2001 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.32% (male 17,312,220; female 16,635,438) 15-64 years: 62.28% (male 30,888,015; female 32,558,359) 65 years and over: 4.4% (male 1,997,219; female 2,487,920) (2001 est.)

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

Background

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. Mexico Geography

Birth rate

22.77 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Capital

Mexico

Climate

varies from tropical to desert

Coastline

9,330 km

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

Death rate

5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

Ethnic groups

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

Executive branch

chief of state: President Vicente FOX Quesada (since 1 December 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Vicente FOX Quesada (since 1 December 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

Geographic coordinates

23 00 N, 102 00 W

Geography - note

strategic location on southern border of US Mexico People

Government type

federal republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.29% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,700 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

150,000 (1999 est.)

Independence

16 September 1810 (from Spain)

Infant mortality rate

25.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

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.)

Languages

Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages

Legal system

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.76 years male: 68.73 years female: 74.93 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 91.8% female: 87.4% (1995 est.) Mexico Government

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Nationality

noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican

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

Net migration rate

-2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

101,879,171 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

1.5% (2001 est.)

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%

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: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.62 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Airports

1,848 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 238 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 90 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 27 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1,610 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 470 under 914 m: 1,073 (2000 est.)

Budget

revenues: $125 billion expenditures: $130 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Currency

Mexican peso (MXN)

Currency code

MXN

Debt - external

$162 billion (2000)

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 telephone: [52] (5) 209-9100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Juan Jose BREMER Martino chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600

Disputes - international

none

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 2000. The ZEDILLO administration privatized and expanded competition in seaports, 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 1996-2000. Private consumption became the leading driver of growth in 2000, accompanied by increased employment and higher real wages. 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 tripled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994. Mexico completed free trade agreements with the EU, Israel, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in 2000, and is pursuing additional trade agreements with countries in Latin America and Asia to lessen its dependence on the US.

Electricity - consumption

170.754 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

11 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

1.047 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

182.492 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 74.12% hydro: 17.75% nuclear: 5.21% other: 2.92% (1999)

Exchange rates

Mexican pesos per US dollar - 9.7701 (January 2001), 9.4556 (2000), 9.5604 (1999), 9.1360 (1998), 7.9185 (1997), 7.5994 (1996)

Exports

$168 billion (f.o.b., 2000), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations)

Exports - commodities

manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners

US 88.6%, Canada 2%, Spain 0.9%, Germany 0.9%, Japan 0.6%, UK 0.6%, Netherlands Antilles 0.5%, Switzerland 0.3% Venezuela 0.3%, Chile 0.3% (2000 est.)

FAX

[1] (202) 728-1698 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

[52] (5) 208-3373, 511-9980 consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nuevo Laredo, Nogales

Fiscal year

calendar year Mexico Communications

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 Mexico Economy

GDP

purchasing power parity - $915 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5% industry: 27% services: 68% (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.1% (2000 est.)

Heliports

2 (2000 est.) Mexico Military

Highways

total: 323,977 km paved: 96,221 km (including 6,335 km of expressways) unpaved: 227,756 km (1997)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivation of opium poppy (cultivation in 2000 - 1,900 hectares; potential heroin production - 2.4 metric tons) and cannabis cultivation in 2000 - 3,900 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; two major drug syndicates control majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; primary supplier of methamphetamine to the US market; growing producer and distributor of ecstasy

Imports

$176 billion (f.o.b., 2000), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations)

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 73.6%, Japan 3.7%, Germany 3.3%, Canada 2.3%, South Korea 2%, China 1.6%, Taiwan 1.2%, Italy 1%, Brazil 1% (2000 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (2000 est.)

Industries

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9% (2000 est.)

International organization participation

APEC, BCIE, BIS, Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, CE (observer), 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, UNITAR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.mx

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

51 (2000)

Internet users

2.5 million (2000) Mexico Transportation

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate)

Labor force

39.8 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 20%, industry 24%, services 56% (1998)

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote) and the Federal Chamber of Deputies or Camara Federal 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 2 July 2000 for all of the seats (next to be held NA 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRI 59, PAN 45, PRD 17, PVEM 5, PT 1, PCD 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRI 211, PAN 208, PRD 50, PVEM 16, PT 7, PCD 3, PSN 3, PAS 2

Merchant marine

total: 43 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 590,657 GRT/920,456 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 28, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 3 (2000 est.)

Military branches

National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force), Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$4 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1% (FY99) Mexico Transnational Issues

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 26,703,300 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 19,394,184 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age note: starting in 2000, females will be allowed to volunteer for military service

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 1,077,536 (2001 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural gas 13,254 km; petrochemical 1,400 km

Political parties and leaders

Convergence for Democracy or CD [Dante DELGADO Ranauro]; Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI [Dulce Maria SAURI Riancho]; Mexican Green Ecological Party or PVEM [Jorge GONZALEZ Torres]; National Action Party or PAN [Luis Felipe BRAVO Mena]; Party of the Democratic Center or PCD [Manuel CAMACHO Solis]; Party of the Democratic Revolution or PRD [Amalia GARCIA Medina]; Party of the Nationalist Society or PSN [Gustavo RIOJAIS Santana]; Social Alliance Party or PAS [Jose Antonio CALDERON Cardoso]; Workers Party or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation Industries or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC; National Union of Workers or UNT; Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers or CROM; Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants or CROC; Roman Catholic Church

Population below poverty line

27% (1998 est.)

Ports and harbors

Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Tuxpan, Veracruz

Radio broadcast stations

AM 865, FM about 500, shortwave 13 (1999)

Radios

31 million (1997)

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.)

Telephone system

general assessment: low telephone density with about 11 main lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening to competition in January 1997 has brightened prospects for development 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; considerable use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and mobile cellular service international: satellite earth stations - 32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections; high capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, and Italy (1997)

Telephones - main lines in use

9.6 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.02 million (1998)

Television broadcast stations

236 (plus repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

25.6 million (1997)

Unemployment rate

urban - 2.2% (2000); plus considerable underemployment

Waterways

2,900 km note: navigable rivers and coastal canals