OFFICIAL NAME:
United Mexican States
Geography
Area: 1,972,500 sq. km. (761,600 sq. mi.); about three times the size of Texas.
Cities: Capital--Mexico City (18.7 million, 2003 estimate for metro
area). Other major cities--Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez,
Tijuana, Acapulco, Merida, Leon, Veracruz.
Terrain: Coastal lowlands, central high plateaus, and mountains up to 5,400 m.
(18,000 ft.).
Climate: Tropical to desert.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mexican(s).
Population (2006 estimate): 107.4 million.
Annual growth rate (2006 estimate): 1.16%.
Ethnic groups: Indian-Spanish (mestizo) 60%, Indian 30%, Caucasian 9%, other 1%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Years compulsory--11 (note: preschool education was made
mandatory in Dec. 2001). Literacy--89.4%.
Health (2004 est.): Infant mortality rate--21.69/1000. Life expectancy--male
72.18 years; female 77.83 years.
Work force (2000, 39.81 million): Agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing--21.0%;
services--32.2%; commerce--16.9%; manufacturing--18.7%;
construction--5.6%; transportation and communication--4.5%; mining
and quarrying--1.0%.
Government
Type: Federal republic.
Independence: First proclaimed September 16, 1810; republic established 1824.
Constitution: February 5, 1917.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head of government).
Legislative--bicameral. Judicial--Supreme Court, local and federal
systems.
Administrative subdivisions: 31 states and a federal district.
Political parties: Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action
Party (PAN), Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Green Ecological Party (PVEM),
Labor Party (PT), and several small parties.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
Nominal GDP (2005): $769 billion (rank in world: 13).
GDP (PPP method, 2005): $1.07 trillion (rank in world: 13).
Per capita GDP (2005): $7,450 (rank in world: 53).
Per capita GDP (PPP method, 2005): $10,186 (rank in world: 65).
Annual real GDP growth: (2006 est.) 4.5%; (2005) 3.0%; (2004) 4.4%; (2003) 1.4%;
(2002) 0.8%; (2001) -0.2%; (2000) 6.6%.
Avg. annual real GDP growth (2000-2005): 3.2%.
Inflation rate: (2006 est.) 3.4%, (2005) 3.3%; (2004) 5.2%; (2003) 4.0%; (2002)
5.7%; (2001) 4.4%; (2000) 9.0%.
Natural resources: Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas,
timber.
Agriculture (4% of GDP): Products--corn, beans, oilseeds, feed grains, fruit,
cotton, coffee, sugarcane, winter vegetables.
Industry (26% of GDP): Types--manufacturing, energy, construction.
Services (70% of GDP): Types--commerce and tourism (21%), financial services
(13%), and transportation and communications (11%).
Trade (Goods): Exports (2005)--$214 billion. Imports (2005)--$222
billion. Exports to U.S. (2005)--$183 billion (86% of total). Imports
from U.S. (2005)--$118 billion (53% of total). Major markets--U.S.,
EU, Canada, Colombia, Japan.
PEOPLE
Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the second
most-populous country in Latin America after Portuguese-speaking Brazil. About
70% of the people live in urban areas. Many Mexicans emigrate from rural areas
that lack job opportunities--such as the underdeveloped southern states and the
crowded central plateau--to the industrialized urban centers and the developing
areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to some estimates, the population
of the area around Mexico City is about 18 million, which would make it the
largest concentration of population in the Western Hemisphere. Cities bordering
on the United States--such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez--and cities in the
interior--such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puebla--have undergone sharp rises
in population in recent years.
Education is among the Mexican government’s highest priorities, and the
education budget has continued to grow in recent years. Funding for education
increased from 6.9 % of GDP in 2002 to 7.3% of GDP in 2005. While efforts to
decentralize responsibility for education from the federal to the state level in
order to improve accountability are ongoing, the central government still
retains significant authority. Although educational performance in Mexico has
improved substantially in recent decades, the country still faces several major
problems, including providing education to rural and indigenous populations.
Education is currently mandatory for ages 5 through 15. An education reform
law enacted in 2002 will make preschool mandatory for all children ages 3 and up
by 2008. This reform is being implemented in stages. In 2005, 77.4% of the
population between the ages of 3 and 15 were enrolled in school. Primary,
including preschool, enrollment totaled 18.8 million in 2005. Enrollment at the
secondary public school level rose from 5.4 million in 2000 to 5.9 million in
2005. After a significant increase in higher education enrollment during
previous decades, Mexico has seen a slower rise in university enrollment more
recently. Numbers rose from 2 million enrolled in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2005.
HISTORY
Highly developed cultures, including those of the Olmecs, Mayas, Toltecs, and
Aztecs, existed long before the Spanish conquest. Hernando Cortes conquered
Mexico during the period 1519-21 and founded a Spanish colony that lasted nearly
300 years.
Independence from Spain was proclaimed by Father Miguel Hidalgo on September
16, 1810. Father Hidalgo’s declaration of national independence, known in Mexico
as the "Grito de Dolores", launched a decade long struggle for independence from
Spain. Prominent figures in Mexico’s war for independence were Father Jose Maria
Morelos; Gen. Augustin de Iturbide, who defeated the Spaniards and ruled as
Mexican emperor from 1822-23; and Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, who went on
to dominate Mexican politics from 1833 to 1855. An 1821 treaty recognized
Mexican independence from Spain and called for a constitutional monarchy. The
planned monarchy failed; a republic was proclaimed in December 1822 and
established in 1824.
Throughout the rest of the 19th century, Mexico’s government and economy were
shaped by contentious debates among liberals and conservatives, republicans and
monarchists, federalists and those who favored centralized government. During
the two presidential terms of Benito Juarez (1858-71), Mexico experimented with
modern democratic and economic reforms. President Juarez’ terms of office, and
Mexico’s early experience with democracy, were interrupted by the Habsburg
monarchy’s rule of Mexico (1864-67), and was followed by the authoritarian
government of Gen. Porfirio Diaz, who was president during most of the period
between 1877 and 1911.
Mexico’s severe social and economic problems erupted in a revolution that
lasted from 1910-20 and gave rise to the 1917 constitution. Prominent leaders in
this period--some of whom were rivals for power--were Francisco Madero,
Venustiano Carranza, Pancho Villa, Alvaro Obregon, Victoriano Huerta, and
Emiliano Zapata. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), formed in 1929
under a different name, emerged from the chaos of revolution as a vehicle for
keeping political competition among a coalition of interests in peaceful
channels. For 71 years, Mexico’s national government was controlled by the PRI,
which won every presidential race and most gubernatorial races until the July
2000 presidential election of Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party
(PAN).
GOVERNMENT
The 1917 constitution provides for a federal republic with powers separated into
independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Historically, the
executive has been the dominant branch, with power vested in the president, who
promulgates and executes the laws of the Congress. The Congress has played an
increasingly important role since 1997, when opposition parties first made major
gains. The president also legislates by executive decree in certain economic and
financial fields, using powers delegated from the Congress. The president is
elected by universal adult suffrage for a 6-year term and may not hold office a
second time. There is no vice president; in the event of the removal or death of
the president, a provisional president is elected by the Congress.
The Congress is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Consecutive
re-election is prohibited. Senators are elected to 6-year terms, and deputies
serve 3-year terms. The Senate’s 128 seats are filled by a mixture of
direct-election and proportional representation. In the lower chamber, 300
deputies are directly elected to represent single-member districts, and 200 are
selected by a modified form of proportional representation from five electoral
regions. The 200 proportional representation seats were created to help smaller
parties gain access to the Chamber.
