Sourced from the Mexican Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), London Office.
info@mexicotravel.co.uk, http://www.mexicotravel.co.uk

ALMANAC ON MEXICO

AREA
761,603 square miles

NUMBER OF STATES
31, plus a Federal District (D.F.)

CAPITAL
Mexico City (the Federal District or D.F.)

POPULATION
94.4 million (1998 estimate); 13th largest in the world. 1.6% annual growth rate (down from 3.3 in 1980).

LARGEST CITIES
Mexico City (the Federal District), Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla. 75% of population lives in urban areas.

ETHNIC MAKE-UP
Mexico is a nation of mostly mestizos, a mixture of Native American and European peoples (about 75% of the total population); Native Americans make up close to 15%; European Caucasians make up the remaining 10%.

LANGUAGE
Spanish; over 50 Native American languages are spoken in certain regions of the country. English is widely spoken in resort areas.

RELIGION
Predominantly Roman Catholic

POLITICAL SYSTEM
Mexico is a federal democratic republic. Although its constitution allows multiple parties, until recently Mexico was a single-party democracy. Serious political pluralism since the 1980's has seen the rise of at least two additional political powers: the PAN and the PRD. These parties now compete for state and federal government positions with the once unchallenged PRI party.

BIODIVERSITY
With 30,000 plant species, nearly 1,000 bird species, and 1,500 mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, Mexico is among the world's most biodiverse nations. Mexico has at least as many plant species as the continental United States, and 15 percent more vertebrates. Scientists estimate that almost 15 percent of Mexico's plant and animal species are found nowhere else on earth.

CURRENCY
The Peso

THE ECONOMY
Mexico enjoys a strong position among developing nations. Its 1998 GDP topped $400 billion dollars. Despite the setback of a major currency devaluation in early 1995, the economy is rebounding under a rejuvenated market-oriented system, with less government interference and protectionism. These reforms have generated a renewal of foreign support, stimulating investment in several important sectors.

The Mexican economy achieved the following advances in 1998:
• The economy grew by 4.6%. (The economy is expected to grow by 5% in 1999.)
• Mexico exports exceeded $117 billion in 1998, a new record high.
• Open unemployment fell to 3.1%. More than 1 million permanent new jobs were created in 1998.
• Inflation climbed in 1998 to 18.6% from 15.7% in 1997. The target for 1999 is 13%.
• International reserves jumped to over $30 billion at the end of 1998, up from $17.5 billion in 1996.
• Mexico became the second largest trading partner for the U.S. (surpassing Japan).
Despite post devaluation economic hardship, Mexico's economy remains quite diverse and fundamentally sound. Mining, manufacturing, petroleum (60 billion barrels in reserves!), electronics, textiles and tourism are all developed industries.

In fact, Mexico produces more corn than India, more beer than Australia, more steel than Sweden, more glass than Austria, and more oil than the United Arab Emirates. Paradoxically, Mexico has more millionaires than Germany, yet half its population is supported by traditional low technology industry and agriculture.

By signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico joined the U.S. and Canada in forming the largest single market in the world: 8 million square miles, 360 million people, and $6.8 trillion in annual economic production.

During NAFTA's first five years intra-regional trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico grew to nearly $500 billion.


(C) 1999-2000 All Rights Reserved
Mexican Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), London Office
Wakefield House 41, Trinity Square EC3 N4DT, LONDON, UK
Tel +44 20 7488 9392, Fax +44 20 7265 0704
info@mexicotravel.co.uk, http://www.mexicotravel.co.uk

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