Magnificent Mexico Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yucatán

Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is approximately 40 miles away from Yucatán's state capital, Mérida.

The Pyramid of the Magician is the tallest building of Uxmal, at approximately 130 feet high. It is constructed of limestone, and is the main tourist attraction of Uxmal.

Answer: Popocatépetl

Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano, and is the second-highest natural peak of Mexico, after Pico de Orizaba, also known as "Citlaltépetl" which is an inactive stratovolcano. Popocatépetl is one of the most active volcanoes of Mexico, having experienced over 15 major eruptions since the Spanish arrived in 1519.

There is a state in Mexico called "Mexico" just like the country. Popocatépetl is located in the state of Mexico, and the states of Puebla and Morelos.

Answer: Cuernavaca

Alexander von Humboldt was impressed with the weather in his time at Cuernavaca, hence the nickname. The nickname has somewhat stuck. There is a statue of Alexander von Humboldt in Cuernavaca.

The Palace of Cortés, built in the 1520s, is located in Cuernavaca. It was originally a fortified establishment for the conqueror Hernán Cortés. It was renovated into a prison after the Cortés fled it, due to his own legal issues. As a prison during the Mexican War of Independence, it held prisoners such as the Catholic priest José María Morelos y Pavón. It now a museum.

There is a statue to Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor, in Cuernavaca. Hernán Cortés tortured, then later executed, him.

Answer: Tijuana

Tijuana is located on the coast of the Mexican state of Baja California, which is also the northernmost and westernmost of Mexico's 32 federal entities (which consist of 31 states, and the autonomous Mexico City.

At a capacity of 22,000 people, Tijuana is home to one of the largest bullrings in Mexico. The Plaza Monumental de Tijuana, known in English as "Bullring by the Sea" is purported to be the only seaside bullring in the world. It located only 60 meters from the border with the U.S.A.

Answer: Guadalajara

Guadalajara is the capital city of the state of Jalisco. Cristóbal de Oñate, a Spanish conquistador, founded the city in the 1500s. The city began to expand its technological ventures in the 1980s; Guadalajara now has the biggest IT industry in Mexico.

Guadalajara contributes almost 40% of the state of Jalisco's economy. The city is also home to the Teatro Degollado theater, which has been standing since the 1800s.

Answer: Baja California and Baja California Sur

The Sonoran Desert covers a good portion of Baja California Sur, part of Baja California and the western portion of Sonora. The Sonoran Desert is the hottest desert in Mexico.

The largest city of the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona.

Baja California is located on the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula, and is both the northernmost and the westernmost state of Mexico.

Baja California Sur is located on the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula, and because of its long coastline, its cuisine incorporates a lot of sea food. This includes food that is not typically eaten elsewhere in Mexico, such as the manta ray.

Answer: Zacatecas

Zacatecas is home to the Peñasquito Mine, one of the largest silver mines in the world. In 2019 Mexico produced 6,300 metric tons of silver, and the country's silver production is only expected to increase.

Zacatecas saw the bloodiest battle of the Mexican Revolution in 1914, 'La Toma de Zacatecas' (the Taking of Zacatecas) where 7,000 died and 5,000 were wounded.

UNESCO made Zacatecas historic center a World Heritage Site in 1993.

Answer: Jalisco and Michoacán

Lake Chapala stretches approximately 50 miles east to west, ten miles north to south, with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Lake Chapala's main source is the Lerma River.

This lake is exhausted. About 25 % of the drinking water extracted from it goes to Mexico City, and 70 % to Guadalajara. Guadalajara, the state capital of Jalisco, is about 30 miles away from Lake Chapala, and has relied on it for its water supply since the 1950s.

Answer: Chiapas

Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the state capital of Chiapas. Chiapas borders the Mexican states of Tabasco, Veracruz and Oaxaca. It also borders the country of Guatemala to the east. Chiapas is home to several ancient Mayan ruins.

The volcano Tacaná is located in both Chiapas, and the San Marcos Department of Guatemala.

In 1897, the first Japanese migrants to Mexico arrived, meaning that Chiapas was the first state to host Japanese immigration to Mexico.

Answer: Quintana Roo

The Yucatán Peninsula splits the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico and is almost completely composed of limestone. It is covered by sinkholes called cenotes, which form when a limestone bedrock collapses, exposing groundwater.