NewsTracker Answers for week of June 25, 2012

Q: The top three contenders in Sunday's presidential election have all promised a major shift in Mexico’s drug war strategy, placing a higher priority on reducing violence in Mexico than on blocking the flow of drugs to the United States. Where is Mexico on this map?

Circle the area on this map

Q: Drug-related violence has killed nearly 60,000 Mexicans since outgoing President Felipe Calderon began a military assault on criminal cartels in late 2006. Where in Mexico have most of the deaths occurred?

A. In the north

B. In the east

C. In the south

D. In the west

A. The vast majority of the murders have taken place near the U.S. border, as drug gangs fight over the billions of dollars to be made by selling drugs to U.S. citizens.

Q: Other Latin American leaders are calling for changes in drug strategy. The president of Mexico's southern neighbor has argued that narcotics should be legally available in a highly regulated market. Which country is on Mexico's southern border?

A. Bolivia

B. Guatemala

C. Uruguay

D. Venezuela

B. Mexico is bordered by Guatemala and the small country of Belize to the south. Guatemalan President Otto Perez says the war on drugs has failed, and it’s time for legalization. The sale of coca leaf, which cocaine is made from, is legal in Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru. Last week, Uruguay's government introduced a bill to legalize marijuana and have the government sell it.

Q: The drug violence is seen as hindering Mexico's economy -- the third largest in the Americas. Beside the United States, which nation in the Western Hemisphere has a larger economy than Mexico?

A. Argentina

B. Brazil

C. Canada

D. Chile

B. While Brazil has the second largest economy, its people are poorer on average than the other countries. Brazil has an annual per capita income of $11,600; Mexico's is $15,100; Chile's is $16,100; Argentina's is $17,400; Canada's is $40,300; and the United States' is $48,100.

Q: The presidential campaign has been marked by student protests over Mexico's entrenched political powers and claims of media bias. Half of Mexico's nearly 115 million people are under the median age of 27.1 years old. Which country has the oldest median age?

A. Japan

B. Uganda

C. Monaco

D. United States

C. The tiny European tax haven of of Monaco has the world's oldest population with half of its 36,000 people over the age of 48.9 years old. Japan is the second oldest with a median age of 44.6. The United States is a bit younger with a median age of 36.9, while Uganda in Africa has youngest population with half of its people under 15.