United States vs. Mexico
Introduction
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology. | The site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations - including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec - Mexico was conquered and colonized by Spain in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved independence early in the 19th century. Elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON, but Enrique PENA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. The global financial crisis in late 2008 caused a massive economic downturn in Mexico the following year, although growth returned quickly in 2010. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful drug-trafficking organizations have engaged in bloody feuding, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides. |
Geography
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico | 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 |
| Geographic coordinates | 38 00 N, 97 00 W | 23 00 N, 102 00 W |
| Map references | North America | North America |
| Area | total: 9,833,517 sq km land: 9,147,593 sq km water: 685,924 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories (2010) | total: 1,964,375 sq km land: 1,943,945 sq km water: 20,430 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union | slightly less than three times the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 12,048 km border countries (2): Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,155 km note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28.5 km | total: 4,389 km border countries (3): Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3,155 km |
| Coastline | 19,924 km | 9,330 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified | 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 |
| Climate | mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains | varies from tropical to desert |
| Terrain | vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii | high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert |
| Elevation extremes | mean elevation: 760 m elevation extremes: lowest point: Death Valley -86 m (lowest point in North America) highest point: Denali (Mount McKinley) 6,190 m (highest point in North America) note: the peak of Mauna Kea (4,205 m above sea level) on the island of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above the Pacific Ocean floor; by this measurement, it is the world's tallest mountain - higher than Mount Everest (8,850 m), which is recognized as the tallest mountain above sea level | mean elevation: 1,111 m elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,675 m |
| Natural resources | coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total | petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber |
| Land use | agricultural land: 44.5% arable land 16.8%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 27.4% forest: 33.3% other: 22.2% (2011 est.) | agricultural land: 54.9% arable land 11.8%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 41.7% forest: 33.3% other: 11.8% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 264,000 sq km (2012) | 65,000 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (elev. 4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (elev. 4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (elev. 2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between North America and East Asia; St. Helens (elev. 2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell; in Hawaii: Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood | 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 (elev. 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 (elev. 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 |
| Environment - current issues | large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes | 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 |
| Geography - note | world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Denali (Mt. McKinley) is the highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent | strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico |
| Population distribution | large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu | 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 |
Demographics
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 323,995,528 (July 2016 est.) | 123,166,749 (July 2016 est.) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 18.84% (male 31,182,660/female 29,854,687) 15-24 years: 13.46% (male 22,360,342/female 21,252,215) 25-54 years: 39.6% (male 64,170,791/female 64,135,619) 55-64 years: 12.85% (male 20,081,837/female 21,536,994) 65 years and over: 15.25% (male 21,895,128/female 27,525,255) (2016 est.) | 0-14 years: 27.26% (male 17,167,636/female 16,402,301) 15-24 years: 17.72% (male 11,049,818/female 10,770,843) 25-54 years: 40.69% (male 24,174,900/female 25,938,909) 55-64 years: 7.41% (male 4,187,644/female 4,944,802) 65 years and over: 6.93% (male 3,827,870/female 4,702,026) (2016 est.) |
| Median age | total: 37.9 years male: 36.6 years female: 39.3 years (2016 est.) | total: 28 years male: 26.9 years female: 29.1 years (2016 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.81% (2016 est.) | 1.15% (2016 est.) |
| Birth rate | 12.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | 18.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Death rate | 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | 5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Net migration rate | 3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | -1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: NA 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2016 est.) | 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 (2016 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | total: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.8 years male: 77.5 years female: 82.1 years (2016 est.) | total population: 75.9 years male: 73.1 years female: 78.8 years (2016 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.87 children born/woman (2016 est.) | 2.25 children born/woman (2016 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | 0.24% (2015 est.) |
| Nationality | noun: American(s) adjective: American | noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican |
| Ethnic groups | white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate) note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic | mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European) note: Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity (2012 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | 198,200 (2015 est.) |
| Religions | Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Mormon 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other Christian 0.9%, Jewish 1.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.) | 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.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | 4,000 (2015 est.) |
