Mexico


 * This article is about the country in North America. Mexican(s) redirects here.  For other uses, see  or .

The United Mexican States, or commonly Mexico , is a country located in. It is bounded on the north by the ; on the south and west by the ; on the southeast by, , and the ; and on the east by the. The United Mexican States comprise a constitutional republican and a federal district, the capital, which is one of the most populous cities on Earth.

Covering almost 2 million s, Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the by total area and the. With a population of 109 million, it is the and the most populous -speaking country in the world.

As a  and the only  member of the  (OECD) since 1994, Mexico is firmly established as an.

by (GDP), on par with countries like  and, even though income inequality is still high. The economy is strongly linked to those of its partners. marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the (Partido Revolucionario Institucional: PRI) which had held it since 1929, culminating a process of political alternation that actively had begun at the local level during the 1980s.

Toponymy


After winning independence from Spain, it was decided that the new country would be named after its, whose original name of foundation was , in reference to the tribe, generally known as the s. The origin of the name of the tribe is obscure and subject to diverse interpretations. Some argue that it derives from the  or Mexitli, a secret name for the god of war and patron of the Aztecs,, in which case Mexico means "Place where Mexitli lives". Another hypothesis is that the word Mexiko derives from the metztli ("moon"), xictli ("navel", "center" or "son"), and the suffix -co (place), in which case it means "Place at the center of the moon" or "Place at the center of the Lake Moon," in reference to. The system of interconnected lakes, of which Texcoco was at the center, had the form of a rabbit, the same image that the Aztecs saw in the moon. Tenochtitlan was located at the center (or navel) of the lake (or rabbit/moon). Still another hypothesis suggests that it is derived from Mectli, the goddess of.

The name of the city was transliterated to as México with the phonetic value of the x in Medieval Spanish, which represented the. This sound, as well as the, represented by a j, evolved into a   during the sixteenth century. This led to the use of the variant Méjico in many publications in Spanish, most notably in, whereas in Mexico and some other Spanish–speaking countries México was the preferred spelling. In recent years the , which regulates the, determined that both variants are acceptable in Spanish but that the normative recommended is México. The majority of publications in all Spanish-speaking countries now adhere to the new norm, even though the alternative variant is still occasionally used. In English, the x in Mexico represents neither the original nor the current sound, but the consonant cluster.

Pre-Columbian civilizations
Human presence in Mexico has been shown to date back 40,000 years based upon ancient human footprints discovered in the Valley of Mexico (previous evidence substantiated indigenous inhabitants at 12,500 years ago). For thousands of years, Mexico was a land of hunter-gatherers. Around 9,000 years ago, ancient Mexicans domesticated corn and initiated an agricultural revolution, leading to the formation of many complex civilizations.

These civilizations revolved around cities with writing, monumental architecture, astronomical studies, mathematics, and militaries. For almost three thousand years, (northern Mexico) and  (central and southern Mexico) were the site of several advanced  civilizations, among them the s, the s and the s.

In 1519, the native civilizations of what is now Mexico were invaded by ; this was one of the most important conquest campaigns in. Two years later, in 1521, the Aztec capital and metropolis of was conquered by an alliance between Spanish and, the main enemies of the , setting up a three-century colonial rule in Mexico. The viceroyalty of became the first and largest provider of resources for the, and the most populated of all Spanish colonies.

After the independence of the vice-royalty of, it was decided to name the country after its capital,. The city's original name was, in reference to the name of the  tribe, the.

Colonial Era and Independence


On, , independence from Spain was declared by Priest in the small town of Dolores,  state. This was the catalyst for a long that eventually led to recognized independence in 1821 and the creation of an ephemeral. was the first and only emperor. Two years later, he was deposed by the republican forces. In 1824, a republican constitution was drafted creating the United Mexican States with as its first President.

The first four decades of independent Mexico were marked by a constant strife between liberales (those who supported the federal form of government stipulated in the 1824 constitution) and conservadores (who proposed a hierarchical form of government in which all local authorities were appointed and subject to a ). General was a strong influence in Mexican politics, a centralist and a two-time dictator. In 1836, he approved the , a radical amendment to the constitution that institutionalized the centralized form of government, after which declared independence from Mexico, obtained in 1836. The annexation of Texas by the created a  that would cause the. Santa Anna played a big role in trying to muster Mexican forces but this war resulted in the resolute defeat of Mexico and as a result of the (1848), Mexico lost one third of its surface area to the United States. Dissatisfaction with Santa Anna's return to power, and his unconstitutional rule, led to the, which initiated an era of liberal reforms, known as , after which a new constitution was drafted that reestablished federalism as the form of government and first introduced freedom of religion. In the 1860s the country again underwent a military occupation, this time by, which established the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria on the Mexican throne as  with support from the Catholic clergy and the conservative Mexicans. This was victorious for only a few years, when the previous president of the Republic, the  Indian, managed to restore the republic in 1867.

XX and XXI century
, a republican general during the French intervention, ruled Mexico from 1876–1880 and then from 1880–1911 in five consecutive reelections. The period of his rule is known as the , which was characterized by remarkable economic achievements, investments in art and sciences, but also of huge economic inequality and political repression. An obvious and preposterous electoral fraud that led to his fifth reelection sparked the of 1910, initially led by. Díaz resigned in 1911 and Madero was elected president but overthrown and murdered in a in 1913 led by a conservative general named  after a secret council held with the U.S. ambassador. This re-ignited the civil war, with participants such as and  who formed their own forces. A third force, the constitutional army led by, managed to bring an end to the war, and radically amended the 1857 Constitution to include many of the social premises and demands of the revolutionaries into what was eventually called the. Carranza was killed in 1920 and succeeded by another revolutionary hero,, who in turn was succeeded by. Obregón was reelected in 1928 but assassinated before he could assume power. Shortly after, Calles founded the National Revolutionary Party (PNR), later renamed the (PRI) which became the most influential party during the next 70 years.

During the next four decades, Mexico experienced substantial economic growth that historians call "El Milagro Mexicano", the Mexican Miracle. The assumption of mineral rights by the government, and the subsequent nationalization of the oil industry into during the presidency of  (1938) was a popular move, but sparked a diplomatic crisis with those countries whose citizens had lost businesses expropriated by the Cárdenas government.

Although the economy continued to flourish, social inequality remained a factor of discontent. Moreover, the PRI rule became increasingly authoritarian and at times oppressive. An example of this is the of 1968, which by according to government officials claimed the life of around 30 protesters, even though many reputable international accounts reported that around 250 protesters were killed by security forces in a clash at the neighborhood. In the 1970s there was extreme dissatisfaction with the administration of which took missteps in both the national and international arenas. Nonetheless, it was in this decade that the first substantial changes to electoral law were made, which initiated a movement of democratization of a system that had become electorally authoritarian. While the prices of oil were at historically high records and interest rates were low, Mexico made impressive investments in the state-owned oil company, with the intention of revitalizing the economy, but overborrowing and mismanagement of oil revenues led to inflation and exacerbated the crisis of 1982. That year, oil prices plunged, interest rates soared, and the government defaulted on its debt. In an attempt to stabilize the current account balance, and given the reluctance of international lenders to return to Mexico given the previous default, resorted to currency devaluations which in turn sparked inflation.

The first small cracks in the political monopolistic position of PRI were seen in the late 1970s with the creation of 100 deputy seats in the Chamber of Deputies assigned through proportional representation with open party-lists. Even though at the municipal level the first non-PRI mayor was elected in 1947, it was not until 1989 that the first non-PRI governor of a state was elected. However, many sources claimed that in 1988 the party resorted to in order to prevent leftist opposition candidate  from winning the national presidential elections who lost to, which led to massive protests in the capital. Salinas embarked on a program of reforms which fixed the exchange rate, controlled inflation and culminated with the signing of the  (NAFTA), which came into effect in 1994. However, that very same day, the (EZLN) started a two-week-lived armed rebellion against the federal government, and has continued as a non-violent opposition movement against neoliberalism and globalization. Being an election year, in a process that was then called the most transparent in Mexican history, authorities were reluctant to devalue the peso, a move which caused a rapid depletion of the National Reserves. In December 1994, a month after Salinas was succeeded by, the.

With a rapid rescue packaged authorized by United States and major macroeconomic reforms started by president Zedillo, the economy rapidly recovered and growth peaked at almost 7% by the end of 1999. Democratic reforms under Zedillo's administration caused the PRI to lose its absolute majority in the in 1997. In 2000, after 71 years the PRI lost a presidential election to of the opposition  (PAN). On, the  was signed by Vicente Fox. During the 2006 elections, the PRI was further weakened and became the third political force in number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies after PAN and the (PRD). In the concurrent presidential elections,, from PAN was declared winner, with a razor-thin margin over of the  (PRD). López Obrador, however, and pledged to create an "alternative government".

Government and politics
The United Mexican States are a federation whose government is, and an based on a  according to the. The constitution establishes three levels of government: the federal Union, the state governments and the municipal governments. All officials at the three levels are elected by voters through,  or are appointed by other elected officials.

The federal government is constituted by the Powers of the Union, the three separate branches of government:
 * : the bicameral, composed of a and a , which makes federal law, declares war, imposes taxes, approves the national budget and international treaties, and ratifies diplomatic appointments.
 * : the, who is the and , as well as the  of the Mexican military forces. The President also appoints, with Senate approval, the  and other officers. The President is responsible of executing and enforcing the law, and has the authority of vetoing bills.
 * : The, comprised by eleven judges appointed by the President with Senate approval, who interpret laws and judge cases of federal competency. Other institutions of the judiciary are the Electoral Tribunal, collegiate, unitary and district tribunals, and the Council of the Federal Judiciary.

All elected executive officials are elected by (first-past-the-post). Seats to the legislature are elected by plurality and at the federal and state level. The Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of the Union is conformed by 300 deputies elected by plurality and 200 deputies by proportional representation with for which the country is divided into 5 electoral constituencies or circumscriptions. The Senate is conformed by a total of 128 senators: 64 senators, two per state and the Federal District elected by plurality in pairs; 32 senators assigned to the first minority or first-runner up (one per state and the Federal District), and 32 elected by proportional representation with closed party lists for which the country conforms a single electoral constituency.

According to the constitution, all constituent states must have a republican form of government composed of three branches: the executive, represented by a governor and an appointed cabinet, the legislative branch constituted by a unicameral congress and the judiciary, also called a Supreme Court of Justice. They also have their own civil and judicial codes.

In the 2006–2009 Congress of the Union, eight parties are therein represented; five of them, however, have not received neither in this nor in previous congresses more than 4% of the national votes. The other three parties have historically been the dominant parties in Mexican politics:


 * [[Image:PAN party.png|15px]] (Partido Acción Nacional, PAN): a center-right conservative party founded in 1939.
 * [[Image:PRI party.png|15px]] (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI): a center party that ascribes to, founded in 1929 to unite all the factions of the . Prominent both right-wing and left-wing Mexican politicians have been members of the party.
 * [[Image:PRD party.png|15px]] (Partido de la Revolución Democrática, PRD): a center-left party founded in 1989 formed by the coalition of socialists and liberal parties, the  under the candidacy of.

The PRI held an almost hegemonic power in Mexican politics since 1929. Since 1977 consecutive electoral reforms allowed opposition parties to win more posts at the local and federal level. This process culminated in the 2000 presidential elections in which, candidate of the PAN, became the first non-PRI president to be elected in more than 70 years.

In 2006, of the PAN faced  of the PRD in a  (0.58% difference). On, , was declared  by the electoral tribunal. His cabinet was sworn in at midnight on, and Calderón was handed the presidential band by outgoing Vicente Fox at. He was officially sworn as President on the morning of, in.

Foreign relations


Traditionally, the Mexican government has sought to maintain its interests abroad and project its influence largely through moral persuasion rather than through political or economical pressure.

Since the Mexican Revolution, and until the administration of President, Mexico had been known for its foreign policy or "doctrine" known as the Doctrina Estrada (Estrada Doctrine, named after its creator Genaro Estrada). The Doctrina Estrada was a foreign policy guideline of an enclosed view of. It claimed that foreign governments should not judge, positively or negatively, the governments or changes in government of other nations, in that such action would imply a breach to its sovereignty. This policy was said to be based on the principles of Non-Intervention, Pacific Solution to Controversies, and Self-Determination of all nations.

During his Presidency, appointed  to be his. Castañeda immediately broke with the Estrada Doctrine, promoting what was called by critics the Castañeda Doctrine. The new foreign policy called for an openness and an acceptance of criticism from the international community, and the increase of Mexican involvement in Foreign Affairs.

In line with this new openness in Mexico's foreign policy, some political parties have proposed an amendment of the Constitution in order to allow the, or  to collaborate with the  in peace-keeping missions, or to provide military help to countries that officially ask for it.

Military


Mexico has the second largest defence budget ($6.07 billion USD) and armed forces in Latin America. Mexico's military strength includes 503,777 total personnel, of which around 192,770 are active in the frontline. The Mexican Military has three branches; the, the , and the.

The Army
There are three main components of the Army: a national headquarters, territorial commands, and independent units. The Minister of Defense commands the Army by means of a very centralized system and a large number of general officers. The Army uses a modified continental staff system in its headquarters. The Army is the largest branch of Mexico's armed services. At present there are 12 "Military Regions," which are further broken down into 44 subordinate "Military Zones."

The Air Force
The Air Force national headquarters is embedded in the Army headquarters in Mexico City. It also follows the continental staff system, with the usual A1, A2, A3, and A4 sections. The tactical forces form what is loosely called an Air Division, but it is dispersed in four regions—Northeast, Northwest, Central, and Southern. The Air Force maintains a total of 18 air bases, and has the additional capability of opening temporary forward operating bases in austere conditions for some of the rotary wing and light fixed-wing assets.

