1. Mexico Country Profile

3. Capital: Mexico City with a population estimated at 8.8 million in 2008

4. Major Cities: The Greater Mexico City metropolitan area, Ecatepec de Morelos (1.8 million residents), Netzahualcoyotl (1.2 million), Guadalajara (1.6 million), Puebla (1.3 million), Ciudad Juarez (1.2 million), Tijuana (1.1 million), and Monterrey

5. (1.1 million).

6. Independence: September 16, 1810

8. Median age: total: 27.1 years (2011 est.)

9. Population growth rate: 1.102% (2011 est.)

10. Life expectancy at birth: 76.47 years

11. Ethnic groups: Mestas (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

12. Religions: Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)

13. Languages: Spanish 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%

14. Literacy: total population: 86.1%

16. Constitution: 5 February 1917

17. Legal system: Mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

18. Executive branch: chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006; both the chief of state and head of government). Cabinet: Appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate. Elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year term.

19. Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congress de la Union consists of the Senate or Camera de Senators (128 seats; 96 members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 seats allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are elected by popular vote; remaining 200 members are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote and serve three-year terms).

20. Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Supreme Corte de Justice de la Nation (justices are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate).

22. 1810-1821 – War of independence from Spain

23. 1876-1911 - Dictatorship of Porjirio Diaz

24. 1910-1920 - Mexican Revolution

25. 1917 - New Mexican Constitution

26. 1929 - Plutocrat Elias Calles founds PRI.

27. 1934-1940 - Presidency of Lazar Cardenas; entrenchment of corporatist stole

28. 1978-1982 - State-led development reaches peak with petroleum boom and bust.

29. 1982 - Market reformers come to power in PRI.

30. 1988 - Carlos Salinas is elected amid charges of fraud .

31. 1989 – First governorship is won by on opposition party.

32. 1994 - NAFTA goes into effect; uprising in Chiapas; Celosia assassinated.

33. 1996 -Political parties agree on electoral reform .

34. 1997 - Opposition parties advance nationwide; Purl loses absoluter majority incongress or first time in its history.

36. GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2010 est.)

37. GDP - per capita (PPP): $13,800 (2010 est.)

38. Labor force: 46.99 million (2010 est.)

39. Unemployment rate: 5.6% ; Inflation rate: 4.1% (2010 est.)

40. Economy type: Mexico has a free market economy, a mixture of industry and agriculture dominated by the private sector. Income distribution remains highly unequal. Biggest trade partners are the U.S. and Canada. Mexico has free trade agreements with over 50 countries. The administration continues to face many economic challenges, including improving the public education system, upgrading infrastructure, modernizing labor laws, and fostering private investment in the energy sector while the top priority is given to reducing poverty and creating jobs.

41. Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products.

43. Culture Mexican culture is one of the most unique in the world. Due to the legacy that it inherited from ancient civilization of Maya and Aztecs and the European input, Mexican art, architecture, and style, and traditions are attracting visitors from all over the world.

45. Small middle class has been a problem in Mexico die to the ineffectiveness and lack of social reforms during the years of the most rapid economic growth. Compare to Mexico, the other countries like Costa Rica, Colombia. Argentina, and Chile were more successful fighting poverty. Currently, Mexico has one of the largest gaps between rich and poor in Latin America.