| Languages | English 79.2%, Spanish 12.9%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 3.3%, other 0.9% (2011 est.) note: data represent the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 31 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii | 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) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 17 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2014) | total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 13 years (2014) |
| Education expenditures | 4.9% of GDP (2013) | 5.2% of GDP (2012) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 81.6% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 1.02% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) | urban population: 79.2% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 1.57% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 99.4% of population rural: 98.2% of population total: 99.2% of population unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population rural: 1.8% of population total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.) | 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.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% 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.) |
| Major cities - population | New York-Newark 18.593 million; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana 12.31 million; Chicago 8.745 million; Miami 5.817 million; Dallas-Fort Worth 5.703 million; WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) 4.955 million (2015) | 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) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 14 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | 38 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 0.5% (2012) | 2.8% (2012) |
| Health expenditures | 17.1% of GDP (2014) | 6.3% of GDP (2014) |
| Physicians density | 2.55 physicians/1,000 population (2013) | 2.07 physicians/1,000 population (2013) |
| Hospital bed density | 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011) | 1.5 beds/1,000 population (2011) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 35% (2014) | 27.6% (2014) |
| Mother's mean age at first birth | 25.6 years (2011 est.) | 21.3 years (2008 est.) |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate | 74.1% note: percent of women aged 15-44 (2011/13) | 72.3% (2014) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 50.9 youth dependency ratio: 28.6 elderly dependency ratio: 22.3 potential support ratio: 4.5 (2015 est.) | total dependency ratio: 51.7 youth dependency ratio: 41.9 elderly dependency ratio: 9.8 potential support ratio: 10.2 (2015 est.) |
Government
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: United States of America conventional short form: United States abbreviation: US or USA etymology: the name America is derived from that of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512) - Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer - using the Latin form of his name, Americus, feminized to America | 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 |
| Government type | constitutional federal republic | federal presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Washington, DC geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November note: the 50 United States cover six time zones | 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 |
| Administrative divisions | 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming | 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 |
| Independence | 4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain) | 16 September 1810 (declared independence from Spain); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 4 July (1776) | Independence Day, 16 September (1810) |
| Constitution | previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789; amended many times, last in 1992 (2016) | several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917; amended many times, last in 2015 (2016) |
| Legal system | common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law except Louisiana, which is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts | civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2017); Vice President Michael R. PENCE (since 20 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2017); Vice President Michael R. PENCE (since 20 January 2017) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, approved by the Senate elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by the Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 10 November 2020) election results: Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote count - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 304, Hillary D. CLINTON (Democratic Party) 227, other 7; percent of direct popular vote - Donald J. TRUMP 46%, Hillary D. CLINTON 48%, other 6% | 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% |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats; 2 members directly elected in each of the 50 state constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia and Louisiana which require an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia which requires an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 2-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 6 November 2018); House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 6 November 2018) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 46, Republican Party 52, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 194, Republican Party 241 note: in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term (except for the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico who serves a 4-year term); the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 6 November 2018) | 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) elections: Senate - last held on 1 July 2012 for all of the seats (next to be held 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, Movimiento Ciudadano 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, PNA/PANAL 10, PES 8, PT 6, independent 1 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices) judge selection and term of office: president nominates and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices appointed for life subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories note: the US court system consists of the federal court system and the state court systems; although each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact | 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 |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Tom PEREZ] Green Party [collective leadership] Libertarian Party [Nicholas SARWARK] Republican Party [Reince PRIEBUS] | 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 [Ricardo ANAYA Cortes] New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA/PANAL [Luis CASTRO Obregon] Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Alejandra BARRALES Magdaleno] Social Encounter Party (Partido Encuentro Social) or PES [Hugo Eric FLORES Cervantes] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | other: environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PACs; health groups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies | 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 |
