Mexico

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Mexico is the home of the Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The language of Mexico is Spanish, but there are also various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages.