Part 488

Climate: varies from tropical to desert

Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert 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% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 39% forest and woodland: 24% other: 24%

Irrigated land: 51,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: 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; serious air pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border natural hazards: tsunamis along the Pacific coast, destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Geographic note: strategic location on southern border of US

People ------

Population: 95,772,462 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (male 17,732,725; female 17,125,562) 15-64 years: 59% (male 27,562,285; female 29,165,138) 65 years and over: 5% (male 1,911,968; female 2,274,784) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.87% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 26.24 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 4.58 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.84 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.67 years male: 70.07 years female: 77.45 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.03 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican

Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, Caucasian or predominantly Caucasian 9%, other 1%

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%

Languages: Spanish, various Mayan dialects

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 89.6% male: 91.8% female: 87.4%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: United Mexican States conventional short form: Mexico local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos local short form: Mexico

Data code: MX

Type of government: federal republic operating under a centralized government

Capital: Mexico