Mexico

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - Geologic origins
  - Physiographic regions
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Cultural regions
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
  - Class divisions
  - Family and gender issues
  - Food and drink
  - Holidays and festivals
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Pre-Columbian Mexico
  - Early, Middle, and Late Formative periods
  - Classic Period
  - Post-Classic Period
  - The rise of the Aztecs
- Conquest of Mexico
- Expansion of Spanish rule
- Colonial period, 1701–1821
- Independence
  - The Mexican Empire, 1821–23
  - The early republic
  - The age of Santa Anna: Texas and the Mexican-American War
  - La Reforma
  - French intervention
  - The restored republic
  - The age of Porfirio Díaz
- Precursors of revolution
- The Mexican Revolution and its aftermath, 1910–40
  - The military revolution
  - The constitution of 1917
  - The northern dynasty: Obregón and Calles
  - Resurgence under Cárdenas
- World War II, 1941–45
- Mexico since 1945
  - Prosperity and repression under the PRI
  - Beyond single-party rule
  - Peña Nieto and the return of PRI rule
  - The election of López Obrador and the shift leftward
Presidents of Mexico from 1917

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of Mexico displaying state boundaries, major and minor cities, and neighboring countries. The map includes a key identifying eight central states by number and a small locator map showing Mexico's position in North America. Surrounding bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are labeled.

Mayan pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Map highlighting Mexico in light brown, showing its location in North America bordered by the United States to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast, with Mexico City marked near the center. Surrounding countries and bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, are also labeled.

Map of Mexico highlighting major physical features such as mountain ranges, plateaus, deserts, national parks, islands, and bodies of water. Key features labeled include the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental mountain ranges, the Yucatan Peninsula, Baja California, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and notable peaks like Popocatepetl and Citlaltepetl. Surrounding seas and gulfs, such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, are also shown. A small locator map in the corner indicates Mex

Physical map of Mexico highlighting the Sierra Madre mountain ranges-Occidental, Oriental, and del Sur-with shaded elevation levels. The map shows major landforms, rivers, dams, and state and international boundaries, with a small locator map of North America in the upper right corner.

Iztaccíhuatl volcano, Puebla state, Mexico

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City

The Metropolitan Cathedral stands in Mexico City's Zocalo plaza with a Mexican flag flying above, as people walk and gather in the open square.

At a Glance

default image

Mexico: Media

country, North America

Videos

Hear Carlos Tortolero, director and founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art, speak on the preservation of Mexican culture

Hear Carlos Tortolero, director and founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art, speak on the preservation of Mexican culture

A discussion concerning the preservation of culture at the National Museum of Mexican...

Video: Great Museums Television (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

A boy in a sombrero carries a large Mexican flag at the front of a festive Cinco de Mayo parade, with people in traditional dress and drums following behind him.

The True Meaning of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day—and it actually impacted the American...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

See a golden eagle take flight from its nest to swoop down on rabbit prey

See a golden eagle take flight from its nest to swoop down on rabbit prey

A golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) taking flight and capturing a rabbit.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Why is there a shortage of natural vanilla?

Why is there a shortage of natural vanilla?

An overview of the history, chemistry, and economics of natural and synthetic vanilla.

Video: © American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Monarch Butterfly Migration Explained

Monarch Butterfly Migration Explained

Learn about the monarch butterfly, including its annual migration to Mexico.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Rinus Baak/Dreamstime.com

View original footage of Paricutín's nine-year volcanic eruption and the devastation experienced by surrounding communities

View original footage of Paricutín's nine-year volcanic eruption and the devastation experienced by surrounding communities

The eruption of Paricutín lasted for nine years and produced one of the world's youngest...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Mexico

Flag of Mexico

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Mexico displaying state boundaries, major and minor cities, and neighboring countries. The map includes a key identifying eight central states by number and a small locator map showing Mexico's position in North America. Surrounding bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are labeled.

Map showing the cities and states of Mexico

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mayan pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Mayan pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Mayan pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico.

