About Mexico
Mexico has just about everything to offer:
pristine beaches, archaeological ruins, cities with vibrant
nightlife, mountains, deserts, and tropical rain forests. It has
world-class resort towns and is one of the U.S.’s most important
trading partners. However, our close ties with Mexico go beyond
merely business—Hispanic people are the dominant ethnic minority
in the U.S. and you can hardly find a city these days where
there isn’t at least one Mexican restaurant or you are not able
to hear infectious Latin rhythms over the radio. In
short, there is probably not a country in the world as important
to the U.S. as Mexico. The
Mexican government has an elected president who serves 6 years. There is
a 128 member Senate and a 500 member Federal Chamber of Deputies. Mexico
is a leading exporter of oil, minerals, and agricultural products.
Tourism also plays a major role in the economy. Mexican medical
facilities tend to be good in urban areas. Mexico has produced a number
of important novelists and poets including Martin Luis Guzman, Carlos
Fuentez, and Nobel laureate Octavio Paz. Mexican music influences
include mariachi, Tex Mex, locally-flavored merengue, and salsa. The
film industry produces 30 feature-length films a year, and actors such
as Cantiflas, Dolores Del Rio, and film directors such as Robert
Rodriguez continue to gain international popularity.
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Mexican
Educational System Students in Mexico attend 6 years of primary education, and then choose
an additional 3 years of secondary education, or 5 years of university
preparatory education. While universities generally follow a semester
system, in some cases fall semesters in Mexico may start slightly
earlier (beginning of August) than fall semesters in the U.S. Grading is
usually done on a 10-point scale with 6 being a passing grade.
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