$5.7 billion (2007)
Currency (code):
Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar - 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003)
CommunicationsMauritius
Telephones - main lines in use:
357,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
936,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: small system with good service domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2007 reaching 75 per 100 persons international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:
420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
258,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.mu
Internet hosts:
9,609 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
340,000 (2007)
TransportationMauritius
Airports:
5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 2,028 km paved: 2,028 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 3 by type: passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Port Louis
MilitaryMauritius
Military branches:
no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 341,018 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 11,089 female: 10,843 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational IssuesMauritius
Disputes - international:
Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Illicit drugs:
consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Mayotte
IntroductionMayotte
Background:
Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego independence.
GeographyMayotte
Location:
Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 374 sq km land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
185.2 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
Terrain:
generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Benara 660 m
Natural resources:
Land use:
arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA%
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
cyclones during rainy season
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
PeopleMayotte
Population:
216,306 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.5% (male 49,521/female 48,996) 15-64 years: 52.7% (male 61,267/female 52,641) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 1,971/female 1,910) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.2 years male: 18.1 years female: 16.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.465% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
39.79 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
7.36 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 57.88 deaths/1,000 live births male: 63.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.54 years male: 60.3 years female: 64.85 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.6 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Mahorais (singular and plural) adjective: Mahoran
Ethnic groups:
Religions:
Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 3%
Languages:
Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population
Literacy:
Education expenditures:
GovernmentMayotte
Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte conventional short form: Mayotte
Dependency status:
departmental collectivity of France
Government type:
Capital:
name: Mamoudzou geographic coordinates: 12 46 S, 45 13 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Independence:
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Denis ROBIN (since 28 July 2008) head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI (since 8 April 2004) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term; next election to be held in 2010
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%, PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%, other 27.1%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP 9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1 note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held in September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.1%, UDF 44.9%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movementor MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or UMP-RPR [MansourKAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally and the Alliance for Democracy orFRAP; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [MouhoutarSALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar SIMBA];Socialist Party or PS [Ibrahim ABUBACAR] (local branch of FrenchParti Socialiste); Union for French Democracy or UDF [HenriJEAN-BAPTISTE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
InOC, UPU, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description:
unofficial, local flag with the coat of arms of Mayotte centered on a white field, above which the name of the island appears in red capital letters; the main elements of the coat of arms, flanked on either side by a seahorse, appear above a scroll with the motto RA HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag is the national flag of France
EconomyMayotte
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$953.6 million (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
GDP - real growth rate:
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force:
44,560 (2002)
Unemployment rate:
25.4% (2005)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $420 million expenditures: $394 million (2005)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2005)
Agriculture - products:
vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra, fish, livestock
Industries:
newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
139.2 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%
Exports:
$6.5 million f.o.b. (2005)
Exports - commodities:
ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon
Exports - partners:
France 43%, Comoros 36%, Reunion 15% (2006)
Imports:
$341 million f.o.b.; note - excludes petroleum imports (2005)
Imports - commodities:
food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals
Imports - partners:
France 49%, Seychelles 8.8%, China 4.1% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$201.3 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2005)
Debt - external:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
CommunicationsMayotte
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
48,100 (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications domestic: NA international: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:
Television broadcast stations:
3 (2001)
Televisions:
3,500 (1994)
Internet country code:
.yt
Internet hosts:
1 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Internet users:
TransportationMayotte
Airports:
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Dzaoudzi
MilitaryMayotte
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,407 female: 2,401 (2008 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island
Transnational IssuesMayotte
Disputes - international:
claimed by Comoros
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Mexico
IntroductionMexico
Background:
The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON.
GeographyMexico
Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
North America
Area:
total: 1,972,550 sq km land: 1,923,040 sq km water: 49,510 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,353 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km
Coastline:
9,330 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
varies from tropical to desert
Terrain:
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land: 12.66% permanent crops: 1.28% other: 86.06% (2005)
Irrigated land:
63,200 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
457.2 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 78.22 cu km/yr (17%/5%/77%) per capita: 731 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
Environment - current issues:
scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion note: the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico
PeopleMexico
Population:
109,955,400 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 16,619,995/female 15,936,154) 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 34,179,440/female 36,530,154) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 3,023,185/female 3,666,472) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 26 years male: 24.9 years female: 27 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.142% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
20.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.78 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.84 years male: 73.05 years female: 78.78 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.37 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
160,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: dengue fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)
Languages:
Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92.4% female: 89.6% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years male: 14 years female: 13 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2005)
GovernmentMexico
Country name:
conventional long form: United Mexican States conventional short form: Mexico local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos local short form: Mexico
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Mexico (Distrito Federal) geographic coordinates: 19 26 N, 99 08 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October note: Mexico is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions:
31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district*(distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja CaliforniaSur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima,Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco,Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca,Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi,Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave,Yucatan, Zacatecas
Independence:
16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Constitution:
5 February 1917
Legal system:
mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of attorney general requires consent of the Senate elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012) election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote - Felipe CALDERON 35.89%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR 35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO 22.26%, other 6.54%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 seats are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote) and the Federal Chamber of Deputies or Camara Federal de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are elected by popular vote; remaining 200 members are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote; to serve three-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of the seats (next to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2006 (next to be held 5 July 2009) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 26, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 5, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAN 207, PRD 127, PRI 106, PVEM 17, CD 17, PT 11, other 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion (justices or ministros are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