The Navy
The Ministry of the Navy, the Navy’s national headquarters, is located in. The “Junta (or Council) of Admirals” plays a unique consultative and advisory role within the headquarters, an indication of the institutional importance placed on seniority and “year groups” that go back to the admirals’ days as cadets in the naval college. They are a very tightly knit group, and great importance is placed on consultation among the factions within these year groups.

The Navy’s operational forces are organized as two independent groups: the Gulf (East) Force and the Pacific (West) Force. Each group has its own headquarters, a destroyer group, an auxiliary vessel group, a Marine Infantry Group, and a group. The Navy also has an air arm with troop transport, reconnaissance, and.

The Navy maintains significant infrastructure, including naval dockyards that have the capability of building ships, such as the Holzinger class s. These dockyards have a significant employment and economic impact in the country.

Administrative divisions
The United Mexican States are a federated union of thirty-one free and sovereign states which form a Union that exercises jurisdiction over the Federal District and other territories. Each state has its own constitution and congress, as well as a judiciary, and its citizens elect by direct voting, a (gobernador) for a six-year term, as well as representatives (diputados locales) to their respective state congresses, for three-year terms. The 31 states and the Federal District are collectively called "federal entities", and all are equally represented in the Congress of the Union.

Mexican states are also divided into (municipios), the smallest official political entity in the country, governed by a  (presidente municipal), elected by its residents by plurality. Municipalities can be further subdivided into non-autonomous or in semi-autonomous auxiliary presidencies.

Constitutionally,, as the capital of the federation and seat of the powers of the Union, is the Federal District, a special political division in Mexico that belongs to the federation as a whole and not to a particular state, and as such, has more limited local rule than the nation's states. Nonetheless, since 1987 it has progressively gained a greater degree of autonomy, and residents now elect a (Jefe de Gobierno) and representatives of a Legislative Assembly directly. Unlike the states, the Federal District does not have a constitution but a statute of government. Mexico City is conterminous and coextensive with the Federal District.

State names and abbreviations for the 31 Mexican states and the Federal District:


 * AG
 * BC
 * BS
 * CH
 * CL
 * CM
 * CO
 * CS


 * DF
 * DG
 * GR
 * GT
 * HG
 * JA
 * MI
 * MO


 * ME
 * NA
 * NL
 * OA
 * PU
 * QR
 * QT
 * SI


 * SL
 * SO
 * TB
 * TL
 * TM
 * VE
 * YU
 * ZA

Geography and climate


Situated in the at about 23° N and 102° W, Mexico comprises much of southern North America. Mexico is also described as within the region of. Physiographically, the lands east of the including the  (which together comprise around 12% of the country's area) lie within the region of ; alternatively, the  geologically delimits the region on the north. Geopolitically, however, Mexico is commonly considered a North American country.

Mexico's total area is 1,972,550 km², including approximately 6,000 km² of islands in the (including the remote  and the ),, , and. On its north,. The meandering Río Bravo del Norte (known as the in the United States) defines the border from  east to the Gulf of Mexico. A series of natural and artificial markers delineate the United States-Mexican border west from Ciudad Juárez to the Pacific Ocean. On its south, Mexico shares an 871 km border with Guatemala and a 251 km border with Belize.

Topography
The Mexican territory is crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges known as and, which are the extension of the  from northern North America. From east to west at the center, the country is crossed by the also known as the Sierra Nevada. A fourth mountain range, the, runs from to. As such, the majority of the Mexican central and northern territories are located at high altitudes, and the highest elevations are found at the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: (5,700 m),  (5,462 m) and  (5,286 m) and the  (4,577 m). Three major urban agglomerations are located in the valleys between these four elevations:, and.

Climate
The effectively divides the country into temperate and tropical zones. Land north of the twenty-fourth parallel experiences cooler temperatures during the winter months. South of the twenty-fourth parallel, temperatures are fairly constant year round and vary solely as a function of elevation.

Areas south of the twenty-fourth parallel with elevations up to 1,000 meters (the southern parts of both coastal plains as well as the ), have a yearly median temperature between 24 and 28 °C. Temperatures here remain high throughout the year, with only a 5 °C difference between winter and summer median temperatures. Although low-lying areas north of the twentieth-fourth parallel are hot and humid during the summer, they generally have lower yearly temperature averages (from 20 to 24 °C) because of more moderate conditions during the winter.

Many large cities in Mexico are located in the or in adjacent valleys with altitudes generally above 2,000 m, this gives them a year-round temperate climate with yearly temperature averages (from 16 to 18 °C) and cool nighttime temperatures throughout the year. Many parts of Mexico, particularly the north have a dry climate with sporadic rainfall while parts of the tropical lowlands in the south average more than 200 cm of annual precipitation.

