Mexican States Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This state is located on the Yucatan Peninsula. As a result, many Mayan ruins can be found here, including Tulum, Xcaret and Coba. The famous resort city of Cancun can be found here as well as the island of Cozumel. Which popular vacation paradise is this state?

Answer: Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo is the easternmost state in Mexico. Its capital is the city of Chetumal. It borders both the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the nations of Guatemala and Belize. The state is famous for its many beaches. In addition, it is also home to many Mayan ruins. Pictured is the ruins of Tulum, specifically the God of Winds Temple, which marks the entrance to the city from the sea.

The Tulum ruins are remarkably well preserved and has even survived hurricanes with relatively little damage.

The ruins in Quintana Roo are popular tourists destinations because they are closer to beaches than other Mexican ruins, which tend to be more inland.

2. This next state is one of the wettest in Mexico and is covered in rain forests. It is also one of the poorest in Mexico. A major attraction in this state is La Venta, an ancient Olmec ruins that is now an archeological site. Which oil-rich state is this?

Answer: Tabasco

The state of Tabasco is probably most famous for the spicy Tabasco sauce. The capital of Tabasco is Villahermosa and the state borders the Gulf of Mexico and Guatemala. Tabasco is an unusually wet state for Mexico. As a result, most of the land here is rain forests, lakes or rivers. Tabasco also has a reputation for being a poor state economically. While it does have running water and proper sewage, the rural areas of the state have long been plagued by economic hardship and unsanitary conditions because the state is too wet to have a thriving agriculture industry and most of the oil industry profits go into the hands of the few.

Pictured is the Nacajuca Monumento which pays tribute to the tamborileros, the traditional music of Tabasco. The most famous attraction in Tabasco is La Venta, the site of an ancient Olmec civilization outside of Villahermosa. One of the biggest attractions at La Venta, is Complex C which is home to the Great Pyramid.

3. This state is located on the central Pacific coast of Mexico. It was once home to the Purepecha Empire, one of the Aztec's rivals, based around Lake Patzcuaro. Its name in Nuhautl means "place of the fishermen". One of the biggest tourist attractions here is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Which state is this?

Answer: Michoacan

The capital of Michoac�n is Morelia. The state played a major role in not only the Spanish Conquest of Mexico (before it was a state) but also in the Mexican War of Independence. During the Spanish Conquest, the local leader named Tanganxoan II was tricked into handing his lands over the Spanish in exchange for keeping power. However, the Spanish killed Tanganxoan II instead. During the Mexican War of Independence, Michoacan was one of the main places Miguel Hidalgo preached and spread Enlightenment ideals.

There are still some Purepecha people living in the state but they total very few in numbers and have mostly assimilated. The Purepecha people were primarily fishermen and this is where the state gets its name from. Pictured is the entrance sign to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which Michoacan shares with the state of Mexico. Although the reserve is huge in size, the butterflies only occupy a small fraction of the area and for only a few months a year. Tourism is encouraged but limited to preserve the area and keep it clean from outside influences.

4. This state is the smallest in Mexico. It has very little water, including no lakes and few rivers. Most of the freshwater comes from artificial reservoirs and basins. Much of the state's land is dedicated to agriculture. The ancient pre-Colombian sites here are known for their colorful murals. Which tiny state is this?

Answer: Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala de Xicoht�ncatl is the capital of Tlaxcala. This state is not one of the country's top spots for tourism but the Cacaxtla Olmec ruins are the best known sites in the state. Cacaxtla is home to many paintings and murals.

The mural in the picture depicts the Cholula Massacre by Spanish conquistadors. The Cholula Massacre was a face off between Hernan Cortes and Aztec Emperor Moctezuma and saw between 3,000 and 30,000 Aztecs killed. It did not occur in Tlaxcala but murals can be found there depicting the event as it had widespread implications throughout the region for the native people.

5. This state only borders one other state and that state has a similar name to this one. It is home to some famous resort cities including Cabo San Lucas. Aside from the beaches, this state is very mountainous. Which state is this?