The judiciary is divided into federal and state court systems, with federal
courts having jurisdiction over most civil cases and those involving major
felonies. Under the constitution, trial and sentencing must be completed within
12 months of arrest for crimes that would carry at least a 2-year sentence. In
practice, the judicial system often does not meet this requirement. Trial is by
judge, not jury, in most criminal cases. Defendants have a right to counsel, and
public defenders are available. Other rights include defense against
self-incrimination, the right to confront one’s accusers, and the right to a
public trial. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and approved
by the Senate.
Principal Government Officials
President--Felipe CALDERON Hinojosa
Foreign Secretary--Patricia ESPINOSA Cantellano
Ambassador to the U.S.--Carlos DE ICAZA
Ambassador to the United Nations--Enrique BERRUGA Filloy
Ambassador to the OAS--Alejandro GARCIA-MORENO Elizondo
Mexico maintains an embassy in
the United States at 1911 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006 (tel.
202-728-1600). Consular offices are located at 2827 - 16th St. NW,
20009 (tel. 202-736-1012), and the trade office is co-located at the embassy
(tel. 202-728-1686).
Besides its embassy, Mexico maintains 48 diplomatic offices in the U.S.
Consulates general are located in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, and San
Francisco; consulates are (partial listing) in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit,
Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party (PAN) was elected president in
July 2000 in what were widely considered the freest and fairest elections in
Mexico’s history. Fox began his six-year term on December 1, 2000. His victory
ended the Institutional Revolutionary Party’s (PRI) 71-year hold on the
presidency. President Fox completed his term on December 1, 2006, when Felipe
Calderon assumed the presidency.
Numerous electoral reforms implemented since 1989 have progressively opened
the Mexican political system, and opposition parties have made historic gains in
elections at all levels. At the same time, this opening has left Mexico’s
political institutions divided. Fox is credited with ending one-party rule and
consolidating the opening of Mexico’s political system. Under Fox, Mexico’s
highest office became a true constitutional presidency, considerably weakened in
comparison to the PRI years by the PAN’s lack of control over the Congress.
Recent Elections
The 2006 elections resulted in an extremely tight race, with a margin of less
than one percent separating the vote totals of the two leading candidates for
president, Felipe Calderon of the PAN and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) of
the left-of-center Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). The PRI candidate, Roberto
Madrazo, came in a distant third.
Lopez Obrador contested the results of the July 2 presidential election,
alleging that it was marred by widespread fraud. He challenged in court the
result of the Federal Electoral Institute’s tabulation showing that Calderon had
won the election and launched a mass street protest demanding a nationwide
vote-by-vote recount. Mexico’s Federal Electoral Tribunal, while acknowledging
the presence of randomly-distributed irregularities, rejected Lopez Obrador’s
accusation of widespread fraud and upheld Calderon’s victory on September 5,
2006.
On September 16, 2006, the PRD sponsored a "National Democratic Convention,"
convened on Mexico City’s historic central square, that rejected Calderon’s
presidency, approved a resolution naming Lopez Obrador Mexico’s "legitimate"
president, and called for the creation of a parallel executive cabinet.
Convention participants also approved a long-term civil resistance action plan.
Lopez Obrador’s support is largely drawn from Mexico’s poorer classes, some of
whom feel disenfranchised from Mexico’s political system.
In the 2006 elections, the PAN emerged as the largest party in both the
Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with just over 40 percent of the seats in
each house of Congress. It does not enjoy a legislative majority. Although the
PRI no longer controls the Presidency and has fewer congressional seats than
either the PAN or PRD, it remains a significant force in Mexican politics,
holding 17 governorships.
Other Reforms
One of President Fox’s most important reforms was the passage and implementation
of Freedom of Information (FOIA) laws that, by the end of 2005, were in effect
for the federal government, Mexico City, and 26 states (only two states had such
laws in 2001). These laws are a cornerstone in Mexico’s fight against
corruption, and Mexico’s FOIA laws and enforcement mechanisms have been hailed
as international models.
President Fox also highlighted the need for modernization of Mexico’s
criminal justice system, including the introduction of oral trials. Although
judicial reforms stalled at the federal level during the Fox years, 10 states
have now either completed or are in the process of enacting such reforms.
