Mexico is a Spanish-speaking country about three times the size of Texas, consisting of 31 states and one federal district. The capital is Mexico City. Mexico has a rapidly developing economy, ranked by the International Monetary Fund as the fourteenth largest in the world. The climate ranges from tropical to arid, and the terrain consists of coastal lowlands, central high plateaus, deserts and mountains of up to 18,000 feet.

Millions of U.S. citizens visit Mexico safely each year. More than 95 percent of Mexico’s municipalities are at least as safe as the average traveler’s hometown. Yucatan state, for example, had 0.1 of a murder for every 100,000 people in 2010 – no U.S. tourist destination comes close to that. Most cities in central Mexico, outside of the scattered drug hot spots, have lower murder rates than Orlando [Source: SF Chronicle]. The highest levels of violence and crime are centralized in the border regions.

San Miguel de Allende is located in central Mexico and is largely insulated from the levels of crime reported in the border region. San Miguel has approximately ten thousand expat residents and many thousands more foreign visitors a year, and very few ever become victims of a crime. However, as in any foreign country, visitors should remain alert and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

For more information on travel in Mexico, visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ website.