| International organization participation | ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | 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 |
| Flag description | 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; the blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory note: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico | 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 |
| National anthem | "name: ""The Star-Spangled Banner"" lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH note: adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of ""The Anacreontic Song""; only the first verse is sung " | "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 " |
| International law organization participation | withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002 | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | bald eagle; national colors: red, white, blue | golden eagle; national colors: green, white, red |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent: yes dual citizenship recognized: no, but the US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by the US residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent: yes dual citizenship recognized: not specified residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
Economy
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | "The US has the most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $57,300. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, pharmaceuticals, and medical, aerospace, and military equipment; however, their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. Based on a comparison of GDP measured at Purchasing Power Parity conversion rates, the US economy in 2014, having stood as the largest in the world for more than a century, slipped into second place behind China, which has more than tripled the US growth rate for each year of the past four decades. In the US, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, businesses face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. Long-term problems for the US include stagnation of wages for lower-income families, inadequate investment in deteriorating infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, energy shortages, and sizable current account and budget deficits. The onrush of technology has been a driving factor in the gradual development of a ""two-tier"" labor market in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. But the globalization of trade, and especially the rise of low-wage producers such as China, has put additional downward pressure on wages and upward pressure on the return to capital. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. Since 1996, dividends and capital gains have grown faster than wages or any other category of after-tax income. Imported oil accounts for nearly 55% of US consumption and oil has a major impact on the overall health of the economy. Crude oil prices doubled between 2001 and 2006, the year home prices peaked; higher gasoline prices ate into consumers' budgets and many individuals fell behind in their mortgage payments. Oil prices climbed another 50% between 2006 and 2008, and bank foreclosures more than doubled in the same period. Besides dampening the housing market, soaring oil prices caused a drop in the value of the dollar and a deterioration in the US merchandise trade deficit, which peaked at $840 billion in 2008. Because the US economy is energy-intensive, falling oil prices since 2013 have alleviated many of the problems the earlier increases had created. The sub-prime mortgage crisis, falling home prices, investment bank failures, tight credit, and the global economic downturn pushed the US into a recession by mid-2008. GDP contracted until the third quarter of 2009, making this the deepest and longest downturn since the Great Depression. To help stabilize financial markets, the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and industrial corporations, much of which had been returned to the government by early 2011. In January 2009, Congress passed and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus to be used over 10 years - two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts - to create jobs and to help the economy recover. In 2010 and 2011, the federal budget deficit reached nearly 9% of GDP. In 2012, the Federal Government reduced the growth of spending and the deficit shrank to 7.6% of GDP. US revenues from taxes and other sources are lower, as a percentage of GDP, than those of most other countries. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan required major shifts in national resources from civilian to military purposes and contributed to the growth of the budget deficit and public debt. Through 2014, the direct costs of the wars totaled more than $1.5 trillion, according to US Government figures. In March 2010, President OBAMA signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a health insurance reform that was designed to extend coverage to an additional 32 million Americans by 2016, through private health insurance for the general population and Medicaid for the impoverished. Total spending on healthcare - public plus private - rose from 9.0% of GDP in 1980 to 17.9% in 2010. In July 2010, the president signed the DODD-FRANK Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a law designed to promote financial stability by protecting consumers from financial abuses, ending taxpayer bailouts of financial firms, dealing with troubled banks that are ""too big to fail,"" and improving accountability and transparency in the financial system - in particular, by requiring certain financial derivatives to be traded in markets that are subject to government regulation and oversight. In December 2012, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced plans to purchase $85 billion per month of mortgage-backed and Treasury securities in an effort to hold down long-term interest rates, and to keep short term rates near zero until unemployment dropped below 6.5% or inflation rose above 2.5%. In late 2013, the Fed announced that it would begin scaling back long-term bond purchases to $75 billion per month in January 2014 and further reduce them as conditions warranted; the Fed ended the purchases during the summer of 2014. In 2014, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.2%, and continued to fall to 5.5% by mid-2015, the lowest rate of joblessness since before the global recession began; inflation stood at 1.7%, and public debt as a share of GDP continued to decline, following several years of increases. In December 2015, the Fed raised its target for the benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25%, the first increase since the recession began, but the Fed has opted to hold the target rate steady at 0.25%-0.5% through the first three quarters of 2016, with US GDP growth falling below 2% in each of those quarters. " | Mexico's $2.2 trillion economy has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force in 1994. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Mexico has become the US' second-largest export market and third-largest source of imports. In 2016, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $579 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2012, Mexico formed the Pacific Alliance with Peru, Colombia, and Chile. Mexico's current government, led by President Enrique PENA NIETO, has emphasized economic reforms, passing and implementing sweeping energy, financial, fiscal, and telecommunications reform legislation, among others, with the long-term aim to improve competitiveness and economic growth across the Mexican economy. Mexico began holding public auctions of exploration and development rights to select oil and gas resources in 2015 as a part of reforms that allow for private investment in the oil, gas, and electricity sectors. Mexico held its fourth auction in December 2016 and allocated 8 of 10 deep water fields, demonstrating Mexico’s capacity to attract investment amid low oil prices. The government will allocate additional fields in 2017. Since 2013, Mexico’s economic growth has averaged 2% annually, falling short of private-sector expectations that President Pena Nieto’s sweeping reforms would bolster economic prospects. Growth is predicted to remain below potential given falling oil production, weak oil prices, structural issues such as low productivity, high inequality, a large informal sector employing over half of the workforce, weak rule of law, and corruption. Over the medium-term, the economy is vulnerable to global economic pressures, such as lower external demand, rising interest rates, and low oil prices - approximately 10% of government revenue comes from the state-owned oil company, PEMEX. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $18.56 trillion (2016 est.) $18.27 trillion (2015 est.) $17.81 trillion (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars | $2.307 trillion (2016 est.) $2.259 trillion (2015 est.) $2.205 trillion (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.6% (2016 est.) 2.6% (2015 est.) 2.4% (2014 est.) | 2.1% (2016 est.) 2.5% (2015 est.) 2.2% (2014 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $57,300 (2016 est.) $56,800 (2015 est.) $55,800 (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars | $18,900 (2016 est.) $18,700 (2015 est.) $18,400 (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.1% industry: 19.4% services: 79.5% (2016 est.) | agriculture: 3.7% industry: 33.1% services: 63.2% (2016 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 15.1% (2010 est.) | 46.2% note: based on food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2014 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 30% (2007 est.) | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 40% (2014) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.3% (2016 est.) 0.1% (2015 est.) | 2.8% (2016 est.) 2.7% (2015 est.) |
| Labor force | 158.6 million note: includes unemployed (2016 est.) | 53.74 million (2016 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | farming, forestry, and fishing: 0.7% manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts: 20.3% managerial, professional, and technical: 37.3% sales and office: 24.2% other services: 17.6% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2009) | agriculture: 13.4% industry: 24.1% services: 61.9% (2011) |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% (2016 est.) 5.3% (2015 est.) | 3.6% (2017 est.) 4.4% (2015 est.) note: underemployment may be as high as 25% |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 45 (2007) 40.8 (1997) | 48.2 (2014) 48.3 (2008) |
| Budget | revenues: $3.363 trillion expenditures: $3.893 trillion note: for the US, revenues exclude social contributions of approximately $1.0 trillion; expenditures exclude social benefits of approximately $2.3 trillion (2016 est.) | revenues: $224.3 billion expenditures: $255.9 billion (2016 est.) |
| Industries | highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining | food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2.1% (2016 est.) | 3.3% (2016 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products | corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products |
| Exports | $1.471 trillion (2016 est.) $1.51 trillion (2015 est.) | $373.7 billion (2016 est.) $380.9 billion (2015 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% (2008 est.) | manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton |
| Exports - partners | Canada 18.6%, Mexico 15.7%, China 7.7%, Japan 4.2% (2015) | US 81.2% (2015) |
| Imports | $2.205 trillion (2016 est.) $2.273 trillion (2015 est.) | $387 billion (2016 est.) $395.3 billion (2015 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys) (2008 est.) | metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, automobile parts for assembly and repair, aircraft, aircraft parts |
| Imports - partners | China 21.5%, Canada 13.2%, Mexico 13.2%, Japan 5.9%, Germany 5.5% (2015) | US 47.3%, China 17.7%, Japan 4.4% (2015) |
| Debt - external | $17.91 trillion (31 March 2016 est.) $17.85 trillion (31 March 2015 est.) note: approximately 4/5ths of US external debt is denominated in US dollars; foreign lenders have been willing to hold US dollar denominated debt instruments because they view the dollar as the world's reserve currency | $484.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $441.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Exchange rates | British pounds per US dollar: 0.7391 (2016 est.), 0.6542 (2015 est.), 0.607 (2014 est), 0.6391 (2013 est.), 0.6324 (2012 est.) Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1.331 (2016 est.), 1.2788 (2015 est.), 1.1047 (2014 est.), 1.0298 (2013 est.), 0.9992 (2012 est.) Chinese yuan per US dollar: 6.626 (2016 est.) 6.2275 (2015 est.), 6.1434 (2014 est.), 6.1958 (2013 est.), 6.3123 (2012 est.) euros per US dollar: 0.9214 (2016 est.), 0.885 (2015 est.), 0.7525 (2014 est.), 0.7634 (2013 est.), 0.7752 (2012 est.) Japanese yen per US dollar: 107.1 (2016 est.), 121.02 (2015 est.), 105.86 (2014 est.), 97.44 (2013 est.), 79.79 (2012 est.) | Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 18.34 (2016 est.) 15.848 (2015 est.) 15.848 (2014 est.) 13.292 (2013 est.) 13.17 (2012 est.) |
| Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