© diegograndi—iStock/Getty Images

Map highlighting Mexico in light brown, showing its location in North America bordered by the United States to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast, with Mexico City marked near the center. Surrounding countries and bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, are also labeled.

Mexico

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Mexico highlighting major physical features such as mountain ranges, plateaus, deserts, national parks, islands, and bodies of water. Key features labeled include the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental mountain ranges, the Yucatan Peninsula, Baja California, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and notable peaks like Popocatepetl and Citlaltepetl. Surrounding seas and gulfs, such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, are also shown. A small locator map in the corner indicates Mex

Map showing the physical features of Mexico

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Physical map of Mexico highlighting the Sierra Madre mountain ranges-Occidental, Oriental, and del Sur-with shaded elevation levels. The map shows major landforms, rivers, dams, and state and international boundaries, with a small locator map of North America in the upper right corner.

Sierra Madre

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Iztaccíhuatl volcano, Puebla state, Mexico

Iztaccíhuatl volcano, Puebla state, Mexico

The snowcapped peak of the volcano Iztaccíhuatl overlooking harvested corn in the...

Chip and Rosa Maria de la Cueva Peterson

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City

Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral is a prominent landmark that serves as the nation's...

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The Metropolitan Cathedral stands in Mexico City's Zocalo plaza with a Mexican flag flying above, as people walk and gather in the open square.

Mexico City: Metropolitan Cathedral

Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City.

© Rafael Ben-Ari/stock.adobe.com

Copper Canyon, Chihuahua state, Mexico

Copper Canyon, Chihuahua state, Mexico

Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in the Sierra Madre Occidental, in Chihuahua state,...

© Kerrick James

Citlaltépetl, Veracruz state, Mexico

Citlaltépetl, Veracruz state, Mexico

Citlaltépetl (Orizaba Peak), the highest point in Mexico, located in western Veracruz...

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

Acapulco, Mexico

Acapulco, Mexico

Panoramic view of the coastal resort of Acapulco, Mexico.

Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images

Mayan Chac Mool sculpture and pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Mayan Chac Mool sculpture and pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Mayan Chac Mool sculpture (foreground) and pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico.

© GeoStock—Photodisc/Getty Images

The Antigua Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, featuring a baroque facade with twin towers, a central dome with yellow tiles, and people walking in the plaza.

Old Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City

Old Basilica of Guadalupe, the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint,...

© Byelikova/Dreamstime.com

Baja California: agave

Baja California: agave

Agave plants growing in Baja California, Mexico.

© Robert and Linda Mitchell

oil refinery in Mexico

oil refinery in Mexico

An oil refinery on the Tabasco Plain, near Villahermosa, Mexico.

© Robert Frerck/Odyssey Productions

Cancún, Mexico

Cancún, Mexico

Coastline of Cancún, a popular resort city in Mexico.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

The Central Library at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, featuring colorful mosaic murals by Juan O'Gorman covering the upper building's facade.

Mexico City: Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico

Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, with mosaics...

© Leon Rafael/Shutterstock.com

Two tostadas on a wooden board, each with a crispy tortilla topped with refried beans, ground meat, chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and crumbled cheese. Lime wedges are nearby.

tostada

Crisply fried tortillas typically topped with meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes...

© Brent Hofacker/stock.adobe.com

Three chicken enchiladas topped with mole poblano sauce, sesame seeds, and radish slices, served on a clay plate.

mole poblano

A serving of chicken enmoladas, covered with mole poblano.

© Marcos Elihu Castillo Ramirez—iStock/Getty Images

A burrito cut in half on a wooden board, filled with rice, chorizo sausage, black beans, roasted peppers, and cilantro wrapped in a flour tortilla.

burrito

Burrito made with rice, chorizo sausage, black beans, roasted peppers, and cilantro...

© LauriPatterson—E+/Getty Images

A large pile of golden, sugar-coated churros stacked on a metal tray at a street vendor's stall, with the vendor partially visible behind the pastries.

pile of churros

A pile of sugary churros at a street vendor's stall in Mexico.

© rawfile redux—Photodisc/Getty Images

Day of the Dead toys

Day of the Dead toys

Day of the Dead toys made of pottery and paper, from Oaxaca, Mexico, 1960; in the...

