Geography
Mexico is a vast country covering over 770,000 square miles, almost 2 million square kilometres. To the north it shares a 3336 km / 2066 mile long border with the US. More than half of this border is demarked by the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte). In the south the country extends beyond the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to include the Yucatan Peninsula to the northeast. Its southeastern borders are with Guatemala and Belize. To the west and south lies the Pacific Ocean. The Mar de Cortes, or Gulf of California separates mainland Mexico from Baja California, the world’s longest peninsula, barely 200km/125 miles at its widest point and stretching for an incredible 1300km/800 miles. Mexico’s eastern coast is the southern curve of the Gulf of Mexico. Two long mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental stretch from the northern border to Mexico City. Either side of these ranges are coastal plains and between them is a highland area known as the Altiplano central. At the northern end of the rugged Sierra Madre Occidental is an area of canyonland and spectacular mountain scenery known as Barranca del Cobra (Copper Canyon). South of these ranges the Cordillera Neovolcanica runs east to west and contains many active volcanoes including Popocatepetl 5452m/17887ft. Mexico City is situated in the heart of this volcanic country at an altitude of 2300m/7545ft. Running along the southern Pacific coastline are two further mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre del Sur to the west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the east. Beyond the Chiapas ranges, a vast area of rainforest stretches east into the Peten of Guatemala and northwards to gradually merge into the flat savannah of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Time Zone
The time in Mexico is GMT -6 hours

Climate
The southern half of Mexico is below the Tropic of Cancer but in the highland areas of Cordillera Neovolcaica and in the Sierra Madres the climate is temperate. The wettest and hottest season is from June to September with the low lying coastal areas receiving the majority of the precipitation.

Rough guide to temperatures October - May

History
Mexico has given rise to several highly developed, often militaristic civilizations. The empires of the Mayans and the Aztecs are the best known of these but others such as the Toltecs, Olmecs, and Zapotecs have left their mark in various parts of the country. The first of these great civilizations, the Olmecs grew between 1200 and 600BC in the hot and humid Gulf coast. The fall of the Olmec Empire ran concurrent with the rise of the Izapans who lived in Chiapas close to the Pacific coast. The Izapans are considered the link with Maya and much of Izapan technology, art and religious beliefs, themselves influenced by Olmec culture are found in Mayan society. The first great civilization of central Mexico emerged around the beginning of the millennium in Teotihuacan, 50km northeast of modern day Mexico City. At its height in the 6th century the Teotihuacan Empire covered the southern two thirds of Mexico and all of Guatemala and Belize. By the end of the 7th century the Empire was no more, the capital burned, sacked and abandoned. With the end of Teotihuacon rule the Toltecs from the north extended their influence southwards into central Mexico while to the south and east another great civilization grew. Centred in Tikal in the Peten of Guatemala, the classic Maya culture had been developing since around 250AD. By 900AD the Mayan empire extended throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and lowland areas adjacent to the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. The Mayan Empire went into decline in the latter half of the 8th century and had ceased to exist by the end of the 10th. Population pressure, ecological devastation, and war are all contributory factors. Around the turn of the 14th century nomads from the north and west of Mexico settled the then lake filled Valle de Mexico. This was the beginning of the last great pre-colonial civilizations, the Aztecs. Developing a series of strategic alliances, the Aztecs flourished and by the end of the 15th century almost all of central Mexico was under their dominion. All that was to end however with the arrival of Hernan Cortes on the Gulf Coast in 1519. Within five years the Spanish had completely destroyed the Aztecs with a mixture of violence, trickery and the deadly smallpox. Following in the footsteps of the conquistadors came the pioneers, the settlers and the priests. A war of independence begun in the first decade of the 19th century finally succeeded in divorcing power over Mexico from the Spanish Crown in 1821. At that time the state of Mexico included what is now Texas, California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. A disastrous war with the US in 1846 led to Mexico loosing or ceding most of this territory to the US and what they kept, the historically inept looking figure of Santa Anna sold for ten million dollars in 1853. Mexico at that time was a virtual feudal state with a minority of very wealthy landowners ruling a peasant population. Discontent with this situation grew until, in 1910, a civil war erupted. Known as the Mexican revolution this was to last ten years during which an estimated 2 million Mexicans, roughly one in eight of the population, were killed. Following the revolution there began a reconstruction of the country. Over 3000 rural schools were built and more than 400,000 sq km or almost 16,000 sq miles of arable land were redistributed from big landowners to peasant farmers. A series of presidents, assassinations, civil unrest and ruthless retaliations characterised the next half century. The discovery of oil resources boosted Mexico’s economy but also contributed to a devastating boom and bust cycle which, together with a series of corrupt governments and ruthless political opponents, left Mexico a struggling third world country dependent in crisis on its larger wealthier neighbour. Since the revolution the ruling party had been fiercely anti church and it was not until the reforms of Carlos Salinas in 1988 that this conflict ended. During his tenure Salinas also transformed Mexico from a state controlled economy to one of private enterprise and free trade. Salinas’ successor Zedillo continued these reforms, and in 2000 in a historical precedent the candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party was defeated. This was the first time this had happened since 1929. Coca-Cola Executive and gentleman rancher, Vicente Fox became president on a popular platform of social and economic reform. Though beset with many problems and with inequalities and injustices yet to address, Mexico is today an exciting emerging nation in the developing world.

Currency
Mexico’s unit of currency is the Peso. As of February 2006, the exchange rates are:

£1 = 18.2 Pesos
$1 = 10.4 Pesos
€1 = 12.4 Pesos

It is not necessary to purchase Pesos outside the country. Your travel money should be carried in the form of cash or travellers cheques in US dollars. One of the easiest and fastest ways to access your money is with a credit or debit card using ATMs. All major credit cards and cirrus and plus debit cards can be used to draw cash pesos. Credit cards can be used to purchase goods and services in most Mexican towns and are particularly useful for more expensive souvenirs.

Visas
At the present time, nationals of countries which are members of the European Union and nationals of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa need only a valid passport for entry into Mexico. A visa is not required. A Tourist Card is issued on arrival. Nationals of other countries should contact the embassy or consulate of Mexico in their own countries for information on how to obtain their visa.

Vaccinations
You should visit your own doctor and dentist for a check-up prior to taking your trip to Mexico.
The following is a ROUGH GUIDE for immunization. (We must stress that this is only a basic guide to the most commonly required vaccinations for travel worldwide. You must seek and abide by the specific advice of your local doctor/medical professional).

(a) Polio (normally you will just need a booster.)
(b) Tetanus.
(c) Typhoid. A full course requires 2 injections separated by an interval of 4-6 weeks.
(d) Hepatitis (A) and (B).
(e) Anti-malarial prophylaxis: Please refer to your doctor for the most up to date information about anti-malarial medication for the areas that you will be visiting.
(f) Rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Please refer to your doctor for advice on whether you need rabies pre-exposure vaccination. In the unlikely case of your being bitten, this vaccination does not eliminate the need for urgent evacuation to a suitable medical facility for additional treatment. However, it does simplify that additional treatment and also prolongs the period that you can safely delay before receiving post-exposure treatment.

Given enough notice, your doctor will be able to administer all the above vaccinations.

Additional Sources of Information

Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps that are specific to a particular trip. Click here for details of book and map retailers.

Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com