Mexicoedit this page

From Familypedia

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

{{Infobox Country |native_name = Estados Unidos Mexicanos |conventional_long_name = United Mexican States |common_name = Mexico |image_flag = Flag_of_Mexico.svg |image_coat = Coat of arms of Mexico.svg |symbol_type = Coat of arms |image_map = Mexico location.svg |national_anthem = Himno Nacional Mexicano |national_motto = |official_languages =Spanish (de facto)¹ |demonym = Mexican |capital = Mexico City |latd=19 |latm=03 |latNS=N |longd=99 |longm=22 |longEW=W |government_type = Presidential Federal republic |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Felipe Calderón
( PAN) |largest_city = capital |area_km2 = 1,972,550 |area_sq_mi = 761,606

The United Mexican States are a federation whose government is representative, democratic and republican based on a congressional system according to the 1917 Constitution. 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 first-past-the-post plurality, proportional representation or are appointed by other elected officials.

The federal government is constituted by the Powers of the Union, the three separate branches of government:

• Legislative: the bicameral Congress of the Union, composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies, which makes federal law, declares war, imposes taxes, approves the national budget and international treaties, and ratifies diplomatic appointments.^[1]
• Executive: the President of the United Mexican States, who is the head of state and government, as well as the commander in chief of the Mexican military forces. The President also appoints, with Senate approval, the Cabinet and other officers. The President is responsible of executing and enforcing the law, and has the authority of vetoing bills.^[2]
• Judiciary: The Supreme Court of Justice, 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.^[3]

All elected executive officials are elected by plurality (first-past-the-post). Seats to the legislature are elected by plurality and proportional representation at the federal and state level.^[4] 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 closed party lists^[5] for which the country is divided into 5 electoral constituencies or circumscriptions.^[6] 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.^[5]

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.^[7] The other three parties have historically been the dominant parties in Mexican politics:

• National Action Party (Partido Acción Nacional, PAN): a center-right conservative party founded in 1939.
• Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI): a center party that ascribes to social democracy, founded in 1929 to unite all the factions of the Mexican Revolution. Prominent both right-wing and left-wing Mexican politicians have been members of the party.
• Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolución Democrática, PRD): a center-left party founded in 1989 formed by the coalition of socialists and liberal parties, the National Democratic Front under the candidacy of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas.

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 Vicente Fox, candidate of the PAN, became the first non-PRI president to be elected in more than 70 years.

In 2006, Felipe Calderón of the PAN faced Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the PRD in a very close election (0.58% difference). On September 6, 2006, Felipe Calderón was declared President-elect by the electoral tribunal. His cabinet was sworn in at midnight on December 1, 2006 and Calderón was handed the presidential band by outgoing Vicente Fox at Los Pinos. He was officially sworn as President on the morning of December 1, 2006 in Congress.

Contents 1 Foreign relations 2 Military 2.1 The Army 2.2 The Air Force 2.3 The Navy 3 Administrative divisions 4 Geography and climate 4.1 Topography 4.2 Climate 4.3 Biodiversity 5 Economy 5.1 Tourism 6 Demographics 6.1 Immigration 6.2 Ethnography 6.3 Language 6.4 Religion 7 Culture 7.1 Cinema 7.2 Music 7.3 Fine Arts 7.4 Broadcast Media 7.5 Cuisine 8 Sports 9 Education 9.1 Science and technology 10 See also 11 References 12 Bibliography 13 External links

[edit] Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Mexico

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 Ernesto Zedillo, 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 sovereignty. 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.^[8] 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, Vicente Fox appointed Jorge Castañeda to be his Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Castañeda immediately broke with the Estrada Doctrine, promoting what was called by critics the Castañeda Doctrine.^[9] 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.^[10]

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 Mexican Army, Air Force or Navy to collaborate with the United Nations in peace-keeping missions, or to provide military help to countries that officially ask for it.

