Mexico
Located to the immediate south of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, Mexico also shares borders with Belize and Guatemala. To the West, edged by the Pacific Ocean, lies the starkly beautiful Baja Peninsula and pristine Gulf of California, both heaven for ecologists. To the East, you’ll find the extensive Gulf of Mexico which flows gently into the Caribbean Sea lying off the Yucatan Peninsula.
Desert panoramas ... deeply forested rugged mountains ... high plateaus with never-ending vistas ... dense tropical jungles ... countless golden sand beaches lining endless coastlines ... wildly differing islands (some inhabited, some not) dotting the Gulf of California and Caribbean Sea ... this is Mexico.
Recent History
There’s no such thing! Mexico’s history is as rich and varied as her topography and cultures -- it would take volumes to do it justice. Hitting only the high points of a country that has been inhabited for over 20,000 years isn’t easy. But we can’t talk about Mexico without mentioning the Mayans who created the awe-inspiring ceremonial center at Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula ... or the Aztecs remembered for their advanced knowledge of mathematics and agriculture.
Unfortunately, both civilizations were conquered by aggressive Spanish explorers -- the Aztecs in 1521 by Hernan Cortes, and the Mayans by Francisco de Montejo in 1526. Then three centuries of brutal Spanish colonial exploitation followed finally ending in the early 1800s because of rebel activity. These fearless renegades negotiated independence from Spain on September 16, 1810 -- enacted a Constitution in 1817 -- and became a Republic in 1823. Sadly, only remnants of the once proud Mayan and Aztec cultures are visible today.
As history buffs know, the United States annexed Texas in 1845 causing the Mexican War which lasted two long, bloody years. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago, Mexico lost nearly one-half its territory which became what is now the American West and Southwest.
It took several rebellions and civil wars during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the country to settle into the progressive economic structure it is today. Mexico was one of the founding members of the United Nations in 1945 and, more recently, ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 , and a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in 2001. And in 2000, for the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution, the opposition defeated the party in government resulting in the election of Vincente Fox. President Fox is a staunch supporter and friend of the United States.
Return to the top.
Geography and Climate
Mexico is slightly less than three times the size of Texas at 756,066 square miles, measuring 1200 miles along its border with the United States, but only 130 miles across as its narrowest in the south. Two major peninsulas attract a large tourist population, the Yucatan in the southeast, and Baja California in the northwest. Mexico’s coastline stretches 5800 miles ... a whole lot of beach.
The high Mexican Plateau forms the core of the country and is enclosed by lofty mountain ranges -- Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, and Cordillera Neo-Volcanica where the Volcano Pico de Orizaba (inactive) is the country’s highest peak at 9500 feet.
Climate ranges from the hot moist tropical temperatures of the jungled rain forest ... to the desert dry warmth of Baja California ... to the pleasantly warm days, and perfect sleeping nights, of the mountain plateau region.
Population and Language
The latest survey (July 2003) puts the population of Mexico at 104,908,000 with 22 million in Mexico City alone. Roughly three-fifths of the people are mestizos (Spanish-Amerindian), one-third are American Indian while the remainder is made up of various European ancestries. Literacy levels are at 92.2%.
Spanish is the official language, but you will occasionally hear Nahuatl (Aztec) and Mayan in rural areas along with close to 50 different Indian tongues. English is frequently spoken in urban areas, especially those attracting a tourist trade. Brush up on your high school Spanish, or enroll in one of the many language schools popular with foreigners, and you’ll get along wherever you are.
Government and Economy
Mexico is a Federal Republic with a democratically elected President every six years. The President acts as both the chief of state and the head of government for one federal district and 31 states. The President appoints his own cabinet with the exception of the Attorney General who requires the Senatorial assent.
Two legislative houses -- the Senate (Camara de Senadores) with 128 seats, and the Federal Chamber of Deputies (Camara Federal de Diputados) with 500 seats -- are partially elected, and partially assigned, according to their party’s popular vote.
The legal system is based on a mixture of constitutional theory and civil law with the Supreme Court being appointed by the President and serving at the consent of the Senate.
A free market economy dominates the country and is largely controlled by the private sector. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since NAFTA was enacted in 1994. Including the EU Free Trade Agreement, along with several Central American treaties, and NAFTA, direct foreign investment reached $25 billion in 2001, of which $12.5 billion was generated by Citigroup’s purchase of Banamex, Mexico’s second largest bank.
The country produces more silver than any other nation in the world, and ranks seventh in crude oil reserves. The manufacturing sector concentrates on processed foods, iron and steel, petroleum, chemicals, vehicles, textiles, and electrical machinery. Farming is supported on one-eighth of the land ... but tourism increasingly forms the backbone of the economy.