Answer: Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur occupies the southern half of the Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico. It is a popular vacation location, especially the city of Cabo San Lucas, which is at the very southern tip of the peninsula. The capital of Baja California Sur is La Paz. One of the state's many rock formations along the coastline is depicted in the photo.

6. This state is known as "El Estado Grande" because it is the largest in size. Because of its size, it has many geographical land forms including deserts, forests, mountains, and canyons - but no coastline. It borders the U.S. states of Texas and New Mexico. Which large state is this?

Answer: Chihuahua

Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico but it might best be known for the tiny breed of dog that shares its name. It is larger than all of the Untied Kingdom in size. Its capital is also called Chihuahua. The northern part of the state contains part of the Chihuahuan Desert which extends into several other states, both in Mexico and in the U.S. Chiuhuahua is also the most heavily forested state. One of the state's iconic features is the Copper Canyon, pictured to the right, a canyon systems that is deeper than the Grand Canyon.

It is also home to Mexico's tallest waterfall, the Cascada de Piedra Volada.

7. This state borders more Mexican states than any other with nine. The Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range runs through this state. It was once home to a thriving mining industry that has since declined significantly, though silver is still mined in the Real de Catorce area. Which state, named for a French king, is this?

Answer: San Luis Potosi

The capital of the state is also called San Luis Potosi. The state was named after the French King Louis IX (pictured) and the Bolivian city of Potosi because both cities had a large mining industry. The mining industry has steadily declined for decades but the city of Real de Catorce still produces silver. One reason for the decline of the mining industry is that many of the mines are on native sacred grounds and have become protected over time.

The Sierra Oriental Mountain Range that runs through San Luis Potosi are called the backbone of North American because they appear to run up and down the continent like a spine.

8. This southwestern state is known for its diversity. That diversity is not only cultural and religious but geographic as well. The state has many mountain ranges but also low-lying coastal areas and bays. It is also home to many national parks including Benito Juarez National Park and Huatulco National Park. Which state is this?

Answer: Oaxaca

The capital of Oaxaca is Oaxaca de Juarez. It is another state known for its archaeological ruins, the most famous being Monte Alban which was founded around 500 BC and is one of the earliest known cities in Mexico. Benito Juarez National Park is located in Oaxaca; it is home to many endangered or rare species of plants and animals.

As a result, it is a popular locale for poachers and illegal loggers. Pictured is part of the coastline around the area of Huatalco. Some parts of the Oaxaca coastline are mountainous and not suitable as a vacation resort, though the ruins and mountains do bring in tourists.

9. This state is considered to be the state with the most Mayan influence. The famous Mayan city of Chichen Itza (pictured) can be found here. This state is also known to be rather flat when compared to other places in Mexico. Historically, this state is where some conquistadors, including Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba first landed in Mexico. Which state, that was once its own country, is this?

Answer: Yucatan

Chichen Itza is one of the most famous Mayan ruins of all time and it is located in Yucatan. About 1.5 million people visit Chichen Itza every year. Yucatan became part of the Federal Republic of United Mexican States in 1823 but left to become its own republic amid political turmoil in 1841. It returned to Mexico in 1848 despite the objections from people of Mayan blood.

The capital of Yucatan is Merida. Over 60% of the people of Merida claim Mayan heritage (2016 data). Yucatan is relatively flat when compared to other Mexican states that tend to be mountainous.

10. This state is best known outside of Mexico for the drug cartel that operates there. It has a long coastline on the Gulf of California. One of the most visited places in the state is the Imala Hot Springs. The state is also famous for the ancient game called ulama, which is still played today. Which state is this?

Answer: Sinaloa

Sinaloa has a reputation for being dangerous because of the drug cartels that operate in the state. As a result, it receives a very low number of tourists. Outside of the drugs, the state is best known for being one of the few, if not the only place, where the ancient game of ulama is played regularly. It is similar to the other Aztec ballgame that eventually developed into soccer.

Pictured is the Church of San Jose, one of Sinaloa's oldest churches.

Source: Author Joepetz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Can you identify the state of Mexico given the description and a photo? Buena suerte!

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