[edit] Military

Main articles: Military of Mexico, Mexican Army, Mexican Air Force, and Mexican Navy

Mexico has the second largest defence budget ($6.07 billion USD)^[11] and armed forces^[12] in Latin America. Mexico's military strength includes 503,777 total personnel, of which around 192,770 are active in the frontline.^[13] The Mexican Military has three branches; the Mexican Army, the Mexican Air Force, and the Mexican Navy.

[edit] 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."

[edit] 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.

[edit] The Navy

The Ministry of the Navy, the Navy’s national headquarters, is located in Veracruz City. 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 Special Forces group. The Navy also has an air arm with troop transport, reconnaissance, and surveillance aircraft.

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

[edit] Administrative divisions

Main article: Political divisions of Mexico

See also: Mexican state name etymologies

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 governor (gobernador) for a six-year term, as well as representatives (diputados locales) to their respective state congresses, for three-year terms.^[14] 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 municipalities (municipios), the smallest official political entity in the country, governed by a mayor or "municipal president" (presidente municipal), elected by its residents by plurality.^[15] Municipalities can be further subdivided into non-autonomous boroughs or in semi-autonomous auxiliary presidencies.

Constitutionally, Mexico City, 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.^[16] Nonetheless, since 1987 it has progressively gained a greater degree of autonomy, and residents now elect a head of government (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:

[edit] Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Mexico

Situated in the Americas at about 23° N and 102° W,^[17] Mexico comprises much of southern North America.^[18][19] Mexico is also described as within the region of Middle America.^[20][21] Physiographically, the lands east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec including the Yucatán Peninsula (which together comprise around 12% of the country's area) lie within the region of Central America; alternatively, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt geologically delimits the region on the north.^[22] 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 Pacific Ocean (including the remote Guadalupe Island and the Islas Revillagigedo), Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of California. On its north, Mexico shares a 3,141 km border with the United States. The meandering Río Bravo del Norte (known as the Rio Grande in the United States) defines the border from Ciudad Juárez 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.

[edit] Topography

The Mexican territory is crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges known as Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental, which are the extension of the Rocky Mountains from northern North America. From east to west at the center, the country is crossed by the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Sierra Nevada. A fourth mountain range, the Sierra Madre del Sur, runs from Michoacán to Oaxaca. 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: Pico de Orizaba (5,700 m), Popocatépetl (5,462 m) and Iztaccíhuatl (5,286 m) and the Nevado de Toluca (4,577 m). Three major urban agglomerations are located in the valleys between these four elevations: Toluca, Greater Mexico City and Puebla.

[edit] Climate

The Tropic of Cancer 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 Yucatán Peninsula), 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 Valley of Mexico 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.

[edit] Biodiversity

Mexico is one of the 17 megadiverse countries of the world. With over 200,000 different species, Mexico is home of 10–12% of the world's biodiversity.^[23] Mexico ranks first in biodiversity in reptiles with 707 known species, second in mammals with 438 species, fourth in amphibians with 290 species, and fourth in flora, with 26,000 different species.^[24] Mexico is also considered the second country in the world in ecosystems and fourth in overall species.^[25] Approximately 2,500 species are protected by Mexican legislations.^[25] 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).^[23]

[edit] Economy

Main articles: Economy of Mexico and Economic history of Mexico

Mexico has a free market economy, and is firmly established as an upper middle-income country,^[26] and it is the 12th largest economy in the world as measured in Gross Domestic Product in purchasing power parity.^[27] After the 1994 economic debacle, Mexico has made an impressive recovery, building a modern and diversified economy.^[26] 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.^[28]

According to the director for Mexico at the World Bank, 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.^[29] 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 United Nations Human Development Index report for Mexico states that Benito Juárez, a district of the Distrito Federal, and San Pedro Garza García, in the State of Nuevo León, would have a similar level of economic, educational and life expectancy development to Germany or New Zealand. In contrast, Metlatonoc, in the state of Guerrero, would have an HDI similar to that of Malawi.^[30][31]

