| Cover | Antarctica | Australia | Brazil | India | Liberia | Mexico | Spain | Credits | |||
| Mexico |  |
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| INTRODUCTION & HISTORY The first important pre-Hispanic civilization was the Olmec, from 1200 to 150 B.C. Next came the great city of Teotihuacán, with 200,000 inhabitants. It was constructed around the massive, stepped Pyramid of the Sun. Following its collapse, the Toltecs established Tula in A.D. 950, where they worshipped Texcatlipoca, lord of life and death, with human sacrifice. Intertribal wars destroyed their empire, and the Aztecs took over by the 15th century. Spain invaded in 1519. Within two years the Aztecs were almost extinct, killed by the Spaniards and the diseases they introduced. In 1910 the rebel Emiliano Zapata built a peasant army, demanding land reform. He eventually became disillusioned, but continued to fight until death by ambush (1919). In 1994, Luis Colosio, President Salinas' hand-picked successor, was assassinated. The entire country was shaken, and soon the peso's value declined sharply, leaving Mexico almost bankrupt. Recovery has been slow but steady.
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