Biodiversity
Mexico is one of the 17 of the world. With over 200,000 different species, Mexico is home of 10–12% of the world's biodiversity. Mexico ranks first in biodiversity in s with 707 known species, second in mammals with 438 species, fourth in s with 290 species, and fourth in flora, with 26,000 different species. Mexico is also considered the second country in the world in s and fourth in overall species. Approximately 2,500 species are protected by Mexican legislations. The Mexican government created the National System of Information about Biodiversity, in order to study and promote the sustainable use of ecosystems.

In Mexico, 170,000 square kilometres are considered "Protected Natural Areas." These include 34 reserve biospheres (unaltered ecosystems), 64 national parks, 4 natural monuments (protected in perpetuity for their aesthetic, scientific or historical value), 26 areas of protected flora and fauna, 4 areas for natural resource protection (conservation of soil, hydrological basins and forests) and 17 sanctuaries (zones rich in diverse species).

Economy


Mexico has a free market economy, and is firmly established as an upper middle-income country, and it is the 12th largest economy in the world as measured in in. After the, Mexico has made an impressive recovery, building a modern and diversified economy. Recent administrations have also improved infrastructure and opened competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution and airports. Oil is Mexico's largest source of foreign income.

According to the director for Mexico at the, the population in extreme poverty has decreased from 24.2% to 17.6% in the general population and from 42% to 27.9% in rural areas from 2000-2004. Nonetheless, income inequality remains a problem, and huge gaps remain not only between rich and poor but also between the north and the south, and between urban and rural areas. Sharp contrasts in income and Human Development are also a grave problem in Mexico. The 2004  report for Mexico states that, a district of , and , in the State of , would have a similar level of economic, educational and life expectancy development to  or. In contrast, Metlatonoc, in the state of, would have an HDI similar to that of.

Many of the positive effects in poverty reduction and the increase in purchasing power of the middle class are attributed to the macroeconomic stability pursued by the last two administrations. GDP annual average growth for the period of 1995–2002 was 5.1%. The economic downturn in the United States also caused a similar pattern in Mexico, from which it rapidly recovered to grow 4.1% in 2005 and 3% in 2005. Inflation has reached a record low of 3.3% in 2005, and interest rates are low, which have spurred credit-consumption in the middle class. The Fox administration also provided monetary stability: the budget deficit was further reduced and foreign debt was decreased to less than 20% of GDP. Along with, Mexico has the highest rating of long-term sovereign credit in Latin America. Poverty in Mexico is further reduced by remittances from Mexican citizens working in the United States of America, which reaches US$20 billion dollars per year and is the second largest source of foreign income after oil exports.

Approximately 90% of Mexican trade has been put under s with over 40 countries, of which the remains the most significant. Almost 90% of Mexican exports go to the United States and Canada and close to 65% of its imports come from these two countries. Other major trade agreements have been signed with the, , and many countries in Central and South America.

Ongoing economic concerns include the commercial and financial dependence on the US, low real wages, for a large segment of the population, inequitable  (the top 20% of income earners account for 55% of income), and few advancement opportunities for the largely  population in the impoverished southern states. Lack of structural reform is further exacerbated by an ever increasing outflow of the population into the United States, decreasing domestic pressure for reform.

Tourism


According to the, Mexico has one of the largest tourism industries in the world. In 2005 it was the seventh most popular tourist destination worldwide, receiving over 20 million tourists per year; it is the only country in to be within the top 25. Tourism is also the third largest sector in the country's industrial GDP. The most notable tourist draws are the ancient Meso-American ruins, and popular beach resorts. The coastal climate and unique culture – a fusion of European (particularly Spanish) and Meso-American cultures; also make Mexico attractive. The peak tourist seasons in Mexico are during December and during July and August, with brief surges during the week before Easter and during spring break at many of the beach resort sites which are popular among vacationing college students from the United States.

Mexico's class typically take their vacations within Mexico, in contrast to the  class who travel worldwide, especially to  and the, and in lesser numbers to  and. Mexico is the twenty-third highest tourism spender in the world, and the highest in Latin America.

Demographics
With a population of 103 million (2005 Census), Mexico is the most populous -speaking country in the world. Mexican annual population growth has drastically decreased from a peak of 3.5% in 1965 to 0.99% in 2005. Life expectancy in 2006 was estimated to be at 75.4 years (72.6 male and 78.3 female). The states with the highest life expectancy are Baja California (75.9 years) and Nuevo Leon (75.6 years). The Federal District has a life expectancy of the same level as Baja California. The lowest levels are found in Chiapas (72.9), Oaxaca (73.2) and Guerrero (73.2 years). The mortality rate in 1970 was 9.7 per 1000 people; by 2001, the rate had dropped to 4.9 men per 1000 men and 3.8 women per 1000 women. The most common reasons for death in 2001 were heart problems (14.6% for men 17.6% for women) and cancer (11% for men and 15.8% for women).

