Mexico – General info

Mexico – General information

Area: 1,964,375 km² (figures vary slightly depending on the source, around 1.96–1.97 million km²).

Population: around 130 to 133 million (as of 2026) – significantly more than the previously mentioned 106 million (as of 2005).

Population density: around 67–70 per km².

Capital: Mexico City (Ciudad de México).

Residents of Mexico City: The core city has around 9 million inhabitants, the metropolitan region (Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México) today has around 22 million people – one of the largest conurbations in the world.

Geography: Mexico is bordered by 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. To the south, Mexico occupies half of the Central American land bridge. Mexico’s scenic diversity ranges from wetlands to deserts and jungle-covered plains to alpine vegetation.

Much of the country consists of a 1,000–2,500 m high highland, bordered by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans by the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. The northern part of the plateau, which accounts for about 40% of Mexico’s total area, is barren and sparsely populated. In the south of the highlands, a volcanic mountain range runs from the Sierra Volcánica in the west through the valley of Mexico to Veracruz on the east coast, with mighty, partly still active volcanoes such as the 5,636 m high Pico de Orizaba (highest mountain in Mexico) and the Popocatépetl, which has been repeatedly active since the 1990s and is regularly monitored. Around half of the population lives in this central volcanic region.

Further south, on the slopes and plains of the sparsely populated isthmus of Tehuantepec, agriculture is practiced. The east and the Yucatán Peninsula are flat; around 75% of the country’s annual rainfall falls here. There are numerous lagoons and wetlands on the northwest coast opposite the Baja California peninsula, on the southwest coast of the Bahía de Campeche and on the Yucatán Peninsula.

Form of government: Presidential Federal Republic since 1917, constitution of 1917 with numerous subsequent amendments (including comprehensive judicial and electoral reforms in 2024). Bicameral parliament (Congreso de la Unión) with Senate (128 members, six years in office) and Chamber of Deputies (500 members, three years in office).

Current head of state and government: Claudia Sheinbaum, in office since October 1, 2024 – the first woman to head the Mexican state since its independence and the first president with Jewish family roots. The physicist and former mayor of Mexico City won the 2024 presidential election with around 60% of the vote for the left-wing ruling party Morena and has since enjoyed consistently high approval ratings, partly due to falling murder rates and expanded social programs.

Executive power lies with the president, who appoints the cabinet. Each of the 32 states (including Mexico City as an independent entity) has its own governor or head of government and an elected House of Representatives. Proclamation of independence in 1810 (former Spanish colony).

Language: The official language is Spanish, interspersed colloquially with numerous loanwords originating from Aztec (Náhuatl). In addition, there are over 60 officially recognized indigenous languages; the most important are Náhuatl, various Mayan languages and Mixteco. A smaller, but still significant part of the population speaks primarily or exclusively an indigenous language. English is understood mainly in larger cities and tourist regions.

Religion: around 78% Roman Catholic (the proportion has fallen noticeably compared to the previously mentioned 89%); in addition, there are growing Protestant Evangelical, Jewish and other religious minorities as well as an increasing proportion of non-denominational Mexicans.

Local time: Mexico continues to span several time zones (Central, Pacific and Mountain Time depending on the region); since 2022, Mexico has largely abolished daylight saving time nationwide (with the exception of some border regions with the USA, which follow the US rhythm to facilitate trade) – an important difference from the previously described system with a semi-annual time change. Travelers should check the exact regulation, which varies depending on the state, before traveling.

Mains voltage: 110/120 V, 60 Hz; American two-pin flat plug, adapter required.

Money – Currency: Mexican peso.

Postal and telecommunications: International direct dial is standard, country code 52. Today’s mobile networks are consistently based on modern LTE/5G standards; the separate AMPS and GSM 1900 networks of individual providers that were previously relevant are technically obsolete – SIM cards from major providers (including Telcel, AT&T Mexico, Movistar) are easily available nationwide. Internet access is available practically everywhere in cities and tourist regions, and Wi-Fi is free in most hotels and many public areas.

