The territorial organization of Mexico is the set of rules and processes under which the component parts of the geographical area occupied by the country are divided and administered. Both aspects (rules and processes) have been the result of the historical events that delimited the physical space, but also of the different government systems and constitutional regimes that the country had.[1].
The current structure and its management respond to those of a federation, that is, there are sovereign territorial units; Furthermore, the central government is directly responsible for those territorial components assigned to it by law (airspace, seas and adjacent islands). Understanding this concept as an organization of political division, the country is made up of thirty-two federative entities (thirty-one states and Mexico City, capital of the republic). In turn, these entities are divided into municipalities—in the case of states, whose current number is 2,462—[2] or territorial demarcations—in the case of Mexico City, whose current number is sixteen—[3][4][5].
History
Independence and the constitutional empire
The first documents or statutes that institutionalized the insurgent movement (Constitutional Elements and Sentiments of the Nation), in the context of the War of Independence, did not exactly configure the type of political division and its administration, given the express intention of separation of the new nation from the Spanish Empire.[6].
On November 6, 1813, the Congress of Anáhuac issued the Solemn Act of the Declaration of Independence of Northern America. This name made a clear reference to the name used by the Constitution of Cádiz, to delimit the territory of the Spanish Empire that corresponded to the Viceroyalty of New Spain and its dependent areas (Captainship General of Guatemala, Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Spanish part of the island of Hispaniola - today the Dominican Republic -); assuming that this was the geographical space on which the new nation would be established. However, it was the Constitutional Decree for the Freedom of Mexican America of 1814, the first document that accurately named the constituent parts of the new country and dedicated a section to its internal and provisional administration; In it he collected several of the proposals contained in the Spanish Magna Carta. This transitional organization would consist of establishing collegiate bodies, called , starting from three subdivisions with the following names (from lowest to highest): ; From them the provincial deputies of the eventual would be elected, and these would, at the same time, be the highest authorities of said provinces. However, neither these legal systems, nor their driving institutions, survived the fall of José María Morelos.[7][8][9].
Territorial hierarchy
Introduction
The territorial organization of Mexico is the set of rules and processes under which the component parts of the geographical area occupied by the country are divided and administered. Both aspects (rules and processes) have been the result of the historical events that delimited the physical space, but also of the different government systems and constitutional regimes that the country had.[1].
The current structure and its management respond to those of a federation, that is, there are sovereign territorial units; Furthermore, the central government is directly responsible for those territorial components assigned to it by law (airspace, seas and adjacent islands). Understanding this concept as an organization of political division, the country is made up of thirty-two federative entities (thirty-one states and Mexico City, capital of the republic). In turn, these entities are divided into municipalities—in the case of states, whose current number is 2,462—[2] or territorial demarcations—in the case of Mexico City, whose current number is sixteen—[3][4][5].
History
Independence and the constitutional empire
The first documents or statutes that institutionalized the insurgent movement (Constitutional Elements and Sentiments of the Nation), in the context of the War of Independence, did not exactly configure the type of political division and its administration, given the express intention of separation of the new nation from the Spanish Empire.[6].
On November 6, 1813, the Congress of Anáhuac issued the Solemn Act of the Declaration of Independence of Northern America. This name made a clear reference to the name used by the Constitution of Cádiz, to delimit the territory of the Spanish Empire that corresponded to the Viceroyalty of New Spain and its dependent areas (Captainship General of Guatemala, Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Spanish part of the island of Hispaniola - today the Dominican Republic -); assuming that this was the geographical space on which the new nation would be established. However, it was the Constitutional Decree for the Freedom of Mexican America of 1814, the first document that accurately named the constituent parts of the new country and dedicated a section to its internal and provisional administration; In it he collected several of the proposals contained in the Spanish Magna Carta. This transitional organization would consist of establishing collegiate bodies, called , starting from three subdivisions with the following names (from lowest to highest): ; From them the provincial deputies of the eventual would be elected, and these would, at the same time, be the highest authorities of said provinces. However, neither these legal systems, nor their driving institutions, survived the fall of José María Morelos.[7][8][9].
juntas
district, parish and party
Supreme Congress
The documents that preceded the consummation of independence (Plan of Iguala and Treaties of Córdoba) did not deal with the internal administration of the territory, however they did deal with its formation, by continually using the term Northern America, which they began to call Mexican Empire. On September 27, 1821, with the entry into Mexico City of the Trigarante Army, the independence struggle was concluded. The next day, and under the provisions of the aforementioned statutes, the Provisional Government Board was installed, which as a legislative body would have full authority over the affairs of the Empire. In the aspect of territorial organization, this collegiate body considered those old provinces of New Spain as members of the Empire, and temporarily preserved the same structures that the colonial authority had; appointing Senior Political Leaders for each province and recognizing the validity of city councils as local government entities. In the same way, he maintained the direction of the so-called Interior Provinces (the northern territories) that were governed by the Viceroy himself, and the military territorial jurisdictions (Captainships). These same documents declared Mexico City as the capital of the Empire, a condition that has been preserved since then.[10][11][12][13].
The first official political division of the Mexican Empire was contained in the law of November 17, 1821, issued by the Government Board to call for the formation of the Constituent Congress; assuming that the areas that ratified it were the members of the Empire. From this it was deduced that the nascent Empire was made up of twenty-one provinces: The 17 provinces and the two territories (Las Californias and Santa Fe de Nuevo México) that made up New Spain, in addition to the province of Chiapas (at that time a member of the Captaincy General of Guatemala) and the Captaincy General of Yucatán, elevated to provincial rank, like the northern territories.[14][15].
On January 5, 1822, the former Captaincy General of Guatemala (which included, in addition to the already incorporated Chiapas, the Soconusco "Soconusco (Chiapas)"), and the current Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica), whose component territories had declared their independence on September 15, 1821, proclaimed its adhesion to the Plan of Iguala and the Treaties of Córdoba, and consequently its full incorporation into the Empire Mexican. On May 19, 1822, Congress appointed Agustín de Iturbide as Emperor of Mexico and provided him with a legal system to administer the country; This was the Provisional political regulations of the Mexican Empire, promulgated on February 23, 1823. It established the Superior Political Chiefs as the highest provincial authorities; The most populated cities or ports could have political subchiefs who, subordinate to the provincial capital, would have the same powers in their area of influence; The town councils continued to be the primary component of the division of the provinces, although with little autonomy from the Superior Political Leader. It also contemplated that the provincial deputies in the Constituent Congress could intervene at any time in the administration of their respective entity.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22].
The 24 Provinces into which the Empire was divided were:.
However, the Constitutional Empire soon demonstrated the incompatibility of its two main members, the Emperor and the constituent Congress, which instead of legislating a Constitution, wanted to exercise the Executive Power and advocate a coup d'état. Some deputies began to be imprisoned for their participation in conspiracies against the Mexican Empire and finally Emperor Agustín I decided to definitively dissolve the Congress, to establish in its place a National Instituting Board.[23].
The lack of reforms by the Constituent Board and the absence of solutions for the serious problems that the country was going through increased conspiracies to change the political system.[24] Antonio López de Santa Anna proclaimed the Casa Mata Plan, which Vicente Guerrero and Nicolás Bravo would later join.[25] Iturbide then saw the need to restore Congress to avoid a new civil war and abdicate the Mexican crown on March 19, 1823.[26].
However, Congress declared the annulment of Iturbide's appointment and therefore recognized the abdication.[23] The dissolution of the Empire thus gave rise to the first political readjustment of independent Mexico.
The Republic and the Federal Union
After the fall of the Empire, the Supreme Executive Power arose, which would be in charge of calling for the creation of the Federal Republic. It was in force between April 1, 1823 and October 10, 1824.[27][6].
The unrest in the provinces was such that on May 21, 1823, it was specified in article 6 of the draft foundations of the federative Republic that "its component parts are free, sovereign and independent States with regard to their administration and government."[28] In other words, they were free to follow their destiny as they saw fit. However, the majority of the now Free States that were called to the integration of a Federal Republic, acceded to the Union, with the exception of the entirety of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala that formed its own Federal Republic.[29].
On January 31, 1824, the decree was issued by which the Constitutive Act of the Mexican Federation was created.[30] Article 6 of the draft foundations of the Federal Republic was integrated into it. To determine the territorial division of the country, the criterion was used that the states called upon to found the federation: "[...] were neither so few that due to their size and wealth they could aspire to become independent nations in a few years, breaking the federal bond, nor so many that due to lack of men and resources the system would become impracticable."[31][32].
Between the course of 1823 and 1824 the various Free States that would make up the federation in the future had already begun the preparation of their own constitutions and others had even established their constituent Congresses.
Special cases were that of Yucatán, which on December 23, 1823 decided to be part of the federation but as a Federated Republic[33] and that of Chiapas, which through a referendum decided to join the federation on September 14, 1824.[34].
Finally, the Federal Constitution was promulgated on October 4, 1824, thus creating the United Mexican States. The country was made up of 19 states: Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Texas, Durango, Guanajuato, Mexico, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla de los Ángeles, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sonora and Sinaloa or State of the West, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Jalisco, Yucatán and Zacatecas. In addition, 4 federal territories were formed: Alta California, Baja California, Colima, and Santa Fe de Nuevo México.[35] After the publication of the constitution, the Federal District was created that same year;[36] and Tlaxcala, which had retained a special status since the time of the conquest, was integrated as a territory. The Magna Carta established, as a form of territorial organization, popular representative governments (in the style of the federation) with division of powers: executive, legislative and judicial. Among the powers of the states were those related to delimiting the administration of their government and territory; to apply the international treaties signed by the federation; protect the political and civil liberties of its citizens; appear before the General Congress for everything related to public finances; and they were prohibited from exercising any of their own policies regarding the armed forces or international relations, whether commercial, diplomatic or even war conflicts.[37][38].
On October 10, 1824, Guadalupe Victoria took office as the first president of Mexico.[39].
Centralist Republic
The political structure of the Republic was modified by the law of August 6, 1835, when the centralist system was established.[40][6].
The entities that made up the Republic therefore lost their autonomy and sovereignty, becoming totally subordinated to the central government. However, the territorial division itself remained the same since the text of article 8 of this law only determined: The national territory will be divided into departments, on the basis of population, locality and other conducive circumstances: their number, extension and subdivisions would be detailed in a constitutional law.[41].
The Seven Constitutional Laws were promulgated on December 30, 1836.[42] It was the sixth of them that dealt with the territorial configuration in its 1st and 2nd articles; The 1st determined, ratifying the criterion of the law of October 3, 1835, that the Republic would be divided into departments, these into districts and the districts in turn into parties. Article 2 established that the arrangement of the Republic into departments would be carried out by a special law that would have a constitutional character.
The law in question was called the Eighth Organic Base, which effectively formed a separate body from the Seven Laws. The first of its articles established that the national territory would be made up of as many Departments as there were States, except for the variations that:[43][44].
According to the above, the new territorial division was made up of 24 departments.
Such territorial composition was considered definitive until June 30, 1838, by law of that date.[45].
During this period of political instability, regional problems and conflicts between the center and the country's entities also manifested. Rebellions arose in several places, including:.
Restoration of Federalism and the Second Empire
Federalism was restored by the provisional president José Mariano Salas on August 22, 1846, as modifications to the territorial configuration the state of Guerrero was erected - provisionally in 1849 -, conditional on the acceptance of the legislatures of Mexico, Puebla and Michoacán, whose regions were to be affected.[47].
On February 5, 1857, a new constitution known as the Federal Constitution of 1857 was promulgated. Among the variants of internal administration were the prohibition of states from minting currency and the power to resolve territorial disputes with other states, with prior approval by Congress. In addition to recovering the full autonomy of their local powers with respect to the federal ones.[48].
In 1864, however, after the French Intervention, the monarchical and centralist system was reestablished, the Second Mexican Empire led by Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. The Assembly of Notables, which exercised legislative power provisionally, promulgated the Provisional Statute of the Mexican Empire, a legal order that outlined the political organization of the Empire. The statute also established, among other things, the rules for territorial administration. Among the precepts was the division into fifty departments governed by political Prefects, directly appointed by the monarch; Between them and the emperor, the figures of Commissioners and Visitors were created, intermediate authorities with powers of audit and administration of justice; The Departments were divided into districts governed by subchiefs and municipalities with the traditional organization of town councils and mayors; Each department had Departmental Councils with legislative powers; between Prefects and Mayors there would be Imperial Commissioners as intermediate authority.[49][50] The Empire was deposed in 1867 and republican federalism would be restored again under the Federal Constitution of 1857 "Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States (1857)").
Constitution of 1917
The Political Constitution of 1917, which would emerge from the Mexican Revolution, confirmed the federal system of government that has lasted to this day. However, in 1960 various reforms updated the concept of national territory to adapt it to the interests of the country, in accordance with public international law. As was the recognition of the territorial sea (12 nautical miles - 22.2 km - counted from the baseline "Baseline (Law of the Sea)") from which its width is measured.), the Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles - 370.4 km - counted from the baseline "Baseline (Law of the Sea)") from which its width is measured.) and the airspace (all that included horizontally over the continental territory and the territorial sea; vertically with unestablished ranges, but estimated to be 100 km) as federal administration zones.[51].
