1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 1,972,550 sq km land: 1,923,040 sq km water: 49,510 sq km
Area-comparative
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Climate
varies from tropical to desert
Coastline
9,330 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Environment-current issues
natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; serious air pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border
Environment-international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
23 00 N, 102 00 W
Geography-note
strategic location on southern border of US
Irrigated land
61,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 4,538 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km
Land use
arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 39% forests and woodland: 26% other: 22% (1993 est.)
Location
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Map references
North America
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts
Natural resources
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Terrain
high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (male 17,883,007; female 17,193,082) 15-64 years: 60% (male 28,932,074; female 30,511,443) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,808,581; female 2,224,589) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
25.49 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
4.91 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
Infant mortality rate
25.82 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.63 years male: 68.62 years female: 74.79 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 91.8% female: 87.4% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican
Net migration rate
-2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
98,552,776 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
1.77% (1998 est.)
Religions
nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.91 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
31 states (estados, singular-estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas
Constitution
5 February 1917
Country name
conventional long form: United Mexican States conventional short form: Mexico local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos local short form: Mexico
Data code
MX
Executive branch
chief of state: President Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (since 1 December 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (since 1 December 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of the Senate elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 August 1994 (next to be held in July or August 2000) election results: Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon elected president; percent of vote-Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (PRI) 50.18%, Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano (PRD) 17.08%, Diego FERNANDEZ DE CEVALLOS (PAN) 26.69%, other 6.049%
FAX
[52] (5) 511-9980, 208-3373 consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nuevo Laredo
Flag description
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band
Government type
federal republic operating under a centralized government
Independence
16 September 1810 (from Spain)
International organization participation
AG (observer), APEC, BCIE, BIS (pending member), Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECD, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jesus REYES HEROLES Gonzalez Garza chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Albuquerque, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Midland (Texas), Nogales (Arizona), Orlando, Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, Santa Ana (California), Seattle Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge Charles BRAYSHAW embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal mailing address: P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044-3087 telephone: [52] (5) 211-0042
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), judges are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Mariano PALACIOS Alocer; National Action Party (PAN), Felipe CALDERON Hinojosa; Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Andres Manuel LOPEZ Obrador; Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael AGUILAR Talamantes; Democratic Forum Party (PFD), Rosalia RAMIREZ; Mexican Green Ecologist Party (PVEM), Jorge GONZALEZ Torres; Workers Party (PT), Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM); Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN); Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO); National Peasant Confederation (CNC); Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT); 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); Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations (COECE); Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services (FESEBES)
Legal system
mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats, expanded from 64 seats at the last election; half are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and half are allocated or on basis of each party's popular vote) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are directly elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; remaining 200 seats are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote, also for a three-year term) elections: Senate-last held 6 July 1997 for one-quarter of the seats; Chamber of Deputies-last held 6 July 1997 (the next legislative elections will coincide with the presidential election in July or August 2000) election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PRI 77, PAN 33, PRD 16, PVEM 1, PT 1; note-the distribution of seats as of May 1998 is as follows-PRI 77, PAN 31, PRD 15, PT 1, independents 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party-PRI 39%, PAN 27%, PRD 26%; seats by party-PRI 239, PRD 125, PAN 121, PVEM 8, PT 7; note-the distribution of seats as of May 1998 is as follows-PRI 237, PRD 127, PAN 120, PT 7, PVEM 6, independents 3
National capital
Mexico
National holiday
Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
Economy
Agriculture-products
corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products
Budget
revenues: $92 billion expenditures: $94 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Currency
1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Debt-external
$162 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $85 million (1993)
Economy-overview
Mexico has a free market economy with a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. The number of state-owned enterprises in Mexico has fallen from more than 1,000 in 1982 to fewer than 200 in 1998. The ZEDILLO administration is privatizing and expanding competition in sea ports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas distribution, and airports. The Mexican economy is in its third year of recovery from the recession of 1995, which was touched off by a financial crisis. After declining 6.2% in 1995, real GDP grew 5.1% in 1996 and 7.3% in 1997 and is expected to rise by 5% in 1998. A strong export sector helped to cushion the economy's decline in 1995 and led the recovery in 1996 and 1997. Private consumption spending in 1998 probably will rise by at least 4% on the strength of increased employment and rising real wages, and the troubled banking sector is likely to increase lending for the first time in three years. Despite the spillover from the Asian crisis, the medium-term outlook for Mexico remains positive, with government and private sector economists projecting average annual growth of 4% to 5% through the year 2000. Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and raise living standards. Income distribution is very unequal with the top 20% of income earners accounting for 55% of income. The inefficient agricultural sector employs 20% to 25% of the labor force but produces only 8% of GDP. Trade with the United States and Canada has nearly doubled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994. Mexico is pursuing additional trade agreements with most countries in Latin America and with the European Union to lessen its dependence on the United States, which accounts for 80% of Mexico's total trade.
