I.

Introduction

Mexico, in full United Mexican States (in Spanish, Estados Unidos Mexicanos), federal republic in North America, bordered on the north by the United States; on the east by the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea; on the south by Belize and Guatemala; and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Mexican federal jurisdiction extends, in addition to Mexico proper, over a number of offshore islands. The area of the country is 1,964,382 sq km (758,452 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Mexico City.