Furthermore, all presidential candidates in the 2006 elections committed to
further federal judicial reforms.
Under President Fox, the executive branch became more accountable,
transparent, and citizen-centered. In 2003, Mexico passed its first-ever Civil
Service Law, which introduced an on-line application system and competence-based
hiring. The Fox administration’s good government agenda also included the
initiation of government services via Internet, the development of citizen
charters that set standards for service delivery, and the reduction in the
percentage of public servants working in administrative jobs from one out of two
to one out of four.
ECONOMY
Mexico is highly dependent on exports to the U.S., which account for almost a
quarter of the country’s GDP. The result is that the Mexican economy is strongly
linked to the U.S. business cycle. Real GDP grew by 3.0% in 2005 and was
projected to grow by 4.5% for 2006.
Mexico’s trade regime is among the most open in the world, with free trade
agreements with the U.S., Canada, the EU, and many other countries. Since the
1994 devaluation of the peso, successive Mexican governments have improved the
country’s macroeconomic fundamentals. Inflation and public sector deficits are
under control, while the current account balance and public debt profile have
improved. As of September 2006, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings
had all issued investment-grade ratings for Mexico’s sovereign debt.
Trade
Mexico is among the world’s most open economies, but it is dependent on trade
with the U.S., which bought 86% of its exports in 2005. Top U.S. exports to
Mexico include electronic equipment, motor vehicle parts, and chemicals. Top
Mexican exports to the U.S. include petroleum, cars, and electronic equipment.
There is considerable intra-company trade.
Mexico is an active and constructive member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
It hosted the September 2003 WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun. The Mexican
Government and many businesses support a Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Trade disputes between the U.S. and Mexico are generally settled through
direct negotiations between the two countries or via WTO or North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) panels. The most significant areas of friction involve
agricultural products such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, apples, and rice.
Agriculture
Mexico's agrarian reform program began in 1917, when the government began
distribution of land to farmers. Extended further in the 1930s, delivery of land
to peasants continued into the 1960s and 1970s at varying rates. This
cooperative agrarian reform, which guaranteed small farmers a means of
subsistence livelihood, also caused land fragmentation and lack of capital
investment, since commonly held land could not be used as collateral.
Additionally, only 12% of Mexico’s land area is arable, of which less than 3% is
irrigated. This, coupled with a general lack of economic opportunity in rural
areas, has made it difficult to raise the productivity and living standards of
Mexico's subsistence farmers.
Agriculture accounted for 4% of GDP in 2005, yet agricultural employment
accounted for over 16% of total employment. However, the number of Mexican
farmers is steadily decreasing as they seek greater economic opportunities from
off-farm employment.
Poor availability of credit continues to plague agriculture. Agricultural
loans were hard hit by the 1994 peso crisis and many private banks view
agricultural lending, particularly to smaller producers, as too risky. Several
government entities provide public credit to the rural sector, including
Financiera Rural, a development bank dedicated to supporting agriculture.
In an effort to raise rural productivity and living standards, Article 27 of
the Mexican Constitution was amended in 1992 to allow for the transfer of
communal land to the farmers cultivating it. They then could rent or sell the
land, opening the way for larger farms and economies of scale. There have been
few actual sales of communal land, and most have been limited primarily to
suburban areas where land values are high. One inhibiting factor may be
community opposition based on vested interests in maintaining the communal land
system.
Mexico subsidizes agricultural production through various support programs,
the most notable being the PROCAMPO initiative. Since the early 1990s, the
availability of program payments has shifted from primarily grains and legumes
to all commodities, provided a farmer was producing during a certain base
period. Total support program funding for 2004 was approximately $2.4 billion,
with PROCAMPO payments of $88 per hectare for producers with more than five
hectares and $100 per hectare for producers with 1-5 hectares.
Manufacturing and Foreign Investment
The manufacturing sector, which accounts for about 18% of GDP, grew by 1.2% in
2005. Construction grew by 4% in real terms in 2005, fueled by a boom in housing
finance.
