History UsefulNotes / Mexico

Even though Mexico during the 70's and 80's in particular did accept quite a lot of people fleeing dictatorships from countries such as Guatemala, ElSalvador, Chile and Argentina, the PRI's constant recourse to electoral fraud and outright violence (especially the "Dirty War" against leftist dissidents) showed that, in many ways, Mexico was {{NotSoDifferent}} to the more overtly dictatorial and dysfunctional states elsewhere in the Americas.

Even though Mexico during the 70's and 80's in particular did accept quite a lot of people fleeing dictatorships from countries such as {{Guatemala}}, {{ElSalvador}}, {{Chile}} and {{Argentina}}, the PRI's constant recourse to electoral fraud and outright violence (especially the "Dirty War" against leftist dissidents) showed that, in many ways, Mexico was {[NotSoDifferent}} to the more overtly dictatorial and dysfunctional states elsewhere in the Americas.

Even though Mexico during the 70's and 80's in particular did accept quite a lot of people fleeing dictatorships from countries such as UsefulNotes/Guatemala, UsefulNotes/ElSalvador, UsefulNotes/Chile and UsefulNotes/Argentina, the PRI's constant recourse to electoral fraud and outright violence (especially the "Dirty War" against leftist dissidents) showed that, in many ways, Mexico was NotSoDifferent to the more overtly dictatorial and dysfunctional states elsewhere in the Americas.

Officially known as ''los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''[[note]]the United Mexican States[[/note]], Mexico is a UsefulNotes/{{North America}}n country[[note]]Geologically speaking, the border between Central America and North America proper lies in Mexico, but Central America is usually considered part of North America. People mistaking Mexico for "South America" is probably due to most Mexicans speaking Spanish[[/note]] and home of WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales, [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bumblebee Man]], Creator/SalmaHayek and Creator/GuillermoDelToro. The country where Creator/SalvadorDali finds more surreal than his paintings, Mexico can stir up more emotion in three syllables than can be wrought from a {{Wangst}} filled RomanticPlotTumor. Whether it's love or hate depends entirely on the person.

->''"Poor Mexico! So far from God, so close to the United States..."''
-->-- '''Porfirio Díaz'''

Officially known as ''los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''[[note]]the United Mexican States[[/note]], Mexico is a UsefulNotes/{{North America}}n country[[note]]Geologically speaking, the border between Central America and North America proper lies in Mexico, but Central America is usually considered part of North America. People mistaking Mexico for "South America" is probably due to most Mexicans speaking Spanish[[/note]] and home of WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales, [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bumblebee Man]], Creator/SalmaHayek and Creator/GuillermoDelToro. Mexico can stir up more emotion in three syllables than can be wrought from a {{Wangst}} filled RomanticPlotTumor. Whether it's love or hate depends entirely on the person.

The second Mexican empire lasted 3 years. Really, it was because the U.S. was too busy with its Civil War. Once that whole nasty business was settled (more or less), the U.S. resumed their backing of the liberals and Juárez, whilst the French, facing the impending doom of the Franco-Prussian war, withdrew their support of Maximilian in turn, who decided to remain and fight, until he was defeated, summarily executed along with Miguel Miramón and General Mejía, and Conservadores everywhere shot. The Liberales may have won the Civil War, but many political fights happened inside the victorious party as [[EvilPowerVacuum everybody wanted to be president]]. President Juárez, still clinging to his Emergency powers went for reelection, again. Causing war hero Porfirio Díaz to rebel... and fail at it. Better luck next time! But, as good national heroes always do, Juárez died just in time (in 1872, merely one year after his reelection) to avoid going the way of Santa Ana into Infamy. In fact, Juárez won only his last election (during which he was president with emergency powers) and for 15 years, that is, until his death, he never let go of the presidency (but good luck trying to bust the myth on Juárez). Mexican "heroes" tend to [[FallenHero end that way]]. ([[Film/TheDarkKnight Harvey Dent]] was right about that). He was succeeded by the next in line for the job, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada (Sebastián, not Miguel, as both brothers were very important in the Liberal party), then after his time was up he also tried to postulate himself for reelection. Porfirio Díaz rebelled again... and won, won so hard that he got to rule Mexico for the next 30 years. He first ruled for 4 years or so, then put his compadre (godsib) Manuel González on the presidency, but his presidency sucked ass and Díaz decided to reelect himself (after all, where did it say people could get reelected in different president terms?). The [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocrisy]] of rebelling against a president for trying to rewrite the constitution to get reelected, then doing so for thirty years himself, was probably not lost on him, as he actually ''exalted'' the character and justified the actions of Juárez, to justify his own by proxy.

But Ferdinand had thrown up a massive roadblock to this: He forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico, on pain of losing their Spanish succession rights[[note]]Not an insignificant concern, since Ferdinand was at this point childless and had only two brothers, so even his Sicilian cousins had a realistic shot at sitting the throne someday[[/note]] and general ostracism from the Spanish royal family. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted,[[note]]Also a real risk, since both dynasties were at this point amply supplied with available junior princes. Admittedly, many of them were underage, but one particular French Bourbon dynast--one Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans--was particularly promising, as he was not only fully grown but a known liberal who would've been happy to be the executive monarch of a constitutional monarchy, and didn't seem especially likely to succeed to the French throne after the 1820 birth of his distant cousin Henri, comte de Chambord, appeared to secure the succession of the senior branch of the French Bourbons.[[/note]] he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. UsefulNotes/SimonBolivar, who had spent time at the court in Madrid before the Spanish American wars of independence, and had even played tennis against the then-Prince Ferdinand, pointed to Ferdinand in particular as a reason that the Spanish Bourbons were to be despised and that the Spanish Americas should run away from "the mother country" as fast as their legs could take them. The Spaniards themselves called Ferdinand ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.

Other traditional foods are enchiladas, sincronizadas, chilaquiles, chiles rellenos, tamales, and other foods that are local and to each state of the country. Even those might have wild variations; for instance, in most of the country an "enchilada" is a tortilla rolled around a filling and then baked in a chile sauce, but in San Luis Potosí an "enchilada potosina" is actually a taco made with a corn tortilla lightly fried/toasted in chorizo fat and filled with chorizo and potatoes.

Officially known as ''los Estados Unidos Mexicanos'',[[note]]the United Mexican States[[/note]] Mexico is a UsefulNotes/{{North America}}n country[[note]]Geologically speaking, the border between Central America and North America proper lies in Mexico, but Central America is usually considered part of North America. People mistaking Mexico for "South America" is probably due to the fact that most Mexicans speak Spanish[[/note]] and home of WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales,[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bumblebee Man]], Creator/SalmaHayek and Creator/GuillermoDelToro. Mexico can stir up more emotion in three syllables than can be wrought from a {{Wangst}} filled RomanticPlotTumor. Whether it's love or hate depends entirely on the person.

And for the record: Taco Bell is not a Mexican company, though the recent opening of a few nearby has caused us great amusement. Their food is certainly ''absolutely not Mexican''. And the taco bell Chihuahua? It was [[EatTheDog considered a culinary delicacy]] by the Aztecs. In general, Tex-Mex food is a blasphemous rip-off of Mexican food and is shunned by every respectable Mexican. [[note]]It's worth noting that Tex-Mex and every variation of Mexican food came to be because the ingredients used in many popular Mexican dishes weren't readily available, so they had to make do with whatever substitutes were available. There is also the issue of cultural assimilation many immigrants, not only Mexicans and Xicanos, face in the US: you don't want to seem "too foreign" if you want to fit in. Tex-Mex and Xicano cuisine are not blasphemy nor is it a matter of respectability.[[/note]]

But Ferdinand had thrown up a massive roadblock to this: He forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico, on pain of losing their Spanish succession rights[[note]]Not an insignificant concern, since Ferdinand was at this point childless and had only two brothers, so even his Sicilian cousins had a realistic shot at sitting the throne someday[[/note]] and general ostracism from the Spanish royal family. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted,[[note]]Also a real risk, since both dynasties were at this point amply supplied with available junior princes. Admittedly, many of them were underage, but one particular French Bourbon dynast--one Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans--was particularly promising, as he was a known liberal who would've been happy to be the executive monarch of a cosntitutional monarchy, and didn't seem especially likely to succeed to the French throne after the birth of his distant cousin Henri, comte de Chambord, appeared to secure the succession of the senior branch of the French Bourbons.[[/note]] he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. UsefulNotes/SimonBolivar, who had spent time at the court in Madrid before the Spanish American wars of independence, and had even played tennis against the then-Prince Ferdinand, pointed to Ferdinand in particular as a reason that the Spanish Bourbons were to be despised and that the Spanish Americas should run away from "the mother country" as fast as their legs could take them. The Spaniards themselves called Ferdinand ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.

But Ferdinand had thrown up a massive roadblock to this: He forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico, on pain of losing their Spanish succession rights[[note]]Not an insignificant concern, since Ferdinand was at this point childless and had only two brothers, so even his Sicilian cousins had a realistic shot at sitting the throne someday[[/note]] and general ostracism from the Spanish royal family. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted, he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. UsefulNotes/SimonBolivar, who had spent time at the court in Madrid before the Spanish American wars of independence, and had even played tennis against the then-Prince Ferdinand, pointed to Ferdinand in particular as a reason that the Spanish Bourbons were to be despised and that the Spanish Americas should run away from "the mother country" as fast as their legs could take them. The Spaniards themselves called Ferdinand ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.

The Plan of Iguala under which Iturbide had led his army called for Mexico to become an independent Catholic constitutional monarchy with a Spanish prince on the throne. This was a compromise position that achieved the goals of both the liberal revolutionaries (who wanted independence and a constitution) and the more conservative elements in the country (who were still devoted to God and the King). A Mexican Congress had thus written a constitution for Mexico establishing it as the Mexican Empire, with a strong executive Emperor who was nevertheless checked by a an elected legislature and an independent judiciary. (And, of course, with the Roman Catholic Church as the state religion.) This constitution was sent back to Spain with the intent that UsefulNotes/FerdinandVII, the King of Spain, would accept the office of Emperor of Mexico and hold Mexico in personal union with Spain in perpetuity--though they also left the door open for one of his brothers or cousins to take the job in case Ferdinand didn't want to take it himself. This, they thought, was a good enough Plan B.

Mexico's almost as racially diverse as UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}, but in different ways. For one thing, there are proportionally far fewer Afro-Mexicans than Afro-Brazilians. About 1-2% of Mexicans claim significant African ancestry, as compared to 5-10% of Brazilians (at a minimum--Black-White ''pardos'' are probably a majority in Brazil). This is largely because most of Mexico was deemed to be poorly suited to plantation agriculture during the era of Spanish rule,[[note]]Probably rightly; much of Mexico is ill-suited to growing the kinds of cash crops that make for good plantation agriculture by virtue of being desert, mountain, or jungle. Moreover, even areas which had good land for cash crops weren't worth turning into plantations because the giant mountain ranges made ''transporting'' anything in Colonial Mexico a tremendous pain in the ''culo''. Sure, you ''could'' grow massive amounts of sugarcane in the plains south of Mexico City, or coffee in the foothills and lower slopes of the mountains between Puebla and Oaxaca, but the roads to the port of Veracruz were so abysmal you probably couldn't get much of your crop to Spain for sale on the world market, so why bother? (And even if you didn't have to get your stuff to Veracruz specifially--which you did because mercantilism--it's not like the roads to anywhere else were or could be any better.) The major cash crops sugarcane and coffee were eventually successfully cultivated in Mexico (especially in Central and Southern Mexico)--after railroads from the interior to the coast (and to the United States) had solved the transportation problem. However, by that point, slavery had long been abolished in Mexico.[[/note]] so while plenty of African slaves ended up in the Spanish Americas, they tended not to be brought to Mexico (they tended to go to UsefulNotes/{{Cuba}}, [[UsefulNotes/DominicanRepublic Santo Domingo]], UsefulNotes/PuertoRico, and UsefulNotes/{{Venezuela}} instead). That being said, Mexico does have the distinction of being the first country in Spanish-speaking America to have a head of state of provable recent sub-Saharan African descent in the form of the country's second president, Vicente Guerrero (after whom the state of Guerrero[[note]]Which with Veracruz is of the few states with a significant concentration of Afro-Mexicans. It's also notable to foreigners as the state where Acapulco is located.[[/note]] is named).

