Mexico is the 11th most inhabited country on Earth, with more than 125 million residents. Its capital alone, one of the five largest cities in the world, houses 30 million inhabitants. Besides Spanish, 69 indigenous languages are also spoken, some of them with their own dialects. This makes Mexico a country with vast linguistic diversity and with the most Native American language speakers in America. 

 

 

 

 

Mexico DF is one of the cities with the most traffic in the world. If you travel to Mexico and have a business meeting scheduled in DF, consider the means of transportation, the actual destination, and your meeting time wisely, as it may take much longer than estimated. 

As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to always arrive on time, although other meeting participants might be running late due to traffic. Remember that meetings tend to run longer than usual, so a delayed start will be compensated for. 

 

 

Mexican entrepreneurs are more likely to do business with people they know, so it is no surprise that they spend more time than usual or even more than one meeting. What is most important to them is the ability to trust their future partners. 

Like all Latin Americans, Mexicans are friendly and cheerful. A handshake works perfectly well when introducing each other. Once the relationship has been established, a handshake and a hug are customary. For women, a handshake is appropriate and formal; they may even say hello with a kiss on the cheek.

Gifts are appreciated, although they are not expected to close business deals. Expensive gifts should be avoided as they can make Mexicans uncomfortable as they symbolize death in their culture. A gift of red flowers should also be avoided as they have a negative connotation.  If you are planning to give flowers, white ones are preferred.  

 

 

On February 2, 1848, Mexico had to relinquish more than half of its territory to the USA after signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war started in 1846 by the USA President James Knox Polk.

With this document, Mexico lost the territory currently occupied by the following states: California, Nevada, Utah, Nuevo Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and parts of Arizona, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

Although there are different historical accounts regarding the conflict, this exemplifies a history of tension between both countries.

 

November 1 and 2 are special days in Mexico, in which homage is paid to the souls of the dead. The origin of this celebration, which is about three thousand years old, goes back to the Aztecs, who celebrated the visit of the dead to the living world every year on that date.

In this tradition, several altars were erected with different levels. An altar represents the material and immaterial world. Altars with two levels represent Heaven and Earth, while three symbolize Heaven, Earth, and Hell. The ritual also involves food preparation, such as sugar skulls, souls’ favorite dishes, and bread for the dead, which symbolizes the human sacrifices of the ancient population.