Courtesy of the Girard Foundation, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Mexican pride

Mexican pride

Children in traditional Mexican clothing dancing at a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

© Lawrence Migdale

Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes, 2003.

Daniel Aguilar—Reuters/Newscom

Distribution of the Land mural, Mexico City

Distribution of the Land mural, Mexico City

Distribution of the Land, three mural panels by Diego Rivera, 1923–28; in...

Lucas Vallecillos/Alamy

Doña María de la Luz Padilla y (Gómez de) Cervantes

Doña María de la Luz Padilla y (Gómez de) Cervantes

Doña María de la Luz Padilla y (Gómez de) Cervantes, oil on canvas attributed...

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, Museum Collection Fund and Dick S. Ramsay Fund (52.166.3); www.brooklynmuseum.org

Historic monastery building with domed towers and a formal garden in front, surrounded by trees in Desierto de los Leones National Park, Mexico City.

Desierto de los Leones National Park, Mexico

Desierto de los Leones (“Desert of the Lions”), a national park near Mexico City.

© abalcazar—iStock/Getty Images

Olmec colossal head carved from basalt, featuring a helmet-like headdress and detailed facial features, standing outdoors in Parque La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico.

Olmec carving

The Olmec people carved huge heads out of volcanic rock.

George Holton/Photo Researchers

View from the Pyramid of the Moon overlooking the ancient city of Teotihuacan, with the Pyramid of the Sun on the left and the Street of the Dead stretching to the right.

Teotihuacán

The remains of the ancient city of Teotihuacán, Mexico, include pyramids, temples,...

© I and S Walker/Shutterstock.com

Temple II, also known as the Temple of the Masks, rises in stepped stone tiers with a central staircase at the Great Plaza in Tikal, Guatemala, surrounded by trees and grass.

Mayan temple

Mayan temple at Tikal in present-day Guatemala.

© Hugoht/Dreamstime.com

Toltec stone columns

Toltec stone columns

Stone columns carved by the Toltec in Mexico.

© piginka/iStock.com

Aztec sacrifice

Aztec sacrifice

Aztec priest performing a sacrificial offering of a living human heart to the war...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZC4-743)

Xochimilco: floating gardens

Xochimilco: floating gardens

The floating gardens (chinampas) of Xochimilco, near Mexico City, formerly...

Peter M. Wilson/Alamy

Hernán Cortés meeting Montezuma II

Hernán Cortés meeting Montezuma II

The Meeting of Cortés and Montezuma , oil on canvas by an unknown artist,...

Jay I. Kislak Collection—Rare Book and Special Collections Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Hand-drawn itinerary map with Aztec figures, a volcano, and winding migration route; winged god Huitzilopochtli appears instructing elders on the right side of the map.

winged god Huitzilopochtli

Map showing winged god Huitzilopochtli instructing Aztec elders to migrate (19th-century...

The Newberry Library (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Francisco Goya: The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, or “The Executions”

Francisco Goya: The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, or “The Executions”

The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, or “The Executions,” oil on canvas by Francisco...

GL Archive/Alamy

José María Morelos y Pavón, 19th century

José María Morelos y Pavón, 19th century

© Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Antonio López de Santa Anna, daguerreotype.

Courtesy of the San Jacinto Museum of History Association, San Jacinto Monument, Texas

Stone facade of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas, with arched doorway, upper window, and Texas flag on a pole to the left.

Alamo

Alamo, San Antonio, Texas.

© cbphoto/stock.adobe.com

Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor

Gen. Zachary Taylor pictured on a white horse at the Battle of Buena Vista during...

Currier & Ives/Library of Congress (neg. no. LC-USZ62-7555)

Winfield Scott and troops entering Mexico City, 1847

Winfield Scott and troops entering Mexico City, 1847

U.S. Gen. Winfield Scott and his troops entering Mexico City on September 14, 1847.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZC4-9950)

Benito Juárez

Benito Juárez

Benito Juárez.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (2005683081)

Maximilian

Maximilian

Maximilian, emperor of Mexico (1864–67).

