*Mexico, Government
Senate:
last held on 18 August 1991 (next to be held midyear 1994); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats in full Senate - (64 total) PRI 62, PRD
1, PAN 1
Chamber of Deputies:
last held on 18 August 1991 (next to be held midyear 1994); results - PRI
53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRD) 4%; seats -
(500 total) PRI 320, PAN 89, PRD 41, PFCRN 23, PARM 15, PPS 12
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)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (since 1 December 1988)
Member of:
AG (observer), CARICOM (observer), CCC, CDB, CG, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-6,
G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jorge MONTANO Martinez
chancery:
1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
(202) 728-1600
consulates general:
Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
consulates:
Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico
(California), Corpus Christi, Detroit, Fresno (California), Miami, Nogales
(Arizona), Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Seattle
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission:
Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.
embassy:
Paseo de la Reforma 305, 06500 Mexico, D.F.
mailing address:
P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044-3087
telephone:
[52] (5) 211-0042
FAX:
[52] (5) 511-9980, 208-3373
consulates general:
Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana
consulates:
Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, 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 in its beak) is centered
in the white band
*Mexico, 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
with international economic agencies, has been implementing programs to
stabilize the economy and foster growth. For example, it has privatized more
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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $328 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2.6% (1992)
National product per capita:
$3,600 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.9% (1992)
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
Exports:
$27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
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.)
commodities:
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)
External debt:
$104 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.5% (1991 est.); accounts for 28% of GDP
Electricity:
27,000,000 kW capacity; 120,725 million kWh produced, 1,300 kWh per capita
(1992)
*Mexico, Economy
Industries:
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining,
textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Agriculture:
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)
Illicit drugs:
illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of active
government eradication program; major supplier to the US market; continues
as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.7 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $110 million
Currency:
1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1 - 3.100 (January 1993), 3,198
(November 1992), 3,018.4 (1991), 2,812.6 (1990), 2,461.3 (1989), 2,273.1
(1988); note - the new pesos replaced the old pesos on 1 January 1993; 1 new
pesos = 1,000 old pesos
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Mexico, Communications
Railroads:
24,500 km total
Highways:
212,000 km total; 65,000 km paved, 30,000 km semipaved or cobblestone,
62,000 km rural roads (improved earth) or roads under construction, 55,000
km unimproved earth roads
Inland waterways:
2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
Pipelines:
crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural gas 13,254 km;
petrochemical 1,400 km
Ports:
Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan,
Progreso, Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Tuxpan, Veracruz
Merchant marine:
58 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 858,162 GRT/1,278,488 DWT; includes 4
short-sea passenger, 2 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 31
oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 1 bulk, 5 container
Airports:
total:
1,841
usable:
1,478
with permanent-surface runways:
200
with runways over 3,659 m:
3
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
35
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
273
Telecommunications:
highly developed system with extensive microwave radio relay links;
privatized in December 1990; connected into Central America Microwave
System; 6,410,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22
shortwave; 120 domestic satellite terminals; earth stations - 4 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
*Mexico, Defense Forces
Branches:
National Defense (including Army and Air Force), Navy (including Marines)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 22,201,567; fit for military service 16,205,926; reach
military age (18) annually 1,049,729 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP