Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a North American country considered part of Central America by the UN geoscheme. As the northernmost Latin American nation, it borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. It also has maritime boundaries with the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Covering 1,972,550 km2, Mexico is the thirteenth-largest country globally. With over 130 million residents, it is the tenth-most populous country and has the largest number of native Spanish speakers. Its capital and largest city is Mexico City, one of the world's most populous metropolitan areas.
In 1900, the Mexican population was a little more than 13 million.
From 1910–20 Corridos were particularly popular during the Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution (c. 1910–1920) greatly impacted population growth.
The Mexican Revolution was a decade-long transformational conflict. It began with scattered uprisings against President Díaz after the fraudulent 1910 election.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico was officially established in 1910, becoming one of the most important institutes of higher learning in Mexico.
In May 1911, President Díaz resigned, rebel forces demobilized, an interim presidency occurred, and Francisco I. Madero was democratically elected in the fall.
After the turmoil in Mexico from 1810 to 1876, the 35-year rule of Liberal General Porfirio Díaz (r.1876–1911) allowed Mexico to rapidly modernize in a period characterized as one of "order and progress".
In February 1913, a military coup d'état overthrew Madero's government, with the support of the U.S., resulting in Madero's murder by agents of Federal Army General Victoriano Huerta.
In March 1913, Democrat Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as president, Wilson refused to recognize Huerta's regime and allowed arms sales to the Constitutionalists.
In 1914, a coalition of anti-Huerta forces in the North, the Constitutional Army led by Governor of Coahuila Venustiano Carranza, and a peasant army in the South under Emiliano Zapata defeated the Federal Army.
In 1915, Carranza's best general Alvaro Obregón defeated Villa, his former comrade-in-arms, in the Battle of Celaya, and Villa's northern forces melted away. After Pancho Villa was defeated by revolutionary forces in 1915, he led an incursion raid into Columbus, New Mexico, prompting the U.S. to send 10,000 troops led by General John J. Pershing in an unsuccessful attempt to capture Villa.
In 1916, the winners of the Mexican revolution met at a constitutional convention to draft the Constitution of 1917.
The Constitution of 1917 was ratified in February 1917, empowering the government and strengthening anticlerical provisions.
As president, Calles provoked a major conflict with the Catholic Church and Catholic guerrilla armies when he strictly enforced anticlerical articles of the 1917 Constitution.
In 1917, The United Mexican States operates as a federation with a representative, democratic, and republican government based on a presidential system, as defined by its Constitution.
In 1917, the current constitution used the name Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which has been translated as "United Mexican States".
The 1910-1920 Mexican Revolution led to the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz and the adoption of the 1917 Constitution in 1917.
The Constitution of 1917 placed limits on the role of the Catholic Church in Mexico, though Catholicism remained the dominant religion.
In 1919, President Carranza had peasant leader Emiliano Zapata assassinated.
In 1920, Obregón and other generals overthrew Carranza, who died fleeing Mexico City, and General Adolfo de la Huerta became interim president, followed by the election of General Álvaro Obregón.
The 1910-1920 Mexican Revolution led to the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz and the adoption of the 1917 Constitution.
The first quarter-century of the post-revolutionary period (1920–1946) was characterized by revolutionary generals serving as Presidents of Mexico, including Álvaro Obregón.
The 1921 census reported a loss of about 1 million inhabitants due to the Mexican Revolution.
In 1924, Plutarco Elías Calles became president.
In 1925, José Vasconcelos defined Mexico and Latin America as a melting pot of all races in his book La Raza Cósmica (The Cosmic Race), extending the definition of mestizo biologically and culturally.
In 1928, Obregón won the elections but was assassinated by a Catholic activist, causing a political crisis of succession.
From 1929 to 1973, twelve institutes were integrated into UNAM.
In 1929, Calles founded the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
In 1929, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was founded to unite factions of the Mexican Revolution.
The period known as the Maximato started in 1929.
In 1934, Lázaro Cárdenas became president.
The period known as the Maximato ended in 1934.
The National Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1936.
In March 1938, the Mexican oil expropriation occurred, which nationalized the U.S. and Anglo-Dutch oil company known as the Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company.
In 1939, the National Action Party (PAN) was founded as a conservative party.
In 1940, Manuel Avila Camacho became president.
Manuel Ávila Camacho became president in 1940.
In 1943, María Candelaria by Emilio Fernández, was produced.
From 1946, the election of Miguel Alemán, the first civilian president in the post-revolutionary period, Mexico embarked on an aggressive program of economic development, known as the Mexican miracle.
