Essay Sample: Comparison of Mexico and Japan

Countries differ significantly in terms of sovereignty, government structures, territory, population, and cultures, among other factors. The differences are imperative in understanding a nation's social, political, and economic structures. This analysis delves into comparing and contrasting Mexico and Japan to identify key similarities and differences. Located in the southern part of North America bordering Guatemala, United States, and Belize, Mexico has a land area of 1.959 million square kilometers and a population slightly above 120 million (Central Intelligence Agency, 2020). On the contrary, Japan is an archipelago of over 6,800 islands located in the Pacific Ocean near the east coast of Asia (The Government of Japan, 2020). It has a land size of 145,936 square kilometers, with a population of 127 million (The Government of Japan, 2020). The capital cities of Mexico and Japan are Mexico City and Tokyo, respectively. The two countries share little in common.

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Sovereignty

The two sovereigns differ significantly with respect to their histories. Mexico was colonized by the Spanish rule between 1521 and 1821, while Japan was never formally colonized by a Western power (Nations Online, 2020). Mexico gained its independence on n August 24, 1921, when the leader of New Spain Viceroy Juan de O'Donoju placed his signature on the Treaty of Cordoba, ending the rule of Spain (Nations Online, 2020). The independence call was amplified by insurgence led by a priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in his "Grito de Dolores" declaration (Nations Online, 2020).

Governments

Mexico adopts a federal form of political organization and consists of 32 federal entities, including 31 states and Mexico City, which is presided over by the president. Each state has all forms of government, including executive, legislative, and judiciary, with the federal government playing a central role. Its current president is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. On the contrary, Japan adopts a unitary constitutional monarchy. At the apex is the emperor with ceremonial duties (Infoplease, 2017). The emperor also has a duty to appoint the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice, who is designated by the Japan Parliament, also known as National Diet. The prime minister takes an official role as the head of government. Thus, while Mexicans have absolute rights to elect the national leader, the Japanese leave the role to the legislature and the emperor, Prince Naruhito (Center of Global Education, 2020). The current Japan Prime Minister is Shinzo Abe.

Territory

As a unitary system, Japan has no "states" but is made up of 47 prefectures, which are part of the central government. On the contrary, Mexico has 31 states, each headed by a governor who holds executive powers and supported by local legislative and judicial systems. While land covers 99% of Mexico, it covers about 73% of Japan, mainly mountainous. The longest river in Mexico, Rio Grande, is 3,108km long (Nations Online, 2020) while the longest river in Japan, Shinano, has a length of 367km (Infoplease, 2017). Japan has varying climatic conditions across the country and is highly prone to torrential rains and typhoons. Generally, Mexico has a tropical climate marked with episodes of rainy and dry seasons.

Population

While Mexico's population is at 120,286,655 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2020), Japan has 127,103,388 people (The Government of Japan, 2020). The countries have a life expectancy of 75 years and 84 years, respectively.

Conclusion

From the comparison, it is evident that Mexico and Japan vary widely in terms of geographies, government structures, sovereignty, and territory. Despite its smaller size, Japan has a higher population than Mexico, pointing to the fact that it is densely populated. However, the country has implemented laws that aim at shrinking the population. Thus, while the Mexican population is expanding, Japan population will tend to remain the same or shrink.

References

The Government of Japan. (2020). About Japan. JapanGov - The Government of Japan. https://www.japan.go.jp/japan/

Center of Global Education. (2020). Japanese history. Asia Society. https://asiasociety.org/education/japanese-history

Nations Online. (2020). Mexico - country profile - nations online project. Your Guide to the World: Nations Online Project. https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/mexico.htm

Central Intelligence Agency. (2020). North America: Mexico - The World Factbook. Welcome to the CIA Web Site - Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html

Infoplease. (2017, February 2). Japan. InfoPlease. https://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/japan