RON MADER'S UNUSUAL MEXICO LINKS
(Mexico on the Web)

His Bio
His Home Page

Journalist and savvy webmaster Ron Mader sifts through the web to find the most interesting and unusual Mexico-related websites. Ron is the webhost of the popular Planeta.com: Eco Travels in Latin America website -- http://www.planeta.com -- and has written about the internet since the early 1990s.

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[Editor's note With this column, "Mexico on the Web" takes a break. The column is no longer published in Business Mexico magazine. Mexico Connect columnist Ron Mader says he intends to resume Mexico on the Web in a different format later in 2003. This year Ron is focusing more of his time teaching tourism professionals how to make effective use of the Web -- http//www.planeta.com/ecotravel/resources/workshop21.html]

Embassies In Mexico

Foreign embassies and consulates bridge diplomatic, economic and cultural interests. In Mexico, they serve as vital networking hubs for visitors, foreign residents and Mexicans alike. From "just-the-facts" to sophisticated campaigns, embassy websites are quite varied. A growing number of sites promote local events or solicit investment and tourism back home. That said, few of the sites are interactive. It's rare to see a bulletin board or a public forum on a government website. Judge for yourself how the embassy websites compare. Diplomatically, I'm awarding each a "4/5 Star Rating."

Australian Embassy
www.mexico.embassy.gov.au

/5 Stars

The stylish Australia website provides most of its content in Spanish. It even takes the time to review the relationships between Australia and the Spanish-speaking world, www.mexico.embassy.gov.au/relaciones/index.html. It's not all high concept - the site provides contact information, www.mexico.embassy.gov.au/quienes/mx/index.html, and practical tips for those needing immigration papers, www.mexico.embassy.gov.au/visados/index.html. The website promotes Australia-bound tourism and even the national cuisine, www.mexico.embassy.gov.au/gastronomia/index.html. For Australian travelers, the site provides useful facts as well as online registration, www.mexico.embassy.gov.au/consular/index.html.

U.S. Embassy
www.usembassy-mexico.gov

/5 Stars

The U.S. website covers the basics for citizens of the United States, www.usembassy-mexico.gov/library.htm, and Mexico, www.usembassy-mexico.gov/eservmex.html. Unfortunately, much of the site has not been updated in more than a year. Nevertheless, the bilingual (English-Spanish) site answers basic questions about acquiring visas and paying taxes. Updated selections include job opportunities, www.usembassy-mexico.gov/epersonnel.html, and a fairly quiet press section, www.usembassy-mexico.gov/epress.html. Specialized pages focus on bi-national environment issues and health projects, www.usembassy-mexico.gov/eenv1.htm, as well as the U.S. campaign to expand democracy, www.usembassy-mexico.gov/edemoc1.htm.

Canadian Embassy
www.canada.org.mx

/5 Stars

The trilingual (English, Spanish and French) website boasts a sleek yet practical design. It's the only website I found that had the address and phone number of its embassy on the home page. Frequently asked questions are addressed and answered online, www.canada.org.mx/consular/english/faq.asp. Numerous sections cover niche topics such as the Summit of the Americas held in Quebec last year. This website provides anniversary coverage and updates to the hemispheric accord, www.americascanada.org/eventsummit/anniversary1/menu-e.asp.

Cuban Embassy
www.embacuba.com.mx

/5 Stars

This Spanish-language website has an attractive appearance and is regularly updated. Current news (Noticias de actualidad) scrolls from bottom to top with cultural tidbits. The site actively promotes tourism and investment in Cuba as well as study tours, www.embacuba.com.mx/cooperacion.html.

The home page links to Cuba's perspective on the U.S. blockade, www.embacuba.com.mx/bloqueo.html, and showcases upcoming embassy events in Mexico, www.embacuba.com.mx/eventos.html.

Other Websites

South Africa
www.sudafrica.org.mx

Germany
www.embajada-alemana.org.mx

Japan
www.embjapon.com.mx

Great Britain
www.embajadabritanica.com.mx

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