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| This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Mexico |
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The United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos) is a federal republic composed of 32 federal entities: 31 states and 1 federal district.
According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has its own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress and government. The territory of the Federal District, commonly known and referred to as Mexico City, serves as the national capital.
On September 27, 1821, after three centuries of Spanish rule, Mexico gained its independence. The Treaty of Córdoba recognized part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain as an Independent Empire, which was recognized as "Monarchist, constitutional and moderate." The new country took the name of Mexican Empire.
A minority of the Constituent Congress, looking for stability, elected Agustín de Iturbide as emperor. On July 21, 1822, Iturbide was crowned Emperor of Mexico. However, the Constitutional Empire quickly demonstrated the incompatibility of its two main parts: the Emperor and the Constituent Congress. The deputies were imprisoned just for expressing their opinions and finally, Iturbide decided to dissolve the Congress and establish instead a National Board.
The lack of a legitimate legislature, the illegitimacy of the Emperor and the absence of real solutions to the nation's problems increased revolutionary activity. Antonio López de Santa Anna proclaimed the Plan of Casa Mata, to which later joined Vicente Guerrero and Nicolás Bravo. Iturbide was forced to reestablish the Congress and in a vain attempt to save the order and keep the situation favorable to his supporters, he abdicated the crown of the Empire on March 19, 1823.
However, the Congress nullified the designation of Iturbide and therefore the recognition of the abdication and made the coronation of Iturbide seem a logical mistake in consummation of Independence.
The dissolution of the Empire was the first political realignment of independent Mexico.
After the fall of the Empire a triumvirate called the Supreme Executive Power was created. The provisional government would be responsible for the creation of the Federal Republic, and it was in effect from April 1, 1823 to October 10, 1824.
Unrest in the provinces was huge. On May 21, 1823, was enacted The Basic Project of the Federal Republic. In it sixth article pointed that: The component parts of the Republic are free, sovereign and independent in its administration and government. Most of the Free States which were invited to form the Federal Republic joined the Union, except for the former Captaincy General of Guatemala which formed their own Federal Republic.
On January 31, 1824, the decree to create a Constitutive Act of the Mexican Federation was issued, which incorporated the basic structure of the Federal Republic. It was determined that the criteria for inviting states to the federation should be that they... Weren't so few that by its size and wealth in a few years could aspire to become independent nations, breaking the federation, nor so many that lack of manpower and resources come to be an unworkable system.
Between 1823 and 1824, some of the free states created their own constitutions and others had already installed a Constituent Congress. Special cases were those of Yucatan, which on December 23, 1823 decided to join the federation but as a Federated Republic and Chiapas, which decided by referendum to join the federation on September 14, 1824.
On October 4, 1824, the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was enacted. The constitution officially created the United Mexican States. The country was composed of 19 states and 4 federal territories. After the publication of the constitution, on November 18, the Federal District was created. On November 24, Tlaxcala which had retained a special status since the colonial era, was incorporated as a territory.
On October 10, 1824, Guadalupe Victoria took office as the first President of Mexico.
The political structure of the Republic was amended by a decree on October 3, 1835, when the centralist system was established.
The constituent states of the Republic lost their freedom, independence, and sovereignty by being totally subordinated to the central government. However, the territorial division itself was the same; the text of Article 8 of the Law determined: The national territory is divided into departments, on the basis of population, location and other leading circumstances: its number, extension and subdivisions, would be detailed by constitutional law.
The Seven Constitutional Laws (Spanish: Siete Leyes Constitucionales) were promulgated on December 30, 1836. The 1st article confirmed the decree of the law October 3, 1835; the Republic would be divided into departments, these in districts and the districts in parties. The 2nd article pointed that the division of the Republic in departments would be under a special law with constitutional character. On December 30, 1835, a transitory decree was added to the Seven Laws. The decree stated that the territory of Tlaxcala and the Federal District would become a part of the Department of Mexico. The territories of Alta and Baja California would form the department of the Californias. Coahuila y Texas would be divided into two departments. Colima would form part of Michoacán and Aguascalientes would be declared a department.
This period of political instability caused several conflicts between the central government and the entities of the country. There were rebellions in several states such as:
On September 11, 1842, the region of Soconusco joined Mexico as part of the department of Chiapas.
The Federal Republic was restored by the interim president José Mariano Salas on August 22, 1846. The state of Guerrero was erected in 1849 (provisionally), conditioned to the acceptance of the legislatures of the states of México, Puebla and Michoacán; which would be affected in their territories.
On February 5, 1857, was enacted the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857. On 1864, however, after the French intervention, the conservative Mexicans restored the constitutional monarchy, known as the Second Mexican Empire, led by the emperor Maximilian of Habsburg and supported by the French army of Napoleon III. The Empire was deposed in 1867 by the republican forces of Benito Juarez and the Federal Republic was restored again under the Constitution of 1857.
The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917 was the result of the Mexican Revolution. The third Constitution of Mexico confirmed the federal system of government that is currently in force.
| Entity | Official Name | Flag | Area | Population (2010) | Date of establishment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciudad de México | Distrito Federal |  |
1,485 km (573.4 sq mi) |
8,720,916 | 1824-11-18 |
| State | Official Name
Estado Libre y Soberano de: |
Flag | Capital | Largest city | Area | Population (2010) | Order of Admission to Federation |
Date of Admission to Federation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguascalientes | Aguascalientes |  |
Aguascalientes | Aguascalientes | 5,618 km (2,169 sq mi) | 1,184,996 | 24 | 1857-02-05 |
| Baja California | Baja California |  |
Mexicali | Tijuana | 71,446 km (27,585 sq mi) | 3,155,070 | 29 | 1952-01-16 |
| Baja California Sur | Baja California Sur |  |
La Paz | La Paz | 73,922 km (28,541 sq mi) | 637,026 | 31 | 1974-10-08 |
| Campeche | Campeche |  |
San Francisco de Campeche | San Francisco de Campeche | 57,924 km (22,365 sq mi) | 822,441 | 25 | 1863-04-29 |
| Chiapas | Chiapas |  |
Tuxtla Gutiérrez | Tuxtla Gutiérrez | 73,289 km (28,297 sq mi) | 4,796,580 | 19 | 1824-09-14 |
| Chihuahua | Chihuahua |  |
Chihuahua | Ciudad Juárez | 247,455 km (95,543 sq mi) | 3,406,465 | 18 | 1824-07-06 |
| Coahuila | Coahuila de Zaragoza |  |
Saltillo | Torreón | 151,563 km (58,519 sq mi) | 2,748,391 | 16 | 1824-05-07 |
| Colima | Colima |  |
Colima | Manzanillo | 5,625 km (2,172 sq mi) | 650,555 | 23 | 1856-09-12 |
| Durango | Durango |  |
Victoria de Durango | Victoria de Durango | 123,451 km (47,665 sq mi) | 1,632,934 | 17 | 1824-05-22 |
| Guanajuato | Guanajuato |  |
Guanajuato | León | 30,608 km (11,818 sq mi) | 5,486,372 | 2 | 1823-12-20 |
| Guerrero | Guerrero |  |
Chilpancingo de los Bravo | Acapulco | 63,621 km (24,564 sq mi) | 3,388,768 | 21 | 1849-10-27 |
| Hidalgo | Hidalgo |  |
Pachuca | Pachuca | 20,846 km (8,049 sq mi) | 2,665,018 | 26 | 1869-01-16 |
| Jalisco | Jalisco |  |
Guadalajara | Guadalajara | 78,599 km (30,347 sq mi) | 7,350,682 | 9 | 1823-12-23 |
| México | México |  |
Toluca de Lerdo | Ecatepec de Morelos | 22,357 km (8,632 sq mi) | 15,175,862 | 1 | 1823-12-20 |
| Michoacán | Michoacán de Ocampo |  |
Morelia | Morelia | 58,643 km (22,642 sq mi) | 4,351,037 | 5 | 1823-12-22 |
| Morelos | Morelos |  |
Cuernavaca | Cuernavaca | 4,893 km (1,889 sq mi) | 1,777,227 | 27 | 1869-04-17 |
| Nayarit | Nayarit |  |
Tepic | Tepic | 27,815 km (10,739 sq mi) | 1,084,979 | 28 | 1917-01-26 |
| Nuevo León | Nuevo León |  |
Monterrey | Monterrey | 64,220 km (24,800 sq mi) | 4,653,458 | 15 | 1824-05-07 |
| Oaxaca | Oaxaca |  |
Oaxaca de Juárez | Oaxaca de Juárez | 93,793 km (36,214 sq mi) | 3,801,962 | 3 | 1823-12-21 |
| Puebla | Puebla |  |
Puebla de Zaragoza | Puebla de Zaragoza | 34,290 km (13,240 sq mi) | 5,779,829 | 4 | 1823-12-21 |
| Querétaro | Querétaro de Arteaga |  |
Santiago de Querétaro | Santiago de Querétaro | 11,684 km (4,511 sq mi) | 1,827,937 | 11 | 1823-12-23 |
| Quintana Roo | Quintana Roo |  |