After the last federal territories (Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo in 1974) were elevated to the category of States, all constitutional changes in terms of territorial organization have been linked to the status of Mexico City; until then a Federal District with absolute dependence on the three powers of the Union. The progressive modifications to this began in 1988 with the formation of a popularly elected legislative body (Assembly of Representatives of the Federal District), continued in 1997 with the election of its own executive branch (Head of Government of the DF), and concluded in 2016 with the drafting of its own constitution; granting it in the federal Magna Carta, the same rights and powers of any state, but that, considering its category of capital of the republic "Capital (political)"), retains the name of federative entity; The names Mexico D.F. and Federal District are also no longer used, to only use the term Mexico City.[52][53].
Current organization
Contenido
La definición, conformación y estructura del territorio mexicano están normadas por los Títulos II (Capítulo II) y V, y abarcándolas en siete y ocho artículos, respectivamente, dentro de la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Principalmente por el artículo 42 que establece:[54].
Entities
The entities of the Mexican Federation are free and sovereign, autonomous in their internal regime. They have the power to govern themselves according to their own laws; They have their own constitution that must not contradict the principles of the federal constitution. The powers of its executive and legislative powers are understood as those that are rights of the entities; such as the ownership of command of the public force (state police and assigned national guard); the direction and regulation of its own economic, social development and public security policies; as well as the administration of those resources that arise from their local taxes or own income.
States cannot make alliances with other states, or with any independent nation, without the permission of the federation. The minting of currency is also prohibited; tax merchandise or transit of Mexicans and foreigners; contract foreign debt; legislate on tax matters for those economic aspects that are exclusive to the federal government and have its own Armed Forces.
The political organization of each state is based on a separation of powers: The legislative power falls on a unicameral congress; The executive power rests on a governor elected by universal suffrage; and the judicial power rests on a Superior Court of Justice. Since the states have legal autonomy, each one has its own civil and criminal codes, as well as public security bodies.[55] However, it is up to the Senate to resolve differences in territorial limits or declare the disappearance of powers in case of serious alteration of order; and to the Supreme Court of Justice "Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (Mexico)") to resolve constitutional controversies between the entities, or these with their municipalities, the federal powers and the autonomous bodies.[56][57].
In the Senate of the Republic, the federative entities - the States and Mexico City - are represented by three senators: two elected by universal suffrage based on the principle of relative majority and one assigned to the party that obtains the first minority. In addition, the federation forms a constituency from which 32 senators are elected according to the method of proportional representation with open party lists. The deputies, on the contrary, do not represent the states, but rather the citizens.[58].
The states are internally divided into municipalities—or territorial demarcations, in the case of Mexico City. Each municipality enjoys autonomy in its ability to elect its own city council, which is responsible, in most cases, for providing all the public services required by its population. This concept, which would emerge from the Mexican Revolution, is known as free municipality. The city council is headed by a municipal president, elected every three years. Each municipality has a council made up of councilors based on their population size and union members according to the number established by state law. In the case of the territorial demarcations of Mexico City, these will have an executive branch (mayors) elected by universal suffrage, with executive powers and administrative autonomy identical to those of the municipalities, but they will lack city councils or councils for legislative functions; However, they will have a collegiate body called "Council", integrated proportionally with respect to the number of inhabitants of each district, whose functions will be supervision and control of the actions of the mayor, control of public spending of the mayor's office and preparation of its budget.
In total in Mexico there are 2,462 municipalities (2,478 including the 16 districts of the capital); The state with the largest number of municipalities is Oaxaca, with 570, and the state with the smallest number is Baja California Sur, with only 5.[2].
At the same time, municipalities are empowered by local constitutions to organize themselves territorially; most of them calling Delegations those communities located outside the urban area that constitutes the so-called Municipal Headquarters. Although these do not have greater autonomy than the election of their delegate and participation in community development projects; since the functions of these administrative entities are merely executory of the determinations of the city council.[59].
They are also empowered to coordinate their organization with those municipalities with which it constitutes, according to the INEGI categorization, a metropolitan area.
Other subdivisions
The different Secretariats of State, depending on the application of the public policies under their jurisdiction, usually divide the country into zones, sectors or regions, which may include different states or municipalities. The administrative divisions of the Armed Forces stand out as an example, established by the Secretariats of Defense and Navy "Secretaría de Marina (Mexico)"); or the economic regions that respond to the plans and programs of secretariats such as those of Economy "Secretaría de Economía (Mexico)") and Tourism "Secretaría de Turismo (Mexico)").
