Mexico, country of southern North America and the third largest country in Latin America, after Brazil and Argentina. Its northern border is shared with the United States, to the south-east lie Guatemala and Belize. On its west coast lies the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean and to the east the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

More than half of the Mexican people live in the centre of the country, whereas vast areas of the arid north and the tropical south are sparsely settled.

The cities and towns are filled with history from the Aztec and Mayan eras, right through to the colonial period and modern times. On the Yucatán peninsula, one of the most popular beach destinations is the resort town of Cancún, especially among university students during spring break.