Chetumal | Cancún | 42,361 km (16,356 sq mi) | 1,325,578 | 30 | 1974-10-08 |
| San Luis Potosí | San Luis Potosí |  |
San Luis Potosí | San Luis Potosí | 60,983 km (23,546 sq mi) | 2,585,518 | 6 | 1823-12-22 |
| Sinaloa | Sinaloa |  |
Culiacán | Culiacán | 57,377 km (22,153 sq mi) | 2,767,761 | 20 | 1830-10-14 |
| Sonora | Sonora |  |
Hermosillo | Hermosillo | 179,503 km (69,306 sq mi) | 2,662,480 | 12 | 1824-01-10 |
| Tabasco | Tabasco |  |
Villahermosa | Villahermosa | 24,738 km (9,551 sq mi) | 2,238,603 | 13 | 1824-02-07 |
| Tamaulipas | Tamaulipas |  |
Ciudad Victoria | Reynosa | 80,175 km (30,956 sq mi) | 3,268,554 | 14 | 1824-02-07 |
| Tlaxcala | Tlaxcala |  |
Tlaxcala | Vicente Guerrero | 3,991 km (1,541 sq mi) | 1,169,936 | 22 | 1856-12-09 |
| Veracruz | Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave |
 |
Xalapa | Veracruz | 71,820 km (27,730 sq mi) | 7,643,194 | 7 | 1823-12-22 |
| Yucatán | Yucatán |  |
Mérida | Mérida | 39,612 km (15,294 sq mi) | 1,955,577 | 8 | 1823-12-23 |
| Zacatecas | Zacatecas |  |
Zacatecas | Zacatecas | 75,539 km (29,166 sq mi) | 1,490,668 | 10 | 1823-12-23 |
Notes:
The states of the Mexican Federation are free, sovereign, autonomous, and independent of each other. They are free to govern themselves according to their own laws; each state has a constitution that cannot contradict the federal constitution, which covers issues of national competence. The states cannot make alliances with other states or any independent nation without the consent of the whole federation, except those of defense and security arrangements necessary to keep the border states secure in the event of an invasion. The political organization of each state is based on a separation of powers in a congressional system: legislative power is vested in a unicameral congress (the federal congress has two chambers); executive power is independent of the legislature and vested in a governor elected by universal suffrage; and judicial power is vested in a Superior Court of Justice. Since states have legal autonomy, each has its own civil and penal codes and judicial body.
In the Congress of the Union, the federative entities – the States and the Federal District – are each represented by 3 senators, 2 elected by universal suffrage on the principle of relative majority and 1 assigned to the party which obtains the largest minority. In addition, the federation makes up a constituency in which 32 senators are elected by the method of proportional representation. Federal Deputies, however, do not represent the states, but rather the citizens themselves. The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate together comprise the Congress of the Union.
The states are internally divided into municipalities. Each municipality is autonomous in its ability to elect their own council. The council is headed by a Mayor elected every 3 years with no possibility of immediate reelection. Each municipality has a council composed of councilors in terms of population size. The council is responsible, in most cases, to provide all utilities required for its population. This concept, which arises from the Mexican Revolution, is known as a "free municipality". In total there are 2438 municipalities in Mexico, the state with the highest number of municipalities is Oaxaca, with 570, and the state with the lowest number is Baja California, with only 5.
Mexico City has a special status within the federation. According to Article 44 of the federal constitution, Mexico City is the Federal District, seat of government of the Union and the capital of the United Mexican States. The city is coextensive with the Federal District territorially and administratively. If the federal government moves to another city, the Federal District would be transformed into another state of the Union, called "State of the Valley of Mexico" with new borders and area that the Congress of the Union would give it.