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%.^[32] 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.^[32] Along with Chile, 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.^[33]

Exports		Imports
Country	Percentage	Country	Percentage
	88.4 %		68.4 %
Template:Country data Canada	2.0 %	Template:Country data Japan	4.7 %
REDIRECT Template:DEU	0.9 %	REDIRECT Template:DEU	3.6 %
Template:Country data Spain	0.8 %	Template:Country data Canada	2.5 %
Template:Country data Netherlands Antilles	0.6 %	Template:Country data China	2.2 %
Template:Country data Japan	0.4 %	Template:Country data South Korea	2.1 %
	0.4 %	Template:Country data Taiwan	1.6 %
Template:Country data Venezuela	0.4 %	Template:Country data Italy	1.6 %
Others	6.1 %	Others	13.3 %
Source: INEGI, 2005

Approximately 90% of Mexican trade has been put under free trade agreements with over 40 countries, of which the North American Free Trade Agreement remains the most significant. Almost 90% of Mexican exports go to the United States and Canada^[34] and close to 65% of its imports come from these two countries.^[34] Other major trade agreements have been signed with the European Union, Japan, Israel and many countries in Central and South America.

Ongoing economic concerns include the commercial and financial dependence on the US,^[35] low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution (the top 20% of income earners account for 55% of income), and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian 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.

[edit] Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Mexico

According to the World Tourism Organization, 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 Latin America to be within the top 25. Tourism is also the third largest sector in the country's industrial GDP.^[36] 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 middle/lower class typically take their vacations within Mexico, in contrast to the middle/higher class who travel worldwide, especially to Europe and the United States, and in lesser numbers to Asia and South America. Mexico is the twenty-third highest tourism spender in the world, and the highest in Latin America.

[edit] Demographics

Main articles: Demography of Mexico and Metropolitan areas of Mexico

With a population of 103 million (2005 Census), Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.^[37] 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 urban areas in Mexico (Greater Mexico City, Greater Guadalajara, Greater Monterrey, Greater Puebla and Greater Toluca) 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.

Rank	Core City	State	Pop.	Rank	Core City	State	Pop.	Mexico City Guadalajara Monterrey
1	Mexico City	DF	19,231,829	11	Queretaro	QT	918,100
2	Guadalajara	JA	4,095,853	12	Merida	YU	897,740
3	Monterrey	NL	3,664,331	13	Mexicali	BC	855,962
4	Puebla	PB	2,109,049	14	Aguascalientes	AC	805,666
5	Toluca	ME	1,610,786	15	Tampico	TM	803,196
6	Tijuana	BC	1,483,992	16	Culiacan	SI	793,730
7	Leon	GT	1,425,210	17	Cuernavaca	MO	787,556
8	Juarez	CH	1,313,338	18	Acapulco	GR	786,830
9	Torreon	CO	1,110,890	19	Chihuahua	CH	784,882
10	San Luis Potosi	SL	957,753	20	Morelia	MI	735,624
Source:[38]

</center>

[edit] Immigration

Mexico is home to the largest number of U.S. citizens abroad (estimated at one million as of 1999),^[39] which represents 1% of the Mexican population and 25% of all U.S. citizens abroad. Other significant communities of foreigners are those of Central and South Americans, most notably from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala and Colombia. 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).^[40][41] 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 Chiapas, 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.

[edit] Ethnography

See also: Indigenous peoples in Mexico

Mexico is ethnically diverse, and the constitution defines the country to be a pluricultural nation.

• Mestizos (those of European and Amerindian ancestry) form the largest group, comprising up to 60%–75% of the total population.^[20]

• Amerindians called indigenous peoples (indígenas) are estimated to be between 12% (pure Amerindian)^[42] and 30% (predominantly Amerindian).^[20] Indigenous peoples are considered the foundation of the Mexican pluricultural nation and therefore enjoy self-determination in certain areas. Indigenous languages are also considered "national languages" and are protected by law.