Electricity-capacity
35.466 million kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
1,533 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
145.199 billion kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1-8.1798 (January 1998), 7.9141 (1997), 7.5994(1996), 6.4194 (1995), 3.3751 (1994), 3.1156 (1993)
Exports
total value: $110.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.), includes in-bond industries commodities: crude oil, oil products, coffee, silver, engines, motor vehicles, cotton, consumer electronics partners: US 85%, Canada 2.1%, Japan 1%, Spain 1%, Chile 1%, Brazil 1% (1997 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$694.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 8% industry: 33% services: 59% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$7,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
7.3% (1997 est.)
Imports
total value: $109.8 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.), includes in-bond industries commodities: metal-working machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts partners: US 74.8%, Japan 4.1%, Germany 3.5%, Canada 1.8%, South Korea 1.4%, Italy 1.2%, France 1.1% (1997 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
9.3% (1997 est.)
Industries
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Inflation rate-consumer price index
15.7% (1997 est.)
Labor force
total: 36.6 million (1996) by occupation: services 28.8%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing 21.8%, commerce 17.1%, manufacturing 16.1%, construction 5.2%, public administration and national defense 4.4%, transportation and communications 4.1%
Radio broadcast stations
AM 800, FM 500, shortwave 17
Radios
22.5 million (1992 est.)
Telephone system
highly developed system with extensive microwave radio relay links; privatized in December 1990; opened to competition January 1997 domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government, but the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth stations-5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); launched Solidaridad I satellite in November 1993 and Solidaridad II in October 1994, giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections
Telephones
11,890,868 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations
238
Televisions
13.1 million (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.7% (1997 est.) urban; plus considerable underemployment
Transportation
Airports
1,810 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 231 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 94 914 to 1,523 m: 78 under 914 m: 25 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1,579 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 472 under 914 m: 1,040 (1997 est.)
Heliports
1 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 252,000 km paved: 94,248 km (including 6,740 km of expressways) unpaved: 157,752 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 899,224 GRT/1,312,505 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 7, oil tanker 29, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 3 (1997 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural gas 13,254 km; petrochemical 1,400 km Ports and harbors: Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Tuxpan, Veracruz
Railways
total: 20,567 km standard gauge: 20,477 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified) narrow gauge: 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1994)
Waterways
2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
Military and Security
Military branches
National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force), Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Marines)
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$2.2 billion (1997)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
0.3% (1997)
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 25,114,890 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 18,280,523 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-military age
18 years of age
Military manpower-reaching military age annually
males: 1,077,800 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes-international
none
Illicit drugs
illicit cultivation of opium poppy (cultivation in 1997-4,000 hectares, a 22% decrease from 1996; potential production-46 metric tons, about a 15% decrease from 1996) and cannabis continues in spite of increased government eradication; major supplier of heroin and marijuana to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America; increasingly involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamines