1981 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1981 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
1,978,800 km2; 12% cropland, 40% pasture, 22% forested, 26% other (including waste, urban areas and public lands)
Coastline
9,330 km
Land boundaries
4,220 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (fishing 200 nm; 200 nm exclusive economic zone)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
60% mestizo, 30% Indian or predominantly Indian, 9% white or predominantly white, 1% other
Labor force
18.0 million (1978) (defined as those 12 years of age and older); 33.0% agriculture, 16.0% manufacturing, 16.6% services, 16.8% construction, utilities, commerce, and transport, 3% government, 5.4% unspecified activities; 10% unemployed, 40% underemployed
Language
Spanish
Literacy
65% estimated; 84% claimed officially
Nationality
noun — Mexican(s); adjective — Mexican
Organized labor
20% of total labor force
Population
71,330,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.4%
Religion
97% nominally Roman Catholic, 3% other
Government
Branches
dominant executive, bicameral legislature, Supreme Court
Capital
Mexico
Elections
presidential election July 1982 Political parties and leaders: Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Pedro Ojeda Paullada; National Action Party (PAN), Abel Vincencio Tovar; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Jorge Cruickshank Garcia; Authentic Party of the Revolution (FARM), Jesus Guzman Rubio; Mexican Democratic Party (PDM), Gumersindo Magafia; Socialist Workers Party (PST), Rafael Aguilar Talamantes; Social Democratic Party (SPD), Ernesto Sanchez Aguilar; Revolutionary Pary of the Workers (PRT), Rosario Ibarra de Piedra; Mexican People's Party (PPM), Alejandro Gascon Mercado; Socialist Revolutionary Party (PSR), Roberto Jaramillo Gonzales; Mexican Workers Party (PMT), Heberto Castillo; Socialist Action and Unity Movement (MAUS), Miguel Velasco; Mexican Communist Party (PCM), Arnoldo Martinez Verdugo; in November 1981 the PCM, MAUS, PPM, PSR, and the Popular Action Movement (MAP) merged to form the United Socialist Party of Mexico (PSUM)
Government leader
President Jose LOPEZ PORTILLO y Pacheco
Legal system
mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; constitution established in 1917; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Member of
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE, IFAD, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, ISO, ITU, IWC— International Whaling Commission, LAFTA, NAMUCAR (Caribbean Multinational Shipping Line — Naviera Multinacional del Caribe), OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 16 September
Official name
United Mexican States
Other political or pressure groups
Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN), Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO), National Confederation of Campesinos (CNC), National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC)
Political subdivisions
31 states and the Federal District
Suffrage
universal over age 18; compulsory but unenforced
Type
federal republic operating in fact under a centralized government
Voting strength
1979 congressional election: 69.8% PRI; 11% PAN; 5.1% PCM; 8.1% other opposition; 5.9% annulled
Economy
Agriculture
main crops — corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, sorghum, oilseeds, pulses, and vegetables; general self-sufficiency with minor exceptions in meat and dairy products; caloric intake, 2,700 calories per day per capita (1975)
Aid
economic — (including Ex-Im Credits) extensions (FY70-80) from US, $1,673.0 million; (1970-79) from Communist countries, $35.0 million; from other Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF (1970-79), $1,956.0 million
Budget
1980 public sector, revenues $58. 1 billion, expenditures $66.9 billion
Crude steel
9.8 million metric tons capacity (1980); 7.2 million metric tons produced (1980)
Electric power
14,320,000 kW capacity (1981); 60.0 billion kWh produced (1981), 769 kWh per capita
Exports
$15,308 million (f.o.b., 1980); cotton, coffee, nonferrous minerals (including lead and zinc), sugar, shrimp, petroleum, sulfur, salt, cattle and meat, fresh fruit, tomatoes, machinery and equipment
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 1,257,129 metric tons (1980); exports valued at $429 million, imports at $22.9 million (1980) MEXICO (Continued)
GDP
$170 billion (1980), $2,520 per capita; 67% private consumption, 12% public consumption, 13% private investment, 12% public investment (1979); net foreign balance -4%; real growth rate 1980, 8.3%
Imports
$18,572 million (c.i.f., 1980); machinery, equipment, industrial vehicles, and intermediate goods
Major industries
processing of food, beverages, and tobacco; chemicals, basic metals and metal products, petroleum products, mining, textiles and clothing, and transport equipment
Major trade partners
exports— 62% US, 14% EC, 4% Japan (1980); imports— 65% US, 19% EC, 5% Japan
Monetary conversion rate
floating; 22.951 pesos=US$l (1980 average)
Communications
Airfields
2,196 total, 2,060 usable; 164 with permanentsurface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 291 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
134 major transport aircraft, including 6 leased in
Highways
213,190 km total; 66,375 km paved, 119,050 km otherwise improved, 27,765 km unimproved
Inland waterways
2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
Military budget
for year ending 31 December 1981, $1,656.0 million; 2.3% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 16,358,000; 12,971,000 fit for military service; reach military age (18) annually, 810,000
Pipelines
crude oil, 3,910 km; refined products, 3,490 km; natural gas, 5,710 km
Ports
12 major, 19 minor
Railroads
20,270 km total; 19,380 km standard gauge (1.435 m); 890 km narrow gauge (0.914 m); 20 km electrified; 20,160 km government owned, 110 km privately owned
Telecommunications
highly developed telecom system with extensive radio-relay links; connection into Central American microwave net; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite ground station; 3.71 million telephones (5.6 per 100 popl.); 574 AM, 109 FM, and 83 TV stations; and about 100 low-power relay stations; second satellite station planned DEFENSE FORCES