• Caucasians make up 9%-15%^[20][43] of the population, mostly descendants of the first Spanish settlers, although many have German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Polish, Romanian, Russian and British ancestry; many are found in major cities^[44][45] after the waves of immigration that brought many Europeans at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, along with some Canadians and Euro-Americans from the United States.

Mexico has also received a number of Lebanese, Turkish,^[46] Chinese, Japanese^[44], Koreans^[47] and Filipino immigrants.^[48]

Afro-Mexicans, mostly of mixed ancestry, live in the coastal areas of Veracruz, Tabasco and Guerrero.

[edit] Language

Main article: Languages of Mexico

There is no de jure constitutional official language at the federal level in Mexico.^[49] Spanish, however, is used as the de facto national language^[50] 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.^[51] 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 Kickapoo, who immigrated from the United States,^[52] and recognizes the languages of the Guatemalan Amerindian refugees.^[53]

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.^[37] 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. Nahuatl is spoken by 1.5 million people and Yucatec Maya by 800,000. Some of the national languages are in danger of extinction; Lacandon is spoken by fewer than one hundred people.

English 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 Baja California, Guanajuato and Chiapas. Other European languages spoken by sizable communities in Mexico are Venetian, Plautdietsch, German, French and Romani.

[edit] Religion

See also: Religion in Mexico, Roman Catholicism in Mexico, and Our Lady of Guadalupe

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 Christians (about 95% of the population), predominantly Roman Catholic with 89%^[54] In absolute terms, after Brazil, Mexico has the world's largest population of Catholics.

About 6% of the population (more than 4.4 million people) is Protestant,^[54] of whom Pentecostals and Charismatics (called Neo-Pentecostals in the census), are the largest group (1.37 million people).^[54] The 2000 National census registered more than one million Jehovah's Witnesses.^[54] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims one million registered members as of 2006, about 250,000 of whom are active,^[55][56] though this is disputed.^[57] The presence of Jews in the country dates back to as early as 1521, when Hernando Cortés conquered the Aztecs, accompanied by several Conversos. According to the last national census by the INEGI, there are now more than 45,000 Mexican Jews.^[54] Additionally, almost three million people in the 2000 National Census reported having no religion.^[54]

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.^[58] Until recently, priests did not have the right to vote, and even now, they cannot be elected for public office.

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Mexico

Mexican culture reflects the complexity of the country's history through the blending of pre-Hispanic civilizations and the culture of Spain, imparted during Spain's 300-year colonization of Mexico. Exogenous cultural elements mainly from the United States have been incorporated into Mexican culture. As was the case in most Latin American 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 Mexican Revolution, 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, José Vasconcelos 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.^[59] 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.

[edit] Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Mexico

Mexican films from the Golden Era in the 1940s and 1950s are the greatest examples of Latin American cinema, with a huge industry comparable to the Hollywood of those years. Mexican films were exported and exhibited in all of Latin America and Europe. Maria Candelaria (1944) by Emilio Fernández, was one of the first films awarded a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946, the first time the event was held after World War II. Famous actors and actresses from this period include María Félix, Pedro Infante, Dolores del Río, Jorge Negrete and the comedian Cantinflas.

More recently, films such as Como agua para chocolate (1992), Cronos (1993), Amores Perros (2000), Y tu mamá también (2001), El Crimen del Padre Amaro (2002), Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and Babel (2006) have been successful in creating universal stories about contemporary subjects, and were internationally recognised, as in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Mexican directors Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros, Babel), Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Guillermo del Toro, Carlos Carrera (The Crime of Father Amaro), and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga are some of the most known present-day film makers.

