1989 Edition

C oastline

19,924 km

Climate

varies from tropical to desert

mostly temperate, but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to arctic (Alaska); arid to semiarid in west with occasional warm, dry Chinook wind

Coastline

9,330 km

Comparative area

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

about four-tenths the size of USSR; about one-third the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe

Contiguous zone

24 nm

1 2 nm

Continental shelf

natural prolongation of continental margin or 200 nm

not specified

Disputes

maritime boundary disputes with Canada; US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation

Environment

subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; natural water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification; serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico border

pollution control measures improving air and water quality; acid rain; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse natural water resources in west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; continuous permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development

Extended economic zone

200 nm

200 nm

Land boundaries

4,538 km total; Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km

12,248.1 km total; Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326 km, Cuba (US naval base at Guantanamo) 29.1 km

Land use

12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 24% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 3% irrigated

20% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 26% meadows and pastures; 29% forest and woodland; 25% other; includes 2% irrigated

Natural resources

crude oil, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas, timber

Note

strategic location on southern border of US

world's fourth-largest country (after USSR, Canada, and China)

Terrain

high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert

vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

Territorial sea

1 2 nm

12 nm

Total area

1,972,550 km2; land area: 1,923,040 km2

9,372,610 km2; land area: 9,166,600 km2; includes only the 50 states and District of Colombia

Birth rate

29 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

15 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

9 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

60% mestizo (Indian-Spanish), 30% Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, 9% white or predominantly white, 1% other

85% white, 12% black, 3% other (1985)

Infant mortality rate

33 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

10 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

26,100,000 (1988); 31.4% services; 26% agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing, 13.9% commerce, 12.8% manufacturing, 9.5% construction, 4.8% transportation, 1.3% mining and quarrying, 0.3% electricity, (1986)

125,557,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed); civilian labor force 123,869,000 (1989) Organized labor. 16,960,000 members; 16.4% of labor force (1989)

Language

Spanish

predominantly English; sizable Spanish-speaking minority

Life expectancy at birth

68 years male, 76 years female (1990)

73 years male, 80 years female (1990)

Literacy

88%

99%

Nationality

noun — Mexican(s); adjective — Mexican

noun — American(s); adjective— American

Net migration rate

- 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

2 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

35% of labor force

Population

87,870,154 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)

250,410,000 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)

Religion

97% nominally Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant

Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%, Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%, Presbyterian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protestant 1 3%), Roman Catholic 25%, Jewish 2%, other 5%; none 7%

Total fertility rate

3.4 children born/ woman (1990)

1.9 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

3 1 states (estados, singular — estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas

50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennyslvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Capital

Mexico

Washington, DC

Communists

Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus Hall, general secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members), Jack Barnes, national secretary

Constitution

5 February 1917

17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789

Dependent areas

American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island; Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island. Since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with three of the four political units. The Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth associated with the US (effective 3 November 1986). Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986). The Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986).

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide; Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 728-1600; there are Mexican Consulates General in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Mexico (continued) Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Antonio, San Diego, and Consulates in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Kansas City (Missouri), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Miami, Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Presidio (Texas), Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul (Minneapolis), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Seattle; US — Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.; Embassy at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Mexico 5, D.F. (mailing address is P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044); telephone [52] (5) 21 10042; there are US Consulates General in Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana, and Consulates in Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, and Nuevo Laredo

US Representative to the UN, Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 415-4444

Elections

President — last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results— Carlos Salinas de Gortari (PRI) 50.74%, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas Solorzano (FDN) 31.06%, Manuel Clouthier (PAN) 16.81%; others 1.39%; note— several of the smaller parties ran a common candidate under a coalition called the National Democratic Front (FDN) Senate — last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1991); results— PRI 94%, FDN (now PRO) 6%; seats— (64 total) number of seats by party NA; Chamber of Deputies — last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1991); results— PRI 53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRO) 4%; seats— (500 total) number of seats by party NA

