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| Best viewed with MSIE | |
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| More History Resources |
 The Legacy of Mesoamerica: History and Culture of A Native American Civilization (2nd Edition) |
 The Course of Mexican History |
 Politics in Mexico: The Democratic Consolidation Roderic Ai Camp |
 Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico |
 American Guestworkers: Jamaicans And Mexicans in the U.S. Labor Market (Rural Studies) David Craig Griffith |
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About the Country |
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Background: The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came
under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in
the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into
economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The
nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social
concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the
population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities
for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states.
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(Click on map for a larger view) 
Map courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission. |
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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 Geographic coordinates: 23 00 N, 102 00 W Area: Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas Land boundaries: Climate: varies from tropical to desert
Population: 104,959,594 (July 2004 est.) Population growth rate: 1.18% (2004 est.) Ethnic groups: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1% Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5% Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Government type: federal republic Capital: Mexico Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810) Constitution: 5 February 1917
Labor force: 41.5 million (2003) Unemployment rate: 3.3% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2003) Exports - commodities: manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, coffee, cotton Imports - commodities: metal-working machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts Currency: Mexican peso (MXN)
Military branches: National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force), Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Marines) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $5,168.3 million (2003) |
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Source of background and statistical data: The World Factbook
For more on Mexico, click here |