[edit] Music

Mexican society enjoys of a vast array of music genres, showing the diversity of its culture. Traditional music includes Mariachi, Banda, Norteño, Ranchera and Corridos; however on an every-day life most Mexicans listen contemporary music such as Pop, Rock, etc. in both English and Spanish, Mexico has the largest media industry in Latin America being Mexican artists famous in Central, South America and parts of Europe, specially Spain; some of the Mexican singers include Maná, RBD, Belinda among others.

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

[edit] Fine Arts

Post-revolutionary art in Mexico had its expression in the works of renowned artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Juan O'Gorman, amongst others. Diego Rivera is the most well-known figure of Mexican muralism, who painted the Man at the Crossroads in the Rockefeller Center, a mural that was later destroyed due to the inclusion of a portrait of Russian communist leader Lenin.^[60] Some of his murals are also displayed at the Mexican National Palace and the Palace of Fine Arts.

Academic music composers of Mexico include Manuel M. Ponce, Mario Lavista, Silvestre Revueltas, Arturo Marquez, and Juventino Rosas, many of whom incorporated traditional elements into their music. Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Juan Rulfo, Elena Poniatowska, and José Emilio Pacheco, are some of the most recognized exponents of the Mexican literature.

[edit] Broadcast Media

Two of the major television networks based in Mexico are Televisa and TV Azteca. Televisa is also the largest producer of Spanish-language content in the world and also the world's largest Spanish-language media network.^[61] Grupo Multimedios is another media conglomerate with Spanish-language broadcasting in Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Soap operas (telenovelas) are translated to many languages and seen all over the world with renowned names like Verónica Castro, Lucía Méndez, Lucero, and Thalía. Even Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna from Y tu mamá también and current Zegna model have appeared in some of them. Some of their TV shows are modeled after counterparts from the U.S. like Family Feud (100 Mexicanos Dijeron or "A hundred Mexicans said" in Spanish) and Que Dice la Gente, Big Brother, American Idol, Saturday Night Live and others. Nationwide news shows like Las Noticias por Adela on Televisa resemble a hybrid between Donahue and Nightline. Local news shows are modeled after counterparts from the U.S. like the Eyewitness News and Action News formats. Border cities receive television and radio stations from the U.S., while satellite and cable subscription is common for the upper-classes in major cities, often watch movies and TV shows from the U.S.

[edit] Cuisine

Main article: Mexican 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 conquistadores eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and onions with the native pre-Columbian food, including chocolate, maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, chile pepper, beans, squash, sweet potato, peanut and turkey.

The most internationally recognized dishes include tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and mole among others. Regional dishes include mole poblano, chiles en nogada and chalupas from Puebla; cabrito and machaca from Monterrey, cochinita pibil from Yucatán, Tlayudas from Oaxaca, as well as barbacoa, chilaquiles, milanesas, and many others.

[edit] Sports

See also: 1968 Summer Olympics, 1970 FIFA World Cup, and 1986 FIFA World Cup

Mexico City hosted the XIX Olympic Games in 1968, making it the only Latin American city to do so.^[62] The country has also hosted the FIFA World Cup twice, in 1970 and 1986.^[63]

Mexico has an official team for almost every sport, but football (soccer) is often considered to be the favourite, it is commonly believed that football was introduced to Mexico by Cornish 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: Oswaldo Sanchez, Hugo Sanchez (who is on the FIFA 100 list) Omar Bravo, Nery Castillo, also there are many football stadiums along the country the largest of which are the Estadio Azteca, the Estadio Jalisco, and the Estadio Universitario, in order.

The national sport of Mexico is Charreria.^[64] Bullfighting is also a popular sport in the country, and almost all large cities have bullrings. Plaza México in Mexico City, is the largest bullring in the world, which seats 55,000 people. Professional wrestling (or Lucha libre in Spanish) is a major crowd draw with national promotions such as AAA, LLL, CMLL and others.

Baseball, 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 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. 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 Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, 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 Naranjeros de Hermosillo. The league champion participates in the Caribbean Series, a tournament between the Champions of Winter Leagues of Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

The most important professional basketball league is the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional and covers the whole Mexican territory, where the Soles de Mexicali are the current champions. In 2007 three Mexican teams will be competing in the American Basketball Association. 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.

American football is played at the major universities like ITESM (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey), UANL (Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León), UDLA (University of the Americas), and UNAM. The college league in Mexico is called ONEFA. There is also a strong following of the NFL in Mexico with the Steelers, Cowboys, Dolphins and Raiders being the most popular teams. Rugby is played at the amateur level throughout the country with the majority of clubs in Mexico City and others in Monterrey, Guadalajara, Celaya, Guanajuato and Oaxaca.

Other notable Mexican athletes include golfer Lorena Ochoa, who is currently ranked first in the LPGA world rankings,^[65] Ana Guevara, former world champion of the 400 metres and Olympic subchampion in Athens 2004, and Fernando Platas, 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.

[edit] Education

Main article: Education in Mexico

Mexico has made improvements in education in the last two decades. In 2004, the literacy rate was at 91%,^[66] and the youth literacy rate (ages 15–24) was 96%, placing Mexico at the 24th place in the world rank accordingly to UNESCO.^[67] 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 telesecundarias in Mexico. The Mexican distance learning secondary education is also transmitted to some Central American countries and to Colombia, and it is used in some southern regions of the United States as a method of bilingual education. There are approximately 30,000 telesecundarias and approximately a million telesecundaria students in the country.^[68]

The largest and most prestigious public university in Mexico, today numbering over 269,000 students, is the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) founded in 1551. Three Nobel laureates 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,^[69] 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 National Polytechnic Institute (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 Monterrey's Technological and Higher Education Institute (ITESM). It was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the 7th top International Business School worldwide^[70] 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 Mexico's Autonomous Technological Institute (ITAM), Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP), the Ibero-American University (Universidad Iberoamericana).

[edit] Science and technology

Notable Mexican technologists include Luis E. Miramontes, the co-inventor of the contraceptive pill, and Guillermo González Camarena, who invented the "Chromoscopic adapter for television equipment", the first color television transmission system. Dr. Rodolfo Neri Vela, an UNAM graduate, was the first Mexican in space (as part of the STS-61-B mission in 1985), and Mario J. Molina, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

In recent years, the biggest scientific project being developed in Mexico was the construction of the Gran Telescopio Milimétrico (GMT) or Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), 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,^[71] 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.^[71] Mexico trains only three PhDs per million habitants.^[71] 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.^[71]

The Mexican Space Agency (AEXA) will be established in 2007 after the approval of the Mexican Senate.

[edit] See also

v • d • e Topics related to Mexico
History	Pre-Columbian Civilizations · Colonization · War of Independence · First Mexican Empire · Mexico-USA War · La Reforma · The French intervention · Second Mexican Empire · Porfiriato · Mexican Revolution
Politics	Constitution · President · Congress of the Union · Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation · Political divisions · State governors · Elections · Political parties · Foreign relations · Human rights ·G8+5
Economy	Peso · Bank of Mexico · Mexican Stock Market · List of companies · North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) · Communications · Transportation · Economic history ·Next Eleven ·Economy of Mexico ·Newly industrialized country ·G20 industrial nations ·G20 developing nations ·Emerging markets ·BRIMC
Geography	North America · States · Cities · Islands · Protected Natural Areas · Mountains · Extreme points
Demographics	People · Languages · Religion · Education · Health care · Metropolitan areas
Culture	Cuisine · Music · Literature · Cinema · Tourism · Holidays · Sports
Other	Military · List of Mexican flags · Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games · Mexico 1970 FIFA World Cup · Mexico 1986 FIFA World Cup
Portal · Mexico Collaboration · WikiProject Mexico

