Mexico: a cultural capsule
Background:
At the time of the conquest by
Spain, the two most well-known groups of Native Americans in Mexico
were the Aztecs, also referred to as the Mexicas,
and the Mayans. Both groups of Native Americans
had very well developed civilizations.
The largest group of immigrants
to Mexico were the Spaniards, led by the conquistador Hernan Cortes.
As a result of the conquest, roughly six and
half million indigenous people died of various diseases
and exploitation by the conquistadors. There
were also immigrants from other countries, including
Spanish-speaking Africans and people from the Philippines.
OLMEC head, Mexico
City
The Mayans lived and still live
in the south central and southeastern parts of Mexico. The Aztecs or Mexica, who are the
ancestors of the Nauhuatl, lived and still live in the Central
parts of Mexico.
