Geography

Mexico is bordered by the United States to the north and Belize and Guatemala to the southeast. Mexico is about one-fifth the size of the United States. Baja California in the west is an 800-mile (1,287-km) peninsula and forms the Gulf of California. In the east are the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche, which is formed by Mexico's other peninsula, the Yucatán. The center of Mexico is a great, high plateau, open to the north, with mountain chains on the east and west and with ocean-front lowlands lying outside them.

Government

Federal republic.

History

At least three great civilizations—the Mayas, the Olmecs, and later the Toltecs—receded the wealthy Aztec empire, conquered in 1519–1521 by the Spanish under Hernando Cortés. Spain ruled Mexico as part of the viceroyalty of New Spain for the next 300 years until Sept. 16, 1810, when the Mexicans first revolted. They won independence in 1821.

From 1821 to 1877, there were two emperors, several dictators, and enough presidents and provisional executives to make a new government on the average of every nine months. Mexico lost Texas (1836), and after defeat in the war with the U.S. (1846–1848), it lost the area that is now California, Nevada, and Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1855, the Indian patriot Benito Juárez began a series of reforms, including the disestablishment of the Catholic Church, which owned vast property. The subsequent civil war was interrupted by the French invasion of Mexico (1861) and the crowning of Maximilian of Austria as emperor (1864). He was overthrown and executed by forces under Juárez, who again became president in 1867.

The years after the fall of the dictator Porfirio Diaz (1877–1880 and 1884–1911) were marked by bloody political-military strife and trouble with the U.S., culminating in the punitive U.S. expedition into northern Mexico (1916–1917) in unsuccessful pursuit of the revolutionary Pancho Villa. Since a brief civil war in 1920, Mexico has enjoyed a period of gradual agricultural, political, and social reforms. The Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR; National Revolutionary Party), dominated by revolutionary and reformist politicians from northern Mexico, was established in 1929; it continued to control Mexico throughout the 20th century and was renamed the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI; Institutional Revolutionary Party) in 1946. Relations with the U.S. were disturbed in 1938 when all foreign oil wells were expropriated, but a compensation agreement was reached in 1941.

Following World War II, the government emphasized economic growth. During the mid-1970s, under the leadership of President José Lóez Portillo, Mexico became a major petroleum producer. By the end of Portillo's term, however, Mexico had accumulated a huge external debt because of the government's unrestrained borrowing on the strength of its petroleum revenues. The collapse of oil prices in 1986 cut Mexico's export earnings. In Jan. 1994, Mexico joined Canada and the United States in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which will phase out all tariffs over a 15-year period, and in Jan. 1996, it became a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In 1995, the U.S. agreed to prevent the collapse of Mexico's private banks. In return, the U.S. won virtual veto power over much of Mexico's economic policy. In 1997, in what observers called the freest elections in Mexico's history, the PRI lost control of the lower legislative house and the mayoralty of Mexico City in a stunning upset. To increase democracy, President Ernesto Zedillo said in 1999 that he would break precedent and not personally choose the next PRI presidential nominee. Several months later, Mexico held its first presidential primary, which was won by former interior secretary Francisco Labastida, Zedillo's closest ally among the candidates.

In elections held on July 2, 2000, the PRI lost the presidency, ending 71 years of one-party rule. The new president, Vicente Fox Quesada of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), vowed tax reform, an overhaul of the legal system, and a reduction in power of the central government. By 2002, however, Fox had made little headway on his ambitious reform agenda. Disfavor with Fox was evident in 2003 parliamentary elections, when the PRI rebounded.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107779.html

In 2004, a two-year investigation into the “dirty war,” which Mexico's authoritarian government waged against its opponents in the 1960s and 1970s, led to an indictment—later dropped—against former president Luis Echeverria for ordering the 1971 shooting of student protesters.

In 2005, Andrés Manuel Lóez Obrador, the enormously popular mayor of Mexico City, emerged as a presidential candidate for the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution. Lóez Obrador seemed likely to defeat the party of the deeply unpopular incumbent, Vicente Fox. But in Oct. 2005, Felipe Calderón unexpectedly became the candidate of Fox's National Action Party (PAN), defeating Fox's chosen successor. By spring 2006, Felipe Calderón had caught up to Lóez Obrador in opinion polls. In the July election, Calderón won 35.9% of the vote, a razor-thin margin over Lóez Obrador, who received 35.3%. Lóez Obrador appealed the election, but on Aug. 28 Mexico's top electoral court rejected Lóez Obrador's allegations of fraud. His supporters held massive protest rallies before and after the verdict. Calderón was sworn in on Dec. 1.

On February 26, 2008, lawmakers approved new legislation that restricts cigarette smoking in public spaces. Violators will be heavily fined and sentenced to up to 36 hours in jail. The government reported that $642 million of health-care costs are due to smoking-related diseases.

See also Encyclopedia: Mexico.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes: Mexico
National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics www.inegi.gob.mx/ .
See also Presidents of Mexico since 1917.

United Mexican States

Official name: Estados Unidos Mexicanos

President: Felipe Calderón (2006)

Current government officials

Land area: 742,485 sq mi (1,923,039 sq km); total area: 761,602 sq mi (1,972,550 sq km)

Population (2007 est.): 108,700,891 (growth rate: 1.2%); birth rate: 20.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 20.4/1000; life expectancy: 75.6; density per sq mi: 146

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Mexico City, 19,013,000 (metro. area), 8,591,309 (city proper)

Other large cities: Ecatepec, 1,731,900 (part of Mexico City metro. area); Guadalajara, 1,665,800; Puebla, 1,345,500; Nezahualcóyotl, 1,250,700 (part of Mexico City metro. area); Monterrey, 1,135,000

Monetary unit: Mexican peso

Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages

Ethnicity/race: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%

Literacy rate: 92% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $1.068 trillion; per capita $10,100. Real growth rate: 3%. Inflation: 3.3%. Unemployment: 3.6% plus underemployment of perhaps 25%. Arable land: 13%. Agriculture: corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products. Labor force: 43.4 million; agriculture 18%, industry 24%, services 58% (2003). Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism. Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber. Exports: $213.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton. Imports: $223.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts. Major trading partners: U.S., Canada, Spain, China, Japan (2004).

Communications: Telephones:

main lines in use: 12.332 million (2000); mobile cellular: 2.02 million (1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 851, FM 598, shortwave 16 (2000). Radios: 31 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 236 (plus repeaters) (1997).

Televisions: 25.6 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 51 (2000). Internet users: 3.5 million (2002) went up to 27 662016 million in 2007.

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funfacts

Did you know that:

Mexico City was built on a lake?

Mexico introduced chocolate to the world?

Mexico is the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world?

Salma Hayek is the first Mexican movie star to reach success in the U.S. since Dolores Del Río in the twenties?

In the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, the Aztecs used the poinsettia leaves to dye fabric for clothing and the sap for medicinal purposes, including to help control fevers?

Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, an amateur botanist and first United States ambassador to Mexico, introduced the plant that became known as the poinsettia to this country?

Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year because it's built on top of an underground reservoir. Wells are drawing out more and more water for the city's growing population of more than 15 million people?

Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas?

This post was modified from its original form on 26 Mar, 14:39

DID YOU KNOW…
Between 1940 and 1958, Mexico became the centre of the international film industry. Great stars of the golden era of the cinematography of Mexico included Jorge Negrete, who was famous as a gentleman, and the actress Dolores del Rio. The great actor, Pedro Infante, also started his career in the golden era of the cinema of Mexico. The most popular film of 1942, "El Peñon de las Animas", starring María Félix and Jorge Negrete, was one of the most successful films in Mexico and Latin America. However, films critics often choose the 1975 film "Letters from Marusia", as the best film ever.

DID YOU KNOW…
The 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Octavio Paz, a novelist and essayist. He was the fifth Latin-American to receive the prize.Octavio Paz was the literary patriarch of Mexico.

DID YOU KNOW…
The Mexican people have many idols: María Félix (actress), Frida Kahlo (painter), Mario Moreno( best known as "Cantinflas"), Rufino Tamayo (painter), Diego Rivera (painter), Agustin Lara (composer), Carlos Fuentes (writer), Thalia (singer), Juan Gabriel (composer and singer), Jorge Negrete (actor), Pedro Infante (actor) and Lucía Méndez (actress).

DID YOU KNOW…
On November 26, 1985, Rodolfo Neri Vela. was the second Latin- American astronaut to fly in space. He was ready for his first space mission in 1985 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. Rodolfo was born on February 19, 1952, in Chilpancingo, Mexico.

DID YOU KNOW…
María Félix was an actress who starred in popular Mexican films such as "El Peñon de las Animas", "La China Poblana", "Doña Barbara" and "La Generala".Undoubtebly the most beautiful actress in the history. María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña, always called "La doña" or María Félix, was born on April 8, 1914, in Alamos, Sonora (Mexico). She died on April 8, 2000, in Mexico City. Certainly, she was an international celebrity.

She was long considered one of the most beautiful women in the 20th century; arguably, one of the best actresses in Latin America, Spain, Italy and France.If she had spoken English very well, María Félix will be remembered as the best actress of the world.

Different from María Montez and Rita Moreno, María Félix did not accept small roles in Hollywood. She once said: "I was not born to carry a basket".Like Pele (Brazilian ex-footballer player) and Carlos Gardel (Argentinian singer), María Félix is a symbol in Latin America.

DID YOU KNOW…
Mexico has had many famous athletes in the past century: Joaquín Capilla (diving), Hugo Sánchez (soccer), Humberto Mariles (equestrian), Felipe Muñoz (swimming), Raúl Ramírez (tennis), Rafael Osuna (tennis), Daniel Bautista (track and field) and Olegario Vázquez (shooting).

DID YOU KNOW…
Elsa Benítez is a supermodel from Mexico. She was born on December 8, 1977, in Hermosillo, Sonora (Mexico). Ironically, she looks like European supermodel. Like Alek Wek (Sudan) and Fernanda Tavares (Brazil), she works in the United States and Europe. Elsa Benítez was the cover girl for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue 2001.

Soccer is the most popular sport in Mexico
Besides Spanish, over 60 other languages (mostly indigenous) are spoken in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day – this holiday is usually only celebrated in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.