From the rise of the first civilizations of North America and continuing through the cataclysm of the Spanish conquest and the explosive revolution of Zapata and Pancho Villa to the intensely contested presidential election of 2006, Mexico has had a vibrant and dynamic history. This book gives expansive coverage to Mexico's pre-Columbian civilizations and contemporary indigenous people a century after the Spanish conquest. ""A Brief History of Mexico, Updated Edition"" brings readers up to date on developments in Mexico and helps them understand the deeper significance of recent events, including the 2006 presidential election that resulted in victory for the National Action Party's (PAN's) Felipe Calderon, a weakened Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), and the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) candidate threatening a government in opposition. Coverage includes: the challenge of revitalizing Mexico's people and resources in this new period of multiparty democracy; indigenous peoples, the environment, and culture; the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the increasing participation of Mexican Americans in Mexican politics and culture; and the testing of the new democratic institutions by the close results of the 2006 presidential election and months of protest claiming electoral fraud.