Mexico is a large and populous country in North America, bordered by the U.S. to the north, and Belize and Guatemala to the south. Its capital, Mexico City, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, and Mexico’s total population is now among the top 15 globally. Mexico has a rich history stretching back millennia and it has a growing cultural influence across the world through its cuisine, arts, and holidays – it also has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the world. Mexico ranks among the 12 largest economies in the world, with the fourth largest in the Americas after the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. However, it ranks much lower for GDP per capita, with discrepancies in income and investment by region, urbanity, and class. Other issues facing Mexico today include climate change, violence and organized crime, and political stability.
Geography
Mexico has a diverse topography and a range of climates. Its northern border with the United States is one of the longest and busiest in the world. Much of the north is arid and covered by desert although its climate varies by season; in contrast, the south is much more tropical and covered by forest, and its climate remains fairly constant year-round. Mexico is very mountainous, with large ranges extending along the east and west of the country, as well as across the south - because of this, Mexico has an average elevation of more than 1,100 meters. Mexico’s position on the meeting point of three tectonic plates means it is one of the most seismically active regions on earth, especially along its west coast and in the south. The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also stretches across the middle of the country from coast to coast, and Mexico is home to some of the tallest volcanoes on the planet.
The Gulf of Mexico lies to the east and is a popular tourist destination, while the Gulf and east coast are also where most of Mexico’s oil reserves are found. However, both tourism and the oil industry are having a negative impact on the environment, with oil spills, air traffic, and land use change affecting all areas of the biosphere. Other threats from climate change include rising temperatures and changing weather patterns, which are detrimental to already-strained water supplies and food production.
History
Humans have inhabited the region of Mexico for millennia, and the emergence of the Olmecs in the 2nd millennia BCE is considered one of humanity’s six “cradles of civilization”. Unlike most other regions of the Americas, pre-Columbian civilizations inhabiting Mexico developed extensive trade networks, advanced agriculture, political and societal hierarchies, networks of city states, and writing systems. The Aztecs, who ruled central Mexico from the 14th to 16th centuries, were the most powerful in Mexico at the time of European contact and their empire was centered around Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). However, conflict and the introduction of old-world diseases saw their population fall significantly, allowing the Spanish Empire to take control. The Spanish colonization of Mexico continued for another two centuries, and the natural resources extracted helped Spain become the world’s wealthiest empire by the late 1500s.
Mexico was the colony of “New Spain” for three centuries, and was mostly inhabited by European settlers, natives, and African slaves - intermarriage between Europeans and natives was widespread, and this blending of cultures saw many indigenous customs become infused with the religion, language, and culture brought by the Spanish, which last to this day. Over time, the growing Mexican-born population began pushing for greater autonomy, before events on both sides of the Atlantic resulted in the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), achieving sovereignty in 1821. A century of political instability, shrinking borders, and growing wealth inequality followed, which peaked in the Porfiriato (1876-1911), a period of dictatorial rule under Porfirio Diaz. This culminated in the Mexican Revolution: a long and bloody civil war between a variety of factions from all backgrounds, which resulted in over two million deaths but eventually established Mexico as a constitutional republic in 1920 and saw the widespread reforms and improvements in living conditions for the working class. The next two decades were tumultuous, before a period of consistent political stability and prosperity began in the 1940s, coinciding with the onset of Mexico’s demographic transition. This growth continued throughout the rest of the 20th century, and Mexico became a key economic and geopolitical player in the Americas, although economic and political crises were prevalent.
Demographics
Mexico has a population exceeding 130 million people. Its birth rate is falling, but remains above the death rate, meaning that the population will continue to grow naturally in the coming years. Adding to its population growth, Mexico has historically had high rates of emigration to the U.S., however declining northward emigration and rising immigration from elsewhere in the Americas has seen Mexico’s net migration rate turn positive in some recent years. Looking forward, Mexico’s net migration will be highly subject to international factors such as U.S. border policy, security and stability in Latin America, and climate change, as well as domestic affairs. In terms of education, Mexico ranks poorly in comparison to other OECD countries, and its public systems struggle to cope during the Covid-19 pandemic, however investment in education has gradually increased in recent years.
Economy
Mexico has the second largest economy in Latin America after Brazil and is a leading regional trading power in the western hemisphere. Through the USMCA trade agreement (previously NAFTA), Mexico’s largest trading partners are the U.S. and Canada, and three-quarters of its exports go to the U.S. alone. Mexico’s export economy makes up a large share of its GDP, with vehicles, machinery, and petroleum as the most common products. Mexico’s workforce is ranked as the second hardest working in the OECD - over one third is employed in the primary or secondary sectors, which is much higher than any advanced economy, and this has changed very little in recent years. In the past decade, the largest challenges to Mexico’s economic stability have been corruption and cartel activities.
Politics
Mexico is a federal republic, where power is split between the president, Congress, and Supreme Court, with similar systems implemented across each of the 32 states. The largest party in Mexico’s history was the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which ruled from 1929 until 2000, however elections have become much more competitive in recent decades. Since 2018, a left-wing coalition has been in power, led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (known as “AMLO”) of the MORENA Party. This administration has been praised for investing in socially progressive policies to reduce inequality but has been criticized for its handling of the pandemic and the rise in cartel violence. General elections are held every six years to determine the President, while federal elections are held every three years to determine the legislature – the general election of 2024, confirmed the popularity of MORENA winning the elections with almost 60 percent of the votes.
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