About Mexico

The Estados Unidos Mexicanos are a federation of 31 States. The capital, Mexico City, and environs is a separate Federal District, which must not be confused with the Estadio de México.

The distribution of powers and functions is set out mainly in Article 73 of the Constitution, in which the Federal powers are enumerated. Mexico's federal system very much favours the centre which has a long list of exclusive powers including not only the typical federal powers, foreign affairs, defence, citizenship, immigration, international and inter- state commerce, customs, currency, banking, industrial property rights and nationwide public services such as post and telecommunications, railways and air transport, but also economic planning and social development, health, and electric and nuclear energy.

The Constitution vests direct ownership of minerals and other products of the subsoil, including oil and water, in the Union. The Federal government alone has the right of granting concessions for their exploitation.

Education and cultural affairs are a joint responsibility of the Union, the States and the municipalities. Environment protection is also a matter of concurrent legislation.

The residue of powers falls to the States, which also have the oversight over local government.

Each State has its own constitution and popularly elected legislature and governor. State constitutions reserve most of the powers for the Governor. The legislatures are unicameral, varying from 18 to 66 members, the number of representatives being proportional to the inhabitants of the individual States according to Article 116 of the Mexican Constitution.

(No submissions were received from or for the States of Aguascalientes, Campeche, Nayarit, Nuevo Le