Did you know? Mexico has over thirty UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves
A surprising percentage of Mexico's land area is protected in one form or another. A very large number of sites of archaeological or historical importance are managed by the National Institute of Anthr...
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Did you know? In Chiapas, Mexico's Mam turn to organic farming
Organic farming has helped some indigenous peoples in Mexico to reinvent themselves.
How many people are there?
According to INEGI figures, about six million Mexicans over the age of five speak at le...
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Did you know? Lake Chapala under attack from water hyacinth
Masses of beautiful violet and yellow flowing water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes) add an attractive splash of colour to the Lake Chapala landscape during the rainy season but are a serious problem for thelives and economy oflocal residents.
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Nopales, tunas and pitayas
Spiny, tough and menacing, the cacti seem peculiar choices as culinary delights. Cacti are well known novelties among potted plant collectors and gardeners, and some cacti, such as nopales (the ...
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Henequen and its role in the Yucatan's shifting fortunes
The Maya produced fibre from the henequen plant since the time of Christ.
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Seeing the forests and the trees links
Mexican forests cover more than 140 million hectares or about 72% of the national territory. That said, the trees are falling quickly. A recent government study of satellite images, the country is losi...
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Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila
Sitting in bathtub-warm water in the middle of the desert looking at the surrounding mountains under a deep blue sky is a delightful experience. We are in the Cuatro Ciénegas Nature Preserve just outs...
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Did you know? Agaves function as Mexico's 7-Elevens
Agaves can be thought of as another chain of "7-Elevens".
The numerous members of the Agave family are all native to the New World. "Agave" is derived from the Greek word "agauos" (admirable). Ag...
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Did you know? An early ascent of Mexico's highest peak, El Pico de Orizaba
Scientists first explored El Pico de Orizaba, Mexico's highest peak, as long ago as 1838.
El Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl (= star), is Mexico's highest peak, with a summit 5,746 meters (18,853 fe...
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Xochimilco - Up A Lazy River In Mexico City
Not a river exactly, Xochimilco is a vast system of canals and gardens at the southern extreme of this megalopolis called Mexico City. It was a lake at the time of the Aztecs. They floated rafts on the...
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Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks is obviously too seasoned a traveller and too astute an observer to confine himself to ferns. One encounters a host of pleasures as he ruminates on a variety of topics. He muses about the New World's contributions to civilization -cocoa, tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, gourds, pepper, maize, chewing gum, cochineal and exotic hallucinogens. In Monte Alban he considers the production of rubber which the Zapotec people used to make balls.
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Essential plants in the Mexican household: Limon, papaya and sabila
Copyright © 2000 by Maria Elena. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
There are three plants that are an essential part of the Mexican household, limon [lime, not lemon], papaya, and the trus...
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El Arbol de Tule: probably the biggest tree in the world
At over 2000 years old, El Arbol del Tule, which is actually an Ahuehuete Cypress, is amongst the oldest living trees in the world. With a 10 meter (33 feet) diameter trunk it is also considered by many to be the broadest tree in the world. The circumference of the trunk is an amazing 54 meters (178 feet) It is over 40 meters (130 feet) high, boasts a foliage diameter of over 51 meters (170 feet), and weighs over 500 tons.
read moreAlmost an Island: Travels in Baja California by Bruce Berger
Bruce Berger is an excellent guide to the Baja. He’s been going there since the mid '60s, having driven the length of the peninsula at least three times when that meant travelling more than 1,000 kilometers of single lane dirt road. One could drive for a day and meet only one other car. And you would never dream of leaving without taking plenty of food, water and gasoline plus whatever extras and spare parts you might need to fix auto problems along the way.
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Orchids of Mexico
Orchid. This sole word conjures up all that is beautiful, exotic, rare. An aura of fascination has always encircled this extraordinary plant family. Its cultivation is considered something esoteri...
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