Mexico Guide and Resources

Check for available hotels in Mexico

Location
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US

Size Comparison To U.S-located Area
slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Geographic Coordinates
23 00 N, 102 00 W

Capital
Mexico (Distrito Federal)

Nationality
Mexican(s)

Currency
Mexican peso (MXN)

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

Population
103,400,165 (July 2002 est.)

Total Population Ratio Based On Gender
0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Migrant Ratio
-2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic Groups
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Religion Demographics
nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%

Geographic Areas
Total :: 1,972,550 sq km
Land :: 1,923,040 sq km
Water :: 49,510 sq km
Coastline :: 9,330 km

Bordered By
Belize, Guatemala, United States

Argentina Climate
varies from tropical to desert

Terrain
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

Natural Resources
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Natural Hazards
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts

Brief Geography Notes
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico

Government
federal republic

Administrative Districts
31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district (distrito federal)