Mexico – Security (important current note)

This information was completely missing from the original article, but it is indispensable for an up-to-date travel page about Mexico: For about two decades, Mexico has been affected by an ongoing conflict between drug cartels and between cartels and state security forces, which has repeatedly led to high numbers of victims since the mid-2000s (intensified since the “drug war” that began in 2006).

According to available sources, the nationwide murder rate has recently decreased noticeably under President Sheinbaum (reports speak of a decrease of around a quarter compared to the same period last year), but the security situation remains very different from region to region: Popular tourist regions such as Mexico City (historic center), Yucatán with Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, as well as many colonial cities in the highlands are still considered to be generally easy to visit, while individual northern border regions and certain states (including parts of Sinaloa, Guerrero, Michoacán, Tamaulipas) have an increased security risk and are sometimes subject to explicit travel warnings.

Before every trip to Mexico, it is therefore essential to take an up-to-date look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office, as the assessment of individual regions can change and sometimes varies very smallly.

Mexico – Climate

In spring and summer, it is very warm in large parts of the central highlands, but not extremely hot – Mexico City itself is located at an altitude of around 2,240 m. The hottest months are usually March to May, with temperatures around 27 to 30 degrees; light summer clothing is appropriate.

In the rainy season between about May/June and October, there can be heavy showers and wet and cold phases in the afternoon, with temperatures around 20 degrees and below – a light rain jacket and a thin sweater are then useful.

In winter, temperatures in the highlands sometimes drop below 8 degrees in the morning and evening; a warmer sweater is then appropriate. After the end of the rainy season, it will be mostly sunny, during the day temperatures will rise again to 23 to 25 degrees.

There is a tropical climate up to an altitude of around 1,000 m, a subtropical climate between 1,000 and 2,000 m, and a temperate climate above that. In the north of the country, there are cold winters and hot summers. In the Central Plateau, strong thunderstorms are often to be expected during the rainy season from May to September. The hottest months in Mexico City are usually April to June.

Mexico – Fauna & Flora

Mexico’s wildlife is as rich in species as its flora. The fauna includes numerous species of monkeys such as howler monkeys and spider monkeys, as well as bears, beavers, flamingos, deer, jaguars, iguanas, lynxes, coyotes, crocodiles, ocelots, peccaries, pelicans, prairie wolves, pumas, herons, scorpions, spiders, various species of toads, turtles, tapirs and snakes – including 13 different species of rattlesnakes alone. The bird life is particularly rich in species, supported by the fish-rich coastal waters.

Wolves and coyotes are mainly found in the north of the country. The forests of the mountain slopes are home to ocelots, jaguars, pumas, coatis, peccaries and various species of monkeys. Crocodiles and turtles are at home in lagoons and swamps, and seals, flamingos, herons and pelicans on the coasts. Parrots, hummingbirds and other bird species are exceptionally abundant in the tropical rainforests.

Flora: Mexico is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world. Due to the size of the country, the different altitudes and various climate zones, the vegetation is correspondingly diverse: There are over 30,000 plant species, including around 4,000 of the approximately 6,000 known cactus species worldwide. The nopal cactus is considered the symbol of Mexico; the north is also home to the candelabra cactus, which is up to 15 m high and 70 cm thick.

Slash-and-burn agriculture, timber harvesting, river diversions, as well as agriculture and livestock farming have led to significant changes in vegetation; tree populations have historically been severely decimated, but there are still large contiguous forest areas, especially in the southern states. The tree line in Mexico is about 3,500 m.

Different regions have predominant vegetation forms: the rainy slopes of the Cordillera with rainforest, which at higher altitudes transitions from mixed forest (pine, oak, juniper) to pure coniferous forest; the Baja California peninsula, which is characterized by cactus steppes; thorn bush vegetation with cacti, agaves, yucca palms and mesquite in the north; as well as tropical rainforest and jungle with precious woods such as mahogany and zapote in the south (Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco). In the state of Chiapas there are about 200 species of oak and 40 species of pine, in the lowlands of Tabasco there are extensive swamps, on the Yucatán peninsula mainly dry forest and thorn bush savannah.

