Mexico, our neighbor to the south, is one of the most populous countries in the world. And, did you know it was once home to one of the earliest great civilizations of Mesoamerica, the Olmecs? Take our Mexico population quiz to learn more!
1. In 2020 Mexico’s population was 129 million. What is Mexico’s population projected to be in 2050?
A. 147 million
B. 155 million
C. 175 million
D. 1 billion
2. Mexico is shares a border with the United States, how many miles does the border span?
A. 554 miles
B. 764 miles
C. 1,344 miles
D. 1,954 miles
3. What does Mexico’s population pyramid suggest about its population?
A. Mexico’s population has been and continues to grow quickly.
B. Mexico’s population has been growing quickly but it is beginning to slow.
C. Mexico’s population has been decreasing steadily.
D. Mexico’s population is stable.
4. True or False: In 2021, Mexico was among the world’s top ten most populous countries.
A. True
B. False
5. In 1960 Mexico’s fertility rate, or the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime, was 6.8. What is Mexico’s fertility rate today?
A. 1.7
B. 2.1
C. 2.7
D. 3.1
6. True or False: Mexico is the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world.
A. True
B. False
7. What percentage of married women in Mexico are using some method of contraceptive?
A. 5%
B. 25%
C. 53%
D. 73%
8. Mexico is nearly three times as large as Texas, what percent of its land does it devote to agricultural use?
A. 46%
B. 55%
C. 76%
D. 83%
9. Mexico is the second largest electricity producer in Latin America. In 2011-2012 Mexico implemented a Sustainable Light program in which it replaced _____ million incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent or “energy-saving” blubs for free.
A. 10.9
B. 19.9
C. 22.9
D. 100.9
10. Roughly 33% of Mexico is forested. The Lacandon Jungle is the largest montane rainforest in North America and one of the last remaining habitats large enough to support _____.
A. Jaguars
B. Tigers
C. Lions
D. Cheetahs
Answers:
1. B – Mexico’s population is projected to increase to 155 million by 2050.
2. D – 1,954 miles.
3. C – Mexico’s population has been decreasing steadily.
4. A – True, Mexico was the tenth most populous country (China, India, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Mexico) in 2021.
5. B – Mexico’s current fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman. The TFR is down from 6.3 in 1960. This is in part because of a contraception campaign launched in the 1960’s which replaced the previous nation-building policy.
6. A – True, Mexico is the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world.
7. D – 73% of Mexican women are using some form of contraception.
8. B – 55% of land in Mexico is agricultural land of which arable land makes up 11.8%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 41.7%.
9. C – Mexico’s Sustainable Light program replaced 22.9 million incandescent light bulbs with CLFs. This earned Mexico a Guinness World Record for largest give-away of free energy-saving light bulbs.
10. A – The Lacandon Jungle is one of the last remaining habitats for jaguars.
Updated May 2022
References
Question 1:
United Nations Population Division. (n.d.). Population, total – Mexico. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=MX
Mexico population 2022. Mexico Demographics, Maps, Graphs. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/mexico-population
Question 2:
Kiprop, J. (2018, February 23). Which countries border the United States? WorldAtlas. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-countries-border-the-united-states.html
Question 3:
International database. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/idb/#/pop?COUNTRY_YEAR=2022&COUNTRY_YR_ANIM=2022&FIPS_SINGLE=BR&FIPS=MX&popPages=BYAGE&POP_YEARS=2022&menu=popViz&ageGroup=5Y
Question 4:
U.S. Census Bureau Current Population. Current Population. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/popclock/print.php?component=counter
O’Neill, A. (2021, August 17). Countries with the largest population 2021. Statista. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/262879/countries-with-the-largest-population/
Question 5:
United Nations Population Division. (n.d.). Fertility rate, total (births per woman) – Mexico. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?locations=MX
Question 6:
Spanish speaking countries 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/spanish-speaking-countries
Question 7:
United Nations Population Division. (n.d.). Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49) – Mexico. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.CONU.ZS?locations=MX
Question 8:
Food and Agriculture Organization. (n.d.). Agricultural land (% of land area) – Mexico. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.AGRI.ZS?locations=MX
Mexico Country Information. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.aardy.com/blog/mexico-country-information/
Question 9:
One light bulb at a time, Mexico achieves a Guinness record. World Bank. (2012, August 1). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/08/01/foco-a-foco-mexico-consigue-record-guinness
Question 10:
Food and Agriculture Organization. (n.d.). Forest area (% of land area) – Mexico. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?locations=MX
Reid, R. (2021, May 3). Welcome to the jungle: Exploring Mexico’s Lacandón. Travel. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/jungle-trek-tour-lacandon
