One of the challenges I’ve had in explaining the security situation in certain parts of Mexico to some of my friends and colleagues has simply been the fact that people don’t necessarily understand the size of the country.

Now, courtesy of ifitweremyhome.com, I found this excellent map superimposing Mexico on top of Europe to prove my point.  Just as people going to the beaches of Greece and Turkey didn’t need to worry about the Glasgow airport bombers, it makes little sense to worry about the security situation in the northern border if you’re going to the beaches of central and southern Mexico.  I certainly won’t, and I go there every year (If you need tips, I wrote a small guide some time ago).

That’s what drives me crazy sometimes about the international news coverage of the country.  I’m not telling you that there aren’t places that are screwed up, but using that brush for the whole place is misleading.