Mexico

Mexico is a North American country that shares borders with the United States, Guatemala and Belize. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico to the east. It is a modern republic, with origins as a Spanish colony. It is the world's 14th largest economy, the 11th most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.CIA Factbook: Country Populations by Rank

Mexico is the second largest Catholic country in the world and is currently headed by Felipe Calderon.

The site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule in 1519 and remained under for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. In 1994, Mexico was thrown into economic turmoil when the Peso was severely devalued, triggering the worst recession in over half a century.

On April 29th, 2009, the Mexican government encouraged schools, businesses and non-essential government offices to shut down from May 1st - May 5th due to the outbreak of the swine flu. Over 100 people in Mexico died due to the flu, which quickly spread to the U.S., Spain and other countries. Schools, businesses, and governmental offices in Mexico were closed until May 6, 2009.CNN: All Schools Closed in Mexico (April 27, 2009) On the same day, Mexico was hit by a 6.0 earthquake.FOXNews.com: Gvt. Urges Americans to Avoid 'Non-Essential Travel to Mexico (April 27, 2009)

According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Joint Forces Command, Mexico and Pakistan "bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse." The report, which warns of possible destabilization of Mexico, offers information on worldwide security threats.El Paso Times: Joint Forces report warns Mexico could destabilize

President Felipe Calderon angrily rejected the notion that Mexico is on the verge of destabilization, saying that drug cartels did not control any part of the country.BBC News: Mexico rejects US drugs warning (February 27, 2009)

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Mexico on February 27, 2009, reporting that although Mexico has made progress in its fight against the drug cartels, the amount of violence in the country has led it to recommend travelers to visit only legitimate tourist and business areas.BBC News: Mexico rejects US drugs warning (February 27, 2009)

"The Mexican possibility may seem less likely, but the government, its politicians, police and judicial infrastructure are all under sustained assault and pressure by criminal gangs and drug cartels. How that internal conflict turns out over the next several years will have a major impact on the stability of the Mexican state. Any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone."El Paso Times: Joint Forces report warns Mexico could destabilize

• Aguascalientes

• Baja California

• Baja California Sur

• Campeche

• Chiapas

• Chihuahua

• Coahuila

• Colima

• Durango

• Estado de México (Mexico State)

• Guanajuato

• Guerrero

• Hidalgo

• Jalisco

• Michoacán

• Morelos

• Nayarit

• Nuevo León

• Oaxaca

• Puebla

• Querétaro

• Quintana Roo

• San Luis Potosí

• Sinaloa

• Sonora

• Tabasco

• Tamaulipas

• Tlaxcala

• Veracruz

• Yucatán

• Zacatecas

• And don't forget the Distrito Federal (Federal District).

• Google Maps: Mexico Map

• Wikipedia: Geography of Mexico

• Yahoo! Maps: Mexico Maps

• Worldatlas.com: Mexico