The classic classification according to altitude levels remains valid: The “Tierra Caliente” (hot country, up to about 900 m) with temperature fluctuations of 15 to 48 °C, characterized by palm trees and mangroves in the south and coniferous forest and savannahs in the north, with cultivation of bananas, tropical fruits, cocoa, vanilla, sugar cane, tobacco and cotton. The “Tierra Templada” (temperate land, approx. 900–1,800 m, average temperature 16–21 °C) is home to most of the Mexican states, with deciduous forests as well as sugar cane, cotton and coffee cultivation. The “Tierra Fría” (cold land, approx. 1,800–2,700 m, average temperature 15–17 °C) includes Mexico City and parts of Chiapas.

Mexico – History, Culture, Art

The first Spanish expeditions under Francisco Hernández de Córdova and Juan de Grijalva reached the Yucatán Peninsula in 1517 and 1518. The newly discovered advanced civilizations and rich gold treasures aroused the interest of the Spaniards on the mainland.

Between 1519 and 1521, Hernán Cortés succeeded in overthrowing the Aztec Empire with the help of numerous allied indigenous peoples. Mexico then became the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

In 1810, independence from Spain was proclaimed, which led to a long war of independence, which led to final independence in 1821.

In the period that followed, Mexico lost large parts of its territory, among other things through territorial sales and the American-Mexican invasion (1846–1848), as a result of which large parts of what is now the southwest of the USA fell to the United States.

In the 1860s, the country was occupied by France and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico was installed as ruler. President Benito Juárez, who was initially expelled by the French, ended the imperial era by executing Maximilian in 1867.

The long-standing dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910/11. The revolutionary forces defeated the government army, but subsequently got into internal power struggles; the country fell into recurrent unrest for about two decades. At the end of this consolidation phase, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) controlled the country almost continuously until the end of the 20th century.

From 2000: With the election victory of Vicente Fox (PAN Party) in 2000, more than 70 years of uninterrupted PRI rule ended – a historic democratic change of power. Fox ruled until 2006, followed by his party colleague Felipe Calderón (2006–2012), who declared the armed “drug war” against the powerful cartels shortly after taking office – a conflict that still has significant effects on parts of the country today (see chapter “Security” above).

From 2012 to 2018, the PRI returned to power with Enrique Peña Nieto. In 2018, the left-wing Andrés Manuel López Obrador (known as “AMLO”, Morena party) won the presidential election in a historic landslide victory and ruled until 2024 with a focus on social programs, anti-corruption policies and a controversial judicial reform.

Since 2024: In the 2024 presidential election, AMLO’s successor Claudia Sheinbaum prevailed with around 60% of the vote and was sworn in on October 1, 2024 as the first female president in Mexican history (see above for details). Her government has so far enjoyed consistently high approval ratings, but has to deal with significant foreign policy challenges, especially in relation to the US under President Trump (customs and trade issues, migration and security policy).

Mexico – Food & Drink

Mexican cuisine is particularly tasty and versatile; since 2010, it has also been on the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – a recognition that did not exist at the time of the original article. The famous tacos and quesadillas are offered everywhere in the streets.

Mexican cuisine is characterized by the synthesis of Aztec and Spanish-colonial elements, which are also influenced by Mayan traditions in the south. Regionally, there are big differences between the coast and the central highlands, the chili-loving south and the more beef-oriented north.

The most important meal of the day is traditionally lunch, with a correspondingly long lunch break; in the evening, often only a smaller snack is consumed.

As an appetizer or snack, the tacos and quesadillas offered at street stalls are popular at any time of the day or night. In larger cities, a sophisticated upscale Mexican gastronomic scene has also established itself, which is increasingly gaining international recognition (several Mexican restaurants are now among the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”).

In a hot, tropical country like Mexico, fruits and certain vegetables play a paramount role in the kitchen.

Tap water is still not readily suitable for drinking in large parts of Mexico; bottled water (agua purificada) is available everywhere and is the safer choice for travelers.

Horchata, a sweet, cool rice and cinnamon drink introduced by the Spaniards, is popular. Other common alcoholic beverages include beer, tequila, mezcal and pulque.

Note: All information on population figures, political offices, security situation and other current developments is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date, binding information, it is highly recommended to take a look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling.