Travel Guide Mexico - Country Information

Coordinates: 23 00 N, 102 00 W
Population: 107,449,525 (July 2006 est.)
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%
Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Climate: varies from tropical to desert
Elevation: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m / highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Hazards: tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
Background Mexico: The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000 as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

Summary of recommendations:All travelers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure.
Malaria: Prophylaxis with chloroquine is recommended for rural areas in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Sinaloa, Michoahan, Nayarit, Guerrero, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Campeche; for the mountainous northern areas of Jalisco; and for an area between 24 degrees N and 28 degrees N latitude and 106 degrees W and 110 degrees W longitude which includes parts of the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango. There is no malaria risk in the major resorts along the Pacific and Gulf Coasts or along the United States-Mexico border.
Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A	Recommended for all travelers
Typhoid	Recommended for all travelers
Hepatitis B	For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months
Rabies	For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	Two doses recommended for all travelers born after 1956, if not previously given
Tetanus-diphtheria	Revaccination recommended every 10 years