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Antique map of Mexico from the 1902 Encyclopaedia Britannica atlas, showing detailed topography, state boundaries, major cities, rivers, and railroads. The map includes surrounding regions such as the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Central America, with place names and geographic features labeled in fine print.

Mexico c. 1900

Map of Mexico (c. 1900) from the 10th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Porfirio Díaz

Porfirio Díaz

Mexican Pres. Porfirio Díaz in uniform, 1911.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-100275)

Francisco Madero, undated photograph

Francisco Madero, undated photograph

Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-01887)

Pascual Orozco

Pascual Orozco

Gen. Pascual Orozco.

Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-14419)

Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa on horseback.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Broadside advertising the premature death of Emiliano Zapata and containing the lyrics of four songs

Broadside advertising the premature death of Emiliano Zapata and containing the lyrics of four songs

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Francisco Madero

Francisco Madero

Francisco Madero (third from the right) with his rebel leaders, 1911.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-80775)

Venustiano Carranza

Venustiano Carranza

Venustiano Carranza (seated) and other leaders of the forces that rebelled against...

Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-14637)

Álvaro Obregón

Álvaro Obregón

Gen. Álvaro Obregón, 1917.

Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-hec-09853)

Map of Mexico showing the areas of influence of major drug cartels as of 2009, with different regions shaded to represent the Sinaloa Cartel, La Familia Cartel, Beltran-Leyva Cartel, Arellano-Felix Organization, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, and Gulf/Los Zetas Cartel. Key cities such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey, Culiacan, Guadalajara, Morelia, Mexico City, Veracruz, and Acapulco are marked within these cartel territories.

Mexico: drug cartels

Major Mexican drug cartels, 2009.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, in a white shirt, is escorted by two masked Mexican marines in camouflage uniforms and black vests after his capture.

The arrest of El Chapo

Joaquín (El Chapo) Guzmán following his capture, 2014.

© Xinhua/David de la Paz—Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

Mexico: disappearance of 43 students

Mexico: disappearance of 43 students

Signs dedicated to the 43 students who had disappeared in Guerrero in September 2014,...

© Joseph Sorrentino/Shutterstock.com

Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.

© alxpina/iStock.com

Mexico

Mexico

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of the Americas in 1780 showing the Spanish and Portuguese viceroyalties. Spanish territories are shaded in green, including the Viceroyalty of New Spain, Viceroyalty of Peru, Viceroyalty of New Granada, and Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. Portuguese territory, labeled as the Viceroyalty of Brazil, is shaded in purple. Borders between Spanish and Portuguese lands are marked, with amendments from 1750 and 1778 indicated. British territory is shown in the northern part of North America. Ma

Spanish viceroyalties and Portuguese territories in the Americas, 1780

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map showing the region affected by the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. The map marks the earthquake's epicenter off the Pacific coast near Ciudad Lazaro Cardenas, highlights fault lines and the subduction zone between the Cocos Plate and the North American Plate, and indicates cities that experienced violent shaking, including Mexico City.

Mexico City earthquake of 1985

Map depicting the epicentre of the earthquake that devastated Mexico City on Sept....

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map showing the Rio Grande basin and its drainage network across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with color shading for elevation, major tributaries, dams, and irrigated areas. State and international boundaries are marked, and a locator inset highlights the region's position in North America.

The Rio Grande basin and its drainage network.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Mesoamerica showing the geographic distribution of various Indigenous peoples, with regions labeled for groups such as the Maya, Nahua, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Mazahua, Huastec, Tarasco, and others across present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. Boundaries indicate the approximate areas inhabited by each group.

Distribution of Meso-American Indians.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Mexico

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Mexico.

Interactives

Mexico: Ethnic composition

Mexico: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mexico: Religious affiliation

Mexico: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mexico: Urban-rural

Mexico: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mexico: Age breakdown

Mexico: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mexico: Major import sources

Mexico: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mexico: Major export destinations

Mexico: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

States and capitals of Mexico

States and capitals of Mexico

Interactive map of states and capitals of Mexico.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

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