Debt—external: $154 billion (1997)
Economic aid—recipient: $1.166 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1—10.1104 (January 1999), 9.1360 (1998), 7.9141 (1997), 7.5994(1996), 6.4194 (1995), 3.3751 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 11,890,868 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: highly developed system with extensive
microwave radio relay links; privatized in December 1990; opened to
competition January 1997
domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
but the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with
120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth stations—5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean); launched Solidaridad I satellite in November
1993 and Solidaridad II in October 1994, giving Mexico improved
access to South America, Central America and much of the US as well
as enhancing domestic communications; linked to Central American
Microwave System of trunk connections
Radio broadcast stations: AM 824 (1999 est.), FM 500 (1998 est.),
shortwave 19 (1999 est.)
Radios: 22.5 million (1992 est.)