The national currency is the peso which fluctuates from 9 to 12 per US$. Urban and tourist areas readily accept traveler's checks, credit cards, and US dollars. And it’s always a good idea to travel with bills in small denominations for tipping.
Infrastructure
Mexico has 1823 airports (plus 2 heliports) of which 231 have paved runways. There are 205,887 miles of highways -- 193,127 are paved. Railways total 12,510 miles, while waterways (navigable rivers and coastal canals) number 1802 miles. Fifteen ports and harbors support a healthy shipping trade along with a burgeoning cruise business.
The telephone system was privatized in 1990 but remains spotty depending on where you are. Expect tourist friendly areas to offer sophisticated facilities up to par with any worldwide destination -- base yourself in the countryside, and your service may be iffy, if at all. There are close to 3 million cell phones in use with extensive earth to satellite stations for easy access both locally and internationally. An interesting anomaly: your monthly bill includes 100 local calls ... regardless of the length. Exceed this and pay 12 cents per call, not per minute.
With close to 4 million Internet providers, you’ll have no trouble keeping in touch. Figure on about $16 per month for dial-up access. Should surfing cease to entertain, you have your choice, nationwide, of 1449 radio stations and 236 television channels. Over 50 museums (21 in Mexico City alone) cover every aspect of Mexican culture. You can also choose from ballet, classical music, festivals, theater , rock concerts, good movies -- first run selections cost around $4 per ticket.
Or thrill to the excitement of horse and dog racing, both well attended in Mexico. Gambling is legal, so can place your bets at the many tracks ... or spin the wheel, pick your numbers, and play your cards, in a large selection of casinos.
Libraries and book stores that carry English language publications are few but, once again, look in areas where tourists congregate and you’ll find what you need. Some restaurants and Internet cafes keep selections of used books and magazines for recycling among their customers. Newspapers and magazines are brought in daily from the United States -- sadly, the English language daily, “The News,” met its demise in 2003. Rumors circulate that a buyer will momentarily resurrect the paper, but so far no one has stepped forward. Perhaps this is a business worthy of your consideration.
Many major US food chain restaurants (like MacDonalds and Starbucks), several US multi- supply outlets (such as Costco and Home Depot), loads of leading fashion designers -- they’re all here. Giant shopping malls in the larger urban areas have been here for years. Dining options range from VIPS and Sanborns to gourmet restaurants with internationally acclaimed menus. Lodging options run the gamut from small inexpensive B&Bs to world renown 5 star resorts.
Once you decide where you want to permanently hang your hat, your shingle, or your dreams, you’ll discover a plethora of life style options to fit any size budget. You’ll find all the amenities you’re accustomed to in the United States, but at a considerably lower cost.
Medically, you’re in luck ... as long as you settle near an urban or tourist center, you can expect first class hospital and clinic care. US trained doctors in Mexico charge a fraction of what you’re used to paying -- General Practitioner $45 per visit, a Specialist $73, or Dentist $45 which includes a checkup and cleaning. You should look into an insurance plan called IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) -- it works on a sliding scale covering progressively more and more of your medical fees over a three year break-in period. There are no age restrictions, and the policy is renewable for life ... for a few hundred dollars per year.
Flora and Fauna
If we had the space, and you had the time, we could write a book on what Mexico has to offer. For starters, a greater variety of trees exists here than in either Canada or the United States. The short list of flora includes oyamel, torch pine, ash, oak, juniper, ahuehuete, casuarina, framboyan, salvia, palo mulato, mangroves, guayacan, coquito, coconut palm, and sapodilla ... the long list deserves its own separate article.
The animal population is also varied: tlacuaches (Mexican possums), deer, wildcats, armadillos, badgers, raccoons, boas, leopards, wild boar, tapirs, spider monkeys, mazates, squirrels, and majorras. You’ll find the occasional jaguar in the south, while pexxaries, bears, coyotes, and mountain lions still inhabit the rugged Sierra Madres mountains.
Nearly 1000 bird species exist in Mexico -- with only 9000 species in the entire world, this is an impressive number. Bird watchers will thrill to the tzentsontles (the bird of a thousand voices), kestrels, oystercatchers, yellowthroats, coots, dippers and pygmy kingfishers, to name only seven species out of the 1000 that are here.
Sports and Recreation
Whatever your interests, chances are they’re available some place in Mexico. From the tame -- birding, whale watching, hiking, and boating ... to the traditional -- baseball, golf, tennis, horseback riding, soccer (futbol), fishing, swimming, and snorkeling ... to the adventurous -- eco tours, off road, scuba diving, kayaking, surfing, hunting ... to the downright crazy -- rock climbing and bungee jumping. Want to learn how to play Jai Alai? You can do that too.
To visit or live in Mexico, and not take advantage of her many cultural offerings, is like spending time in Hawaii and avoiding the beaches. Museums, archaeologically preserved Mayan ruins, traditional dance performances, concerts, lectures, exhibits ... whatever your pleasure, it’s here. Yearning to express your inner self ? Sign up for a course at one of the many art schools. People who’ve never written before, do so here ... poets are born ... expression of all kinds is encouraged.
Time
Depending on where you are, you may need to reset your watch three times because Mexico spans three time zones ... and they observe daylight savings.
Electricity
Mexico uses the same system as the United States -- 120 v, 60 hz -- and the same plugs with two flat prongs, and occasionally a third rounded one for grounding. If traveling with delicate electronic equipment (a laptop for instance), you might want to include a small surge protector or voltage regulator, something that’s smart to do regardless of where you’re going.
Getting There
Many airlines service a large number of Mexican cities on a nonstop basis from the United States and Canada. You can easily fly direct from Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto. Most flights land in Mexico City, but you can also travel nonstop to Leon, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Acapulco, and Aguascalientes. Your airline selection includes American, United, Continental, Delta, and the two carriers of Mexico, Aeromexico and Mexicana, both of which operate code shares with a few of the majors.
If you’re traveling from Europe -- and don’t want to connect via a United States hub -- most of the European airlines fly nonstop to Mexico City departing from London, Paris, Amsterdam or Madrid. Aeromexico has a code share agreement with Air France.
You can also drive to Mexico, but should expect a fair amount of paper work should you enter the country with a car bearing American license plates. Even though you’ve covered yourself with US auto insurance, you’ll still need a Mexican policy in addition. Or you can arrive by cruise ship at one of the country’s increasingly popular ports.
Customs and Immigration
The Mexican Tourist permit, known as the “FMT,” is easily obtained on your airline flight, or at your point of entry. A FMT allows you to stay in Mexico for 90 days with a renewal of up to 180 days. If you’re buying a vacation home, or making a straight investment that doesn’t necessarily require your presence, the FMT should work.
If you are investing in a business, or planning to retire and live in Mexico a good portion of the year, or are receiving a verifiable outside income on a regular basis, then acquiring an Immigration Permit is the way to go. Any one of the following conditions makes you eligible:
*** Retire to your newly adopted country, assuming you are over 50, don’t work in Mexico, and receive funds from abroad (pension, other investments, or some sort of fixed income), and you can apply for a permit. You’ll need to prove regular finances of at least 400 times the minimum daily wage. With local wages at roughly $3.90 per day, this amounts to around $1500 per month...
*** Invest in Mexico and her future, concentrate on the industry or service sectors and you’ll need to commit capital equivalent to 40,000 times the daily wage in Mexico City where salaries are higher. This entails an investment of at least $175,000...
*** If you’re a scientist or technician, involved in either a commercial or educational venture, you may qualify for an Immigration Permit...
*** If you’re an artist, or qualified (professional) sportsman, you may also be considered. Each case is judged individually by the Minister of the Interior...
*** Or you can own a second home for vacation purposes only, forget the entire immigration process, and use the tourist permit supplied by your airline...
Your Immigration Permit is good for up to a year. Once qualified, you’re allowed to renew your permit annually for a maximum of five years. After you’ve passed the five year mark, you’ll automatically receive resident status, called a “FM2,” with the same rights as a local citizen, except the right to vote. Your FM2 permit looks similar to a Mexican passport and allows you to cross borders just like a National ... but still hold on to your US or Canadian passport and travel abroad as often as you like.
What to Bring
Casual is always correct in Mexico. Men seldom wear a jacket unless attending a formal business function. Women might “dress up” in a smart, or festive, skirt (either long or short) for special restaurant evenings and the occasional soiree. In the coastal areas popular with tourists, almost anything goes.
Given the cooler climate in the central mountains, you might want to add a light sweater or windbreaker for the evenings. Comfortable walking shoes are always good during the day for exploring, and to stroll the sometimes cobble stoned streets.
If you’re sun sensitive, or plan to bask on Mexico’s many beaches, throw in a sun hat along with sunscreen. Bug bites are seldom an issue, but you might want to bring a small bottle of repellent to be on the safe side.
More important than any of the above? Be sure to bring your sense of curiosity ... your willingness to learn about a unique country known for its ancient cultures and exotic ethnicity ... and your desire to experience a Mexico the locals know and love, and are eager to share with you.