| Public debt | "73.8% of GDP (2016 est.) 73.6% of GDP (2015 est.) note: data cover only what the United States Treasury denotes as ""Debt Held by the Public,"" which includes all debt instruments issued by the Treasury that are owned by non-US Government entities; the data include Treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by individual US states, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of Treasury borrowings from surpluses in the trusts for Federal Social Security, Federal Employees, Hospital Insurance (Medicare and Medicaid), Disability and Unemployment, and several other smaller trusts; if data for intra-government debt were added, ""gross debt"" would increase by about one-third of GDP " | 56.3% of GDP (2016 est.) 54.1% of GDP (2015 est.) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $117.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $130.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $176.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $178 billion (31 December 2015 est.) note: Mexico also maintains access to an $88 million Flexible Credit Line with the IMF |
| Current Account Balance | -$481.2 billion (2016 est.) -$463 billion (2015 est.) | -$27.86 billion (2016 est.) -$33.35 billion (2015 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $18.56 trillion (2016 est.) | $1.064 trillion (2016 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | $3.648 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $3.28 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $384.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $356.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | $5.566 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $5.269 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $153.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $142.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | $25.07 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) $26.33 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) $24.03 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | $402.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $480.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $526 billion (31 December 2013 est.) |
| Central bank discount rate | 0.5% (31 December 2010) 0.5% (31 December 2009) | 6.25% (28 February 2017) 5.25% (28 February 2016) |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 3.5% (31 December 2016 est.) 3.26% (31 December 2015 est.) | 4.3% (31 December 2016 est.) 3.42% (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of domestic credit | $20.31 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $19.23 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $400.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $398.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of narrow money | $3.311 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $3.022 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $192.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $194.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of broad money | $13.17 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $12.02 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $826.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $727 billion (31 December 2013 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 18.1% of GDP note: excludes contributions for social security and other programs; if social contributions were added, taxes and other revenues would amount to approximately 22% of GDP (2016 est.) | 21.1% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -2.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | -3% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 13.4% male: 14.5% female: 12.2% (2014 est.) | total: 9.6% male: 9.2% female: 10.3% (2014 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 68.6% government consumption: 17.7% investment in fixed capital: 15.9% investment in inventories: 0.5% exports of goods and services: 12% imports of goods and services: -14.7% (2016 est.) | household consumption: 69.6% government consumption: 12.3% investment in fixed capital: 22.6% investment in inventories: -1.8% exports of goods and services: 36.1% imports of goods and services: -38.8% (2016 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 17.6% of GDP (2016 est.) 19.1% of GDP (2015 est.) 19.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | 20.3% of GDP (2016 est.) 19.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 19.5% of GDP (2014 est.) |
Energy
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 4.103 trillion kWh (2014 est.) | 310 billion kWh (2015 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 3.913 trillion kWh (2014 est.) | 238 billion kWh (2014 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 13 billion kWh (2014 est.) | 7.1 billion kWh (2014 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 67 billion kWh (2014 est.) | 400 million kWh (2014 est.) |
| Oil - production | 9.415 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 2.154 million bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 8.567 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 11,110 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 1.162 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 1.193 million bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 36.52 billion bbl (1 January 2016 est.) | 9.7 billion bbl (1 January 2016 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 10.44 trillion cu m (1 January 2015 es) | 432.9 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) |
| Natural gas - production | 766.2 billion cu m (2015 est.) | 44.37 billion cu m (2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 773.2 billion cu m (2015 est.) | 72.77 billion cu m (2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 42.87 billion cu m (2014 est.) | 52 million cu m (2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 76.96 billion cu m (2015 est.) | 28.84 billion cu m (2014 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 1.075 billion kW (2014 est.) | 65.45 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 73.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | 74.2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 7.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | 19% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 9.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | 2.1% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 7.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | 4.7% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 19.89 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 1.119 million bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 19.53 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 2.007 million bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 3.102 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 195,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 881,100 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 713,500 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 5.402 billion Mt (2013 est.) | 455 million Mt (2013 est.) |
| Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2016) | population without electricity: 1,231,667 electrification - total population: 99% electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 97% (2012) |
Telecommunications
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 121.991 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (July 2015 est.) | total subscriptions: 19,886,949 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (July 2015 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total: 382.307 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (July 2015 est.) | total: 106.831 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (July 2015 est.) |
| Telephone system | general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country international: country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systems provide international connectivity; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2015) | 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 is less than 20 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 (2015) |
| Internet country code | .us | .mx |
| Internet users | total: 239.58 million percent of population: 74.6% (July 2015 est.) | total: 69.915 million percent of population: 57.4% (July 2015 est.) |
| Broadcast media | 4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations throughout the country, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector that is largely supported by private grants; overall, thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; while most stations are commercial, National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of some 600 member stations; satellite radio available; overall, nearly 15,000 radio stations operating (2008) | 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) |
Transportation
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 293,564.2 km standard gauge: 293,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (2014) | total: 15,389 km standard gauge: 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014) |
| Roadways | total: 6,586,610 km paved: 4,304,715 km (includes 76,334 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,281,895 km (2012) | total: 377,660 km paved: 137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of expressways) unpaved: 240,116 km (2012) |
| Waterways | 41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada) (2012) | 2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2012) |
| Pipelines | natural gas 1,984,321 km; petroleum products 240,711 km (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) |
| Ports and terminals | cargo ports: Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Plaquemines (LA), Tampa, Texas City container port(s) (TEUs): Hampton Roads (1,918,029), Houston (1,866,450), Long Beach (6,061,091), Los Angeles (7,940,511), New York/New Jersey (5,503,485), Oakland (2,342,504), Savannah (2,944,678), Seattle (2,033,535) (2011) cruise departure ports (passengers): Miami (2,032,000), Port Everglades (1,277,000), Port Canaveral (1,189,000), Seattle (430,000), Long Beach (415,000) (2009) oil terminal(s): LOOP terminal, Haymark terminal LNG terminal(s) (import): Cove Point (MD), Elba Island (GA), Everett (MA), Freeport (TX), Golden Pass (TX), Hackberry (LA), Lake Charles (LA), Neptune (offshore), Northeast Gateway (offshore), Pascagoula (MS), Sabine Pass (TX) LNG terminal(s) (export): Kenai (AK) | 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 |
| Merchant marine | total: 393 by type: barge carrier 6, bulk carrier 55, cargo 51, carrier 2, chemical tanker 30, container 84, passenger 18, passenger/cargo 56, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, vehicle carrier 26 foreign-owned: 85 (Australia 1, Bermuda 5, Denmark 31, France 4, Germany 5, Malaysia 2, Norway 17, Singapore 16, UK 4) registered in other countries: 794 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia 2, Bahamas 109, Belgium 1, Bermuda 26, Canada 10, Cayman Islands 57, Comoros 2, Cyprus 5, Georgia 1, Greece 8, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 44, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 23, Liberia 53, Malta 34, Marshall Islands 200, Netherlands 16, Norway 10, Panama 90, Portugal 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18, Singapore 36, South Korea 8, Togo 1, UK 14, Vanuatu 2, unknown 6) (2010) | total: 52 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, chemical tanker 11, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 3 foreign-owned: 5 (France 1, Greece 2, South Africa 1, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 12 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 1, Venezuela 1, unknown 1) (2010) |
| Airports | 13,513 (2013) | 1,714 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 5,054 over 3,047 m: 189 2,438 to 3,047 m: 235 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,478 914 to 1,523 m: 2,249 under 914 m: 903 (2013) | 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 (2013) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 8,459 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 140 914 to 1,523 m: 1,552 under 914 m: 6,760 (2013) | 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) |
| Heliports | 5,287 (2013) | 1 (2013) |
Military
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | United States Armed Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Coast Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy (2017) | 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) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines); all military occupations and positions open to women (2016) | 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) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.3% of GDP (2015) 3.51% of GDP (2014) 3.83% of GDP (2013) 4.24% of GDP (2012) 4.58% of GDP (2011) | 0.68% of GDP (2015) 0.67% of GDP (2014) 0.62% of GDP (2013) 0.59% of GDP (2012) 0.55% of GDP (2011) |
Transnational Issues
| United States | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | the US has intensified domestic security measures and is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; Canada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelf; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other states; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution | 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 |
| Illicit drugs | world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center | "major drug-producing and transit nation; world's second largest opium poppy cultivator; opium poppy cultivation in 2009 rose 31% over 2008 to 19,500 hectares yielding a potential production of 50 metric tons of pure heroin, or 125 metric tons of ""black tar"" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased 45% to 17,500 hectares in 2009; 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 (2007) " |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 84,995 refugees during FY2016 including: 16,370 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 12,587 (Syria); 12,347 (Burma); 9,880 (Iraq); 9,020 (Somalia); 5,817 (Bhutan); 3,750 (Iran) | IDPs: 311,000 (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) (2016) stateless persons: 13 (2016) |
Source: CIA Factbook
