1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (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: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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 of Mexico and Caribbean coasts
Natural resources
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Terrain
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 35% (male 17,987,500; female 17,289,875) 15-64 years: 61% (male 29,610,813; female 31,216,342) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,873,986; female 2,315,520) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
24.99 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
4.83 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
Infant mortality rate
24.62 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72 years male: 68.98 years female: 75.17 years (1999 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
-2.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
100,294,036 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.73% (1999 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 total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.85 children born/woman (1999 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
Capital
Mexico
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 6.05%
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
APEC, BCIE, BIS, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, 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 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Laredo (Texas), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Nogales (Arizona), Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), McAllen (Texas), Midland (Texas), Orlando, Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffery DAVIDOW embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal mailing address: P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044-3087 consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nuevo Laredo, Nogales
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate) Political parties and leaders: recognized parties--Institutional Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; National Peasant Confederation or CNC; Revolutionary Workers Party or PRT; Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants or CROC; Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers or CROM; Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX; National Chamber of Transformation Industries or CANACINTRA; Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Union of Workers or UNT
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; half are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and half are allocated on the 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 members are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote, also for three-year terms) 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 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: $117 billion expenditures: $123 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Currency
1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Debt--external
$154 billion (1997)
Economic aid--recipient
$1.166 billion (1995)
Economy--overview
Mexico has a free market economy with a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. The number of state-owned enterprises in Mexico has fallen from more than 1,000 in 1982 to fewer than 200 in 1998. The ZEDILLO administration is privatizing and expanding competition in sea ports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas distribution, and airports. A strong export sector helped to cushion the economy's decline in 1995 and led the recovery in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, private consumption became the leading driver of growth, which was accompanied by increased employment and higher wages. The government expects the economy to slow in 1999 because of low commodity prices, tighter international liquidity, and slacker demand for exports. Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and raise living standards. Income distribution is very unequal, with the top 20% of income earners accounting for 55% of income. Trade with the US and Canada has nearly doubled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994. Mexico is pursuing additional trade agreements with most countries in Latin America and with the EU to lessen its dependence on the US.
Electricity--consumption
154.448 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
1.263 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
1.316 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
154.395 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 71.46% hydro: 20.16% nuclear: 4.85% other: 3.53% (1996)
Exchange rates
Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1--10.1104 (January 1999), 9.1360 (1998), 7.9141 (1997), 7.5994(1996), 6.4194 (1995), 3.3751 (1994)
Exports
$117.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations with links to US companies)
Exports--commodities
crude oil, oil products, coffee, silver, engines, motor vehicles, cotton, consumer electronics
Exports--partners
US 87.5%, Canada 1.3%, Japan 0.8%, Spain 0.6%, Chile 0.6%, Brazil 0.5% (1998 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$815.3 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 6% industry: 26% services: 68% (1997)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$8,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
4.8% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 36.6% 1996)
Imports
$111.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations with links to US companies)
Imports--commodities
metal-working machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts
Imports--partners
US 74.2%, Japan 3.7%, Germany 3.7%, Canada 1.8%, South Korea 1.5%, Italy 1.3%, France 1.2% (1998 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
6% (1998 est.)
Industries
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
18.6% (1998)
Labor force
37.5 million (1998)
Labor force--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%
Population below poverty line
27% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
2.6% (1998) urban; plus considerable underemployment
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 824 (1999 est.), FM 500 (1998 est.), shortwave 19 (1999 est.)
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
236 (not including repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
13.1 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
1,805 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 232 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 91 914 to 1,523 m: 78 under 914 m: 26 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 1,573 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 63 914 to 1,523 m: 468 under 914 m: 1,040 (1998 est.)
Heliports
1 (1998 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: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 852,004 GRT/1,236,475 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 7, oil tanker 28, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 3 (1998 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: 31,048 km standard gauge: 30,958 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified) narrow gauge: 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1998 est.)
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
$6 billion (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1.3% (1998)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 25,675,266 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 18,675,524 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 1,085,042 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
illicit cultivation of opium poppy (cultivation in 1998--5,500 hectares; potential production--60 metric tons) and cannabis cultivation in 1998--4,600 hectares; government eradication efforts have been key in keeping illicit crop levels low; major supplier of heroin and marijuana to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America; involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamines