Forgotten world (24): Mexico
Mexico is a large country (population over 100 million) with the highest per capita income in Latin America. but it is overshadowed by the mighty United States with which it shares a 2,000-mile border. Although average incomes are relatively high for the region, there are massive inequalities in wealth: half the population is classed as poor and the richest 10% own 45% of the wealth.
The country is also scarred by violent crime. Mexico has one of the highest rates of kidnappings in the world. Turf wars between rival drug cartels are said to lie behind many gangland killings.
From 1929 for the next 71 years, Mexico was dominated by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in a deeply corrupt, single-party regime. In 2000, the party lost power to Vicente Fox of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) who proved to be relatively honest but weak.
Felipe Calderon, from the governing PAN, was declared the winner of a bitterly-fought presidential election in July 2006 with a lead of less than 1% over his left-wing rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.