The Plan of Iguala under which Iturbide had led his army called for Mexico to become an independent Catholic constitutional monarchy with a Spanish prince on the throne. This was a compromise position that achieved the goals of both the liberal revolutionaries (who wanted independence and a constitution) and the more conservative elements in the country (who were still devoted to God and the King). A Mexican Congress had thus written a constitution for Mexico establishing it as the Mexican Empire, with a strong executive Emperor who was nevertheless checked by a an elected legislature and an independent judiciary. (And, of course, with the Roman Catholic Church as the state religion.) This constitution was sent back to Spain with the intent that Ferdinand VII, the King of Spain, would accept the office of Emperor of Mexico and hold Mexico in personal union with Spain in perpetuity--though they also left the door open for one of his brothers or cousins to take the job in case Ferdinand didn't want to take it himself. This, they thought, was a good enough Plan B.

Officially known as Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (The United Mexican States), Mexico is a UsefulNotes/{{North America}}n country[[note]]Geologically speaking, the border between Central America and North America proper lies in Mexico, but Central America is usually considered part of North America. People mistaking Mexico for "South America" is probably due to the fact that most Mexicans speak Spanish[[/note]] and home of WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales,[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bumblebee Man]], Creator/SalmaHayek and Creator/GuillermoDelToro. Mexico can stir up more emotion in three syllables than can be wrought from a {{Wangst}} filled RomanticPlotTumor. Whether it's love or hate depends entirely on the person.

As per Hispanic custom, Mexicans have two family names or surnames: the first is the paternal one, and the second is the mother's. Because children only get the first family name of either parent [[LineageComesFromTheFather only the father's name]] is passed on through successive generations. Also you can have more than one given name (think middle initial)... sometimes even three. And sometimes you even get single family names made of multiple family names. Example: former president Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León. Women don't lose their maiden name when marrying, but traditionally added the husband's family name to their own; this has no legal value however.

If they make fun of others, rest assured they have developed a level of {{self deprecati|on}}ng humor Creator/WoodyAllen would admire (before knocking himself for it). Since making fun of people based on their race, their gender, or their handicaps isn't considered as politically incorrect as it is in the US or the UK it may seem that Mexican comedy can be [[UnfortunateImplications crass]]. But it's precisely because of their greater disregard towards political correctness that limits in Hollywood's depiction of Mexicans are rather set by Chicanos than by actual Mexicans. [[CulturalCringe Another phenomenon is Malinchismo: a very old and widespread tendency to show any unjustified preference, however slight, for foreign over national stuff]].

It was colonized by UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}, those people in the funny metal Conquistador hats who looked for [[CityOfGold cities of gold]] (or means to [[GoldFever get gold]], they weren't picky), they were initially mistaken for Gods (Quetzalcoatl, mainly) and struck alliances with several of the native nations. It's harsh to judge the natives who allied with Cortés. They had lived under the iron fist of the Mexica, who frequently forced to pay tributes to them.. in the form of men, women and children, who would most of the time be used as human sacrifice, but who also had the option of being eaten ritualistically. Moctezuma, the Emperor of the Mexica/Aztecs, tried to regale Quetzalcoatl/Cortés with gold, so he would leave, but only instigated greed. Eventually the Spaniards and their indigenous allies came to blows with the Aztecs, having no shortage of numbers and knowledge of the terrain (those two points thanks to the natives), better technology, horses, and most importantly, plagues. (The plagues were actually unintentional but handy at first, inconvenient after victory). UsefulNotes/HernanCortez and his men were able to win against the Aztec empire by manipulating the Aztec's [[LaResistance unwilling subjects]] into an alliance. Fun and profit were had by all. And by all, we mean Cortés, his soldiers, and many of his native allies. Everyone else was either forcibly converted (although considering the documented human sacrifice and cannibalism, conversion probably wasn't a bad thing for everyone involved) and enslaved in the Hacienda system (think Plantation) or killed. Even his native allies got sort of shafted, also being forcibly converted and becoming second class citizens below Spaniards.

