PESO Rates Now (2023-03-21 14:35 (GMT -4:00))

North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States

23 00 N, 102 00 W

North America

total: 1,964,375 sq km

land: 1,943,945 sq km

water: 20,430 sq km

country comparison to the world: 15

total: 4,389 km

border countries (3): Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3,155 km

9,330 km

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

varies from tropical to desert

high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

mean elevation: 1,111 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m

highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

agricultural land: 54.9%

arable land 11.8%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 41.7%

forest: 33.3%

other: 11.8% (2011 est.)

65,000 sq km (2012)

most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City

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

volcanism: volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja California are mostly dormant; Colima (3,850 m), which erupted in 2010, is Mexico's most active volcano and is responsible for causing periodic evacuations of nearby villagers; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Popocatepetl (5,426 m) poses a threat to Mexico City; other historically active volcanoes include Barcena, Ceboruco, El Chichon, Michoacan-Guanajuato, Pico de Orizaba, San Martin, Socorro, and Tacana

scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural freshwater 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

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

strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico

124,574,795 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

noun: Mexican(s)

adjective: Mexican

mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European)

note: Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity (2012 est.)

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)

Roman Catholic 82.7%, Pentecostal 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Evangelical Churches 5%, other 1.9%, none 4.7%, unspecified 2.7% (2010 est.)

total dependency ratio: 51.4

youth dependency ratio: 41.6

elderly dependency ratio: 9.8

potential support ratio: 10.2 (2015 est.)

total: 28.3 years

male: 27.2 years

female: 29.4 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 130

1.12% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

18.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 94

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 182

-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 156

most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City

urban population: 79.8% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

MEXICO CITY (capital) 20.999 million; Guadalajara 4.843 million; Monterrey 4.513 million; Puebla 2.984 million; Toluca de Lerdo 2.164 million; Tijuana 1.987 million (2015)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

21.3 years (2008 est.)

38 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

total: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 13 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 125

total population: 76.1 years

male: 73.3 years

female: 79 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 90

2.24 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 95

66.9% (2015)

6.3% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 100

2.23 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2015)

improved:

urban: 97.2% of population

rural: 92.1% of population

total: 96.1% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.8% of population

rural: 7.9% of population

total: 3.9% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 88% of population

rural: 74.5% of population

total: 85.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 12% of population

rural: 25.5% of population

total: 14.8% of population (2015 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 87

220,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

4,200 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne disease: dengue fever

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

28.9% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 29

3.9% (2015)

country comparison to the world: 117

5.3% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 72

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.5%

male: 95.5%

female: 93.5% (2015 est.)

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 13 years (2014)

total: 7.7%

male: 7.2%

female: 8.8% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 137

conventional long form: United Mexican States

conventional short form: Mexico

local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos

local short form: Mexico

etymology: named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain

federal presidential republic

name: Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico)

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 has four time zones

31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 city* (ciudad); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Cuidad de Mexico*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas

16 September 1810 (declared independence from Spain); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)

Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917; amended many times, last in 2017 (2017)

civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent: yes

dual citizenship recognized: not specified

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

chief of state: President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of attorney general, the head of the Bank of Mexico, and senior treasury officials require consent of the Senate

elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2018)

election results: Enrique PENA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PENA NIETO (PRI) 38.2%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.6%, Josefina Eugenia VAZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.4%, other 4.8%

description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 32 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 200 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)

note: for the 2018 elections, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms

elections: Senate - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held on 1 July 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 7 June 2015 (next to be held on 1 July 2018)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 52, PAN 38, PRD 22, PVEM 9, PT 4, MC 2, PANAL 1;

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 203, PAN 108, PRD 56, PVEM 47, MORENA 35, MC 26, PANAL 10, PES 8, PT 6, independent 1

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion (consists of the chief justice and 11 justices and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels) and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (organized into the superior court, with 7 judges including the court president and 5 regional courts, each with 3 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court justices nominated by the president of the republic and approved by two-thirds vote of the members present in the Senate; justices serve for life; Electoral Tribunal superior and regional court judges nominated by the Supreme Court and elected by two-thirds vote of members present in the Senate; superior court president elected from among its members to hold office for a 4-year term; other judges of the superior and regional courts serve staggered, 9-year terms

subordinate courts: federal level includes circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts; state and district level courts

Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC [Dante DELGADO Rannaoro]

Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Enrique OCHOA Reza]

Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]

Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico) or PVEM [Carlos Alberto PUENTE Salas]

Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional) or MORENA [Andres Manuel LOPEZ Obrador]

National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [Damian ZEPEDA Vidales]

New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA/PANAL [Luis CASTRO Obregon]

Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Manuel GRANADOS]

