by
Judy King
7. September 2010 10:37
Here’s our Bicentennial gift for you – a peek at one of the articles in the new September 2010 issue of Living at Lake Chapala.
Statistics about Lake Chapala can be hard to find. As a matter of fact, statistics about Mexico used to be hard to find. We discovered that Tony Burton and Richard Rhoda’s book Geo-Mexico: The Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico was a huge help in preparing this article. I found my biggest problem was getting interested in the fascinating text and explanations and then continuing to read page after page instead of just doing my research! (If you are at Lake Chapala you’ll find the book in most area book suppliers, including La Nueva Posada. On-line you’ll find the book on Amazon.com)
In just a couple of weeks we’ll be celebrating the Bicentennial of Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain. As we move closer to this grand anniversary, and the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution in November, we’ll be sharing information about our adopted country.
| ![clip_image001[7]](http://www.mexico-insights.com/judysblog/image.axd?picture=clip_image0017_thumb.gif "clip_image001[7]")
The colors of the Mexican flag represent bravery, purity and patriotism and are centered with the country's emblem, the eagle with the snake.
|
Are you a lover of facts, figures and statistics?
If you are you are going to LOVE this column! We’ve slipped out of our usual formats to bring pure information to our Facts and Figures article. Do you know how many states there are in Mexico? How many people are there? What is the national symbol? How many college students? Here are the answers, all in one handy place.
| Facts about Mexico |
|
| Capitol City | Mexico City |
| Largest City | Mexico City (30 million) |
| Second City | Guadalajara (6-10 million) |
| Language | Spanish and 61 indigenous languages |
| < Currency> | Peso (currently about 11.5 to $1 US Dollar) |
| Population | 97,340,000 (11th largest in world) |
| National Government | Federal Republic |
| Current President | Felipe Calderon |
| Presidential Term of Office | One term of six years ends in 2006 |
| Mexican states | 31 plus Federal District |
| Geography: |
|
| Area of Mexico | 1,964,375 km2 (12th largest in world) |
| Border with U.S. | 3,153 km |
| Border with Guatemala | 956 km |
| Border with Belize | 193 km |
| Pacific Coastline | 7,828 km |
| Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Coastline | 3,292 km |
| History |
|
| Rise of Olmecs | 1820-200 B.C. |
| Maya and Zapotec development in south | 500 B.C. to 900 A.D. |
| Toltecs reign in Tula | 1325 A.D. |
| Founding of Tenochtitlán (Pre-Mexico City) | 1000 A.D. |
| Arrival of Spanish Navy in Yucatán | 1511 A.D. |
| Arrival of Cortés and Conquistadores | 1520 under King Carlos V |
| Declaration of Mexican Independence | September 15, 1810 |
| Mexico achieves independence | 1822-1823 |
| Current constitution approved | 1917 |
| National Symbols: |
|
| National Symbol | Eagle on cactus, snake in beak |
| National Costume | Charro Suit and China Poblana |
| National Dance | Jarabe Tapatío (Mexican Hat Dance) |
| Favorite Music | Mariachi, Trio, Norteño, and Ranchero |
| Favorite Team Sport | Fútbol (Soccer) |
| Mainstays of diet | Corn, beans, squash, rice, fruit and chile |
| Favorite Foods | Tacos and tamales |
| Favorite Drinks | Tequila and Mescal distilled from agave |
| Population: | 97,300,000 |
| Under 14 | 35.5% |
| Ages 15-29 | 29.9% |
| Ages 30-64 | 36% |
| Ages 64-75 | 3.5% |
| Mexicans in Canada | 23,350 in 1996 |
| Mexicans in the U.S. | 20,650,000 in 2000 |
| Mexicans in the U.S. illegally | 2,700,000 in 1997 |
| Income of Mexicans in the US | $5,910,000,000 USD [sic] |
| Religion: |
|
| Catholics | 89% |
| Protestants | 7% |
| Jews | 0.69% |
| No declared religion | 2.94% |
| Weekly Church Attendance | 55% |
| Health: |
|
| Hospital beds/100,000 people | 76 |
| Doctors/100,000 people | 130.6 |
| Nurses/100,000 people | 179.8 |
| Life Expectancy (Infants born in 1999) | 74 years |
| Average number children born to women | 2.48 |
| Women using contraceptives | 69% |
| Deaths per year | 440,437 |
| Education: |
|
| Illiterate portion of population | 10.5% over 15 in 1998 |
| Education through 6th grade | 42% over 15 in 1998 |
| Technical Institutes | 161 with 202,669 students for 22 careers |
| Normal Schools to train teachers | 586 with 100,000 licensed teachers |
| Public Universities | 64 with 1,200,000 students |
| Graduates with Master's degree | 79,959 |
| Graduates with Doctorate degree | 8,242 |
| Students in Private Schools | 11.5% of students (all levels) |
| Economy and Quality of Life: |
|
| National average income | $4,915 U.S.D. in 1995 |
| Portion of population living in poverty | 44-60% |
| Portion of population living in wealth | 4% |
| Portion of population with electricity | 93.52% in 1995 |
| Portion of population with running water | 87% |
| Portion of population with dirt floors | 15.4% in 1995 |
| Telephone lines | 10,500,000 (about 9%) |
| Cell Phone users | 7,730,000 up from 680,000 in 1995 |
| Radio and TV stations | 1,931 |
| Exported Mexican Goods | $136,703,000 U.S.D. |
| Goods Imported into Mexico | $142,063,000 U.S.D. |
| Transportation: |
|
| Airports / passengers | 84 airports serving 32,900,000 passengers |
| Ocean Ports | 108 |
| Cargo Ships | 637 over 100 tons (31st place in world) |
| Highways | 365,119,000 KM in 1998 |
| International visitors to Mexico | 10,060,000 per year |
Judy King is publisher of Mexico Insights—Living
at Lake Chapala, a monthly online magazine for people interested in Mexico's Lake Chapala region,
in the state of Jalisco.
Judy, a 19-year resident of Ajijic on Lake Chapala's north shore, conducts weekly
newcomer's seminars and shares her expertise about Mexico in her ezine at www.mexico-insights.com, and in the "Mexico
Lindo" column of the Lake Chapala Review.
Judy also is a speaker for local organizations and visiting tour groups about
the Lakeside area about Mexican customs and holidays.
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