* ''Film/{{Traffic}}''

A city that you can find within the state of the same name, right at the center of the country (this is not an exaggeration, grab a map and find it) around three or four hours distance from Mexico City, one of the proposed menaings for the name is "Place with a lot of mountains", and as you can guess it's build in a valley between lots of mountain landscape.

Officially known as Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (The United Mexican States), Mexico is a UsefulNotes/{{North America}}n country[[note]]Geologically speaking, the border between Central America and North America proper lies in Mexico, but Central America is usually considered part of North America. People mistaking Mexico for "South America" is probably due to the fact that most Mexicans speak Spanish[[/note]] and home of WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales, [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bumblebee Man]], Creator/SalmaHayek and Creator/GuillermoDelToro, Mexico can stir up more emotion in three syllables than can be wrought from a {{Wangst}} filled RomanticPlotTumor. Whether it's love or hate depends entirely on the person.

But Ferdinand had thrown up a massive roadblock to this: He forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico, on pain of losing their Spanish succession rights and general ostracism from the Spanish royal family. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted, he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. UsefulNotes/SimonBolivar, who had spent time at the court in Madrid before the Spanish American wars of independence, and had even played tennis against the then-Prince Ferdinand, pointed to Ferdinand in particular as a reason that the Spanish Bourbons were to be despised and that the Spanish Americas should run away from "the mother country" as fast as their legs could take them. The Spaniards themselves called Ferdinand ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.

But they did not count on Ferdinand VII being an idiotic absolutist ideologue with his head up his ass. When this Imperial Mexican constitution arrived in Spain, Ferdinand VII not only declined the offer of a Mexican crown, he refused to recognize the independence of Mexico, and forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted, he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. UsefulNotes/SimonBolivar, who had spent time at the court in Madrid before the Spanish American wars of independence, and had even played tennis against the then-Prince Ferdinand, pointed to Ferdinand in particular as a reason that the Spanish Bourbons were to be despised and that the Spanish Americas should run away from "the mother country" as fast as their legs could take them. The Spaniards themselves called Ferdinand ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.

But they did not count on Ferdinand VII being an idiotic absolutist ideologue with his head up his ass. When this Imperial Mexican constitution arrived in Spain, Ferdinand VII not only declined the offer of a Mexican crown, he refused to recognize the independence of Mexico, and forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted, he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. UsefulNotes/SimonBolivar, who had spent time at the court in Madrid before the Spanish American wars of independence, and had even played tennis against the then-Prince Ferdinand, pointed to Ferdinand in particular as a reason that the Spanish Bourbons were to be despised and that the Spanish Americas should run away from "the mother country" as fast as their legs could take them. The Spaniards themselves called him ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.

But they did not count on Ferdinand VII being an idiotic absolutist ideologue with his head up his ass. When this Imperial Mexican constitution arrived in Spain, Ferdinand VII not only declined the offer of a Mexican crown, he refused to recognize the independence of Mexico, and forbade all members of the Spanish House of Bourbon (which included not only his immediate family but also his cousins, the Kings of the Two Sicilies and their family) from accepting the Imperial throne of Mexico. He also made it painfully clear that if his French Bourbon or more distant Habsburg cousins were offered the Mexican crown and accepted, he would find some way to make life hell for them.[[note]]We should note here that both the contemporary and the historical assessment of Ferdinand VII is that he was an arrogant, ill-educated, stupid spoiled brat who had no business actually running a country and showed far too much interest in doing so for someone as unintelligent as he was. The Spaniards themselves called him ''el Rey Felón'' ("The Felon King") for his innumerable abuses, and revolted against his rule at least twice.[[/note]] As a result, the Mexicans found no takers for their offer of a crown even after shopping it around the courts of Europe. Their Plan B was dead, and there was no Plan C.