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Country Fact File : Mexico
Roving Marine Expedition in Mexico and Central America
Mexico is a traveler's paradise, teeming with a plethora of contrasts: desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes, ancient ruins, industrialised cities, colonial towns, glitzy resorts, lonely beaches and a huge collection of flora and fauna. All these contrasts reflect the country’s incredible history, which is partly Spanish and partly Amerindian. Despite its colonial history and creolisation of cultures, there are large numbers of indigenous people surviving here, thanks to their rural isolation. This mix of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, is what creates Mexico’s appeal.
| Location | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US |
| Area | 1,972,550 sq km |
| Border Countries | Belize, Guatemala, USA |
| Climate | Varies from tropical to desert |
| Terrain | High, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert |
| Highest Point | Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m |
| Natural Hazards | Tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts |
| Environmental Issues | Scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion. Note: the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues |
| Population | 103,400,165 (July 2002 est.) |
| Ethnic Groups | Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1% |
| Religions | Nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5% |
| Languages | Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages |
| Type of Government | Federal Republic |
| Capital | Mexico |
| Independence Day | 16 September 1810 (from Spain) |
| Chief of State/ Head of Government |
President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa (since 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government |
| Currency | Mexican peso (MXN) |
| Time | GMT -6 |
Did you know?
Mexico city is the world’s third largest metropolis
Mexico is almost 2 million km sq in area
The first people arrived in Mexico 20,000 years before Columbus
Useful Numbers & Web Addresses
International dialing code: +52
Police tel: 066
Ambulance tel: 080 066
British Embassy: Apartado 96 bis, Ri Lerma 71, Colonia Cuauhtmoc, 06500 Mexico Distrito Federal. Tel (5) 207 2089
Embassy in UK: 42 Hertford Street, London W1Y 7TF. Tel (020) 7499 8586
01727 250250
Duration and Costs
| Duration | Cost |
|---|---|
| 8 Weeks | £3250 |
| Group Size |
|---|
| The group is limited to a maximum of eight, plus two staff members. |
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