According to Mexico's Ministry of Economy, foreign direct investment (FDI) in
Mexico for 2005 was $18.8 billion, down slightly from the year before. The U.S.
was once again the largest foreign investor in Mexico, accounting for 66% of
reported FDI. The most recent numbers released by Mexico show FDI for January
through June 2006 at $8.7 billion.
Oil and Gas
In 2005 Mexico was the world’s sixth-largest oil producer, its eighth-largest
oil exporter, and the third-largest supplier of oil to the U.S. Oil and gas
revenues provide more than one-third of all Mexican Government revenues.
Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Pemex, holds a constitutionally established
monopoly for the exploration, production, transportation, and marketing of the
nation’s oil. While private investment in natural gas transportation,
distribution, and storage has been permitted, Pemex remains in sole control of
natural gas exploration and production. Despite substantial reserves, Mexico is
a net natural gas importer.
Transportation and Communications
Mexico’s land transportation network is one of the most extensive in Latin
America with 117,000 kilometers (km.) of paved roads, including more than 10,000
kilometers of four-lane paved roads. The 26,622 kilometers (16,268 mi.) of
government-owned railroads in Mexico have been privatized through the sale of
50-year operating concessions.
Mexico’s ports have experienced a boom in investment and traffic following a
1993 law that privatized the port system. Mexico’s ports moved nearly 1.7
million containers in 2003. A number of international airlines serve Mexico,
with direct or connecting flights from most major cities in the United States,
Canada, Europe, Japan, and Latin America. Most Mexican regional capitals and
resorts have direct air services to Mexico City or the United States. In 2005,
the Government of Mexico agreed to sell Mexicana, one of the two main national
airlines, to a private investor. Airports are semi-privatized with the
government still the majority shareholder, but with each regional airport group
maintaining operational autonomy.
The telecommunications sector is dominated by Telmex, the former state-owned
monopoly. Several international companies compete in the sector with limited
success. The teledensity rate in Mexico (around 16%) is among the lowest in
Latin America. Cellular penetration is much higher with over 33 million cellular
customers in 2004. However, 31 million of these customers use pre-paid cards,
and many use their phones to receive calls only. Mexico’s satellite service
sector was opened to competition, including limited foreign direct investment,
in 2001.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Mexico’s armed forces number about 225,000. The army makes up about
three-fourths of that total. The navy is a completely autonomous cabinet agency
and as such there is no joint chief of staff position. Principal military roles
include national defense, narcotics control, and civic action assignments such
as search and rescue and disaster relief. Mexican military and naval forces
provided disaster assistance to the U.S. in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
which struck Louisiana and Mississippi in August 2005.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Traditionally, Mexico has sought to maintain its interests abroad and project
its influence largely through moral persuasion and has championed the principles
of nonintervention and self-determination. In its efforts to revitalize its
economy and open up to international competition, Mexico has sought closer
relations with the U.S., Western Europe, and the Pacific Basin. President Fox
more actively promoted international human rights and democracy and sought to
increase Mexico’s participation in international affairs.
Mexico actively participates in several international organizations; it was
elected to a seat on the UN Security Council for the period 2002-03. It is a
strong supporter of the United Nations and Organization of American States
systems and also pursues its interests through a number of ad hoc international
bodies. Mexico has been selective in its membership in other international
organizations. It declined, for example, to become a member of Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries. Nevertheless, Mexico does seek to diversify its
diplomatic and economic relations, as demonstrated by its accession to the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1986; its joining the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in 1993; its becoming, in April
1994, the first Latin American member of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD); and its entering the World Trade
Organization as a founding member in 1996. Mexico attended the 1994 Summit of
the Americas, held in Miami; managed coordination of the agenda item on
education for the 1998 Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile; and hosted a
Special Summit of the Americas in early 2004. Mexico hosted the September 2003
WTO Ministerial in Cancun and a Hemispheric Security Conference in October of
the same year. It was elected to the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of
Governors in 2003. In 2002 it hosted the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Cabo San
Lucas.
