Mexico

North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States

23 00 N, 102 00 W

North America

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

9,330 km

varies from tropical to desert

high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

59,910 sq km (2022)

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City

Mestizo (Indigenous-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Indigenous 21%, Indigenous 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.)

Catholic 77.7%, no religion 10.6%, other Evangelical Churches 7.5%, Jehovah Witness 1.2%; less than 1 percent: Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist, Historics, not specified, Latter Day Saints, other religions  (2020 est.)

0.81% (2025 est.)

14.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City

22.281 million MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.420 million Guadalajara, 5.117 million Monterrey, 3.345 million Puebla, 2.626 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.260 million Tijuana (2023)

21.3 years (2008 est.)

42 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

1.85 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.9 (2025 est.)

2.59 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

1 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

28.9% (2016)

4.2% (2022 est.)

53% (2023 est.)

federal presidential republic

civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

ACS, APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CABEI, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CE (observer), CELAC, CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-3, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

16 September 1810 (declared independence from Spain); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

golden eagle, dahlia

green, white, red

Adopted in 1968, Mexico’s coat of arms is also used as the Seal of the United Mexican States. The Mexican Golden Eagle, a national symbol, is perched on a prickly pear cactus and eats a snake. Beneath the eagle, oak and laurel leaves are joined by a ribbon in the national colors. The image symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

upper-middle-income economy; highly integrated with US via trade and nearshore manufacturing; weak domestic demand, fiscal consolidation, and trade uncertainty contributing to sluggish growth; low unemployment; challenges from income inequality, corruption, and cartel-based violence

$1.853 trillion (2024 est.)

sugarcane, maize, milk, oranges, sorghum, tomatoes, chicken, chillies/peppers, wheat, lemons/limes (2023)

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

0.2% (2024 est.)

60.959 million (2024 est.)

36.3% (2022 est.)

14.2% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

USA 76%, Canada 5%, China 2%, Germany 2%, Spain 1% (2023)

cars, vehicle parts/accessories, crude petroleum, trucks, computers (2023)

USA 46%, China 20%, Germany 4%, Japan 3%, S. Korea 3% (2023)

vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, cars (2023)

telecom reform in 2013 ended a quasi-monopoly; now 885 TV stations and 1,841 radio stations, most privately owned; foreign satellite and cable operators are available; completed transition to digital in 2016 (2022)

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1,580 (2025)

488 (2025)

information varies; approximately 260,000 active-duty Armed Forces; approximately 110,000 National Guard personnel (2025)

the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported armaments from a variety of mostly Western suppliers, particularly the US; Mexico's defense industry produces light armored vehicles and some naval vessels, as well as small arms and other miscellaneous equipment (2025)

18 years of age (16 with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; men at age 18 subject to lottery-based 12-month compulsory military service  (2025)

the Mexican military is responsible for defending the independence, integrity, and sovereignty of Mexico, as well as providing for internal security, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and socio-economic development; internal security duties are a key focus, particularly combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime groups, as well as border control and immigration enforcement; the constitution was amended in 2019 to grant the president the authority to use the armed forces to protect internal and national security, and courts have upheld the legality of the armed forces’ role in law enforcement activities in support of civilian authorities through 2028; the military also provides security for strategic facilities, such as oil production infrastructure, and administers most of the country's land and sea ports and customs services, plus a state-owned development bank; in addition, President LÓPEZ OBRADOR placed the military in charge of a growing number of infrastructure projects, such as building and operating a new airport for Mexico City and sections of a train line in the country’s southeast (2025)