Mexican population is increasingly urban, with close to 75% living in cities. The five largest (,, ,  and ) are home to 30% of the country's population. Migration patterns within the country show positive migration to north-western and south-eastern states, and a negative rate of migration for the Federal District. While the annual population growth is still positive, the national net migration rate is negative (-4.7/1000), attributable to the emigration phenomenon of people from rural communities to the United States.

The following is a list of the major metropolitan areas of Mexico, as reported in the 2005 census.

Immigration
Mexico is home to the largest number of U.S. citizens abroad (estimated at one million as of 1999), which represents 1% of the Mexican population and 25% of all U.S. citizens abroad. Other significant communities of foreigners are those of and s, most notably from, , , , , ,  and. Though estimations vary, the Argentinian community is considered to be the second largest foreign community in the country (estimated somewhere between 30,000 and 150,000). Throughout the 20th century, the country followed a policy of granting asylum to fellow Latin Americans and Europeans (mostly Spaniards in the 1940s) fleeing political persecution in their home countries.

Discrepancies between the figures for official legal aliens and for all foreign-born residents are quite large. The official figure for foreign-born residents in Mexico is 493,000 (since 2004), with a majority (86.9%) of these born in the United States (except, where the majority of immigrants are from Central America). The five states with the most immigrants are Baja California (12.1% of total immigrants), Mexico City (the Federal District; 11.4%), Jalisco (9.9%), Chihuahua (9%) and Tamaulipas (7.3%). More than 54.6% of the immigrant population are fifteen years old or younger, while 9% are fifty or older.

Ethnography
Mexico is ethnically diverse, and the constitution defines the country to be a pluricultural nation.
 * (those of European and Amerindian ancestry) form the largest group, comprising up to 60%–75% of the total population.


 * s called (indígenas) are estimated to be between 12% (pure Amerindian) and 30% (predominantly Amerindian). Indigenous peoples are considered the foundation of the Mexican pluricultural nation and therefore enjoy self-determination in certain areas.  are also considered "national languages" and are protected by law.


 * make up 9%-15% of the population, mostly descendants of the first settlers, although many have, , , , , , ,  and  ancestry; many are found in major cities after the waves of immigration that brought many Europeans at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, along with some Canadians and s from the United States.

Mexico has also received a number of, , , ,  and  immigrants.

s, mostly of mixed ancestry, live in the coastal areas of, and.

Language
There is no de jure constitutional at the federal level in Mexico. , however, is used as the de facto national language and is spoken by 97% of the population. The General Law of Linguistic Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, however, grants all indigenous minority languages spoken in Mexico, regardless of the number of speakers, the same validity as Spanish in all territories in which they are spoken, and indigenous peoples are entitled to request some public services and documents in their native languages. Along with Spanish, the law has granted them –more than 60 languages– the status of "national languages". The law includes all Amerindian languages regardless of origin; that is, it includes the Amerindian languages of ethnic groups non-native to the territory. As such the National Commission for the Development of the Ingidenous Peoples recognizes the language of the, who immigrated from the , and recognizes the languages of the Amerindian refugees.

Mexico has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the world with almost two times more speakers than the second largest Spanish-speaking country. Almost a third of all Spanish speakers in the world live in Mexico. The Mexican government has promoted and established bilingual primary and secondary education in some indigenous rural communities. Approximately 6% of the population speaks an indigenous language and 3% do not speak Spanish. is spoken by 1.5 million people and by 800,000. Some of the national languages are in danger of extinction; is spoken by fewer than one hundred people.

is widely used in business, at the border cities, as well as by the one million U.S. citizens that live in Mexico, mostly retirees in small towns in, and. Other European languages spoken by sizable communities in Mexico are, , , and.

Religion


Unlike some other Latin American countries, Mexico has no official religion, and the Constitution of 1917 and the anti-clerical laws imposed limitations on the church and sometimes codified state intrusion into church matters. The government does not provide any financial contributions to the church, and the church does not participate in public education.

When asked to define their religious preferences Mexicans report that they are (about 95% of the population), predominantly  with 89% being Catholics and 47% percent of them attending church services weekly. In absolute terms, after, Mexico has the world's largest population of Catholics.

