By Jessica Ojeda

Puebla was one of the first cities established by the Spaniards which was not built upon the ruins of conquered indigenous settlements, making it the most European of all the colonial cities. This led to the rapid development of the Spanish culture and traditions in Mexico.  The Spaniards elected an ideal location for their new city, between one of Mexico’s major port cities, Veracruz, and the capital, Mexico City, which made Puebla one of the most important cities in the colonial period.

The population of Puebla was 1,290,094 in 2000. Locals are called Poblanos. The indigenous language of the region, Náhuatl, is still spoken in some areas of the Puebla Valley. The busy city of Puebla, Mexico lies approximately 129 km southeast of the country’s capital, Mexico City and sits at approximately 2,149 meters above sea level. (more…)

The economic crisis north of the border is having an impact on Mexico’s peso, with the currency falling Jan. 30 to its lowest level in 13 years.

The peso fell 20 percent last year, according to a report from Bloomberg, then continued heading south until it reached a record low of 14.4484 per U.S. dollar at the end of January. (more…)