Mexico

Consisting of 31 states and a federal district, the United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) is a republic of 761,601 square miles with an estimated 2009 population of 111,200,289. The nation is bounded on the north by the United States of America and on the south by Guatemala and Belize. Additional territories include a small number of offshore islands. The political, economic, financial, and intellectual capital of the nation is Mexico City, which has an estimated metropolitan population of 22 million.

Mexico’s government consists of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president is elected for a term of 6 years and may not run for reelection. The legislative branch has two houses, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Each state and the federal district elect ...