About 6% of the population (more than 4.4 million people) is, of whom and  (called Neo-Pentecostals in the census), are the largest group (1.37 million people). The 2000 National census registered more than one million. claims one million registered members as of 2006, about 250,000 of whom are active, though this is disputed. The presence of in the country dates back to as early as 1521, when Hernando Cortés conquered the Aztecs, accompanied by several. According to the last national census by the INEGI, there are now more than 45,000 Mexican Jews. Additionally, almost three million people in the 2000 National Census reported having no religion.

In 1992 Mexico lifted almost all restrictions on the Catholic Church and other religions, including granting all religious groups legal status, conceding them limited property rights, and lifting restrictions on the number of priests in the country. Until recently, priests did not have the right to vote, and even now, they cannot be elected for public office.

Culture


Mexican culture reflects the complexity of the through the blending of pre-Hispanic civilizations and the, imparted during Spain's 300-year colonization of Mexico. Exogenous cultural elements mainly from the have been incorporated into Mexican culture. As was the case in most n countries, when Mexico became an independent nation, it had to slowly create a national identity, being an ethnically diverse country in which, for the most part, the only connecting element amongst the newly independent inhabitants was Catholicism.

The Porfirian era (el Porfiriato), in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, was marked by economic progress and peace. After four decades of civil unrest and war, Mexico saw the development of philosophy and the arts, promoted by President Díaz himself. Since that time, though accentuated during the, cultural identity had its foundation in the mestizaje, of which the indigenous (i.e. Amerindian) element was the core. In light of the various ethnicities that formed the Mexican people, in his publication La Raza Cósmica (The Cosmic Race) (1925) defined Mexico to be the melting pot of all races (thus extending the definition of the mestizo) not only biologically but culturally as well. This exalting of mestizaje was a revolutionary idea that sharply contrasted with the idea of a superior pure race prevalent in Europe at the time.

Cinema


from the in the 1940s and 1950s are the greatest examples of Latin American cinema, with a huge industry comparable to the  of those years. Mexican films were exported and exhibited in all of Latin America and Europe. Maria Candelaria (1944) by, was one of the first films awarded a at the  in 1946, the first time the event was held after World War II. Famous actors and actresses from this period include, , , and the comedian.

More recently, films such as ' (1992), ' (1993), ' (2000), ' (2001), ' (2002), ' (2006) and  (2006) have been successful in creating universal stories about subjects, and were internationally recognised, as in the prestigious. Mexican directors (', '),  (', '),,  (), and screenwriter  are some of the most known present-day film makers.

Music


Mexican society enjoys of a vast array of music genres, showing the diversity of its culture. Traditional music includes, , , and s; however on an every-day life most Mexicans listen contemporary music such as , , etc. in both  and , Mexico has the largest media industry in  being Mexican artists  famous in ,  and parts of Europe, specially ; some of the Mexican singers include , ,  among others.

Most State Ministries of Culture or Education sponsor their own Orquestas Sinfónicas or Orquestas Filarmónicas so people can enjoy. The Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco is the oldest in the country.

Fine Arts


Post-revolutionary art in Mexico had its expression in the works of renowned artists such as, , , , and , amongst others. Diego Rivera is the most well-known figure of Mexican, who painted the  in the , a mural that was later destroyed due to the inclusion of a portrait of Russian communist leader. Some of his murals are also displayed at the Mexican and the.

Academic music composers of Mexico include, , , Arturo Marquez, and , many of whom incorporated traditional elements into their music. winner, , , , and , are some of the most recognized exponents of the Mexican literature.

Broadcast Media
Two of the major television networks based in Mexico are and. Televisa is also the largest producer of Spanish-language content in the world and also the world's largest Spanish-language media network. is another media conglomerate with Spanish-language broadcasting in Mexico,, and the. s (s) are translated to many languages and seen all over the world with renowned names like, , , and. Even and  from  and current  model have appeared in some of them. Some of their TV shows are modeled after counterparts from the U.S. like ' (100 Mexicanos Dijeron or "A hundred Mexicans said" in Spanish) and, ', ', ' and others. Nationwide news shows like ' on Televisa resemble a hybrid between ' and . Local news shows are modeled after counterparts from the U.S. like the ' and ' formats. Border cities receive television and radio stations from the U.S., while and  subscription is common for the upper-classes in major cities, often watch movies and TV shows from the U.S.

Cuisine
Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. Most of today's Mexican food is based on pre-hispanic traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. The es eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and onions with the native food, including, , , , , , , , , , ,  and.

The most internationally recognized dishes include s,, s, and among others. Regional dishes include, and s from ;  and  from ,  from , s from , as well as , , s, and many others.

Sports


Mexico City hosted the in 1968, making it the only Latin American city to do so. The country has also hosted the twice, in  and.

Mexico has an official team for almost every sport, but (soccer) is often considered to be the favourite, it is commonly believed that football was introduced to Mexico by  miners in the 19th century. Mexico does not have a large number of players in Europe, besides playing for a "higher ranked club". Throughout history Mexico has had a lot of famous football players, nowadays among the most famous are:, (who is on the  list) , , also there are many football stadiums along the country the largest of which are the , the , and the , in order.

The national sport of Mexico is. is also a popular sport in the country, and almost all large cities have bullrings.  in, is the largest bullring in the world, which seats 55,000 people. Professional wrestling (or  in Spanish) is a major crowd draw with national promotions such as, LLL, and others.

, is also popular, especially in the Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula and the Northern States. The season runs from March to July with playoffs held in August. The Mexican professional league is named the. Current champions (2007) are Sultanes de Monterrey who defeated in a tight series Leones de Yucatán. However the best level of baseball is played in, played in Sinaloa, Sonora and Baja California. Given that it is played during the MLB off-season, some of its players are signed to play with the league 8 teams. Current champions (2007) are. The league champion participates in the, a tournament between the Champions of Winter Leagues of Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

The most important professional league is the  and covers the whole Mexican territory, where the  are the current champions. In 2007 three Mexican teams will be competing in the. In the northwestern states is the CIBACOPA Competition, with professional basketball players from Mexico and the U.S. Universities and some teams from the NBA.

is played at the major universities like,  ,  (University of the Americas), and. The college league in Mexico is called. There is also a strong following of the NFL in Mexico with the Steelers, Cowboys, Dolphins and Raiders being the most popular teams. is played at the amateur level throughout the country with the majority of clubs in Mexico City and others in, , Celaya, Guanajuato and Oaxaca.

Other notable Mexican athletes include er, who is currently ranked first in the world rankings, , former world champion of the 400 metres and Olympic subchampion in Athens 2004, and , a numerous Olympic medal winning diver.

Sport fishing is popular in Baja California and the big Pacific coast resorts, while freshwater bass fishing is growing in popularity too. The gentler arts of diving and snorkeling are big around the Caribbean, with famous dive sites at Cozumel and on the reefs further south. The Pacific coast is becoming something of a center for surfing, with few facilities as yet; all these sports attract tourists to Mexico.

Education


Mexico has made improvements in in the last two decades. In 2004, the literacy rate was at 91%, and the youth rate (ages 15–24) was 96%, placing Mexico at the 24th place in the world rank accordingly to. Primary and secondary education (9 years) is free and mandatory. Even though different bilingual education programs have existed since the 1960s for the indigenous communities, after a constitutional reform in the late 1990s, these programs have had a new thrust, and free text books are produced in more than a dozen indigenous languages.

In the 1970s, Mexico established a system of "distance-learning" through satellite communications to reach otherwise inaccessible small rural and indigenous communities. Schools that use this system are known as s in Mexico. The Mexican secondary education is also transmitted to some n countries and to Colombia, and it is used in some southern regions of the  as a method of bilingual education. There are approximately 30,000 telesecundarias and approximately a million telesecundaria students in the country.

The largest and most prestigious public university in Mexico, today numbering over 269,000 students, is the (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) founded in 1551. Three s and most of Mexico's modern-day presidents are among its former students. UNAM conducts 50% of Mexico's scientific research and has presence all across the country with satellite campuses and research centers. The National Autonomous University of Mexico ranks 74th place in the Top 200 World University Ranking published by The Times Higher Education Supplement in 2006, making it the highest ranked Spanish-speaking university in the world as well as the first Latin American university. The second largest university is the (IPN). These institutions are public, and there are at least a couple of public universities per state.

One of the most prestigious private universities is (ITESM). It was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the 7th top International Business School worldwide and 74th among the world's top arts and humanities universities ranking of The Times Higher Education Supplement, published in 2005. ITESM has thirty-two secondary campuses, apart from its Monterrey Campus. Other important private universities include (ITAM),  (UDLAP), the Ibero-American University.

Science and technology
Notable Mexican technologists include, the co-inventor of the , and , who invented the "Chromoscopic adapter for television equipment", the first color television transmission system. Dr., an graduate, was the first Mexican in space (as part of the  mission in 1985), and , who won the.

In recent years, the biggest scientific project being developed in Mexico was the construction of the, the world's largest and most sensitive single-aperture telescope. It was designed to observe regions of the space obscured by stellar dust.

Nonetheless, the government currently spends only 0.31% of GDP in science and technology, a low percentage in comparison with other countries. Mexico has the lowest number of researchers of the OECD countries, with only 4.8 researchers per 10,000 inhabitants. Mexico trains only three PhDs per million habitants. Moreover, there is a regional disparity in the allocation of scientific resources; 75% of all doctorate degrees are awarded from institutions in Mexico City area.

The will be established in 2007 after the approval of the.