Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Mexico

The United Mexican States[7] (Spanish: Es-mx-Estados Unidos Mexicanos.ogg Estados Unidos Mexicanos ), commonly known as Mexico (English: /ˈmɛksɪkoʊ/) (Spanish: Es-mx-México.ogg México [ˈmexiko]), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico.[8][9] Covering almost 2 million square kilometres,[10] Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of 109 million,[11] it is the 11th most populous country. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city.

In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain created the New Spain which would eventually become Mexico as the colony gained independence in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, territorial secession and civil war, including foreign intervention, two empires and two long domestic dictatorships. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Spanish: Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI).

As a regional power[12][13] and the only Latin American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 1994, Mexico is firmly established as an upper middle-income country,[14] considered as a newly industrialized country[15][16][17][18] and has the 11th largest economy in the world by GDP by purchasing power parity, and also the largest GDP per capita in Latin America according to the International Monetary Fund[19]. The economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners. Despite being considered an emerging power,[20] the uneven income distribution and the increase in drug-related violence are issues of concern.

Contents

United Mexican States
Estados Unidos Mexicanos


Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Himno Nacional Mexicano"
Mexican National Anthem
National seal:
Seal of the United Mexican States
Capital
(and largest city)
Mexico City
19°03′N 99°22′W / 19.05°N 99.367°W / 19.05; -99.367
Official languages None at federal level.
Spanish (de facto)
National language Spanish, and 62 Indigenous Amerindian languages[1]
Demonym Mexican
Government Federal presidential republic
- President Felipe Calderón
(PAN)
Legislature Congress
- Upper House Senate
- Lower House Chamber of Deputies
Independence from Spain
- Declared September 15, 1810
- Recognized September 27, 1821
Area
- Total 1,972,550 km2 (15th)
761,606 sq mi
- Water (%) 2.5
Population
- mid-2008 estimate 111,211,789 (July - 2009)[2] (11th)
- 2005 census 103,263,388
- Density 55/km2 (142nd)
142/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
- Total $1,559 billion[3] (11)
- Per capita $14,560[4]
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
- Total $ 1,143 billion[5] (13)
- Per capita $10,235[4]
Gini (2008) 46.1[6] (high)
HDI (2008) 0.842 (high) (51st)
Currency Peso (MXN)
Time zone Official Mexican Timezones (UTC-8 to -6)
- Summer (DST) varies (UTC-7 to -5)
Drives on the right
Internet TLD .mx
Calling code 52


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