Mexico



- Mexico is about 1.9 million sq km - which is a little less than three times the size of Texas

- According to a 2003 estimate - Mexico has 106 million people. That means the population density is about 56 people per sq km (opposed to about 30 people per sq km in the US and about 3 people per sq km in Canada)

- The median age in Mexico is just 24 years old. Life expectancy at birth is 72.3 years. The country has a literacy rate of 92.2% and 89% of the country is Roman Catholic.

- Technically the country's name is the United Mexican States (or more correctly Estados Unidos Mexicanos).

- Mexico gained independence from Spain on September 16, 1810 (not on Cinco de Mayo as is widely believed by many gringos)

- Every person 18-years and older not only has the right to vote in Mexico but also the responsibility to vote (compulsory voting - not enforced though). The government is a bicameral parliament with a Senate and a Federal Chamber of Deputies. The Senate has 128 seats (96 are elected and the rest are appointed based upon percentage of party votes in the election). The Federal Chamber of Deputies has 500 seats (300 are directly elected and 200 are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote). The head of the government is the President - currently Vincente Fox.

- The per capita GDP in Mexico is $8,900 (compared to $36,300 in the US). According to a 2001 estimate - 40% of the population is below the poverty line.

- Mexico is the largest exporter of pot to the US but the amount of illegal acreage devoted to heroin (4,400 hectares) is actually greater than the illegal acreage devoted to cannabis (4,100 hectares).