Foreign Exchange Program :Mexico
Contact Us : foreign.exchange@fec.org (319)-555-8973
About Us.
As one of Americas leading Foreign exchange programs we can ensure that your trip is safe and that you enjoy your trip,
Trips you may consider taking closer to home.
MEXICO (Basic Statistics)
Largest City:Mexico City
Population: 116.2 Million
Area (Sq Miles):758,449
Languages:Mostly Spanish (93%) other languages from countries around Mexico.
Literacy Rate: 93%
Currency:Mexican peso (equal to $.068 USD)
Education: 9 Years Required
Climate and Geography
- Mexico is mostly arid. Dry, lots of heat and little to no precipitation. Areas such as Mexico's largest city (Mexico City) lies on a desert. Temperatures throughout the country of Mexico range from 45 degree lows in January (the coldest month of the year for mexico) to 110 degree highs in the month of August (warmest month of the year).
- Mexico receives 3 to 24 inches annually (Northern Half). There is a rare chance you will see snow throughout the year in most of the country. Snow is only found in the mountain ranges of Mexico such as the Sierra Madre Occidentals and Orientals. However further south mexico can receive up to 90 inches of rain annually. Depending on where you stay , you may need an umbrella.
Culture ,Etiquette and Activities
- Culture & Religon
Like most other cultures, family and being very social is expected of you. People who aren't blood related to you, can be considered your family. "God parents" are parents that create bonds with their god children and teach them things throughout life such as an actual mother or father would do. God parents aren't your biological parents. It's almost like having 2 sets of parents. Mexicans practice god parenting, However the "god parents" trend was adopted from the Catholics.
- Etiquette
Mexicans are concerned with politeness and being formal. Almost any Mexican or Spanish celebration you go to , is most likely going to be formal. Mexicans partake in nationalism for their country. A foreign traveler that messes with or disagrees with their politics or criticizes their country in any way is considered extremely rude. If you don't agree with something, keep it to yourself. It is considered the golden rule of Mexico's society to never insult a persons' pride or honor.
- Tradition/Celebration
On "Good Friday" the Friday before Easter, Catholics don't eat meat. This is because they value cows and other such animals and abstaining from meat once a year throughout the country would help the animals population to remain stable. For that short time of no meat, it really does help to sustain an ample supply of meat.
Law and The Economy
- When Traveling to Mexico:
- In case you run into a situation you can't control and believe should be taken care of by law enforcement, there are a few stations in Mexico with English speaking officers. To find out where they are located, look it up online before you leave for Mexico or ask someone you know to look them up for you. Depending on where you stay their might not be any English speaking law enforcement.
- Unemployment:
5.8% of Americans are unemployed while only 4.8% of Mexicans are unemployed. How can this be ? Mexico has a very weak economy compared to the United States.
- GDP/ Economy:
The reason Mexico's unemployment rate is lower is due to cheap labor. A majority of men in Mexico work in fields. Due to the weak economy of Mexico, other countries can pay workers in Mexico for a cheap amount of money. Mexico's 2013 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was only $1.3 Trillion. Compared to the U.S. which has a GDP of $16.24 Trillion ,Mexico has only received about 7% of the GDP that the U.S. received.
Compatability Score
I gave Mexico a compatibility score of a C+.
- Mexico has a very similar climate to the south western portion of the U.S.
-Mexico and The US share Catholicism and Christianity as their main religion.
-Snow covered mountain ranges can be found in both countries.
-Both have governments alike. Judicial , Executive and Legislative branch.