North & Central America and Caribbean
Mexico
Last reviewed: 27 June 2008
Country information
MEXICO TODAY
Country Facts
Area: 1,964,375 sq km, of which 1,959,248 sq km are continental and 5,127 sq km are islands.
Population: 110 million (2008 est)
Capital City: Mexico City (Metropolitan area 23 million est 2005)
People: The people of Mexico today are a mixture of descendants from Spanish and other immigrants, mainly Europeans, who settled in Mexico from the 16th century onwards, and mestizos - mixed European and indigenous ancestry, as well as the many indigenous groups.
Languages: The official language is Spanish. There are at least 62 indigenous languages.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, 5% other denomination
Currency: Mexican Peso, divided into 100 centavos
Major Political Parties:Partido Acción Nacional (PAN); Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD); Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).
Government: Mexico has a Federal republic system of government covering the 31 states and the Federal District of Mexico with powers separated into 3 branches: independent executive (President), legislative (Congress) and judicial (Supreme Court of Justice, federal and local systems). The President is elected for a 6-year term and may not hold office a second time. Congress is bi-cameral and consists of a Senate (128 seats) and a Chamber of Deputies (500 seats). The judges making up the Supreme Court are appointed by the President, with the consent of the Senate.
Head of State: President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
Prime Minister/Premier: Not applicable
Foreign Minister: Patricia Espinosa Castellano
HEALTH AND SOCIAL
Not all of Mexico has benefited from the economic transformation. Mexico's social indicators are still poor and wealth distribution is uneven. Living standards are higher in the north, near the US border, than in the poorer, rural south. According to the World Bank, half the population lives in poverty, and some 20% suffer extreme poverty. About one quarter of those living in extreme poverty live in urban areas in the states in the centre of the country. Every Mexican child has the right to free primary education, although many leave school early to help support their families. In 2006, only 88% of Mexicans had access to drinking water. Despite government efforts, the high incidence of infant mortality and of nutritional and infectious diseases show that major infrastructure improvements are needed, particularly in the South. The proportion of GDP spent on health services, although it has been increased in recent years, is still lower than in 1960. In 2006 it was estimated that 110,339 people had HIV/AIDS. This group is growing and was estimated to represent 0.29% of the adult population.
Life expectancy: 75.1 years (2007)
Fertility rate: 2.5 (births per woman)
Child mortality rate: 27.6 (under-5 per 1,000)
Literacy rate: 92% (of adult population)
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