Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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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. The elections held in 2000
marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that
an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action
Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in
2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON. |
|
Location:
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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 |
|
Geographic coordinates:
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23 00 N, 102 00 W
|
|
Map references:
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North America |
|
Area:
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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 |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,353 km
border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US
3,141 km
|
|
Coastline:
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9,330 km |
|
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin |
|
Climate:
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varies from tropical to desert |
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Terrain:
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high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;
desert |
|
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
|
|
Natural resources:
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petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas,
timber |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 12.66%
permanent crops: 1.28%
other: 86.06% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land:
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63,200 sq km (2003)
|
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Natural hazards:
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tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive
earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the
Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to
urban migration; 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; deteriorating agricultural lands;
serious air and water pollution in the national capital and
urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in
Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion
note: the government considers the lack of clean
water and deforestation national security issues |
|
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
|
Geography - note:
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strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize),
one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have
originated in Mexico |
|
Population:
|
108,700,891 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30.1% (male 16,696,089/female 16,011,563)
15-64 years: 64% (male 33,624,812/female 35,925,372)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 2,917,563/female
3,525,492) (2007 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 25.6 years
male: 24.6 years
female: 26.6 years (2007 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate:
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1.153% (2007 est.)
|
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Birth rate:
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20.36 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.76 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-4.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.936 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.828 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
|
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 19.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
|
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 75.63 years
male: 72.84 years
female: 78.56 years (2007 est.)
|
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Total fertility rate:
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2.39 children born/woman (2007 est.)
|
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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160,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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5,000 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Mexican(s)
adjective: Mexican |
|
Ethnic groups:
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mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or
predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%,
unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census) |
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Languages:
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Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional
indigenous languages |
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Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91%
male: 92.4%
female: 89.6% (2004 est.)
|
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Country name:
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conventional long form: United Mexican States
conventional short form: Mexico
local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
local short form: Mexico |
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Government type:
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federal republic
|
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Capital:
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name: Mexico (Distrito Federal)
geographic coordinates: 19 26 N, 99 08 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in
April; ends last Sunday in October
note: Mexico is divided into four time zones
|
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized
by Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 16 September (1810) |
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Constitution:
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5 February 1917
|
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Legal system:
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mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system;
judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
|
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON
Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Felipe de Jesus
CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note -
appointment of attorney general requires consent of the
Senate
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
single six-year term; election last held on 2 July 2006
(next to be held 1 July 2012)
election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president;
percent of vote - Felipe CALDERON 35.89%, Andres Manuel
Lopez OBRADOR 35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO 22.26%, other 6.54%
|
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists
of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32
seats 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 elected by popular
vote; remaining 200 members are allocated on the basis of
each party's popular vote; to serve three-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of
the seats (next to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies
- last held 2 July 2006 (next to be held 5 July 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 26, PVEM 6, CD 5,
PT 5, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - PAN 206, PRD 127, PRI 106,
PVEM 17, CD 17, PT 12, other 18 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la
Nacion (justices or ministros are appointed by the president
with consent of the Senate) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Convergence for Democracy or CD [Luis MALDONADO Venegas];
Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI [Beatriz PAREDES];
Labor Party or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]; Mexican Green
Ecological Party or PVEM [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez];
National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN
[Manuel ESPINO Barrientos]; New Alliance Party (Partido
Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Miguel Angel JIMENEZ Godinez]; Party
of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion
Democratica) or PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; Social Democratic
and Peasant Alternative Party (Partido Alternativa
Socialdemocrata y Campesina) or Alternativa [Alberto BEGNE
Guerra]
|
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Broad Progressive Front or FAP; Businessmen's Coordinating
Council or CCE; 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
Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE; National Syndicate of
Education Workers or SNTE; National Union of Workers or UNT;
Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO; Roman
Catholic Church |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CDB, CE
(observer), CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-15, G-24,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, NAFTA, NAM (observer),
NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo SARUKHAN
Casamitjana
chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20006
telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600
FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston,
Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, New York, Nogales (Arizona), Omaha,
Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San
Francisco, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas),
Calexico (California), Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas
(Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California),
Indianapolis (Indiana), Kansas City (Missouri), Laredo
(Texas), Las Vegas, McAllen (Texas), Midland (Texas), Oxnard
(California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Presidio
(Texas), Raleigh, Saint Paul (Minnesota), Salt Lake City,
San Bernardino, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson,
Yuma (Arizona) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio O. GARZA, Jr.
embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc,
06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal
mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX
78520-9000
telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000
FAX: [52] (55) 5511-9980
consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara,
Monterrey, Tijuana
consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nogales,
Nuevo Laredo
|
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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
|
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Economy - overview:
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Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the
trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and
outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by
the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded
competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications,
electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and
airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US;
income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the
US and Canada has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA
in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40
countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the
European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90%
of trade under free trade agreements. The new Felipe
CALDERON administration that took office in December 2006
faces many of the same challenges that former President FOX
tried to tackle, including the need to upgrade
infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws, and
allow private investment in the energy sector. CALDERON has
stated that his top priorities include reducing poverty and
creating jobs. The success of his economic agenda will
depend on his ability to garner support from the opposition.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$1.149 trillion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$743.5 billion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
4.8% (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$10,700 (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 3.9%
industry: 26.7%
services: 69.4% (2006 est.)
|
|
Labor force:
|
44.51 million (2006 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2003) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
3.2% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2006 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
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17.6% (2004)
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 39.4% (2004) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
46.1 (2004)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.6% (2006 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
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20.4% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $207.7 billion
expenditures: $206.9 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
23.3% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
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corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit,
tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products |
|
Industries:
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food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel,
petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles,
consumer durables, tourism |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
3.6% (2006 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
222.4 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
183.3 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
1.597 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
470.7 million kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production:
|
3.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption:
|
1.97 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports:
|
2.268 million bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
308,500 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
12.51 billion bbl (2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production:
|
41.37 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
47.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
282.9 million cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
9.717 billion cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
434.1 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
|
Current account balance:
|
-$2.425 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$250 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities:
|
manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits,
vegetables, coffee, cotton |
|
Exports - partners:
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US 84.7%, Canada 2.1%, Spain 1.3% (2006) |
|
Imports:
|
$256.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities:
|
metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural
machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly,
repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft
parts |
|
Imports - partners:
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US 50.9%, China 9.5%, Japan 6%, South Korea 4.2% (2006)
|
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$189.4 million (2005)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$76.33 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$164.7 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$236.2 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$30.75 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares:
|
$348.3 billion (2006)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
Mexican peso (MXN)
|
|
Exchange rates:
|
Mexican pesos per US dollar - 10.899 (2006), 10.898 (2005),
11.286 (2004), 10.789 (2003), 9.656 (2002) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
19.861 million (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
57.016 million (2006) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: low telephone density with about
18 main lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990;
the opening to competition in January 1997 improved
prospects for development, but Telmex remains dominant
domestic: adequate telephone service for business and
government, but the population is poorly served; mobile
subscribers far outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic
satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive
microwave radio relay network; considerable use of
fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
international: country code - 52; 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), 1
Panamsat, 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 (2005) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 850, FM 545, shortwave 15 (2003) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
236 (plus repeaters) (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.mx |
|
Internet hosts:
|
7.629 million (2007) |
|
Internet users:
|
22 million (2006) |
|
Airports:
|
1,834 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 231
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 84
914 to 1,523 m: 77
under 914 m: 29 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 1,603
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 63
914 to 1,523 m: 408
under 914 m: 1,131 (2007) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2007) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 22,705 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,875 km; oil 8,688 km;
oil/gas/water 228 km; refined products 6,520 km (2006) |
|
Railways:
|
total: 17,665 km
standard gauge: 17,665 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways:
|
total: 235,670 km
paved: 116,751 km (includes 6,144 km of expressways)
unpaved: 118,919 km (2004) |
|
Waterways:
|
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals) (2007) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 802,128
GRT/1,157,971 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 7, chemical tanker 6,
liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 25,
roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 14 (Brazil 1, Honduras
1, Liberia 1, Panama 4, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 3)
(2007) |
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Altamira, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina Cruz, Tampico,
Topolobampo, Veracruz |
|
Military branches:
|
Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa
Nacional, Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy
(Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de
Mexico, ARM, includes Naval Air Force (FAN) and Marines)
(2007) |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent
for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army;
Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are
eligible for voluntary military service (2007) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 24,488,008
females age 18-49: 26,128,046 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 19,058,337
females age 18-49: 21,966,796 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males age 18-49: 1,063,233
females age 18-49: 1,043,816 (2005 est.)
|
|
| |
