Mexico?s privileged geography stretches across 758,406 sq. miles (1,964,375 sq. km.) and is inhabited by a population of 103.2 million (53 million women and 50.2 million men). (National Statistics Institute Census, 2005)

Mexico forms part of North America and borders with the United States to the north and with Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. The 1,959-mile (3,152 km) border with the United States covers the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.

According to recent World Bank data, Mexico has the highest per capita income in Latin America and is the thirteenth largest economy in the world.

	The tenth largest exporter in the world, and the biggest in Latin America, Mexico is also a world leader in free trade agreements, the most famous of which is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada.

Mexico?s culture and history, together with its variety of resorts, have made the country one of the world?s main tourist destinations ? it is seventh in terms of the number of international tourists and eleventh in terms of foreign currency earnings.

Visitors to Mexico are offered unique experiences, such as: tours of archeological sites, the heritage of ancient pre-Hispanic civilizations; beaches of peerless beauty with top quality tourist complexes; colonial towns which preserve intact the country?s history; and lovely natural areas for outdoor enthusiasts.

Tourism is one of the economic pillars of Mexico, contributing to the generation of employment, attracting large investments and generally favoring the country?s development. The tourism sector contributes 8% of the country?s gross domestic product and over 9% of direct and indirect employment.