The United Mexican States commonly known as Mexico is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala Belize and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2 million square kilometres (over 760 000 sq mi) Mexico is the 5th largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent nation in the world.