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CHAPTER IProfile of the Country1. Geography and DemographicsMexico is located in the northern hemisphere of the American continent. It bordersGuatemala to the south, Belize to the southeast, and the United States to the north, acountry with which it shares a 1,959-mile- (3,152-kilometer-) long border.Mexican territory has an area of 758,449 square miles (1,964,375 square kilometers).It has 6,911 miles (11,122 kilometers) of coastal area. With such a large andextended surface area, Mexico is a vast territory that unites Central America withNorth America and in which, due to its expanse, there are all types of climates: junglein the southeast; lush vegetation around the Gulf of Mexico (where the majority ofthe large oil wells are located); coastal areas, rich in fisheries and in tourist resources,both on the Pacific and the Caribbean; a high plateau suitable for agriculture, livestockfarming, and mining; and in the north, a desert, with stretches of mining and largezones that have been and continue to be recovered for agriculture and livestock grazing,thanks to irrigation.The most important centers of the maquiladora industry are in the north: Tijuana, CiudadJuárez, and Laredo. The best-developed industrial zones are located in the suburbsof Mexico City, its surrounding states, and in the city of Monterrey. There are other importantpoles of industrial development as well: Saltillo, Guadalajara, Tampico, Coatzacoalcos,and León, as well as growing harbor development in several locations.As of the 2000 census, the Mexican population was 97,483,412, with an averageannual population growth rate of 1.9 percent, a gross mortality rate of 4.3 percent, andan average life expectancy of 75.3 years. The school-age population numbers 45,460,324,including students from 3–5 years old up to 20–24 years old. The older students are normallyin technical colleges or universities. There are 4,303,641 male students and4,767,534 female students enrolled in institutions of higher learning. This means thatthere are 9,071,175 young adults who will enter the labor market in the near future.27