16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)
28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Religions
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)
Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)
Languages
Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages
Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 11.016 (2008 est.), 10.8 (2007), 10.899 (2006), 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004)
nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar - 2.9322 (2008 est.), 3.1731 (2007), 3.2742 (2006), 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.500%
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
3
0
Location
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
Area
1,964,375 km sq
1,285,216 km sq
Coastline
9,330 km
2,414 km
Climate
varies from tropical to desert
varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
