Mexico
Americas Β· Capital: Mexico City
How it is run: Mexico is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Mexico is home to 131.9 million people in North America, where people speak Spanish.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
131.9 million people
That is 1.6% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
1,964,375 kmΒ²
One of the world's large countries: flying across it takes hours.
ποΈ How crowded
About 67 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
3rd most people in Americas
6th largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
Spanish
π° Money
Mexican peso ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
75.3 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$13,889
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
80% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
24.1% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+52
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.mx
π§ People here are called
Mexican
π·οΈ Name at home
MΓ©xico
Also written: Mexicanos, United Mexican States, Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Latin American and Caribbean Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Mexico touches 3 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
MΓ©xico
French
Mexique
Arabic
Ψ§ΩΩ Ψ³ΩΩΩ
Chinese
ε’¨θ₯Ώε₯
Japanese
γ‘γγ·γ³
Russian
ΠΠ΅ΠΊΡΠΈΠΊΠ°
Portuguese
MΓ©xico
German
Mexiko
Put it in perspective π
- United States β the most populated country in Americas β has about 2.6Γ as many people as Mexico.
- Mexico covers roughly 18,708 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Mexico lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 65,973 km.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Mexico change.
First Mexican Empire
Independence brought green, white and red with a crowned eagle.
Modern Mexico
The eagle on a cactus eating a snake comes from an ancient Aztec legend.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Mexico is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
π·οΈ Official name
United Mexican States
ποΈ Capital
Mexico City
π Region
Americas Β· North America
π€ Country code
MX
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Mexico π
ChichΓ©n ItzΓ‘
The Maya pyramid here has 365 steps, one per day of the year. Twice a year the sun casts a snake-shaped shadow down its stairs.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
23.0Β° N, 102.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-7 β when it is noon in London it is about 05:00 in Mexico City.
- Mexico lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Mexico shares its part of the world with Bermuda. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Mexico is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- π²π½ is the flag of Mexico. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is MX.
- The capital of Mexico is Mexico City β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Mexico has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Mexico can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Mexico spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Mexico?
Mexico City
Which money do people spend in Mexico?
Mexican peso ($)
How many countries share a land border with Mexico?
3 β Belize, Guatemala, United States.
Roughly how many people live in Mexico?
131.9 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.