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United States vs. Mexico

Introduction

United StatesMexico
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. Left-leaning antiestablishment politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR, from the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), became president in December 2018.

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 StatesMexico
LocationNorth America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and MexicoNorth 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 coordinates38 00 N, 97 00 W23 00 N, 102 00 W
Map referencesNorth AmericaNorth America
Areatotal: 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
total: 1,964,375 sq km

land: 1,943,945 sq km

water: 20,430 sq km
Area - comparativeabout 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 Unionslightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundariestotal: 12,002 km

border countries (5): Canada 8,891 km (including 2,475 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,111 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 3155 km
Coastline19,924 km9,330 km
Maritime claimsterritorial 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
Climatemostly 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

note: many consider Denali, the highest peak in the US, to be the world's coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation and its subarctic location at 63 degrees north latitude; permanent snow and ice cover over 75 percent of the mountain, and enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long and 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of the world's coldest and most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of -93°F have been recorded.  
varies from tropical to desert
Terrainvast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaiihigh, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
Elevation extremeshighest point: Denali 6,190 m (Mount McKinley) (highest point in North America)

lowest point: Death Valley (lowest point in North America) -86 m

mean elevation: 760 m

note: Denali is one of the most striking features on the entire planet; at 20,310 feet, it is the crowning peak of the Alaska Range and the highest mountain on North America; it towers three and one-half vertical miles above its base, making it a mile taller from base to summit than Mt. Everest; Denali's base sits at about 2,000 feet above sea level and rises over three and one-half miles to its 20,310 foot summit; Everest begins on a 14,000-foot high plain, then summits at 29,028 feet.
note:
 the peak of Mauna Kea (4,207 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
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m

lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m

mean elevation: 1,111 m
Natural resourcescoal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land;

note 1: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total

note 2: the US is reliant on foreign imports for 100% of its needs for the following strategic resources - Arsenic, Cesium, Fluorspar, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Manganese, Niobium, Rare Earths, Rubidium, Scandium, Tantalum, Yttrium; see Appendix H: Strategic Materials for further details
petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land useagricultural land: 44.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 16.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 27.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)

other: 22.2% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 54.9% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 41.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)

other: 11.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land264,000 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 (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (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 (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 (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, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in Hawaii: Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi; in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

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 (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 (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; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Environment - current issuesair pollution; large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; deforestation; mining; desertification; species conservation; invasive species (the Hawaiian Islands are particularly vulnerable)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 agreementsparty to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Protocol
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note

note 1: 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 (6,190 m) in North America and Death Valley the lowest point (-86 m) on the continent

note 2: the western coast of the United States and southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire

note 3: the Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide the Bering Sea (north) from the main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km westward from the Alaskan Peninsula; the archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, and hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on the islands, which together form a large northern section of the Ring of Fire

note 4: Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico - the world's longest underwater cave system (see "Geography - note" under Mexico);

note 5: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep

note 6: Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio, Texas is the world's largest bat cave; it is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals

note 7: the US is reliant on foreign imports for 100% of its needs for the following strategic resources - Arsenic, Cesium, Fluorspar, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Manganese, Niobium, Rare Earths, Rubidium, Scandium, Tantalum, Yttrium; see Appendix H: Strategic Materials for further details

note 8: three food crops are generally acknowledged to be native to areas of what is now the United States: cranberries, pecans, and sunflowers

note 1: strategic location on southern border of the US; Mexico is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire

note 2: some of the world's most important food crops were first domesticated in Mexico; the "Three Sisters" companion plants - winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans - served as the main agricultural crops for various North American Indian groups; all three apparently originated in Mexico but then were widely disseminated through much of North America; avocado, amaranth, and chili peppers also emanate from Mexico, as does vanilla, the world's most popular aroma and flavor spice; although cherry tomatoes originated in Ecuador, their domestication in Mexico transformed them into the larger modern tomato

note 3: the Sac Actun cave system at 348 km (216 mi) is the longest underwater cave in the world and the second longest cave worldwide, after Mammoth Cave in the United States (see "Geography - note" under United States)

note 4: the prominent Yucatan Peninsula that divides the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea is shared by Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; just on the northern coast of Yucatan, near the town of Chicxulub (pronounce cheek-sha-loob), lie the remnants of a massive crater (some 150 km in diameter and extending well out into the Gulf of Mexico); formed by an asteroid or comet when it struck the earth 66 million years ago, the impact is now widely accepted as initiating a worldwide climate disruption that caused a mass extinction of 75% of all the earth's plant and animal species - including the non-avian dinosaurs

Total renewable water resources3.069 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)461.888 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionlarge 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 Oahumost 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 StatesMexico
Population334,998,398 (July 2021 est.)

note: the US Census Bureau's 2020 census results show the US population as 331,449,281 as of 1 April 2020
130,207,371 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 18.46% (male 31,374,555/female 30,034,371)

15-24 years: 12.91% (male 21,931,368/female 21,006,463)

25-54 years: 38.92% (male 64,893,670/female 64,564,565)

55-64 years: 12.86% (male 20,690,736/female 22,091,808)

65 years and over: 16.85% (male 25,014,147/female 31,037,419) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 26.01% (male 17,111,199/female 16,349,767)

15-24 years: 16.97% (male 11,069,260/female 10,762,784)

25-54 years: 41.06% (male 25,604,223/female 27,223,720)

55-64 years: 8.29% (male 4,879,048/female 5,784,176)