In 1946, María Candelaria was one of the first films awarded a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The first quarter-century of the post-revolutionary period (1920–1946) was characterized by revolutionary generals serving as Presidents of Mexico, including Manuel Avila Camacho.
From 1947 to 1965, Luis Buñuel realized masterpieces like Los Olvidados in Mexico.
In 1949, Luis Buñuel realized the masterpiece Los Olvidados.
Between 1950 and 1980, Mexico experienced growth rates of over 3%.
In 1952, the Ballet Folklórico de México was founded. It performs music and dance from the prehispanic period through the Mexican Revolution, showcasing regional attire in the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
From 1958 to 1965, bilingual government radio stations broadcasting in Spanish and indigenous languages were used as a tool for indigenous education.
In 1959, the Mexican Academy of Sciences was created to coordinate scientific efforts between academics.
In 1961, Luis Buñuel realized the masterpiece Viridiana.
Since 1962, DINA S.A. has been building buses and trucks.
Between 1965 and 2015, over 16 million Mexicans migrated to the United States, representing one of the largest mass migrations in modern history.
From 1947 to 1965, Luis Buñuel realized masterpieces like Los Olvidados in Mexico.
In 1968, Mexico signed the Treaty of Tlatelolco, abandoning the possibility of manufacturing nuclear weapons and pledging to use its nuclear technology only for peaceful purposes.
In 1968, the native rock culture merged into the larger countercultural and political movement culminating in the 1968 protests and redirected into counterculture rebellion, La Onda (the wave).
In 1968, unrest included the Tlatelolco massacre.
Mexico City hosted the XIX Olympic Games in 1968, becoming the first Latin American city to host the games. The government invested heavily in sporting facilities and infrastructure for the event.
Mexico hosted the 1968 Summer Olympics, leading to the Tlatelolco Massacre of student protesters.
From 1929 to 1973, twelve institutes were integrated into UNAM.
Carlos Chávez (1899–1978), the most well-known Mexican composer of the twentieth century, died. He composed six symphonies with indigenous themes and founded the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional.
In 1979, the Instituto Nacional Indigenista established a national network of bilingual radio stations.
Between 1950 and 1980, Mexico experienced growth rates of over 3%. Also in 1980 Mexico had growth rates of over 3%.
In 1980, Luis Barragán, who combined the shape of space with forms of rural vernacular architecture of Mexico and Mediterranean countries, integrating color that handles light and shade, won the Pritzker Prize, the highest award in architecture.
In 1980, oil exports accounted for 61.6% of total exports.
In 1982, Mexico's population was reported to be 70 million.
In 1987, Teotihuacan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a prime example of ancient pyramid construction.
Following the contested 1988 elections and massive protests over alleged electoral fraud, Carlos Salinas de Gortari took the oath of office in December 1988.
In 1989, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) was founded as a left-wing party.
In 1990, Mario Vargas Llosa famously described the PRI as the "perfect dictatorship", highlighting the challenges to the party's long-standing hegemony.
Telmex (Teléfonos de México), previously a government monopoly, was privatized in 1990.
In 1992, Article 2 of the Constitution of Mexico was amended, defining Mexico as a pluricultural country and emphasizing the role of indigenous Mexicans.
In 1992, the film Como agua para chocolate was released, achieving international recognition.
On January 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted, and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) began an armed peasant rebellion in Chiapas against the federal government.
In 1994, unrest included the Zapatista uprising, and the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) marked a shift towards neoliberalism.
Mexico joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1994.
In 1995, the Mexican chemist Mario J. Molina shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Paul J. Crutzen and F. Sherwood Rowland for their work in atmospheric chemistry.
In 1996, the San Andrés Accords were established, granting autonomy, recognition, and rights to the indigenous population of Mexico, following the Zapatista Army of National Liberation's push against the mestizaje ideology.
In 1997, 47% of Catholics in Mexico attended church services weekly.
By the end of 1999, major macroeconomic reforms initiated by Ernesto Zedillo led to a rapid economic recovery, with growth peaking at almost 7%.
In 1999, the film Sex, Shame, and Tears was released, achieving international recognition.
Around the year 2000, it was expected that the population of Mexico would reach 120 million people, based on the doubling of the population within twenty years.
By 2000, oil exports accounted for 7.3% of total exports.
In 2000, after 71 years of rule, the PRI lost the presidential election to Vicente Fox of the PAN.
Since 2000, more than 100 journalists and media workers have been killed or disappeared, with most of these crimes remaining unsolved.
After the slowdown of 2001, the country recovered.
In 2001, the film Y tu mamá también was released, achieving international recognition.
Between 2002 and 2012, the Mexican electronics exports grew 73%.
In 2002, Mexico had the second-fastest rate of deforestation in the world, only behind Brazil.
In 2002, the film The Crime of Father Amaro was released, achieving international recognition.
In March 2003, the National Indigenous Languages Institute was created in Mexico to promote and protect the use of indigenous languages.
Since 2003, anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation have been in place in Mexico.
In 2004, Mexico's economy grew by 4.2 percent.
In 2005, Mexico presented its gastronomy for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; however, the bid was initially unsuccessful because the committee did not properly emphasize the importance of corn in Mexican cuisine.
In 2005, Mexico's economy grew by 3.0 percent.
In 2005, there were only 115,000 square meters of solar PV (photo-voltaic) panels installed in Mexico.
From 2006 to 2010, the portion of Mexicans who live in poverty rose from 18%–19% to 46% (52 million people).
In 2006, Felipe Calderón from the PAN was declared the winner of the presidential election by a narrow margin over Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who contested the results and pledged to create an "alternative government".
In 2006, Mexico's economy grew by 4.8 percent.
In 2006, trade with the United States and Canada accounted for almost 50% of Mexico's exports and 45% of its imports.
Since 2006, Mexico's drug war has been ongoing, resulting in over 120,000 deaths and approximately 37,000 missing persons.
Since 2006, approximately 127,000 deaths have been caused by ongoing conflict between drug trafficking syndicates.
According to a Goldman Sachs report published in 2007, by 2050 Mexico will have the 5th largest economy in the world.
Most of the 100,000 people officially listed as missing in Mexico as of May 2022, disappeared since 2007 when President Calderón attempted to stop the drug cartels.
Since 2007, 130,000 people have disappeared and are considered missing.
According to a 2008 UN report, the average income in a typical urbanized area of Mexico was $26,654, while the average income in rural areas just miles away was only $8,403.
In 2008, Mexico contributed over 40 million dollars to the United Nations regular budget.
Remittances from Mexican citizens working in the United States dipped during the 2008 Great Recession.
In August 2010, Mexico surpassed France to become the 9th largest holder of US debt.
In November 2010, Mexican gastronomy was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
From 2006 to 2010, the portion of Mexicans who live in poverty rose from 18%–19% to 46% (52 million people).
In 2010, Chile gained full membership to the OECD, making Mexico no longer the only Latin American member.
In 2010, nearly 1 million foreigners had settled in Mexico.
In 2011, Mexico was the second-largest exporter of electronics to the United States, exporting $71.4 billion worth of electronics.
Between 2002 and 2012, the Mexican electronics exports grew 73%.
Following the 2012 elections, Andrés Manuel López Obrador founded the new political party MORENA.
In 2012, the PRI regained the presidency with the election of Enrique Peña Nieto, who won with a plurality of around 38% without a legislative majority.
In 2013, a major reform of the telecommunications industry occurred, which included the creation of new broadcast television channels. This reform aimed to address the longstanding limitation on the number of networks, dominated by Televisa, TV Azteca, and Imagen Television, and to allow entry of foreign satellite and cable companies. Mexico also became the first Latin American country to transition from analog to all digital transmissions.
On September 26, 2014, the mass kidnapping of 43 students in Iguala triggered nationwide protests against the government's weak response to the disappearances and widespread corruption that gives free rein to criminal organizations.
Between 1965 and 2015, over 16 million Mexicans migrated to the United States, representing one of the largest mass migrations in modern history.
In 2015, an estimated 8.3 million citizens of Mexico spoke indigenous languages.
In 2015, while approximately 24 million Mexicans studied English, only 5% of the population had a high level of proficiency.
In September 2016, Kia opened a $1 billion factory in Nuevo León, and Audi opened an assembling plant in Puebla.
In 2016, Mexico City dropped its designation as the Federal District and began the process of achieving greater political autonomy by becoming a federal entity with its own constitution and congress.
As of 2017, Mexico was the 6th most visited country in the world and had the 15th highest income from tourism globally.
In 2017, the population of Mexico reached 123.5 million inhabitants.
In December 2018, the SEGH-CFE 1 project located in Puerto Libertad, Sonora was completed and has a capacity of 46.8 MW from an array of 187,200 solar panels.
In 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) won the presidential election with over 50% of the vote, leading a coalition that also secured a majority in both Congress chambers.
In 2018, it was estimated that 54.9% of Mexico's land was agricultural, with 11.8% arable, 1.4% in permanent crops, 41.7% permanent pasture, and 33.3% forest.
In 2018, the literacy rate in Mexico was 94.86%.
Since 2018, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) has been the ruling party in Mexico.