Mexico City was separated from the State of Mexico, of which it was the capital, on November 18, 1824, to become the capital of the federation. As such, it does not belong to any state in particular but to all (i.e., to the federation). Therefore, it was the president of Mexico, in representation of the federation, who designated its head of government (previously called regente, "regent" or jefe del departamento del Distrito Federal, "head of the department of the Federal District"). However, the Federal District received full autonomy in 1997 and its citizens now elect directly their chief of government, the head of the boroughs (or delegaciones) and the representatives of the unicameral legislature called the Asamblea Legislativa, "Legislative Assembly". It does not have a constitution but a statute of autonomy. Nonetheless it enjoys many privileges as the capital of the federation.
For administrative purposes, the Federal District is divided into 16 delegaciones or boroughs. While not fully equivalent to a municipality (nor the concept of a municipio libre), the 16 boroughs have gained significant autonomy and since 2000 the heads of government of the boroughs are elected directly by plurality (they were previously appointed by the head of government of the Federal District). Given that Mexico City is organized entirely as a Federal District most of the city services are provided by the Government of the Federal District and not by the boroughs themselves, while in the constituent states these services would be provided by the municipalities. It should be noted that while other municipalities within the constituent states of the federation exercise their autonomy through the municipal council, some, like Mexicali or Querétaro, have further subdivided the municipality into delegaciones or boroughs for administrative purposes as well.
The second article of the constitution recognizes the multicultural composition of the nation founded upon the indigenous peoples to whom the government grants the right of self-(free) determination and autonomy. According to this article the indigenous peoples are granted
The nation commits to and demands the constituent states and municipalities to promote the economic and social development of the indigenous communities as well as an intercultural and bilingual education. According to the Law of Linguistic Rights, the nation recognizes 62 indigenous languages as "national languages" with the same validity as Spanish in the territories in which they are spoken and the indigenous peoples are entitled to request public services in their languages.
| Abbrevations for the states of Mexico |
| Name of state | Conventional abbreviation |
2-letter code | 3-letter code (ISO 3166-2) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Aguascalientes |
Ags. | MX - AG | MX-AGU |
 Baja California |
B.C. | MX - BC | MX-BCN |
 Baja California Sur |
B.C.S. | MX - BS | MX-BCS |
 Campeche |
Camp. | MX - CM | MX-CAM |
 Chiapas |
Chis. | MX - CS | MX-CHP |
 Chihuahua |
Chih. | MX - CH | MX-CHH |
 Coahuila |
Coah. | MX - CO | MX-COA |
 Colima |
Col. | MX - CL | MX-COL |
 Federal District |
D.F. | MX - DF | MX-DIF |
 Durango |
Dgo. | MX - DG | MX-DUR |
 Guanajuato |
Gto. | MX - GT | MX-GUA |
 Guerrero |
Gro. | MX - GR | MX-GRO |
 Hidalgo |
Hgo. | MX - HG | MX-HID |
 Jalisco |
Jal. | MX - JA | MX-JAL |
 Mexico State |
Edomex. | MX - ME | MX-MEX |
 Michoacán |
Mich. | MX - MI | MX-MIC |
 Morelos |
Mor. | MX - MO | MX-MOR |
 Nayarit |
Nay. | MX - NA | MX-NAY |
 Nuevo León |
N.L. | MX - NL | MX-NLE |
 Oaxaca |
Oax. | MX - OA | MX-OAX |
 Puebla |
Pue. | MX - PB | MX-PUE |
 Querétaro |
Qro. | MX - QE | MX-QUE |
 Quintana Roo |
Q. Roo. | MX - QR | MX-ROO |
 San Luis Potosí |
S.L.P. | MX - SL | MX-SLP |
 Sinaloa |
Sin. | MX - SI | MX-SIN |
 Sonora |
Son. | MX - SO | MX-SON |
 Tabasco |
Tab. | MX - TB | MX-TAB |
 Tamaulipas |
Tamps. | MX - TM | MX-TAM |
 Tlaxcala |
Tlax. | MX - TL | MX-TLA |
 Veracruz |
Ver. | MX - VE | MX-VER |
 Yucatán |
Yuc. | MX - YU | MX-YUC |
 Zacatecas |
Zac. | MX - ZA | MX-ZAC |
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