Convergence for Democracy or CD [Luis MALDONADO Venegas];Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI [Beatriz PAREDES]; LaborParty or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]; Mexican Green EcologicalParty or PVEM [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez]; National ActionParty (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [German MARTINEZ Cazares];New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Jorge AntonioKAHWAGI Macari]; Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de laRevolucion Democratica) or PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; SocialDemocratic and Peasant Alternative Party (Partido AlternativaSocialdemocrata y Campesina) or Alternativa [Alberto BEGNE Guerra]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Broad Progressive Front or FAP; Businessmen's Coordinating Councilor CCE; Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic orCOPARMEX; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN;Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of NationalChambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign TradeBusiness Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions ProvidingGoods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of TransformationIndustries or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC;National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE; National Syndicate ofEducation Workers or SNTE; National Union of Workers or UNT; PopularAssembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation:
APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CDB, CE(observer), CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, IADB, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES,LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW,PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU,WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo SARUKHAN Casamitjana chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600 FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Laredo (Texas), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Nogales (Arizona), Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Indianapolis (Indiana), Kansas City (Missouri), Laredo (Texas), Las Vegas, Little Rock (Arkansas), McAllen (Texas), New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Presidio (Texas), Raleigh, Saint Paul (Minnesota), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson, Yuma (Arizona)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio O. GARZA, Jr. embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000 telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000 FAX: [52] (55) 5511-9980 consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band
EconomyMexico
Economy - overview:
Mexico has a free market economy in the trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2007, during his first year in office, the Felipe CALDERON administration was able to garner support from the opposition to successfully pass a pension and a fiscal reform. The administration continues to face many economic challenges including the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize labor laws, and allow private investment in the energy sector. CALDERON has stated that his top economic priorities remain reducing poverty and creating jobs.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.353 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$893.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,400 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4% industry: 26.6% services: 69.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
44.71 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2003)
Unemployment rate:
3.7% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
13.8% using food-based definition of poverty; asset based poverty amounted to more than 40% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 37% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.9 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $227.5 billion expenditures: $227.2 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
22.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.56% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$103.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$168.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$349.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products
Industries:
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1.4% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
243.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
202 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:
1.278 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
484.2 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 78.7% hydro: 14.2% nuclear: 4.2% other: 2.9% (2001)
Oil - production:
3.501 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2.119 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
2.204 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
385,400 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
11.65 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
55.98 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
68.29 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
2.973 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
11.69 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
392.2 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$5.525 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$271.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton
Exports - partners:
US 82.2%, Canada 2.4%, Germany 1.5% (2007)
Imports:
$281.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts
Imports - partners:
US 49.6%, China 10.5%, Japan 5.8%, South Korea 4.5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$189.4 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$87.19 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$179.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$260.9 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$39.01 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$348.3 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Mexican peso (MXN)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 10.8 (2007), 10.899 (2006), 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004), 10.789 (2003)
CommunicationsMexico
Telephones - main lines in use:
19.754 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
68.254 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business and government, but the population is poorly served; mobile subscribers far outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable domestic: low telephone density with about 18 fixed lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; despite the opening to competition in January 1997, Telmex remains dominant; legal challenges to Telmex's alleged anti-competitive behavior in the mobile and fixed-line markets culminated in a World Trade Organization ruling in 2004 against Mexico prompting some strengthening of the powers granted Mexico's telecom regulator; mobile cellular teledensity approaching 65 per 100 persons international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 850, FM 545, shortwave 15 (2003)
Radios:
31 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
236 (plus repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
25.6 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.mx
Internet hosts:
10.653 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
51 (2000)
Internet users:
22.812 million (2007)
TransportationMexico
Airports:
1,834 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 231 over 3,047 m: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 84 914 to 1,523 m: 77 under 914 m: 29 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,603 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 63 914 to 1,523 m: 408 under 914 m: 1,131 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 22,705 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,875 km; oil 8,688 km; oil/gas/water 228 km; refined products 6,520 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 17,665 km standard gauge: 17,665 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 356,945 km paved: 178,473 km (includes 6,279 km of expressways) unpaved: 178,472 km (2006)
Waterways:
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 55 by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 23, roll on/roll off 3 foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 20 (Brazil 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 2, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 5, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina Cruz,Tampico, Veracruz
MilitaryMexico
Military branches:
Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional,Sedena): Army (Ejercito, includes Mexican Air Force (Fuerza AereaMexicana, FAM)); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina,Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico, ARM, includes Naval AirForce (FAN) and naval infantry) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 27,774,688 females age 16-49: 29,376,791 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 22,188,284 females age 16-49: 24,884,614 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,110,544 female: 1,073,223 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational IssuesMexico
Disputes - international:
abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; the US has intensified security measures to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across its border with Mexico; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 5,500-10,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2007 rose to 6,900 hectares yielding a potential production of 18 metric tons of pure heroin, or 50 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased to 8,900 hectares in 2007 and yielded a potential production of 15,800 metric tons; government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Micronesia, Federated States of
IntroductionMicronesia, Federated States of
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 US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.
GeographyMicronesia, Federated States of
Location:
Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 702 sq km land: 702 sq km water: 0 sq km (fresh water only) note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)
Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only)
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
6,112 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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 Chuuk
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m
Natural resources:
forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate
Land use:
arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 45.71% other: 48.58% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
typhoons (June to December)
Environment - current issues:
overfishing, climate change, pollution
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
PeopleMicronesia, Federated States of