9781422286944

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The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City is the largest and oldest cathedral in North America. The oldest part of the church was built in 1573, when Mexico was a Spanish colony.

Mexico Today T oday’s Mexico is a mixture of many things. Ancient traditions contrast with modern technology; Amerindian traditions and languages mingle with Spanish customs; Catholicism blends with native religions; and poverty and wealth live side by side. Even the people of Mexico represent a blend of European and Amerindian ancestors. Mexicans today are proud of their rich heritage and their beautiful land— but they also know that their nation has many problems. Wealth is not spread evenly among all members of the population; the rich are very rich, but the poor are very poor—and unfortunately, there are far more poor people in Mexico than there are rich people. Government corruption is a major problem, although there have been improvements in this area over the past decade. Corruption and economic instability have contributed to problems like shortages of health care, unemployment, illiteracy , and crime. And since the mid-2000s, Mexico has been torn apart by a nationwide conflict between various drug cartels—criminal organizations that are fighting for control of lucrative drug smuggling routes. Since 2006, the Mexican army and federal police have been waging the war against the drug cartels. More than 80,000 people have been

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