A look back at the violence in Mexico last year finds drug war fatalities increasing 11% over 2010, raising the prospect that there is no end in sight after five years of war and nearly 50,000 dead. Of course, the worst violence is centered in a few provinces (see map). Visitors to Mexico should know that the casualties are heavily concentrated in states that border the U.S.: Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas. Certain central/Pacific states are also the site of frequent bloodshed: Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan and Sinaloa. There are sixteen states where numbers are considerably lower, especially Yucatan, where resorts continue to offer deals to attract those who look beyond the headlines and understand where the risks truly lie.
The states where most of the conflict takes place, marked in red.
Map courtesy of Hpav7