For the purposes of the composition of the Chamber of Deputies "Chamber of Deputies (Mexico)"); The Constitution and the Electoral Law contemplate the division of the country into 300 districts and five constituencies.[60] The same situation (division into districts) contemplates the local constitutions for the integration of local congresses.
While the Judicial Power "Judiciary Power of the Federation (Mexico)"), through the Judicial Council, divides the country into circuits (regions that may include several states) and judicial districts (regions within the entities) for the administration of its powers and the jurisdiction of its courts.[61].
Federal entities of the United Mexican States
The 32 entities (31 states and Mexico City), defined in the Constitution as "integral parts of the Federation" are:[3].
References
[65] ↑ Para las entidades erigidas en 1823 y 1824, las fechas de creación corresponden a las de la instalación de los congresos locales y las consecuentes ratificaciones del Acta Constitutiva de la Federación Mexicana. No obstante, todos los estados federados y los territorios de administración federal ya habían sido constituidos como provincias del Imperio Mexicano, tal y como se menciona en la primera división política oficial, producto de la adhesión al decreto del 17 de noviembre de 1821 para formar las Cortes.
[66] ↑ Cuando se constituyó la entidad para albergar los poderes de la República Federal, se creó un distrito al cual se le dio el nombre de Federal cuya capital se situó en la ciudad de México. El crecimiento desmedido de la ciudad ha hecho que hoy en día ocupe la mayor parte del distrito, por lo que los términos Ciudad de México y Distrito Federal se consideraron como sinónimos a rango constitucional, aunque este último ya no tenga validez desde 2017. Si el Gobierno federal cambiase de sede, la Ciudad de México seguiría llamándose de la misma manera.
[67] ↑ Se unió a la federación con el nombre de Coahuila y Texas.
[69] ↑ Se unió a la federación con el nombre de Estado de Occidente, también reconocido como Sonora y Sinaloa.
[70] ↑ Se unió a la federación como la República Federada de Yucatán el 29 de mayo de 1823, conformada por los estados actuales de Yucatán, Campeche y Quintana Roo; sin embargo, fue hasta el 23 de diciembre de 1823 cuando se le admitió como estado de la federación.
juntas
district, parish and party
Supreme Congress
The documents that preceded the consummation of independence (Plan of Iguala and Treaties of Córdoba) did not deal with the internal administration of the territory, however they did deal with its formation, by continually using the term Northern America, which they began to call Mexican Empire. On September 27, 1821, with the entry into Mexico City of the Trigarante Army, the independence struggle was concluded. The next day, and under the provisions of the aforementioned statutes, the Provisional Government Board was installed, which as a legislative body would have full authority over the affairs of the Empire. In the aspect of territorial organization, this collegiate body considered those old provinces of New Spain as members of the Empire, and temporarily preserved the same structures that the colonial authority had; appointing Senior Political Leaders for each province and recognizing the validity of city councils as local government entities. In the same way, he maintained the direction of the so-called Interior Provinces (the northern territories) that were governed by the Viceroy himself, and the military territorial jurisdictions (Captainships). These same documents declared Mexico City as the capital of the Empire, a condition that has been preserved since then.[10][11][12][13].
The first official political division of the Mexican Empire was contained in the law of November 17, 1821, issued by the Government Board to call for the formation of the Constituent Congress; assuming that the areas that ratified it were the members of the Empire. From this it was deduced that the nascent Empire was made up of twenty-one provinces: The 17 provinces and the two territories (Las Californias and Santa Fe de Nuevo México) that made up New Spain, in addition to the province of Chiapas (at that time a member of the Captaincy General of Guatemala) and the Captaincy General of Yucatán, elevated to provincial rank, like the northern territories.[14][15].
On January 5, 1822, the former Captaincy General of Guatemala (which included, in addition to the already incorporated Chiapas, the Soconusco "Soconusco (Chiapas)"), and the current Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica), whose component territories had declared their independence on September 15, 1821, proclaimed its adhesion to the Plan of Iguala and the Treaties of Córdoba, and consequently its full incorporation into the Empire Mexican. On May 19, 1822, Congress appointed Agustín de Iturbide as Emperor of Mexico and provided him with a legal system to administer the country; This was the Provisional political regulations of the Mexican Empire, promulgated on February 23, 1823. It established the Superior Political Chiefs as the highest provincial authorities; The most populated cities or ports could have political subchiefs who, subordinate to the provincial capital, would have the same powers in their area of influence; The town councils continued to be the primary component of the division of the provinces, although with little autonomy from the Superior Political Leader. It also contemplated that the provincial deputies in the Constituent Congress could intervene at any time in the administration of their respective entity.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22].
The 24 Provinces into which the Empire was divided were:.
However, the Constitutional Empire soon demonstrated the incompatibility of its two main members, the Emperor and the constituent Congress, which instead of legislating a Constitution, wanted to exercise the Executive Power and advocate a coup d'état. Some deputies began to be imprisoned for their participation in conspiracies against the Mexican Empire and finally Emperor Agustín I decided to definitively dissolve the Congress, to establish in its place a National Instituting Board.[23].
The lack of reforms by the Constituent Board and the absence of solutions for the serious problems that the country was going through increased conspiracies to change the political system.[24] Antonio López de Santa Anna proclaimed the Casa Mata Plan, which Vicente Guerrero and Nicolás Bravo would later join.[25] Iturbide then saw the need to restore Congress to avoid a new civil war and abdicate the Mexican crown on March 19, 1823.[26].
However, Congress declared the annulment of Iturbide's appointment and therefore recognized the abdication.[23] The dissolution of the Empire thus gave rise to the first political readjustment of independent Mexico.
The Republic and the Federal Union
After the fall of the Empire, the Supreme Executive Power arose, which would be in charge of calling for the creation of the Federal Republic. It was in force between April 1, 1823 and October 10, 1824.[27][6].
The unrest in the provinces was such that on May 21, 1823, it was specified in article 6 of the draft foundations of the federative Republic that "its component parts are free, sovereign and independent States with regard to their administration and government."[28] In other words, they were free to follow their destiny as they saw fit. However, the majority of the now Free States that were called to the integration of a Federal Republic, acceded to the Union, with the exception of the entirety of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala that formed its own Federal Republic.[29].
On January 31, 1824, the decree was issued by which the Constitutive Act of the Mexican Federation was created.[30] Article 6 of the draft foundations of the Federal Republic was integrated into it. To determine the territorial division of the country, the criterion was used that the states called upon to found the federation: "[...] were neither so few that due to their size and wealth they could aspire to become independent nations in a few years, breaking the federal bond, nor so many that due to lack of men and resources the system would become impracticable."[31][32].
Between the course of 1823 and 1824 the various Free States that would make up the federation in the future had already begun the preparation of their own constitutions and others had even established their constituent Congresses.
Special cases were that of Yucatán, which on December 23, 1823 decided to be part of the federation but as a Federated Republic[33] and that of Chiapas, which through a referendum decided to join the federation on September 14, 1824.[34].
Finally, the Federal Constitution was promulgated on October 4, 1824, thus creating the United Mexican States. The country was made up of 19 states: Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Texas, Durango, Guanajuato, Mexico, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla de los Ángeles, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sonora and Sinaloa or State of the West, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Jalisco, Yucatán and Zacatecas. In addition, 4 federal territories were formed: Alta California, Baja California, Colima, and Santa Fe de Nuevo México.[35] After the publication of the constitution, the Federal District was created that same year;[36] and Tlaxcala, which had retained a special status since the time of the conquest, was integrated as a territory. The Magna Carta established, as a form of territorial organization, popular representative governments (in the style of the federation) with division of powers: executive, legislative and judicial. Among the powers of the states were those related to delimiting the administration of their government and territory; to apply the international treaties signed by the federation; protect the political and civil liberties of its citizens; appear before the General Congress for everything related to public finances; and they were prohibited from exercising any of their own policies regarding the armed forces or international relations, whether commercial, diplomatic or even war conflicts.[37][38].
On October 10, 1824, Guadalupe Victoria took office as the first president of Mexico.[39].
Centralist Republic
The political structure of the Republic was modified by the law of August 6, 1835, when the centralist system was established.[40][6].
The entities that made up the Republic therefore lost their autonomy and sovereignty, becoming totally subordinated to the central government. However, the territorial division itself remained the same since the text of article 8 of this law only determined: The national territory will be divided into departments, on the basis of population, locality and other conducive circumstances: their number, extension and subdivisions would be detailed in a constitutional law.[41].
The Seven Constitutional Laws were promulgated on December 30, 1836.[42] It was the sixth of them that dealt with the territorial configuration in its 1st and 2nd articles; The 1st determined, ratifying the criterion of the law of October 3, 1835, that the Republic would be divided into departments, these into districts and the districts in turn into parties. Article 2 established that the arrangement of the Republic into departments would be carried out by a special law that would have a constitutional character.
The law in question was called the Eighth Organic Base, which effectively formed a separate body from the Seven Laws. The first of its articles established that the national territory would be made up of as many Departments as there were States, except for the variations that:[43][44].
According to the above, the new territorial division was made up of 24 departments.
Such territorial composition was considered definitive until June 30, 1838, by law of that date.[45].
During this period of political instability, regional problems and conflicts between the center and the country's entities also manifested. Rebellions arose in several places, including:.
Restoration of Federalism and the Second Empire
Federalism was restored by the provisional president José Mariano Salas on August 22, 1846, as modifications to the territorial configuration the state of Guerrero was erected - provisionally in 1849 -, conditional on the acceptance of the legislatures of Mexico, Puebla and Michoacán, whose regions were to be affected.[47].
On February 5, 1857, a new constitution known as the Federal Constitution of 1857 was promulgated. Among the variants of internal administration were the prohibition of states from minting currency and the power to resolve territorial disputes with other states, with prior approval by Congress. In addition to recovering the full autonomy of their local powers with respect to the federal ones.[48].
In 1864, however, after the French Intervention, the monarchical and centralist system was reestablished, the Second Mexican Empire led by Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. The Assembly of Notables, which exercised legislative power provisionally, promulgated the Provisional Statute of the Mexican Empire, a legal order that outlined the political organization of the Empire. The statute also established, among other things, the rules for territorial administration. Among the precepts was the division into fifty departments governed by political Prefects, directly appointed by the monarch; Between them and the emperor, the figures of Commissioners and Visitors were created, intermediate authorities with powers of audit and administration of justice; The Departments were divided into districts governed by subchiefs and municipalities with the traditional organization of town councils and mayors; Each department had Departmental Councils with legislative powers; between Prefects and Mayors there would be Imperial Commissioners as intermediate authority.[49][50] The Empire was deposed in 1867 and republican federalism would be restored again under the Federal Constitution of 1857 "Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States (1857)").
Constitution of 1917
The Political Constitution of 1917, which would emerge from the Mexican Revolution, confirmed the federal system of government that has lasted to this day. However, in 1960 various reforms updated the concept of national territory to adapt it to the interests of the country, in accordance with public international law. As was the recognition of the territorial sea (12 nautical miles - 22.2 km - counted from the baseline "Baseline (Law of the Sea)") from which its width is measured.), the Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles - 370.4 km - counted from the baseline "Baseline (Law of the Sea)") from which its width is measured.) and the airspace (all that included horizontally over the continental territory and the territorial sea; vertically with unestablished ranges, but estimated to be 100 km) as federal administration zones.[51].
After the last federal territories (Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo in 1974) were elevated to the category of States, all constitutional changes in terms of territorial organization have been linked to the status of Mexico City; until then a Federal District with absolute dependence on the three powers of the Union. The progressive modifications to this began in 1988 with the formation of a popularly elected legislative body (Assembly of Representatives of the Federal District), continued in 1997 with the election of its own executive branch (Head of Government of the DF), and concluded in 2016 with the drafting of its own constitution; granting it in the federal Magna Carta, the same rights and powers of any state, but that, considering its category of capital of the republic "Capital (political)"), retains the name of federative entity; The names Mexico D.F. and Federal District are also no longer used, to only use the term Mexico City.[52][53].
Current organization
Contenido
La definición, conformación y estructura del territorio mexicano están normadas por los Títulos II (Capítulo II) y V, y abarcándolas en siete y ocho artículos, respectivamente, dentro de la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Principalmente por el artículo 42 que establece:[54].
Entities
The entities of the Mexican Federation are free and sovereign, autonomous in their internal regime. They have the power to govern themselves according to their own laws; They have their own constitution that must not contradict the principles of the federal constitution. The powers of its executive and legislative powers are understood as those that are rights of the entities; such as the ownership of command of the public force (state police and assigned national guard); the direction and regulation of its own economic, social development and public security policies; as well as the administration of those resources that arise from their local taxes or own income.
States cannot make alliances with other states, or with any independent nation, without the permission of the federation. The minting of currency is also prohibited; tax merchandise or transit of Mexicans and foreigners; contract foreign debt; legislate on tax matters for those economic aspects that are exclusive to the federal government and have its own Armed Forces.
The political organization of each state is based on a separation of powers: The legislative power falls on a unicameral congress; The executive power rests on a governor elected by universal suffrage; and the judicial power rests on a Superior Court of Justice. Since the states have legal autonomy, each one has its own civil and criminal codes, as well as public security bodies.[55] However, it is up to the Senate to resolve differences in territorial limits or declare the disappearance of powers in case of serious alteration of order; and to the Supreme Court of Justice "Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (Mexico)") to resolve constitutional controversies between the entities, or these with their municipalities, the federal powers and the autonomous bodies.[56][57].
In the Senate of the Republic, the federative entities - the States and Mexico City - are represented by three senators: two elected by universal suffrage based on the principle of relative majority and one assigned to the party that obtains the first minority. In addition, the federation forms a constituency from which 32 senators are elected according to the method of proportional representation with open party lists. The deputies, on the contrary, do not represent the states, but rather the citizens.[58].
The states are internally divided into municipalities—or territorial demarcations, in the case of Mexico City. Each municipality enjoys autonomy in its ability to elect its own city council, which is responsible, in most cases, for providing all the public services required by its population. This concept, which would emerge from the Mexican Revolution, is known as free municipality. The city council is headed by a municipal president, elected every three years. Each municipality has a council made up of councilors based on their population size and union members according to the number established by state law. In the case of the territorial demarcations of Mexico City, these will have an executive branch (mayors) elected by universal suffrage, with executive powers and administrative autonomy identical to those of the municipalities, but they will lack city councils or councils for legislative functions; However, they will have a collegiate body called "Council", integrated proportionally with respect to the number of inhabitants of each district, whose functions will be supervision and control of the actions of the mayor, control of public spending of the mayor's office and preparation of its budget.
In total in Mexico there are 2,462 municipalities (2,478 including the 16 districts of the capital); The state with the largest number of municipalities is Oaxaca, with 570, and the state with the smallest number is Baja California Sur, with only 5.[2].
At the same time, municipalities are empowered by local constitutions to organize themselves territorially; most of them calling Delegations those communities located outside the urban area that constitutes the so-called Municipal Headquarters. Although these do not have greater autonomy than the election of their delegate and participation in community development projects; since the functions of these administrative entities are merely executory of the determinations of the city council.[59].
They are also empowered to coordinate their organization with those municipalities with which it constitutes, according to the INEGI categorization, a metropolitan area.
Other subdivisions
The different Secretariats of State, depending on the application of the public policies under their jurisdiction, usually divide the country into zones, sectors or regions, which may include different states or municipalities. The administrative divisions of the Armed Forces stand out as an example, established by the Secretariats of Defense and Navy "Secretaría de Marina (Mexico)"); or the economic regions that respond to the plans and programs of secretariats such as those of Economy "Secretaría de Economía (Mexico)") and Tourism "Secretaría de Turismo (Mexico)").
For the purposes of the composition of the Chamber of Deputies "Chamber of Deputies (Mexico)"); The Constitution and the Electoral Law contemplate the division of the country into 300 districts and five constituencies.[60] The same situation (division into districts) contemplates the local constitutions for the integration of local congresses.
While the Judicial Power "Judiciary Power of the Federation (Mexico)"), through the Judicial Council, divides the country into circuits (regions that may include several states) and judicial districts (regions within the entities) for the administration of its powers and the jurisdiction of its courts.[61].
Federal entities of the United Mexican States
The 32 entities (31 states and Mexico City), defined in the Constitution as "integral parts of the Federation" are:[3].
References
[65] ↑ Para las entidades erigidas en 1823 y 1824, las fechas de creación corresponden a las de la instalación de los congresos locales y las consecuentes ratificaciones del Acta Constitutiva de la Federación Mexicana. No obstante, todos los estados federados y los territorios de administración federal ya habían sido constituidos como provincias del Imperio Mexicano, tal y como se menciona en la primera división política oficial, producto de la adhesión al decreto del 17 de noviembre de 1821 para formar las Cortes.
[66] ↑ Cuando se constituyó la entidad para albergar los poderes de la República Federal, se creó un distrito al cual se le dio el nombre de Federal cuya capital se situó en la ciudad de México. El crecimiento desmedido de la ciudad ha hecho que hoy en día ocupe la mayor parte del distrito, por lo que los términos Ciudad de México y Distrito Federal se consideraron como sinónimos a rango constitucional, aunque este último ya no tenga validez desde 2017. Si el Gobierno federal cambiase de sede, la Ciudad de México seguiría llamándose de la misma manera.
[67] ↑ Se unió a la federación con el nombre de Coahuila y Texas.
[69] ↑ Se unió a la federación con el nombre de Estado de Occidente, también reconocido como Sonora y Sinaloa.
[70] ↑ Se unió a la federación como la República Federada de Yucatán el 29 de mayo de 1823, conformada por los estados actuales de Yucatán, Campeche y Quintana Roo; sin embargo, fue hasta el 23 de diciembre de 1823 cuando se le admitió como estado de la federación.