GENERAL
Official name of the state
United Mexican States.
Capital
Mexico City (Ciudad de México).
Geography
As a country located in North America according to areacodesexplorer, Mexico borders the United States to the north, the Gulf of California to the northwest, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Guatemala and Belize to the south, and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east. In the south, Mexico occupies half of the Central American land bridge.
The diversity of the landscape in Mexico ranges from wetlands to deserts and jungle-covered plains to alpine vegetation. Much of the country consists of a 1000-2500 m high highlands, which are bordered by the Pacific and Atlantic by the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. The northern part of the plateau, which makes up 40% of the total area of Mexico, is barren and sparsely populated. In the south of the highlands there is a volcanic mountain range that extends from the Sierra Volcánica in the west through the valley of Mexico to Veracruz on the east coast. Mighty mountains rise here, some of which, like the 5700 m high Pico de Orizaba and the Popocatépetl, are still active volcanoes. 50% of the population live here.
The east and the Yucatán Peninsula are flat, with 75% of annual rainfall falling in this area. There are many lagoons and wetlands on the northwest coast, across from the Baja California peninsula, on the southwest coast of Bahía de Campeche and on the Yucatán peninsula.
Government
Presidential Federal Republic since 1917. Constitution of 1917, last constitutional amendment in 1994. Bicameral Parliament (Congreso de la Unión). The 128 members of the Senate (Camara de Senadores) are elected for six years, the 500 members of the House of Representatives (Camara Federal de Diputados) for three years. Executive power rests with the President, who appoints the cabinet and is directly elected by the people for a six-year term. His term of office overlaps that of the Senate. Each state has its own governor and an elected House of Representatives. Independence since 1821 (former Spanish colony).
Head of state
Enrique Peña Nieto, since December 2012.
Head of government
Enrique Peña Nieto, since December 2012.
Electricity
110 V, 60 Hz; American two-pole flat plug. Adapter necessary.
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is Spanish, interspersed with Aztec loan words as a colloquial language. There are also over 80 Indian languages; the most important are Náhuatl, Maya and Mixteco. A small part of the population speaks only Indian languages. English is spoken in the larger cities.
DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
The following items can be imported into Mexico duty-free:
10 cigarette packs or 25 cigars or 200 g tobacco (people over 18 years of age);
3 l spirits and 6 l wine (people over 18 years of age);
Perfume / eau de toilette / toiletries / clothing, books, 5 toys for personal use;
2 cameras / film cameras / video cameras as well as up to 1o films / DVDs / video cassettes etc.
Other goods with a total value of up to US $ 500 (entry by plane or ship) or US $ 300 (entry by land), but no alcohol and no tobacco products.
Import regulations
Psychotropic drugs only with a medical certificate in English and a copy of the prescription.
Prohibited imports
Drugs, non-canned foods, canned pork, fruits, plants, and cut flowers.
Note: A special permit from the Secretaria de la Defensa (Estado Mayor 6a. Sección, Lomas de Soleto, México) is required for the import of weapons and ammunition.
Prohibited exports
It is forbidden to export gold (except gold jewelry), antiques, archaeological finds, cacti, corals and other protected animals.
SHOP
Overview
Silverware (especially in Taxco), pottery, woolen blankets (Sarapes), colorful scarves made of wool or silk (Rebozos), richly embroidered charro hats, sombreros, gold and silver jewelry, glassware, handicrafts made of wood, tin and copper, leather, lacquer and wickerwork, onyx, men’s cotton voile shirts (guayabera s), white dresses (huipiles) embroidered with bright flowers (huipiles) sold in markets, and hammocks. The best places to shop are in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Taxco, San Miguel de Allende, Acapulco, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Mérida, and Campeche. Store
opening hours: Mexico City: Mon-Sat 9 am-8pm. Outside the capital: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
NIGHTLIFE
Introduction
Mexico City offers a variety of shopping and entertainment options. Some of the best restaurants and bars are in the hotels. The nightlife offers something for everyone: famous entertainers, international shows, jazz and rock groups, traditional Mexican music and dance performances, Spanish flamenco dancers and gypsy music. The impressive light show with fantastic sound effects in the “City of the Gods”, Teotihuacan, one of the most famous cult and archaeological sites in Mexico, is an unforgettable experience. Performances every evening from October to May.
CULTURE
Religion
76.5% Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish and Bahai minorities.
Social rules of conduct
Manners: Shake hands to greet you.
Clothing: During the day, comfortable casual clothing is widely accepted. In the seaside resorts, the dress codes for men and women are very informal, men do not need to wear a tie anywhere. Hotels and restaurants in Mexico City expect elegant clothing.
Smoking is prohibited on public transport, in restaurants, schools, taxis, airports and bus stations.
Tip: The service charge is sometimes already included in the bill. The staff need the tip in order to be able to make a living. You should give 15% if you are satisfied. If the taxi driver helps with loading or unloading the luggage or is waiting for the passenger, you should give a tip.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Three climates.
In the coastal regions, in the lowlands in southern Mexico and on the Yucatán Peninsula (Tierra Caliente) there is a tropical climate.
Temperate climate in locations between 800 and 2000 m (in the highlands, however, temperatures drop sharply at night). While the southern tip of Baja California is tropical, the north of Baja California is dominated by a cool rainy season in winter and the thermometer can even drop below zero.
At altitudes over 2000 m (Tierra Fria, Mexico City) high altitude climate. It’s cool, the temperatures are around 15 ° C. The amount of precipitation varies from region to region. It rains more on the coasts than in the higher inland.
Although Mexico is a popular travel destination all year round, most trips are booked during the dry season from October to April.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +52 Area (sq km) 1964375 Population 121 736 809 Population density (per sq km) 62 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 065