U.S.-MEXICAN RELATIONS
U.S. relations with Mexico are as important and complex as with any country in
the world. A stable, democratic, and economically prosperous Mexico is
fundamental to U.S. interests. U.S. relations with Mexico have a direct impact
on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans--whether the issue is
trade and economic reform, homeland security, drug control, migration, or the
promotion of democracy. The U.S. and Mexico are partners in NAFTA, and enjoy a
rapidly developing trade relationship. In March 2005, the U.S., Mexico, and
Canada formed the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which contemplates
trilateral and bilateral initiatives to develop new avenues of cooperation that
will enhance North America’s security, competitiveness, and economic resilience.
The scope of U.S.-Mexican relations goes far beyond diplomatic and official
contacts; it entails extensive commercial, cultural, and educational ties, as
demonstrated by the annual figure of nearly a million legal border crossings a
day. In addition, more than a half-million American citizens live in Mexico.
More than 2,600 U.S. companies have operations there, and the U.S. accounts for
55% of all foreign direct investment in Mexico. Along the 2,000-mile shared
border, state and local governments interact closely.
There has been frequent contact at the highest levels. Presidents’ meetings
have included the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok
in October 2003; President Bush’s visits to Monterrey in January 2004 (Summit of
the Americas) and March 2002; his April 2001 visit to Guanajuato; President
Fox’s state visit to the U.S. in September 2001, and his meeting with the
President at Crawford, Texas in March 2004. The two Presidents also met in
Crawford in March 2005 where, along with then Canadian Prime Minister Martin,
they launched the Security and Prosperity Partnership. They held a follow-on SPP
meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Harper in Cancun in March 2006.
Since 1981, the management of the broad array of U.S.-Mexico issues has been
formalized in the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission, composed of numerous U.S.
cabinet members and their Mexican counterparts. The commission holds annual
plenary meetings, and many subgroups meet during the course of the year to
discuss border security and counter terrorism, trade and investment
opportunities, financial cooperation, consular issues and migration, legal
affairs and anti-narcotics cooperation, education, energy, border affairs,
environment and natural resources, labor, agriculture, health, housing and urban
development, transportation, and science and technology.
A strong partnership with Mexico is critical to combating terrorism and
controlling the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. In recent years,
cooperation on counter-narcotics and Mexico’s own initiatives in fighting drug
trafficking have been unprecedented. The U.S. will continue working with Mexico
as it seeks to strengthen its cooperation and anti-drug efforts. The U.S. and
Mexico continue to cooperate on narcotics interdiction, demand reduction, and
eradication.
Border and Environmental Affairs
Cooperation between the United States and Mexico along the 2,000-mile common
border includes state and local problem-solving mechanisms; transportation
planning; and institutions to address resource, environment, and health issues.
In 1993, the Border Liaison Mechanism (BLM) was established. Chaired by U.S. and
Mexican consuls, the BLMs operate in "sister city" pairs and have proven to be
effective means of dealing with a variety of local issues ranging from
accidental violation of sovereignty by law enforcement officials and charges of
mistreatment of foreign nationals to coordination of port security and
cooperation in public health matters such as tuberculosis.
As the number of people and the volume of cargo crossing the U.S.-Mexico
border grow, so, too, does the need for coordinated infrastructure development.
The multi-agency U.S.-Mexico Binational Group on Bridges and Border Crossings
meets twice yearly to improve the efficiency of existing crossings and
coordinate planning for new ones. The 10 U.S. and Mexican border states have
become active participants in these meetings.
