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Background Note: Mexico
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
United Mexican
States
Geography
Area: 1,972,500 sq. km. (761,600 sq. mi.); about three times the
size of Texas.
Cities: Capital--Mexico City (18.7 million, 2003 estimate
for metro area). Other major cities--Guadalajara,
Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Acapulco, Merida,
Leon, Veracruz.
Terrain: Coastal lowlands, central high plateaus, and mountains
up to 5,400 m. (18,000 ft.).
Climate: Tropical to desert.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mexican(s).
Population (2006 estimate): 107.4 million.
Annual growth rate (2006 estimate): 1.16%.
Ethnic groups: Indian-Spanish (mestizo) 60%, Indian 30%,
Caucasian 9%, other 1%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Years compulsory--11 (note: preschool
education was made mandatory in Dec. 2001). Literacy--89.4%.
Health (2004 est.): Infant mortality rate--21.69/1000.
Life expectancy--male 72.18 years; female 77.83 years.
Work force (2000, 39.81 million): Agriculture, forestry,
hunting, fishing--21.0%; services--32.2%; commerce--16.9%;
manufacturing--18.7%; construction--5.6%;
transportation and communication--4.5%; mining and
quarrying--1.0%.
Government
Type: Federal republic.
Independence: First proclaimed September 16, 1810; republic
established 1824.
Constitution: February 5, 1917.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head
of government). Legislative--bicameral. Judicial--Supreme
Court, local and federal systems.
Administrative subdivisions: 31 states and a federal district.
Political parties: Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI),
National Action Party (PAN), Party of the Democratic Revolution
(PRD), Green Ecological Party (PVEM), Labor Party (PT), and
several small parties.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
Nominal GDP (2005): $769 billion (rank in world: 13).
GDP (PPP method, 2005): $1.07 trillion (rank in world: 13).
Per capita GDP (2005): $7,450 (rank in world: 53).
Per capita GDP (PPP method, 2005): $10,186 (rank in world: 65).
Annual real GDP growth: (2006 est.) 4.5%; (2005) 3.0%; (2004)
4.4%; (2003) 1.4%; (2002) 0.8%; (2001) -0.2%; (2000) 6.6%.
Avg. annual real GDP growth (2000-2005): 3.2%.
Inflation rate: (2006 est.) 3.4%, (2005) 3.3%; (2004) 5.2%;
(2003) 4.0%; (2002) 5.7%; (2001) 4.4%; (2000) 9.0%.
Natural resources: Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc,
natural gas, timber.
Agriculture (4% of GDP): Products--corn, beans, oilseeds, feed
grains, fruit, cotton, coffee, sugarcane, winter vegetables.
Industry (26% of GDP): Types--manufacturing, energy,
construction.
Services (70% of GDP): Types--commerce and tourism (21%),
financial services (13%), and transportation and communications
(11%).
Trade (Goods): Exports (2005)--$214 billion. Imports
(2005)--$222 billion. Exports to U.S. (2005)--$183
billion (86% of total). Imports from U.S. (2005)--$118
billion (53% of total). Major markets--U.S., EU, Canada,
Colombia, Japan.
PEOPLE
Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the
world and the second most-populous country in Latin America
after Portuguese-speaking Brazil. About 70% of the people live
in urban areas. Many Mexicans emigrate from rural areas that
lack job opportunities--such as the underdeveloped southern
states and the crowded central plateau--to the industrialized
urban centers and the developing areas along the U.S.-Mexico
border. According to some estimates, the population of the area
around Mexico City is about 18 million, which would make it the
largest concentration of population in the Western Hemisphere.
Cities bordering on the United States--such as Tijuana and
Ciudad Juarez--and cities in the interior--such as Guadalajara,
Monterrey, and Puebla--have undergone sharp rises in population
in recent years.
Education is among the Mexican government’s highest priorities,
and the education budget has continued to grow in recent years.
Funding for education increased from 6.9 % of GDP in 2002 to
7.3% of GDP in 2005. While efforts to decentralize
responsibility for education from the federal to the state level
in order to improve accountability are ongoing, the central
government still retains significant authority. Although
educational performance in Mexico has improved substantially in
recent decades, the country still faces several major problems,
including providing education to rural and indigenous
populations. |