Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a large country located in North America, forming a crucial cultural and economic bridge between the United States and Central America. It is bordered by the United States to the north and by Guatemala and Belize to the southeast, with extensive coastlines along the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. With a population exceeding 128 million people, Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking nation by population and possesses a rich, complex history spanning pre-Columbian civilizations, Spanish colonial rule, and modern republican development.