The United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos), often known simply as Mexico (Spanish: México) is a country located in North America, bordered at the north by the United States, and at the south by Guatemala and Belize in Central America. It is the northernmost and westernmost country in Latin America, and also the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.

The official name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which translates as the United Mexican States. The term State of Mexico (Estado de México) does not refer to the country, but only to one state within Mexico, located near the center of the country adjacent to the Federal District.

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000 as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

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NYT > U.S.

Detroit’s Mayor Will Leave Office and Go to Jail
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:33:20 -0000
Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick’s guilty plea ended eight months of political turmoil but also opened a new era of uncertainty for Detroit.
McCain Vows to End ‘Partisan Rancor’
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:50:25 -0000
Senator John McCain sought to move from a convention marked by an effort to reassure the party base to an appeal to a broader electorate.
New Orleans Starts Up, but Not at Full Power
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:08:46 -0000
Evacuees continued to stream home after a hurricane scare that left it with little serious damage but knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes.

Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories

In dispirited Detroit, mayor pleads guilty
Plea deal ousts Kilpatrick after an eight-month scandal. Interim mayor inherits a city in a slump.
As Gustav evacuees return to New Orleans, a varied homecoming
Many find their houses are fairly intact. Power loss is still a problem.
France gives boost to Israeli-Syrian talks
French President Sarkozy, in Damascus this week, was also thought to be seeking Syria's help in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

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