Templates </tr>

v • d • e States of Mexico Aguascalientes · Baja California · Baja California Sur · Campeche · Chiapas · Chihuahua · Coahuila · Colima · Durango · Distrito Federal · Guanajuato · Guerrero · Hidalgo · Jalisco · México · Michoacán · Morelos · Nayarit · Nuevo León · Oaxaca · Puebla · Querétaro · Quintana Roo · San Luis Potosí · Sinaloa · Sonora · Tabasco · Tamaulipas · Tlaxcala · Veracruz · Yucatán · Zacatecas v • d • e Countries of North America Several nations listed here straddle both North and South America or can also be considered Caribbean Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · France (Guadeloupe & Martinique) · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · United States Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles United Kingdom Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands United States Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands

v • d • e Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Australia · Austria · Belgium · Canada · Czech Republic · Denmark · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Japan · South Korea · Luxembourg · Mexico · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Slovakia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States

v • d • e Organization of American States (OAS)

Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bolivia · Brazil · Canada · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · St. Kitts and Nevis · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · United States · Uruguay · Venezuela

v • d • e Group of Eight plus Five (G8+5)
Template:Country data Canada  ·  France · REDIRECT Template:DEU  · Template:Country data Italy · Template:Country data Japan  · Template:Country data Russia ·  ·   Template:Country data Brazil  · Template:Country data China  ·  India  · Template:Country data Mexico  · Template:Country data South Africa

v • d • e Group of Fifteen (G15)

Template:Country data Algeria Template:Country data Argentina Template:Country data Brazil Template:Country data Chile Template:Country data Egypt  India Template:Country data Indonesia Template:Country data Iran Template:Country data Jamaica Template:Country data Kenya Template:Country data Malaysia Template:Country data Mexico Template:Country data Nigeria Template:Country data Peru Template:Country data Senegal Template:Country data Sri Lanka Template:Country data Venezuela Template:Country data Zimbabwe

v • d • e North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Canada • Mexico • United States </div></td>

</td></tr></table> v • d • e Member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Australia · Brunei Darussalam · Canada · Chile · People's Republic of China · Hong Kong, China · Indonesia · Japan · Republic of Korea · Malaysia · Mexico · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · Peru · Philippines · Russia · Singapore · Chinese Taipei * · Thailand · United States of America · Vietnam * Designation of the Republic of China v • d • e Latin Union Andorra · Angola · Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Cape Verde · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · France · Guatemala · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Holy See · Honduras · Italy · Mexico · Moldova · Monaco · Mozambique · Nicaragua · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Portugal · Romania · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Sovereign Military Order of Malta · Spain · Timor-Leste · Uruguay · Venezuela Official languages: Catalan · French · Italian · Portuguese · Romanian · Spanish

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Krauze, Enrique (1998). Mexico: Biography of Power: A history of Modern Mexico 1810–1996. Perennial, 896 p. ISBN 0-06-092917-0. 
  Standard work by a renowned Mexican author.
• Meyer, Michael C.; William H. Beezley, editors (2000). The Oxford History of Mexico. Oxford University Press, 736 p. ISBN 0-19-511228-8. 
  Twenty essays on Mexican history, including cultural history.
• Parkes, Henry Bamford (1972). A History of Mexico, 3rd edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-08410-5. 

[edit] External links

Travel

• {{{2}}} travel guide from Wikitravel

Government

• Presidencia: Presidency of the Republic
• (Spanish) Gob.mx: Governmental portal
• (Spanish) Directorio.gob.mx: Official web directory of the Mexican Presidency
• (Spanish) Cámara de Diputados: Chamber of Deputies
• (Spanish) Cámara de Senadores: Senate

General information

• (Spanish) INEGI: National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information
• (Spanish) Mexican Council for Economic and Social Development
• (Spanish) Time zones in Mexico
• (Spanish) Mexico Development Gateway
• Mexico for kids
• Mexico photos

Environment

• Biodiversity of Mexico

<span class="FA" id="es" style="display:none;" />

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Mexico. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.