Capital: Mexico City.
Official Language: Spanish. But about 7 percent of Mexicans use
Nahuatl, Maya, Zapotec, or some other American Indian language.
Official Name: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States).
National Anthem: "Himno Nacional de Mexico" ("National Anthem of
Mexico").
Largest Cities: Mexico City (8,235,744); Guadalajara (1,650,205);
Netzahualcoyotl (1,256,115); Ecatepec (1,218,135); Monterrey
(1,069,238).
National Flag: Mexico's flag, adopted in 1821, features a version of
the country's coat of arms. The green stands for independence,
white for religion, and red for union.
Coat of Arms: A legend says the Aztec Indians built their capital
Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) where they saw an eagle perched on a
cactus and devouring a snake.
Land and Climate
Land: Mexico lies in North America. It is bordered by the United
States on the north and by Guatemala and Belize on the southeast.
The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea lie to the east; the
Pacific Ocean to the west and south. A chain of high volcanic
mountains extends east-west across southern Mexico, just south of
Mexico City. Lower mountain chains extend northwestward from each
end of the volcanic chain, forming a great U-shape of mountains.
Much of north-central Mexico is a high plateau rimmed by these
mountain ranges. The Pacific Coast in the far south is rugged and
has densely forested areas. The long peninsula of Baja California
in the northwest is mostly desert with some mountains. The Yucatan
Peninsula in the southeast is flat and forested. Mexico's chief
rivers are the Rio Grande (at the U.S. border) and the Balsas.
Area: 756,066 sq. mi. (1,958,201 sq. km). Greatest
distances--north-south, 1,250 mi. (2,012 km); east-west, 1,900 mi.
(3,060 km). Coastline--6,320 mi. (10,170 km).
Elevation: Highest--Pico de Orizaba (also called Citlaltepetl),
18,410 ft. (5,610 m). Lowest--near Mexicali, 33 ft. (10 m) below
sea level.
Climate: Northwest and north-central Mexico are mostly desert, with
hot summers and cool to mild winters. The northeast coast has
moderate rainfall with mild winters and warm summers. Central
Mexico is dry, with temperatures varying according to altitude.
High locations, such as Mexico City, have mild temperatures the
year around. Low-altitude locations are warmer. Southern Mexico,
including Yucatan, is warm and moist the year around.
Government
Form of Government: Presidential democracy.
Chief Executive: President (elected to 6-year term).
Legislature: Congress of two houses--128-member Senate and 500-member
Chamber of Deputies.
Judiciary: Highest court is the Supreme Court of Justice.
Political Subdivisions: 31 states, 1 federal district.
People
Population: 1998 estimate--98,766,000. 1990 census--81,140,922.
2003 estimate--106,740,000.
Population Density: 131 persons per sq. mi. (50 per sq. km).
Distribution: 75 percent urban, 25 percent rural.
Major Ethnic/National Groups: Almost entirely Mexican. Most Mexicans
are of mixed American Indian and Spanish ancestry; some are
entirely Indian or entirely of European descent; a few have partly
black or East Asian ancestry.
Major Religions: More than 90 percent Roman Catholic; some
Protestants, Jews, and American Indian religions.
Economy
Chief Products: Agriculture--corn, beef cattle, milk, wheat, coffee.
Manufacturing--processed foods, motor vehicles, iron and steel.
Mining--petroleum, natural gas, iron ore.
Money: Basic unit--new peso. For value in U.S. dollars, see MONEY
(Table: Exchange Rates).
Foreign Trade: Major exports--petroleum, motor vehicles and engines,
coffee. Major imports--industrial machinery, electric and
electronic equipment, motor vehicles and parts. Major trading
partners--United States, Japan, Spain, Germany.
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