The United States and Mexico have a history of cooperation on environmental
and natural resource issues, particularly in the border area, where there are
serious environmental problems caused by rapid population growth, urbanization,
and industrialization. Cooperative activities between the U.S. and Mexico take
place under a number of agreements such as:
- An 1889 convention establishing the International Boundary Commission,
reconstituted by the Water Treaty of 1944 as the International Boundary and
Water Commission, United States and Mexico (IBWC). The IBWC has settled many
difficult U.S.-Mexico boundary and water problems, including the
regularization of the Rio Grande near El Paso through the 1967 Chamizal
settlement. The IBWC divides the use of international waters, builds and
operates water conservation and flood control projects, and constructs and
maintains boundary markers on the land boundary and on international bridges.
In recent years, the IBWC has worked to resolve longstanding border sanitation
problems, to monitor the quantity and quality of border waters, and to address
water delivery and sedimentation problems of the Colorado River.
- A series of agreements on border health (since 1942), wildlife and
migratory birds (since 1936), national parks, forests, marine and atmospheric
resources. In July of 2000, the U.S. and Mexico signed an agreement to
establish a binational Border Health Commission. The Border Health Commission
held its inaugural meeting in November 2000 and is made up of the federal
secretaries of health, the ten border states' chief health officers, and
prominent community health professionals from both countries. A representative
from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages the U.S. Section
in El Paso, Texas.
- The 1983 La Paz Agreement to protect and improve the border environment
and Border 2012, a 10-year, binational, results-oriented environmental program
for the U.S.-Mexico border region. The Border 2012 Program is the latest
multi-year, binational planning effort to be implemented under the La Paz
Agreement and succeeds Border XXI, a five-year program that ended in 2000.
- The 1993 North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC),
creating the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation under
NAFTA by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, to improve enforcement of environmental
laws and to address common environmental concerns.
- A November 1993 agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, also related to
NAFTA, establishing the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC),
which works with local communities to develop and certify environmental
infrastructure projects such as wastewater treatment plants, drinking water
systems, and solid waste disposal facilities. The sister organization, the
North American Development Bank (NADBank), uses capital and grant funds
contributed by partner governments to help finance border environmental
infrastructure projects certified by the BECC. Prior to 2005, both
institutions had separate Boards of Directors. In an effort to improve
efficiency, the separate Boards were merged into a single entity and the
combined Board held its first meeting in June 2006.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Antonio O.
Garza, Jr.
Deputy Chief of Mission--Leslie Bassett
Minister Counselor for Political Affairs--Charles Barclay
Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs--Vladimir Sambaiew
Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy--James Dickmeyer
Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs--David Donahue
Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs--Karen Zens
Minister Counselor for Management Affairs-- Isiah Parnell
Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Suzanne Heinen
Consul General--vacant
Counselor for Labor Affairs--Kevin Richardson
Counselor for Scientific and Technological Affairs--David Wagner
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico is
located at Paseo de la Reforma 305, 06500 Mexico, DF. U.S. mailing address: Box
3087, Laredo, Texas 78044-3087; tel. (from the U.S.): (011) (52) 555-080-2000;
Internet: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/
The embassy and the 22 U.S. Consulates General, Consulates, and consular
agents provide a range of services to American students, tourists, business
people, and residents throughout Mexico.
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form:
United Mexican States
conventional short form: Mexico
local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
local short form: Mexico |
|
Government type:
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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 California Sur, 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
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Independence:
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16 September 1810 (declared);
27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 16
September (1810) |
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Constitution:
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5 February 1917 |
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Legal system:
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mixture of US constitutional
theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
and compulsory (but not enforced) |
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Executive branch:
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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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Convergence for Democracy or
CD [Luis MALDONADO Venegas]; Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI
[Beatriz PAREDES]; Labor Party or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]; Mexican
Green Ecological Party or PVEM [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez]; National
Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [German MARTINEZ Cazares]; New
Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Jorge Antonio KAHWAGI Macari];
Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or
PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; Social Democratic and Peasant Alternative Party (Partido
Alternativa Socialdemocrata y Campesina) or Alternativa [Alberto BEGNE
Guerra] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Broad Progressive Front or
FAP; 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 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 |
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International organization participation:
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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, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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
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Flag description:
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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 |