President — last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results — George Bush (Republican Party) 53.37%, Michael Dukakis (Democratic Party) 45.67%, others 0.96%; Senate— last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 6 November 1990); results— Democratic Party 52.1%, Republican Party 46.2%, others 1.7%; seats— (100 total) Democratic Party 55, Republican Party 45; House of Representatives — last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 6 November 1990); results — Democratic Party 53.2%, Republican Party 45.3%, others 1.5%; seats — (435 total) Democratic Party 259, Republican Party 174, vacant 2

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake is its beak) is centered in the white band

thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 1 3 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

Independence

1 6 September 1810 (from Spain)

4 July 1 776 (from England)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Suprema Corte de Justicia)

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government— President Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (since 1 December 1988) Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI),- Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta; National Action Party (PAN), Luis Alvarez; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Indalecio Sayago Herrera; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRO), Cuauhtemoc Cardenas; Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael Aguilar Talamantes; Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution (FARM), Carlos Enrique Cantu Rosas

Chief of State and Head of Government— President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989) Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Lee Atwater, national committee chairman and Jeanie Austin, co-chairman; Democratic Party, Ronald H. Brown, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance

Legal system

mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la Union) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Long-form name

United Mexican States

United States of America; abbreviated US or USA

Member of

FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWCInternational Whaling Commission, LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

ADB, ANZUS, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, FAO, ESCAP, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICEM, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB— InterAmerican Development Bank, IE A, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC— International Whaling Commission, IWC — International Wheat Council, NATO, OAS, OECD, PAHO, SPC, UN, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

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 Peasant Confederation (CNC), National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican Democratic Party (PDM), Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM), Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX), National Chamber of Transformation Industries (CANACINTRA), Business Coordination Council (CCE)

Suffrage

universal and compulsory (but not enforced) at age 18

universal at age 18

Type

federal republic operating under a centralized government

federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Agriculture

accounts for 9% of GDP and over 25% of work force; large number of small farms at subsistence level; major food crops — corn, wheat, rice, beans; cash crops — cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; fish catch of 1 .4 million metric tons among top 20 nations (1987)

accounts for 2% of GNP and 2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second-largest producer and number-one exporter of grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 5.7 million metric tons (1987)

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $3.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $110 million

donor — commitments, including ExIm (FY80-88), $90.5 billion

Budget

revenues $36.1 billion; expenditures $56.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.7 billion (1988)

revenues $976 billion; expenditures $1,137 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89 est.)

Currency

Mexican peso (plural — pesos); 1 Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos

United States dollar (plural — dollars); 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Electricity

26,900,000 kW capacity; 103,670 million kWh produced, 1,200 kWh per capita (1989)

776,550,000 kW capacity; 2,958,300 million kWh produced, 1 1,920 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1 — 2,660.3 (January 1990), 2,461.3 (1989), 2,273.1 (1988), 1,378.2 (1987), 61 1.8 (1986), 256.9 (1985)

British pounds (£) per US$— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817(1986), 0.7714(1985); Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ — 1.1 885 (February 1990), 1.2307(1988), 1.3260(1987), 1.3895(1986); French francs (F) per US$— 5.695 (February 1990), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985); Italian lire (Lit) per US$— 1,244.8 (February 1990), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8(1986), 1,909.4(1985); Japanese yen (¥) per US$— 145.55 (February 1990), 128.15 (1988), 144.64(1987), 168.52(1986), 238.54(1985); FRG deutsche marks (DM) per US$— 1.6775 (February 1990), 1.7562(1988), 1.7974(1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)

Exports

$23.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities— crude oil, oil products, coffee, shrimp, engines, cotton; partners — US 66%, EC 16%, Japan 11%

$322.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products; partners— Canada 22.9%, Japan 1 1 .8% (1988)

External debt

$95.1 billion (1989)

$532 billion (December 1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

1 October-30 September

GDP

$187.0 billion, per capita $2,165; real growth rate 2.5% (1989)

GNP

$5,233.3 billion, per capita $21,082; real growth rate 2.9% (1989)