The daily minimum wage was set at 88.15 pesos in 2018.
Within the period between 2018 and 2022, CONEVAL registered a 5.6% decrease in poverty rate.
In April 2019, Daniela Soto-Innes was named the best female chef in the world by The World's Best 50 Restaurants.
According to the OECD's own poverty line, 20% of Mexico's population lived in a situation of poverty in 2019.
In 2019, Mexico had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.82/10, ranking it 63rd globally out of 172 countries.
In 2019, approximately 11.7 million Mexicans resided outside Mexico, with the vast majority (98–99%) located in the U.S.
In 2019, the Mexican Federal Police was dissolved and replaced by the National Guard, formed from units of the Federal Police, Military Police, and Naval Police.
In 2019, the National Guard was formed from the disbanded Federal Police and military police of the Army and Navy.
The Villanueva solar park in Coahuila which opened in 2019, is the largest solar power plant in the Americas with a capacity of 828 MW.
On 28 February 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was recorded in Mexico.
In December 2020, the COVID-19 vaccination program began in Mexico.
A 2020 BBC report provided statistics on crime in Mexico, indicating that 10.7 million households had at least one victim of crime.
According to Mexico's 2020 census, 19.4% of the population identified as indigenous, and 6.1% spoke an Indigenous language. Afro-Mexicans accounted for 2.04% of the population, while Asians and Middle Easterners each made up around 1%.
In 2020, Mexico had 48 metropolitan areas, housing approximately 53% of the country's population. The Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico, or Greater Mexico City, had a population of 21.8 million, about 18% of the national population.
In 2020, an estimated 1.2 million foreigners had settled in Mexico.
In 2020, as part of a push against government corruption, the ex-CEO of Pemex, Emilio Lozoya Austin, was arrested.
In 2020, the life expectancy in Mexico increased to 75 years.
In the 2020 census, 77.8% of the Mexican population (97,864,218) identified as Catholic, while 11.2% (14,095,307) belonged to Protestant/Evangelical Christian denominations, and 8.1% (9,488,671) declared having no religion.
In the 2020 census, Mexico had 58,876 Jews, 7,982 Muslims, and 36,764 people belonging to a spiritualist religion, including a small Buddhist population. About 74,000 people practiced religions with "ethnic roots."
In 2021, Mexico officially received 68,000 new immigrants, marking a 16% increase from the previous year.
Remittances from Mexican citizens working in the United States dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
As of May 2022, 100,000 people are officially listed as missing in Mexico.
As of 2022, Mexico is the sixth most-visited country in the world, with 42.2 million international arrivals.
As of 2022, the National Guard numbered 110,000 personnel.
In 2022, Mexico was building a new oil refinery.
In 2022, Mexico's estimated population was 129,150,971 people, per the National Geography and Statistics Institute.
Since 2022, Mexico has fully recognized same-sex marriage nationwide.
The 2022 report noted that while environmental protection laws have improved in major cities, they remain unenforced or unregulated in rural regions.
Within the period between 2018 and 2022, CONEVAL registered a 5.6% decrease in poverty rate.
As of 2023, Mexico's military expenditures are approximately 0.6% of its GDP.
In 2023, CONEVAL reported that the country's poverty rate has been decreasing in recent years.
In 2023, Elena Reygadas was recognized as a top chef.
In 2023, Mexico was in the top 15 highest greenhouse gas emitters, contributing over 5 million tonnes, or 1.4% of the global total.
In 2023, the World Bank reported that Mexico's gross national income in market exchange rates was the second highest in Latin America after Brazil at US$1,744,711.4 million.
In October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico's president, becoming the first woman to lead the country.
As of 2024, there are approximately 220,000 armed forces personnel in Mexico.
In 2024, Mexico was ranked 56th in the Global Innovation Index.
In the 2024 general election, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) won a second term.
The daily minimum wage was set at $248.93 Mexican pesos (US$13.24) in 2024 ($375 in the country's northern border).
As of April 2025, Mexico has the 15th largest nominal GDP (US$1.693 trillion) and the 13th largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) (US$3.396 trillion).
In August 2025, demonstrations were held all around Mexico, in protest over the 130,000 people who have disappeared and considered missing since 2007.
In 2025, Mexico's population was estimated by the UN to have grown to 131,946,900 people.
The first judicial election in Mexico occurred in 2025, where judges pre-selected by Congress were elected by popular vote.
Mexico has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030, with an increased target of 40% conditional upon external support.
According to a Goldman Sachs report published in 2007, by 2050 Mexico will have the 5th largest economy in the world.
Mexico has committed to net zero by 2050.
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