States of Mexico

About Mexico :

Ethnic diversity, colorful cultural traditions, enigmatic and advanced civilization, and amazing natural diversity make up Mexico. One of the distinctive features of Mexico is its unity in diversity – the country attracts millions of tourists every year, making it one of the most visited countries of the world.

Geography :

Located in Southern North America as shown on the map of Mexico, the country covers a total land area of 761,606 square miles. It shares its border to the north with the United States, and to the south with Guatemala and Belize as shown in the Mexico Map. The country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to the east as seen in the Mexico Map. It is home to diverse landforms varying from mountains, plains, deserts, and plateaus. Mexico also enjoys both temperate and tropical climates because of its location on the Tropic of Cancer which passes through it which is depicted on the map of Mexico.

Historic Background :

Long before Europeans reached Mexico, it was occupied by the natives of advanced civilizations including Aztecs, Mayan, Toltec, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, and Olmec.

In 1519 AD, Hernando Cortes and a crew of Spanish soldiers sailed to Mexico in search of treasure, and by 1521 AD they had defeated and conquered the Aztec Empire with their military skills and weapons. For the next 300 years, it remained a colony of Spain, until the Mexicans revolted in 1810. Their independence was recognized only after the signing of Treaty of Cordoba in 1821.

Unfortunately, after achieving independence, Mexico faced a lack of expertise in governance, and struggled to gain political stability. In the forty years following its independence, 56 governments, several dictators, two emperors, and many presidents reigned. Mexico lost some of its territories between 1836 and 1848, including Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, parts of Arizona and California to the United States. These are now a part of the USA.

In 1855, Benito Juarez, an upcoming political leader at the time, administered reforms by passing a series of laws. Between 1858 and 1861, civil war broke out in the country. After the war ended, Juarez was elected president in 1861. In 1867, France withdrew its troops from the country and Juarez remained president. Juarez died in 1872, and Dictator Porfirio Diaz became his successor. The Mexican Revolution began in 1910, and by 1917 a new constitution was established. In 1921, the National Revolutionary party was established. After the Second World War, the government emphasized economic growth, and in 1994 Mexico joined the USA and Canada in signing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Mexico Population and Economy

Mexico is a country located in southern North America, just south of the United States, and north of Guatemala and Belize as seen in the map of Mexico.

The International border of Mexico and the United States of America runs east to west from Texas and Brownville to San Diego, California, Baja California and Tijuana as shown in the Mexico Map.
With an estimated population of 126.19 million in 2018 (World Bank), Mexico is the tenth most populous nation in the world. It is also the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.

With an area of 1,972,550 square kilometers (761,606 square miles), Mexico has a population density of about 57 people per square kilometer. The capital of Mexico, also called the Federal District, ‘Mexico City’ has a metropolitan area population of 21.2 million, though just under 9 million of those people live in the city proper, making it the country’s most population dense city. Mexico City is the most populous metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere and can be located on the map of Mexico clearly.

Other major metropolitan areas which are represented on the Mexico Map include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, and Tijuana.

Economy and Challenges :

One of the largest economies in Latin America and the world, the country has made remarkable economic growth despite the post-independence political instability. It became a major producer of petroleum under the leadership of President Jose Lopez Portillo (1976-1982). In 1994, Mexico joined United States and Canada in signing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and in 1996, it became a member of the World Trade Organization. Mexico is expected to reach the top five global economies by 2050.

Even with such good economic growth, the country is still struggling to minimize the disparity between the extremely poor and the extremely rich, which remains a major challenge for the government.

Travel and Tourism :

Mexico is ranked in the top thirty highest spending countries on tourism in the world. Its varied landscape, rich cultural heritage, cuisines, and friendly locals make the country an attractive tourist destination. The majority of tourists come to Mexico from the United States and Canada, making it a very popular country in the world. Refer to the map of Mexico to see the famous places to visit and the cities.