Gulf of Mexico

Republic in southern North America, bordered by the United States to the north, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east, Belize and Guatemala to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is Mexico City.

Note: The world's most populous Spanish-speaking country.

Note: Mexico has a significantly high foreign debt. Its land is rich, but much of it is difficult to cultivate. Despite the prosperity of its oil industry, Mexico's economic troubles are severe.

Note: Many Mexicans cross the Mexican-American border illegally in hopes of finding work in the United States.

Note: Mexico's proximity to the United States has led to serious territorial disputes; the immediate cause of the Mexican War of the 1840s was the annexation of Texas by the United States.

Note: Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821.

Note: Before the arrival of the Spanish in the early sixteenth century, great Native American civilizations, such as the Mayas and the Aztecs, thrived.

Note: In 1994, Mexico joined the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Note: From 1929 until the late 1990s, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) dominated Mexican politics, winning most elections by a combination of popular appeal, corruption, and the liberal distribution of public jobs. In 2000, for the first time, a candidate of a rival party won Mexico's presidency.

Gulf bordered by the southeast coast of the United States and the east coast of Mexico.