Social Encounter Party (Partido Encuentro Social) or PES [Hugo Eric FLORES Cervantes]

Businessmen's Coordinating Council or CCE

Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX

Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN

Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM

Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO

Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE

Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES

National Chamber of Transformation Industries or CANACINTRA

National Confederation of Popular Organizations or CNOP

National Coordinator for Education Workers or CNTE

National Peasant Confederation or CNC

National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE

National Syndicate of Education Workers or SNTE

National Union of Workers or UNT

Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO

Roman Catholic Church

APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CE (observer), CELAC, CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-3, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission: Ambassador Geronimo GUTIERREZ Fernandez (since 24 April 2017)

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 (TX), Houston, Laredo (TX), Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Nogales (AZ), Phoenix, Sacramento (CA), San Antonio (TX), San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Saint Paul (MN)

consulate(s): Albuquerque (NM), Anchorage (AK), Boise (ID), Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit, Douglas (AZ), Eagle Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Little Rock (AR), McAllen (TX), Minneapolis (MN), New Orleans, Omaha (NE), Orlando (FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Raleigh (NC), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle, Tucson (AZ), Yuma (AZ); note - Washington DC Consular Section is located in a separate building from the Mexican Embassy and has jurisdiction over DC, parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia

chief of mission: Ambassador Roberta JACOBSON (since 20 June 2016)

embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal

mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000

telephone: (01-55) 5080-2000

FAX: (01-55) 5080-2005

consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty; red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a location where they would see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake; the city they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City

note: similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter, uses lighter shades of red and green, and does not display anything in its white band

golden eagle; national colors: green, white, red

name: "Himno Nacional Mexicano" (National Anthem of Mexico)

lyrics/music: Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA

note: adopted 1943, in use since 1854; also known as "Mexicanos, al grito de Guerra" (Mexicans, to the War Cry); according to tradition, Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA, an accomplished poet, was uninterested in submitting lyrics to a national anthem contest; his fiancee locked him in a room and refused to release him until the lyrics were completed

population without electricity: 1,231,667

electrification - total population: 99%

electrification - urban areas: 100%

electrification - rural areas: 97% (2012)

292.7 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

245.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

7.308 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

392 million kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 86

65.45 million kW (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

72.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 99

2.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

18.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 96

8.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 76

2.187 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

1.224 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 165

7.64 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

1.043 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

2.027 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

181,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

751,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

40.37 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

418.9 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

31 million cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

36.47 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

355.7 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

455 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

total subscriptions: 20,454,644

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 111,727,799

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 90 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

general assessment: adequate telephone service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering 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: competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 15 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 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 (2016)

many TV stations and more than 1,400 radio stations with most privately owned; the Televisa group once had a virtual monopoly in TV broadcasting, but new broadcasting groups and foreign satellite and cable operators are now available (2012)

.mx

total: 73,334,032

percent of population: 59.5% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

number of registered air carriers: 21

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 357

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 45,560,063

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 713,985,467 mt-km (2015)

XA (2016)

1,714 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 3

total: 243

over 3,047 m: 12

2,438 to 3,047 m: 32

1,524 to 2,437 m: 80

914 to 1,523 m: 86

under 914 m: 33 (2017)

total: 1,471

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 42

914 to 1,523 m: 281

under 914 m: 1,146 (2013)

1 (2013)

gas 18,074 km; liquid petroleum 2,102 km; oil 8,775 km; oil/gas/water 369 km; refined products 7,565 km; water 123 km (2013)

total: 15,389 km

standard gauge: 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 18

total: 377,660 km

paved: 137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of expressways)

unpaved: 240,116 km (2012)

country comparison to the world: 20

2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2012)

country comparison to the world: 33

total: 622

by type: bulk carrier 5, general cargo 9, oil tanker 32, other 576 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 33

major seaport(s): Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz

container port(s) (TEUs): Manzanillo (1,992,176), Lazaro Cardenas (1,242,777) (2012)

oil terminal(s): Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal

LNG terminal(s) (import): Altamira, Ensenada

cruise port(s): Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada

0.58% of GDP (2016)

0.67% of GDP (2015)

0.67% of GDP (2014)

0.62% of GDP (2013)

0.59% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 141

Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico (ARM); includes Naval Air Force (FAN), Mexican Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina, Mexmar or CIM)) (2013)

18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation is 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; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces (2012)

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 US; Belize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty

refugees (country of origin): 29,495 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)

IDPs: 345,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region; drug cartel violence and government's military response since 2007; violence between and within indigenous groups) (2017)

stateless persons: 13 (2016)

major drug-producing and transit nation; Mexico is estimated to be the world's third largest producer of opium with poppy cultivation in 2015 estimated to be 28,000 hectares yielding a potential production of 475 metric tons of raw opium; 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 95% 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