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Country at a glance
- Did you know?
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The traditional Mexican straw hat or sombrero has a brim wide enough to keep the wearer's shoulders totally out of the sun; the name means ‘shade maker' in Mexican.
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- Region
- North America
- Population
- 107,449,525 (July 2006 est.)
- Land
- Geography:
High, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
- Climate: Tropical to desert depending on altitude
- People
- Religion: Christian 95%
- Language:
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
- Economy
- GDP per person (PPP): $10,600 (2006 est.)
GDP by sector: Agriculture 3.9%; Industry 25.7%; Services 70.5%:
- Government
- Federal republic
Land
Physical geography
Mexico shares borders with the United States of America in the north and Guatemala and Belize in the south. The Gulf of Mexico lies to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is a very mountainous country and only about 10 per cent of the land can be cultivated. Two mountain ranges (Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental ) cross the country from north to south. Between them is the 1,130 kilometre-long Mexican Plateau which contains most of Mexico 's big cities. The Sierra Nevada range crosses the central plateau from east to west in the middle of the country. The Sierra Madre del Sur runs along the Pacific Coast in the south. In the north the deserts of Sonora and Chihuahua make up part of one of the world's great deserts. With a land area of 1,923,040 square kilometres it is slightly larger than the state of Queensland (1,730,648 square kilometres).
Climate
Average temperatures decrease with increasing altitude: in the lowlands and narrow coastal plains the temperatures average 26°C, above 600 metres 21°C, above 1800 metres on the central plateau 17°C and in the mountainous highlands it rarely gets above 10°C. The north and west of the country are hot and dry while in the south the tropical climate means temperatures and humidity are higher. Rainfall averages range from 100-200 millimetres in the north and north-west to 1000-2875 millimetres in coastal areas and 5000 millimetres in the southern highlands.
Environment
Valuable hardwood trees such as mahogany, ebony and walnut grow in Mexico . Illegal logging, forest fires and clearing for agriculture and urbanisation clear over 800,000 hectares of forestland each year. Rapid urbanisation has led to a shortage of clean water and major air and water pollution problems. In the north the deserts are expanding and scarce agricultural land is dropping in quality.
Mexico is extremely important for the world's biodiversity, with over 200,000 different species including nearly thirty thousand flowering plants, more than 707 species of reptiles and 438 mammals. The Mexican Government has set aside over 17 million hectares as protected areas and reserves.
People
Almost three quarters of Mexico 's population lives in urban areas, with the six largest cities being: Mexico City (capital) 8,705,100; Guadalajara 1,672,000; Ecatepec 1,769,900; Ciudad Juárez 1,330, 800; Tijuana 1,313,800 and Puebla 1,370,800. There is a general movement of people to the south east and north west with many people migrating to the United States for work.
People
Culture and identity
The vast majority of Mexicans are of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent, known as mestizo . Early settlers of Mexico included the Maya, Toltec and Aztecs – whose empires were conquered by the Spanish in the 16 th century. Traces of these cultures remain in Mexico and evidence of them can be seen in architectural remains, textile weaving, art, pottery, dance and music.
Family and religion are central to Mexican life. Artists such as Diego Rivera (who painted murals on social themes) and Frida Kahlo (who painted surreal pictures) are well known. Mexico has a rich literary tradition within which writers such as Carlos Fuentes, Juan Rulfo, Jorge Ibargüengoitia and the 1990 Nobel Prize-winner Octavio Paz have international reputations.
Health
Mexico has a relatively young population with 24% aged 14 or under and only 8% over 65. The infant mortality rate is 8.58 deaths per 1,000 live births. There is a state-run health system but, while the standard of medical care is good in the big cities, it is inadequate in country areas. The top causes of death in Mexico are heart disease (16.4%), diabetes (13.1%), cancer (12.9%) and accidents (7.4%).
Religion and beliefs
The Mexican population is mainly Roman Catholic (89%) and Protestant (6%) with a blend of with traditional beliefs. The ancient Aztec festival of the Day of the Dead is a time when families remember their dead and celebrate the continuity of life. Families visit cemeteries, tell stories about relatives who have died and celebrate with magnificent picnics. The famous Carnaval is a five-day celebration that takes place before Lent, the traditional 40 days of fasting before Easter, includes parades, floats, costumes, music, dancing in the streets and fireworks at night.
Food and shelter
Mexico 's food reflects its mestizo heritage. Mexicans foods include tortillas (maize flour pancakes), chilli beans, burritos, enchiladas and tacos. The day's meals traditionally consist of a simple breakfast, a main meal in the early afternoon (followed by a siesta, or rest), a snack before returning to work and supper in the late evening. Mexico is famous for its alcoholic beverages – particularly tequila which is made from the juice of the cactus.
Economy
Wealth and poverty
Mexico has a free market economy with a labour force in 2005 of 43.4 million and an unemployment rate of 3.2% – however, the underemployment rate is as high as 25%. Oil and tourism help make Mexico the world's 13th-biggest economy however there is a huge gap between rich and poor. The bottom 40% of the population has only 11% of the wealth and most live below the poverty line. The migration of hundreds of thousands of men to the US to seek work has left broken homes behind and tens of thousands of children live and work on Mexico 's streets.
Education and work
Education is compulsory until age 14 and officially 90% of the population can read and write. A total of 5.3% of government spending goes to education.
The law sets minimum wages for all workers in Mexico, although this does not cover most working children as they work in the ‘informal' sector (eg in family workshops or on the streets) and in agriculture. The taxation rates are low in comparison to other countries resulting in less government spending on health and education. Trade unions are legal and well-organised, providing some protection for workers and their conditions of work. In 2006, Mexicans living abroad sent $US20 billion back home, the largest single source of foreign revenue for Mexico
Industries and products
Major industries include oil and gas, mining (including coal, copper, iron ore, lead, silver and gold), iron and steel, tobacco and hardwood forestry. Tourism is also important, earning $US10.75 billion in 2004. Manufacturing is centred on Mexico City because of the large, skilled work force there. Main areas of manufacturing include textiles, clothing, motor vehicles and consumer durables (such as appliances and furniture).
Trade
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed in 1994 between the United States , Canada and Mexico , has caused Mexican trade to grow enormously and attracted huge investment from the US . Mexico 's main exports include manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee and cotton. Its imports include metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly and repair parts for motor vehicles and aircraft.
Achievements and challenges
Mexico suffers droughts and floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Hurricane Stan (2005) resulted in 15 deaths, 1.5 million people affected, and 370,000 people displaced.
Improved environmental awareness and new regulations Mexico is making headway in addressing deforestation and air pollution issues.
The ‘Oportunidades' program invests in children's education and health aiming to prevent child labour and address poverty through cash grants to poor rural and urban families who keep their children in school and have regular medical care.
Links with Australia
In 2005 Australian exports to Mexico were approximately A$835 million, consisting of coal, meat, livestock, dairy, leather and an increasing range of services. Mexico 's exports to Australia have increased significantly over the past decade, to total A$939 million in 2005. Australia 's major imports from Mexico include internal combustion engines, motor vehicle parts, telecommunications equipment and computers. In 2006 Australia and Mexico commenced an investigation of ways of strengthening economic relations, including the negotiation of a possible Free Trade Agreement.
In 2005, around 7300 Australian tourists travelled to Mexico . The 2001 census showed only a small number of people of Mexican background living in Australia (1200). New South Wales had the largest number with 550, followed by Victoria (240), Queensland (200) and Western Australia (90).
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