Mexico Country & Tourist Information

Location
Central America.

Area
1,959,248 sq km (758,449 sq miles).

Population
106.4 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
54.3 per sq km.

Capital
Mexico City.
Population: 21 million (2003 estimate).

Government
Republic since 1917. Gained independence from Spain in 1821.

Language
Spanish is the official language (spoken by more than 90%). English is widely spoken. 8% speak indigenous languages, of which Nátinate is most common.

Religion
89% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant and 6% other denominations.

Time
Central Standard Time: GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7 (GMT - 6 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
110 volts AC, 60Hz. American two-pin (flat) plugs are usual.

Head of State
President Felipe Calderon since 2006.

Recent History
The July 2006 presidential elections were a closely fought contest, with conservative candidate Felipe Calderon edging out his left-wing rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador by less than 1%. Obrador refused to concede, and demanded a recount, rousing his supporters to rally in protest. Calderon’s win was confirmed by the electoral commission in September 2006, following a partial recount, and he was inaugurated on 1 December 2006. Obrador, or ‘ALMO’ as he has been nicknamed, quickly set up a ‘legitimate government’ website, calling Calderon the ‘dummy president’. ALMO even has his own TV show (The Truth will be Told) where he promotes his alternative agenda and mocks the incumbent’s attempts to tackle crime and unemployment.

Telephone
Country code: 52. Long-distance calls are very expensive.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with a few international mobile phone companies. Handsets can be hired. Coverage is variable.

Internet
Internet is available in all regions, particularly the main tourist areas.

Media
In the 2006 ‘Press Freedom Index’, issued by Reporters without Borders, Mexico was close to the bottom of the league, the worst country (excepting Cuba) in the Americas. Mexican reporters who get too close to drug-cartel or political corruption stories have a habit of ending up dead or disappeared.

Post
Airmail to Europe takes about six days. Surface mail is slow. Within the capital, there is an immediate delivery (entrega inmediata) service, which usually takes two or three days.

Post office hours: Typically Mon-Fri 0900-1700. Some larger branches open on Saturday morning for a reduced range of services. In Mexico City, the Correo Mayor (main post office) is behind the Palacio de Bellas Artes and opens Mon-Sat 0800-2100 and Sun 0800-1900.

Press
• The major daily newspapers published in Spanish are Esto, Excélsior, EL Financiero, El Heraldo de México, La Jornada, La Prensa and El Universal.
• The English-language papers available are Mexico City Times, New York Times, The News and USA Today.

Radio
• Grupo ACIR has stations in Mexico City and across the country.
• MVS Radio operates in the capital and elsewhere.
• Grupo Radio Centro operates a large network of stations.

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
4 Feb Constitution Day. 
16 Mar Birthday of Benito Juárez. 
9 Apr* Maundy Thursday.
10 Apr* Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
5 May* Anniversary of Battle of Puebla.
16 Sep Independence Day.
12 Oct* Día de la Raza (Columbus Day).
2 Nov* Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). 
20 Nov Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
12 Dec* Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
4 Feb Constitution Day. 
15 Mar Birthday of Benito Juárez. 
1 Apr* Maundy Thursday.
2 Apr* Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
5 May* Anniversary of Battle of Puebla.
16 Sep Independence Day.
12 Oct* Día de la Raza (Columbus Day).
2 Nov* Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). 
20 Nov Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
12 Dec* Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Note
(a) Holidays marked * are optional public holidays. This means they are not compulsory but are often granted. (b) In addition there are many local holidays. For details, contact the Mexican Tourism Board. (c) Holidays falling at the weekend are not celebrated on the previous or following weekday.

Contact Information:

Mexican Embassy in the UK
16 St George Street, Hanover Square, London W1S 1LX, UK
Tel: (020) 7499 8586 or 7201 0961-3 (visa section).
Website: www.sre.gob.mx/reinounido

Mexican Consulate in the UK
8 Halkin Street, London SW1X 7DW, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 6393 or 09065 508 969.
Website: www.sre.gob.mx/reinounido
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1300.

Mexico Tourism Board in the UK
Wakefield House, 41 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4DJ, UK
Tel: (020) 7488 9392 or 00800 1111 2266 (brochure request line).
Website: www.visitmexico.com

Mexican Embassy in the USA
1911 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
Tel: (202) 728 1600.
Website: www.embassyofmexico.org

Mexican Tourism Board in the USA
400 Madison Avenue, Suite 11C, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 308 2110 or 1 800 446 3942.
Website: www.visitmexico.com


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