Background: The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century.

Map reference: North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: total: 1,972,550 km²

Land boundaries: total 4,538 km, Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km

Coastline: 9,330 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the natural prolongation of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: varies from tropical to desert

Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert

Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Land use
Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 39%
Forest and woodland: 24%
Other: 24%

Irrigated land: 51,500 km² (1989 est.)

Population: 90,419,606 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.97% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mexican(s)
Adjective: Mexican

Ethnic groups: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, Caucasian or predominantly Caucasian 9%, other 1%

Languages: Spanish, various Mayan dialects

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%

Population growth rate: 1.97% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 27.67 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 4.82 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues: subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; natural water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification; serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico border
Current issues note: strategic location on southern border of US

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.55 years
Male: 68.99 years
Female: 76.3 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.25 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 87%
Male: 90%
Female: 85%

Country name
Conventional long form: United Mexican States
Conventional short form: Mexico
Local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Local short form: Mexico

Government type: federal republic operating under a centralized government

Capital: Mexico

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Constitution: 5 February 1917

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

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

Executive branch: president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la Union) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge MONTANO Martinez
In the us chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,006
In the us telephone: (202) 728-1600
In the us consulates general:
In the us consulates:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.
From the us embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, 6,500 Mexico, D.F.
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 3,087, Laredo, TX 78,044-3,087
From the us telephone: 52 (5) 211-0042
From the us fax: 52 (5) 511-9,980, 208-3,373
From the us consulates general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana
From the us consulates: Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, Nuevo Laredo

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band

Economy overview: Mexico's economy is a mixture of state-owned industrial facilities (notably oil), private manufacturing and services, and both large-scale and traditional agriculture. In the 1980s, Mexico experienced severe economic difficulties: the nation accumulated large external debts as world petroleum prices fell; rapid population growth outstripped the domestic food supply; and inflation, unemployment, and pressures to emigrate became more acute. Growth in national output, however, has recovered, rising from 1.4% in 1988 to 4% in 1990 and 3.6% in 1991 and coming in at 2.6% in 1992. The US is Mexico's major trading partner, accounting for almost three-quarters of its exports and imports. After petroleum, border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign exchange. The government, in consultation than two-thirds of its state-owned companies (parastatals), including banks. In 1991-92 the government conducted negotiations with the US and Canada on a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was still being discussed by the three countries in early 1993. In January 1993, Mexico replaced its old peso with a new peso, at the rate of 1,000 old to 1 new peso. Notwithstanding the palpable improvements in economic performance in the early 1990s, Mexico faces substantial problems for the remainder of the decade - e.g., rapid population growth, unemployment, and serious pollution, particularly in Mexico City.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $3,600 (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 9% of GDP and over 25% of work force; large number of small farms at subsistence level; major food crops - corn, wheat, rice, beans; cash crops - cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons among top 20 nations (1987)

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

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 26.2 million (1990)
By occupation services: 31.7%
By occupation agriculture forestry hunting and fishing: 28%
By occupation commerce: 14.6%
By occupation manufacturing: 11.1%
By occupation construction: 8.4%
By occupation transportation: 4.7%
By occupation mining and quarrying: 1.5%

Unemployment rate: 14%-17% (1991 est.)

Budget: revenues $58.9 billion; expenditures $48.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.5 billion (1991; figures do not include state-owned companies

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: crude oil, oil products, coffee, shrimp, engines, motor vehicles, cotton, consumer electronics
Partners: US 74%, Japan 8%, EC 4% (1992 est.)

Imports: $48.1 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: metal-working machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts
Partners: US 74%, Japan, 11%, EC 6% (1992)

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 27,000,000 kW capacity; 120,725 million kWh produced, 1,300 kWh per capita (1992)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 1,841
Usable: 1,478
With permanentsurface runways: 200
With runways over 3659 m: 3
With runways 2440-3659 m: 35
With runways 1220-2439 m: 273

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

Waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals

Merchant marine:

Disputes international: claims Clipperton Island (French possession)

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of active government eradication program; major supplier to the US