The United Mexican States, or Mexico, shares a border with the United States to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast, and is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. With 31 states (estados) and a federal district, Mexico extends more than 3,000 km from the northwest to the southeast. As a nation, Mexico is ethnically and culturally diverse, and current estimates show that about 60% of the population is mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white), while 30% is predominantly Amerindian. The rest of the population is white, a majority being from Spain, although the country also has a large population of people of German, Italian, French, Portuguese, British, Irish, and Russian origin, amongst others. The Mexican population is predominantly Roman Catholic, the second-largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil. Mexico boasts of a rich heritage that comes from more than 3,000 years of great Mesoamerican civilizations like the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Toltec, and Aztec. These civilizations have enriched Mexico's heritage by contributing pyramid-temples, astronomy, mathematics, writing, medicine, calendars, fine arts, engineering, etc. Mexico has a free-market economy estimated at about a trillion dollars. The country boasts a mixture of modern industry and agriculture, which is increasingly dominated by the private sector. The government today witnesses competition in railroads, seaports, telecommunications, natural gas distribution and airport. Although Mexico was struck by the economic turmoil in 1994, it swiftly recovered to become a robust economy. Current estimates show that the World Bank ranks Mexico 12th in the world in terms of GDP. For the enthusiasts, Mexico is what they call a 'happening country.' |
