth occurred after the 1930s, and by the 1970s, this was Mexico's second largest city.

Today, Guadalajara is regarded as one of Mexico's very best cities overall, offering plenty for tourists and businesspeople alike. For visitors who want to immerse themselves in the history of Guadalajara, there is no better place than the Centro Historico, or the Historic Center. It is in this area that you will find the Cathedral, as well as such other historic attractions as the Palacio del Gobierno (Government Palace) and the Plaza de Armas. The Centro Historico of Guadalajara is a joy to explore by foot. Tourists can also take it all in while riding in a horse-drawn carriage.

Guadalajara Historic Hotels
Many Guadalajara visitors understandably book a stay at one of the city's more historic hotels, or those hotels that are found in the Centro Historico area. The allure of these hotels is easy to understand. The Centro Historico has a delightful atmosphere and offers a lot of attractions within walking distance. Among the hotels of note that are found in the Historic Center of Guadalajara is the Hotel Frances. This hotel exudes colonial heritage and is basically situated in the heart of the historic downtown district. Other good hotels in the Centro Historico area of Guadalajara include, but aren't limited to, the Hotel Morales, the Old Guadalajara, the Hotel San Francisco Plaza, and the Hotel Cervantes (pictured). English-speaking travelers who are searching for an identifiable lodging brand can also consider the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Centro Historico.

Guadalajara Tours
Guadalajara visitors who want to gain insight into the city and its surroundings can look to book tours. At least two local companies offer bus tours of the city, and these can be great introductions to the thriving metropolis. Often times, city tours like these include a visit to Tlaquepaque. One of Guadalajara's suburbs, Tlaquepaque is a major market center and one of the best places to shop in all of Mexico. It is particularly known for its handicrafts and decorative arts. Another Guadalajara tour destination of choice for shopping enthusiasts is Tonala. This pleasant suburb is home to the largest concentration of artisans in all of Mexico and is well known for its Thursday and Sunday market days. Other ideas for Guadalajara tours include tequila tours and tours that include a visit to Lake Chapala. The nearby town of Tequila is understandably the destination of choice for tequila tours. Among its main attractions is the Jose Cuervo Distillery. Lake Chapala has the distinction of being the largest freshwater lake in Mexico and offers plenty in the way of scenic beauty. Situated at an altitude of 5,200 feet above sea level, the Lake Chapala area offers warm days and cool nights and has developed into a popular retirement destination for Americans and Canadians.

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Nighttime panorama of the Guadalajara Cathedral in Guadalajara Mexico.

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Guadalajara Mexico is commonly referred to as the most "Mexican" of cities. Some also call it the cultural center of Mexico. The city and its surrounding area are where tequila and mariachi music originated. Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco and is also one of Mexico's largest metropolises.

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facts, data and history for the countries of the world

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Mexico's Information

Land Area

1,943,945 km ²

Water Area

20,430 km ²

Total Area

1,964,375km ² (#13)

Population

123,166,749 (#11)

Population Density

63.36/km ²

Government Type

Federal Presidential Republic

GDP (PPP)

$2,310.00 Billion

GDP Per Capita

$18,900

Currency

Peso (MXN)

More Information

Mexico

Largest Cities

Mexico City (12,294,193)

Iztapalapa (1,820,888)

Ecatepec (1,806,226)

Guadalajara (1,640,589)

Puebla (1,590,256)

Ciudad Juarez (1,512,354)

Tijuana (1,376,457)

Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl (1,232,220)

Gustavo A. Madero (1,185,772)

Monterrey (1,122,874)

About Mexico

Name: Mexico

Name: (long form) United Mexican States

Name Orgin: Mexico's name is derived from its capital city, originally named by the Aztecs, and closely related to the Mexica tribe.

Capital City: Mexico City (pop. 21.2 million)

Currency: Mexican Peso (MXN) (conversion rates)

Flag

GDP: $1.541 trillion (2010)

GDP: (per capita) $15,323 (2010)

Landforms/Land Sizes

Languages: Spanish 92.7%, regional indigenous dialects 5.7%, others

Largest Cities: (by population) Mexico, City, Iztapalapa, Ecatepec, Guadalajara, Puebla de Zaragoza, Ciudad Juarez

National Day: September 16

Population: 112,468,855 (July, 2010 estimate)

Population & Density: (all countries)

Religions: Catholic (89%), Protestant (6%), others

Symbols

About the Author

John Moen

Founder / Cartographer

John Moen is a cartographer who along with his wife are the orignal founders of worldatlas.com. He and his wife, Chris Woolwine-Moen, produced thousands of award-winning maps that are used all over the world and content that aids students, teachers, travelers and parents with their geography and map questions. Today, it's one of the most popular educational sites on the web.

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Land Area 1,943,945 km 2 Water Area 20,430 km 2 Total Area 1,964,375km 2 (#13) Population 123,166,749 (#11) Population Density 63.36/km 2 Government Type Federal Presidential Republic GDP (PPP) $2,310.00 Billion GDP Per Capita $18,900 Currency Peso (MXN) More Information Mexico Largest Cities Mexico City (12,294,193) Iztapalapa (1,820,888) Ecatepec (1,806,226) Guadalajara (1,640,589) Puebla (1,590,256) Ciudad Juarez (1,512,354) Tijuana (1,376,457) Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl (1,232,220) Gustavo A.

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Take a Field trip through the history of The Civil Rights Movement. 

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Take a Field trip through the history of The Civil Rights Movement. 