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Programs Offered:
WISE Abroad offers internships
and Language training programs in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
About Mexico and Merida:
Mexico is a traveler's paradise, jammed with a variety of
extreme identities: desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes,
ancient ruins, booming industrialized cities, time-warped
colonial towns, elegant resorts, desolate beaches and a
cornucopia of flora and fauna.
Situated in the southern part of Mexico lies the
peninsula of Yucatan, the gateway to the Mayan world, where the
charming city of Merida is located. Because of its tranquility
and cleanliness, Merida is becoming a popular destination for
study abroad programs. Unlike Mexico City, where crime,
pollution and overcrowding are major challenges, the city of
Merida with almost one million habitants is an ideal place to
live. Crime is not tolerated in Merida, and it has the
distinction of the city with the lowest crime rate per capita in
Mexico. The Spaniard Francisco de Montejo founded Merida on
January 6, 1542, and when the Spaniards arrived, Merida was a
large Mayan city known as T'ho, situated on what is now
the Main Plaza.
Merida is
a fascinating mixture of colonial city and cosmopolitan
destination. With Merida as a base, you can visit the awesome
Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Uxmal and many others, explore the
breath taking cenotes or sink holes where you can swim in
crystal clean water and admire stunning rock formations.
Only a few hours away you can also visit the world re-known
beaches of Cancun, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres on the Caribbean
side.
Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea
and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering
the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Population
104,959,594 (July 2004 est.)
Religion
Nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%,
other 5%
Language
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other
regional indigenous languages
Government Type
Federal republic
Economy:
Mexico has a free market economy with a
mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture,
increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent
administrations have expanded competition in seaports,
railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural
gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth
that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal.
Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since the
implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Real GDP growth was a weak
-0.3% in 2001, 0.9% in 2002, and 1.2% in 2003, with the US
slowdown the principal cause. Mexico implemented free trade
agreements with Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and the
European Free Trade Area in 2001, putting more than 90% of trade
under free trade agreements. The government is cognizant of the
need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and
labor laws, and provide incentives to invest in the energy
sector, but progress is slow.
NOTE: Please visit the CIA World
FactBook for more country facts at:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Source: CIA World Factbook |
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