FAX: (5) 208-3373, 511-9980

consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana

consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nuevo Laredo, Nogales

Flag description: 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

Economy - overview: Mexico has a free market economy with a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. The number of state-owned enterprises in Mexico has fallen from more than 1,000 in 1982 to fewer than 200 in 2000. The ZEDILLO administration privatized and expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas distribution, and airports. A strong export sector helped to cushion the economy's decline in 1995 and led the recovery in 1996-2000. Private consumption became the leading driver of growth in 2000, accompanied by increased employment and higher real wages. Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and raise living standards. Income distribution is very unequal, with the top 20% of income earners accounting for 55% of income. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994. Mexico completed free trade agreements with the EU, Israel, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in 2000, and is pursuing additional trade agreements with countries in Latin America and Asia to lessen its dependence on the US.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $915 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5%

industry: 27%

services: 68% (2000)

Population below poverty line: 27% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8%

highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 39.8 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 20%, industry 24%, services 56% (1998)

Unemployment rate: urban - 2.2% (2000); plus considerable underemployment

Budget: revenues: $125 billion

expenditures: $130 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 182.492 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 74.12%

hydro: 17.75%

nuclear: 5.21%

other: 2.92% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 170.754 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 11 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 1.047 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Exports: $168 billion (f.o.b., 2000), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations)

Exports - commodities: manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners: US 88.6%, Canada 2%, Spain 0.9%, Germany 0.9%,
Japan 0.6%, UK 0.6%, Netherlands Antilles 0.5%, Switzerland 0.3%
Venezuela 0.3%, Chile 0.3% (2000 est.)

Imports: $176 billion (f.o.b., 2000), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations)

Imports - commodities: metal-working machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts

Imports - partners: US 73.6%, Japan 3.7%, Germany 3.3%, Canada 2.3%, South Korea 2%, China 1.6%, Taiwan 1.2%, Italy 1%, Brazil 1% (2000 est.)

Debt - external: $162 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: $1.166 billion (1995)

Currency: Mexican peso (MXN)

Currency code: MXN

Exchange rates: Mexican pesos per US dollar - 9.7701 (January 2001), 9.4556 (2000), 9.5604 (1999), 9.1360 (1998), 7.9185 (1997), 7.5994 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Mexico Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 9.6 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.02 million (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: low telephone density with about 11 main lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening to competition in January 1997 has brightened prospects for development

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; considerable use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and mobile cellular service

international: satellite earth stations - 32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections; high capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, and Italy (1997)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 865, FM about 500, shortwave 13 (1999)

Radios: 31 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 236 (plus repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 25.6 million (1997)

Internet country code: .mx

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 51 (2000)

Internet users: 2.5 million (2000)

Mexico Transportation

Railways: total: 31,048 km

standard gauge: 30,958 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1998 est.)

Highways: total: 323,977 km

paved: 96,221 km (including 6,335 km of expressways)

unpaved: 227,756 km (1997)

Waterways: 2,900 km

note: 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 and harbors: Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada,
Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso,
Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Tuxpan, Veracruz

Merchant marine: total: 43 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 590,657 GRT/920,456 DWT

ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 28, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 3 (2000 est.)

Airports: 1,848 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 238

over 3,047 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 28

1,524 to 2,437 m: 90

914 to 1,523 m: 82

under 914 m: 27 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,610

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 65

914 to 1,523 m: 470

under 914 m: 1,073 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)

Mexico Military

Military branches: National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and
Air Force), Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

note: starting in 2000, females will be allowed to volunteer for military service

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 26,703,300 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 19,394,184 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 1,077,536 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (FY99)

Mexico Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium poppy (cultivation in 2000 - 1,900 hectares; potential heroin production - 2.4 metric tons) and cannabis cultivation in 2000 - 3,900 hectares; government eradication efforts have been key in keeping illicit crop levels low; major supplier of heroin and marijuana to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America; two major drug syndicates control majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; primary supplier of methamphetamine to the US market; growing producer and distributor of ecstasy

@Micronesia, Federated States of

Micronesia, Federated States of Introduction

Background: In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.

Micronesia, Federated States of Geography

Location: Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

Geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 15 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 702 sq km

land: 702 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Truk (Chuuk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae

Area - comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 6,112 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Terrain: islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Totolom 791 m

Natural resources: forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals

Land use: arable land: NA%

permanent crops: NA%

permanent pastures: NA%

forests and woodland: NA%

other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: typhoons (June to December)

Environment - current issues: overfishing

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: four major island groups totaling 607 islands

Micronesia, Federated States of People

Population: 134,597 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA%

15-64 years: NA%

65 years and over: NA%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Micronesian(s)

adjective: Micronesian; Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese

Ethnic groups: nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups

Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other and none 3%

Languages: English (official and common language), Trukese,
Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 89%

male: 91%

female: 88% (1980 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of Government

Country name: conventional long form: Federated States of Micronesia

conventional short form: none

former: Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

abbreviation: FSM

Government type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986

Capital: Palikir

Administrative divisions: 4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae, Pohnpei,
Yap

Independence: 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN
Trusteeship)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 10 May (1979)

Constitution: 10 May 1979

Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Leo A. FALCAM (since 21 July 1999); Vice President Redley KILLION (since 21 July 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Leo A. FALCAM (since 21 July 1999); Vice President Redley KILLION (since 21 July 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: Cabinet

elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators-at-large for four-year terms; election last held NA May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2003)

election results: Leo A. FALCAM elected president; percent of Congress vote - NA%; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent of Congress vote - NA%

Legislative branch: unicameral Congress (14 seats; members elected by popular vote; four - one elected from each of state - to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population - to serve two-year terms)

elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003); elections for two-year term seats last held 6 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: no formal parties

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC,
SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU

chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: (202) 223-4383