Suffrage: universal and compulsory (but not enforced) at age 18
Elections: President—last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results—Carlos Salinas de Gortari (PRI) 50.74%, Cuauhtemoc Cardemas Solorzano (FDN) 31.06%, Manuel Clouthier (PAN) 16.81%; others 1.39%; note—several of the smaller parties ran a common candidate under a coalition called the National Democratic Front (FDN)
Senate—last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1991); results—PRI 94%, FDN (now PRD) 6%; seats—(64 total) number of seats by party NA;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1991); results—PRI 53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRD) 4%; seats—(500 total) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: Roman Catholic Church, Confederation
of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN),
Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO), National Peasant
Confederation (CNC), National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP),
Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican Democratic Party (PDM),
Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), Regional
Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM), Confederation of Employers of
the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX), National Chamber of Transformation
Industries (CANACINTRA), Business Coordination Council (CCE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO,
ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission, LAIA,
OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide;
Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone
(202) 728-1600;
there are Mexican Consulates General in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso,
Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Antonio,
San Diego, and Consulates in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brownsville
(Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit,
Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Kansas City
(Missouri), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Miami, Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard
(California), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Presidio (Texas), Sacramento, St. Louis,
St. Paul (Minneapolis), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Juan
(Puerto Rico), and Seattle;
US—Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.; Embassy at Paseo de la
Reforma 305, Mexico 5, D.F. (mailing address is P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX
78044); telephone [52] (5) 211-0042; there are US Consulates General in
Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana, and Consulates in
Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, and Nuevo Laredo
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake is its beak) is centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Mexico's economy is a mixture of state-owned industrial plants (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 dropped from 8% in 1980 to 1.1% in 1988 and 2.5% in 1989. The US is Mexico's major trading partner, accounting for two-thirds of its exports and imports. After petroleum, border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign exchange. The government, in consultation with international economic agencies, is implementing programs to stabilize the economy and foster growth.
GDP: $187.0 billion, per capita $2,165; real growth rate 2.5% (1989)