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| The World Factbook |
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Mexico
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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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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. Elections held in
July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that the
opposition defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary
Party (PRI). Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on
1 December 2000 as the first chief executive elected in free and fair
elections. |
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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 |
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Geographic coordinates:
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23 00 N, 102 00 W |
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Map references:
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North America |
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Area:
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total: 1,972,550 sq km
land: 1,923,040 sq km
water: 49,510 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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9,330 km |
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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
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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 |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Laguna
Salada -10 m
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, silver, copper,
gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber |
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Land use:
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arable land: 12.66%
permanent crops: 1.28%
other: 86.06% (2005) |
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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 |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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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 |
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Population:
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107,449,525 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30.6%
(male 16,770,957/female 16,086,172)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 33,071,809/female 35,316,281)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 2,814,707/female 3,389,599) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 25.3 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 26.2 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.16% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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20.69 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.74 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-4.32 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 20.26
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
75.41 years
male: 72.63 years
female: 78.33 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.42 children born/woman
(2006 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 |
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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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nominally Roman Catholic 89%,
Protestant 6%, other 5% |
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Languages:
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Spanish, various Mayan,
Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 92.2%
male: 94%
female: 90.5% (2003 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 24 N, 99 09 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 (from
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 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012)
election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote
- Felipe CALDERON (PAN) 35.89%, Andres Manuel Lopez OBRADOR (PRD) 35.31%,
Roberto MADRAZO (PRI) 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 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 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 29, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 2, PNA 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAN 206, PRD
127, PRI 103, PVEM 18, CD 17, PT 16, other 13; note - election results
pending certification |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of Justice or
Suprema Corte de Justicia Nacional (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 [Dante DELGADO Ranauro]; Institutional Revolutionary Party (Institutional
Revolutionary Party) or PRI [leader NA]; 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 Godines]; Party of the
Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Leonel
COTA Montano]; Workers Party or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN
(observer), CDB, CE (observer), CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-15,
G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAFTA,
NAM (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Carlos Alberto DE ICAZA Gonzalez
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:
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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:
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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 FOX
administration is cognizant of the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize
the tax system and labor laws, and allow private investment in the energy
sector, but has been unable to win the support of the opposition-led
Congress. The next government that takes office in December 2006 will
confront the same challenges of boosting economic growth, improving Mexico's
international competitiveness, and reducing poverty. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$1.064 trillion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$693 billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$10,000 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 25.9%
services: 70.2% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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43.4 million (2005 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2003) |
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Unemployment rate:
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3.6% plus underemployment of
perhaps 25% (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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40% (2003 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 35.6% (2002) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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54.6 (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.3% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $181 billion
expenditures: $184 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005) |
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Public debt:
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17.4% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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corn, wheat, soybeans, rice,
beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood
products |
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Industries:
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food and beverages, tobacco,
chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor
vehicles, consumer durables, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1.9% (2005 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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209.2 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 78.7%
hydro: 14.2%
nuclear: 4.2%
other: 2.9% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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193.9 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1.07 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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390.2 million kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production:
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3.42 million bbl/day (2005
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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1.752 million bbl/day (2004
est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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1.863 million bbl/day (2004)
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Oil - imports:
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205,000 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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33.31 billion bbl (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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47.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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55.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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7.85 billion cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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424.3 billion cu m (2005)
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Current account balance:
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$-5.708 billion (2005 est.)
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Exports:
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$213.7 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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manufactured goods, oil and
oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton |
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Exports - partners:
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US 85.7%, Canada 2%, Spain
1.4% (2005) |
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Imports:
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$223.7 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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metalworking machines, steel
mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for
assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts |
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Imports - partners:
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US 53.4%, China 8%, Japan
5.9% (2005) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$74.1 billion (2005 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$137.2 billion (2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$1.166 billion (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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Mexican peso (MXN) |
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Currency code:
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MXN |
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Exchange rates:
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Mexican pesos per US dollar -
10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004), 10.789 (2003), 9.656 (2002), 9.342 (2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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19.512 million (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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47.462 million (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 850, FM 545, shortwave 15
(2003) |
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Radios:
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31 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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236 (plus repeaters) (1997)
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Televisions:
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25.6 million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.mx |
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Internet hosts:
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3,426,680 (2006) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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51 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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18,622,500 (2005) |
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Airports:
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1,839 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 228
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 82
914 to 1,523 m: 77
under 914 m: 29 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 1,611
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 460
under 914 m: 1,081 (2006) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2006) |
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Pipelines:
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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) |
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Railways:
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total: 17,562 km
standard gauge: 17,562 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) |
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Roadways:
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total: 349,038 km
paved: 116,928 km (including 6,979 km of expressways)
unpaved: 232,110 km (2003) |
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Waterways:
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2,900 km (navigable rivers
and coastal canals) (2005) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 56 ships (1000
GRT or over) 751,607 GRT/1,129,234 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 4,
passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned: 5 (Denmark 2, France 1, Norway 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Belize 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 1,
Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 3) (2006) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Altamira, Manzanillo, Morro
Redondo, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Veracruz |
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Military branches:
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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) (2006) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years of age for
compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16
years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49:
24,488,008
females age 18-49: 26,128,046 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49:
19,058,337
females age 18-49: 21,966,796 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49:
1,063,233
females age 18-49: 1,043,816 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$6.07 billion (2005 est.)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
0.8% (2005 est.) |
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Transnational Issues |
Mexico |
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Disputes - international:
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prolonged drought, population
growth, and outmoded practices and infrastructure in the border region have
strained water-sharing arrangements with the US; the US has stepped up
efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of
the world from illegally crossing the border with Mexico |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
|
IDPs: 12,000
(government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas
Region) (2005) |
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Trafficking in persons:
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current situation:
Mexico is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked
for sexual exploitation and labor; while the vast majority of victims are
Central Americans trafficked along Mexico's southern border, other source
regions include South America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and
Asia; women and children are trafficked from rural regions to urban centers
and tourist areas for sexual exploitation, often through fraudulent offers
of employment or through threats of physical violence; the Mexican
trafficking problem is often conflated with alien smuggling, and frequently
the same criminal networks are involved; pervasive corruption among state
and local law enforcement often impedes investigations
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mexico remains on the Tier 2 Watch
List for the third consecutive year based on future commitments to undertake
additional efforts in prosecution, protection, and prevention of trafficking
in persons, and the failure of the government to provide critical law
enforcement data |
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Illicit drugs:
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major drug-producing nation;
cultivation of opium poppy in 2004 amounted to 3,500 hectares, but opium
cultivation stayed within the range - between 3,500 and 5,500 hectares -
observed in nine of the last 12 years; potential production of 9 metric tons
of pure heroin, or 23 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form
of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation
decreased 23% to 5,800 hectares in 2004 after decade-high cultivation peak
in 2003; potential production of 10,400 metric tons of marijuana in 2004;
government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program
in the world; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of
marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market; continues as the primary
transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, accounting
for about 90% of estimated annual cocaine movement to the US; major drug
syndicates control majority of drug trafficking throughout the country;
producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center
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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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