United Mexican States

Official name: Estados Unidos Mexicanos

President: Vicente Fox Quesada (2000)

Land area: 742,485 sq mi (1,923,039 sq km); total area: 761,606 sq mi (1,972,550 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 107,449,525 (growth rate: 1.2%); birth rate: 20.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 20.3/1000; life expectancy: 75.4; density per sq mi: 145

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Mexico City, 19,013,000 (metro. area), 8,591,309 (city proper)

Other large cities: Ecatepec, 1,731,900 (part of Mexico City metro. area); Guadalajara, 1,665,800; Puebla, 1,345,500; Nezahualcóyotl, 1,250,700 (part of Mexico City metro. area); Monterrey, 1,135,000

Monetary unit: Mexican peso

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

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

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

Literacy rate: 92% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $1.068 trillion; per capita $10,100. Real growth rate: 3%. Inflation: 3.3%. Unemployment: 3.6% plus underemployment of perhaps 25%. Arable land: 13%. Agriculture: corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products. Labor force: 43.4 million; agriculture 18%, industry 24%, services 58% (2003). Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism. Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber. Exports: $213.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton. Imports: $223.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts. Major trading partners: U.S., Canada, Spain, China, Japan (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 12.332 million (2000); mobile cellular: 2.02 million (1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 851, FM 598, shortwave 16 (2000). Radios: 31 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 236 (plus repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 25.6 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 51 (2000). Internet users: 3.5 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 19,510 km (2002). Highways: total: 329,532 km; paved: 108,087 km (including 6,429 km of expressways); unpaved: 221,445 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals. Ports and harbors: Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Tuxpan, Veracruz. Airports: 1,823 (2002).

International disputes: prolonged regional drought in the border region with the U.S. has strained water-sharing arrangements.

 

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