Mexico .
The country of Mexico is our southern neighbor. It borders the US, Guatemala, and Belize. It is a federal republic operating under a centralized government. The capital is Mexico City, which is located in the south central section of the country. In all, Mexico is made of 31 states and 1 federal district.
Mexico has a wide variety of land types. They range from high terrain, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and deserts. The high terrain, mountain areas, and deserts are found in central portions of the country, while the low coastal plains can be found along both its eastern and western borders. 39% of the land is meadows and pastures, 24% is forest and woodland, 12% is arable land, 1% is permanent crops, and the remaining 24% is other various forms. Of all of Mexico's land, 12% of it is tillable, and 1% is being used for crops annually. Most of this land is located in the southern part of the country. 51,500 sq km of land is irrigated, which aids with farming in areas where water is scarce.
As of 1995, the population of Mexico was estimated at 93,985,848 people. Of these, 37% were 0-14 years old, 59% were 15-64 years old, and 4% were 65 and older. Also as of 1995, the birth to death rate for every 1,000 people was 26.64 to 4.64. The life expectancy for the total population was 73.34 years, which came out to 69.74 for males and 77.11 for females.
Mexico has many resources, both natural and agricultural. Its natural resources are petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, and timber. Even though most of the country has poor soil, the areas that do produce a wide variety of crops. Some are corn, wheat, tobacco, cotton, oranges, coffee, rice, and sorghum. Also, the many meadows and pastures provide an ample food source for raising beef cattle and goats. Along coastal areas, fishing provides work for many people.