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of government eradication efforts; major link in chain of countries used to smuggle cocaine from South American dealers to US markets

illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production

Imports

$23.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities— grain, metal manufactures, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment; partners— US 62%, EC 18%, Japan 10%

$440.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— crude and partly refined petroleum, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages; partners — Japan 19.6% , Canada 19.1% (1988)

Industrial production

growth rate 1 .3% (1988)

growth rate 3.3% (1989)

Industries

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, transportation equipment, tourism

leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, fishing, lumber, mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

20% (1989)

4.8% (1989)

Overview

Mexico's economy is a mixture of state-owned industrial plants (notably oil), private manufacturing and services, and both large-scale and traditional agriculture. In the 1980s Mexico experienced severe economic difficulties: the nation accumulated large external debts as world petroleum prices fell; rapid population growth outstripped the domestic food supply; and inflation, unemployment, and pressures to emigrate became more acute. Growth in national output dropped from 8% in 1980 to 1.1% in 1988 and 2.5% in 1989. The US is Mexico's major trading partner, accounting for two-thirds of its exports and imports. After petroleum, border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign exchange. The government, in consultation with international economic agencies, is implementing programs to stabilize the economy and foster growth.

The US has the most powerful and diversified economy in the world, with a per capita GNP of over $21,000, the largest among the major industrial nations. In 1989 the economy entered its eighth successive year of growth, the longest in peacetime history. The expansion has featured continued moderation in wage and consumer price increases, an unemployment rate of 5.2%, (the lowest in 10 years), and an inflation rate of 4.8%. On the negative side, the US enters the 1 990s with massive budget and trade deficits, huge and rapidly rising medical costs, and inadequate investment in industrial capacity and economic infrastructure.

Unemployment rate

20% (1989 est.)

5.2% (1989)

Airports

1,785 total, 1,484 usable; 190 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 259 with runways 1,2202,439 m

15,422 in operation (1981)

Branches

Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps

Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force

Civil air

174 major transport aircraft

3,297 commercial multiengine transport aircraft, including 2,989 jet, 231 turboprop, 77 piston (1985)

Defense expenditures

0.5% of GDP

5.8% of GNP, or $302.8 billion (1989)

Highways

210,000 km total; 65,000 km paved, 30,000 km semipaved or cobblestone, 60,000 km rural roads (improved earth) or roads under construction, 55,000 km unimproved earth roads

6,365,590 km, including 88,641 km expressways

Inland waterways

2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals

41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)

Merchant marine

68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,041,229 CRT/ 1, 552,478 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 10 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/rolloff cargo, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 4 bulk, 4 combination bulk

373 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling GRT/NA DWT); includes 2 passenger-cargo, 37 cargo, 22 bulk, 165 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 10 liquefied gas, 124 intermodal; in addition there are 248 government-owned vessels

Military manpower

males 1 5-49, 21,575,525; 15,803,322 fit for military service; 1,1 18,046 reach military age (18) annually

2,247,000 total; 781,000 Army; 599,000 Air Force; 793,000 Navy (includes 200,000 Marine Corps) (1988)

Pipelines

crude oil, 4,381 km; refined products, 8,345 km; natural gas, 13,254 km

275,800 km petroleum, 305,300 km natural gas (1985)

Ports

Acapulco, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Veracruz

Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington

Railroads

20,680 km total; 19,950 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 730 km 0.914-meter narrow gauge

270,312 km

Telecommunications

highly developed system with extensive radio relay links; connection into Central American Microwave System; 6.41 million telephones; stations— 679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22 shortwave; 120 domestic satellite terminals; satellite earth stations — 4 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT Defense Forces

182,558,000 telephones; stations — 4,892 AM, 5,200 FM (including 3,915 commercial and 1,285 public broadcasting), 7,296 TV (including 796 commercial, 300 public broadcasting, and 6,200 commercial cable); 495,000,000 radio receivers (1982); 150,000,000 TV sets (1982); satellite earth stations — 45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT Defense Forces