Map of Mexico (from the Internet's First Bed and Breakfast: Barrow House Inn Of St. Francisville, Louisiana USA) www.topteninn.com

Background: 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. - From The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook -