In this concise thousand-year history, one of the world's foremost scholars on Latin America explains how Mexico's present and future flow directly from its past. Going well beyond a comprehensive description of recent events and crises, Jaime Suchlicki provides an introduction to the country's early native civilizations, its natural environment, the Spaniards' harsh rule, independence and revolution, the long dominant Partido Revolucionario Institucional's demise, and the complex and sometimes tumultuous relationship with the United States. Professor Suchlicki suggests seven major recurring patterns in Mexican history and convincingly describes their contribution to Mexico's current and future difficulties. This new edition provides an analysis of recent social, economic, and political developments, including the hotly contested 2006 election, in which the electoral tribunal determined the presidency and Felipe Calderón became Mexico's second consecutive president from the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN). Finally, Suchlicki also analyzes the current state of U.S.-Mexican relations on key issues such as immigration. Mexico is essential reading for anyone seeking an up-to-date perspective on America's neighbor to the south.