Essay Wow!

Political

Government and politics of Mexico takes place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic. The President is both head of state and head of government and the commander in chief of the military. The divisions include state governors and town presidents also known as mayors. The current president is Vicente Fox, who was elected in 2000. Presidential term in Mexico is six years. There seems to be a constant risk of corrupt government in Mexico. Although it is said that the highest levels of corruption exist in middle government levels and officials, it also exists in the federal government and accusations have been directed to the president. These corruption accusations and actual reported cases range from bribes to embezzlement.

Economic

According to the World Bank, Mexico ranks 13th in the world in regard to GDP and have the fourth largest per capita income in Latin America just after Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica. Mexico has established itself as an upper middle-income country. Although it experienced an economic crisis in 1994 to 1995, it made an impressive recovery. The poverty level has dropped from 24.2% to 17.6% in the general population.

Mexico has a mixed economy and has recently entered the trillion dollar class. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution and airports. Mexico is the fourth largest oil producer in the world. Mexico participates in NAFTA since 1994 and 85% of its trade is with the United States and Canada. Ongoing concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities in the impoverished southern states. Mexico continues to struggle with such issues as economic control and development. Corruption at certain levels of the administration and crime continue to be chronic problems.

Physical environment

Mexico is in the southwestern part of North America and is roughly triangular in shape. It is bordered by the United States to the North, and Belize and Guatemala to the Southeast. The center of Mexico is a great plateau, open to the north, with mountain chains to the east and west and with ocean-front lowlands lying outside of them. Mexico is about one-fourth the size of the United States.

Most of Mexico is mountainous and has little good agricultural land. The country also lacks in river systems, it only has one main river that provides a trade route with Mexico City. The climate varies from tropical to desert. Many natural hazards exist, including tsunamis along the Pacific Coast, volcanoes and earthquakes in the central and southern regions and hurricanes in the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts.

Natural fresh water resources are scarce and polluted in the north. There is deforestation and deteriorating agricultural lands. There is also a problem with serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along the US-Mexico border.

Cultural

Mexico is rich in regional cultures. Every region in the country has a distinct culture, languages and arts. Dancing and music is a big part of the Mexican culture. The Mexican people are family and people oriented. They also have a strong dedication to family especially mothers, wives and daughters. They are also prone to travel within their own country. Mexico is very diverse within its own country. Different cities and areas are characterized by different traits and distinct accents. For example those living in Mexico City are thought to be posh or preppy or dirty and crime-prone if talking about the poor. Another example is the people of Veracruz. They are known for being outgoing and liberal.

Social, health, and environmental

The standard of living is Mexico is higher than most of other countries in Latin America, which draws people from places like Argentina, Brazil or Cuba to search for better opportunities. Mexico is also a racially and ethnically diverse country. Although Spanish is the common language in Mexico, English is widely used in business. English skills are in high demand and majority of private schools offer bilingual education. Mexico’s predominant religion is Roman Catholic. Catholics in Mexico total to 85 % of its population.

There is a great economic divide between the rich and the poor. This has contributed to high crime rates in Mexico. Drug trafficking is also a problem in Mexico. Mexican drug cartels deliver more than half of the methamphetamine supply to the United States. Corruption with police and administration has prevented crime control. Street crime and kidnappings are also a persistent problem in Mexico City.

Most of Mexico’s environment issues are now discussed through NAFTA. Mexico has been asked by NAFTA to raise its environmental protection standards to that of United States. Economic and population growth put pressure on the Mexican environment. Air pollution is a serious problem in Mexico. Mexico City has the worst air pollution and is ranked the most polluted city in the world. Pollution increases because of the growing numbers of factories and the increased truck traffic with United States.

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