• United States!

    United States: Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Go Now!

    United States
    Explore the vast openness and wildlife found roaming in the western United States, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park (pictured) in North Dakota. Begin Your Journey!

  • Trinidad & Tobago!

    Trinidad & Tobago: Beautiful Coastline. Go Now!

    Trinidad & Tobago
    These Caribbean islands mix Indian, African, and European cultures alongside beautiful beaches. Go Now!

  • St. Kitts & Nevis!

    St. Kitts & Nevis: Nevis Island. Go Now!

    St. Kitts & Nevis
    This island nation mixes aspects of European, African, and Caribbean culture... not to mention incredible beaches. Go Now!

  • Honduras!

    Honduras: Children. Go Now!

    Honduras
    The original banana republic, Honduras has made a name for itself with the banana trade; however foreign influences have also vastly altered the culture. Go Now!

  • Mexico!

    Mexico: Sunrise over the mountains in Puerto Vallarta. Go Now!

    Mexico
    Although many people just go for the beaches, Mexico offers impressive mountain vistas (pictured in Puerto Vallarta), great food, and historic ruins that compete with the best in the world. Begin Your Journey!

  • Barbados!

    Barbados: Pier on the beach. Go Now!

    Barbados
    This Caribbean island has hints of British culture, but is wholly Caribbean as well. Explore Barbados!

Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of Mexico

WARNING: Much of Mexico is unsafe, please read this travel warning before going!

Ethnicity

When the Spanish settlers arrived to what is today Mexico most of these settlers and the locals intermarried. This led to a huge "mestizo" population, which is a combination of Spanish and American Indian ethnically; this group makes up over half of the country's population today. Nearly another third of the population is wholly American Indian, although there are numerous groups under that larger umbrella, including many Mayan and Aztec groups. A much smaller percentage, about 10%, is wholly European or a member of a different ethnic group.

Language

Over 90% of the people in Mexico are native Spanish speakers, which another 6% grow up speaking both Spanish and a regional indigenous language. There are some American Indians who only speak an indigenous language natively, but nearly all of these people learn Spanish as a second language.

Spanish is a Romance language also spoken in Spain; it is closely related to other Romance languages, including Portuguese, Italian, French, Romanian, others. The dialect of Spanish in Mexico is quite distinct in comparison to that of Spain and there are also many minor differences in the language across Latin America.

Religion

Over three quarters of Mexico's population is Roman Catholic. This religion, which was brought over by the Spanish is much larger than any other religious group; most of the other people in the country are Christian or don't identify to any particular religion.

Catholicism is a Christian religion that is one of the first Christian religions (founded after the death of Jesus in about 30-33 AD). Catholicism believes that there is a single God who created everything, a savior, the son of God, Jesus Christ who is the forgiver of sins, and there is the Holy Spirit, which makes up the last part of the Holy Trinity. Catholics follow the teachings of the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments. Much of the faith is based on the life and teachings of Jesus, which is found in the gospels (in the New Testament).

This page was last updated: May, 2014