65 years and over: 7.67% (male 4,373,807/female 5,491,581) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 38.5 years

male: 37.2 years

female: 39.8 years (2020 est.)
total: 29.3 years

male: 28.2 years

female: 30.4 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate0.7% (2021 est.)1.04% (2021 est.)
Birth rate12.33 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)17.29 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate8.35 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate3.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female NA

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 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: 0.94 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 5.61 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 11.64 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 13.18 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 80.43 years

male: 78.18 years

female: 82.65 years (2021 est.)
total population: 76.94 years

male: 74.15 years

female: 79.87 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.84 children born/woman (2021 est.)2.17 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rateNA0.4% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: American(s)

adjective: American
noun: Mexican(s)

adjective: Mexican
Ethnic groupsWhite 72.4%, Black 12.6%, Asian 4.8%, Amerindian and Alaska Native 0.9%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 6.2%, two or more races 2.9% (2010 est.)

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.); an estimated 16.3% of the total US population is Hispanic as of 2010
Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.)

note: Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDSNA340,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsProtestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Mormon 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, 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 - deathsNA4,300 (2020 est.)
LanguagesEnglish only 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)

note: data represent the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 32 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii, and 20 indigenous languages are official in Alaska
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 est.)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2018)
total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2018)
Education expenditures5% of GDP (2014)4.5% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 82.9% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 81% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 97% of population

total: 99% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 3% of population

total: 1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 96.6% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 3.4% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: 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 (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 99.3% of population

rural: 91.9% of population

total: 97.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.7% of population

rural: 8.1% of population

total: 2.2% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population18.823 million New York-Newark, 12.459 million Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, 8.877 million Chicago, 6.491 million Houston, 6.397 million Dallas-Fort Worth, 5.378 million WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) (2021)21.919 million MEXICO CITY (capital), 5.259 million Guadalajara, 4.956 million Monterrey, 3.245 million Puebla, 2.522 million Toluca de Lerdo, 2.181 million Tijuana (2021)
Maternal mortality rate19 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)33 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight0.4% (2017/18)4.7% (2018/19)
Health expenditures16.9% (2018)5.4% (2018)
Physicians density2.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)2.38 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate36.2% (2016)28.9% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth27 years (2019 est.)21.3 years (2008 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate73.9% (2017/19)73.1% (2018)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 53.9

youth dependency ratio: 28.3

elderly dependency ratio: 25.6

potential support ratio: 3.9 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 50.3

youth dependency ratio: 38.8

elderly dependency ratio: 11.4

potential support ratio: 8.7 (2020 est.)

Government

United StatesMexico
Country nameconventional 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 capital city, whose name stems from the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain
Government typeconstitutional federal republicfederal presidential republic
Capitalname: 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

etymology: named after George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States
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

etymology: named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain
Administrative divisions50 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, Wyoming32 states (estados, singular - estado); 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
Independence4 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 holidayIndependence Day, 4 July (1776)Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Constitutionhistory: 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 of the 13 states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789

amendments: proposed as a "joint resolution" by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by at least two thirds of the state legislatures; passage requires ratification by three fourths of the state legislatures or passage in state-held constitutional conventions as specified by Congress; the US president has no role in the constitutional amendment process; amended many times, last in 1992
history: several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917

amendments: proposed by the Congress of the Union; passage requires approval by at least two thirds of the members present and approval by a majority of the state legislatures; amended many times, last in 2020
Legal systemcommon law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative actscivil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage18 years of age; universal18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branchchief of state: President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)

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 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)

election results: Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. elected president; electoral vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (Democratic Party) 306, Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 232; percent of direct popular vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. 51.3%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.9%, other 1.8%
chief of state: President Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (since 1 December 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (since 1 December 2018)

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 2018 (next to be held in July 2024)

election results:
2018: Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR elected president; percent of vote - Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (MORENA) 53.2%, Ricardo ANAYA (PAN) 22.3%, Jose Antonio MEADE Kuribrena (PRI) 16.4%, Jaime RODRIGUEZ Calderon 5.2% (independent), other 2.9%

2012: 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 branchdescription: bicameral Congress consists of:
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)
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 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 8 November 2022)
House of Representatives - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 8 November 2022)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 50, Democratic Party 50; composition - men 76, women 24, percent of women 24%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 221, Republican Party 211, 3 seats vacant; composition - men 312, women 120, percent of women 27.8%; note - total US Congress percent of women 27.1%

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 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 8 November 2022)
description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of:
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)
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 2018 (next to be held in July 2024)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 June 2021 (next to be held in July 2024)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 58, PAN 22, PRI 14, PRD 9, MC 7, PT 7, PES 5, PVEM 5, PNA/PANAL 1; composition - men 65, women 63, percent of women 49.3%
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MORENA 197, PAN 111, PRI 69, PVEM 44, PT 38, MC 25, PRD 16; composition - NA

note: as of the 2018 election, senators will be eligible for a second term and deputies up to 4 consecutive terms
Judicial branchhighest courts: 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 serve 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 courts: 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 15-year terms; 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

Note: in mid-February 2020, the Mexican president endorsed a bill on judicial reform, which proposes changes to 7 articles of the constitution and the issuance of a new Organic Law on the Judicial Branch of the Federation
Political parties and leadersDemocratic Party [Tom PEREZ]
Green Party [collective leadership]
Libertarian Party [Nicholas SARWARK]
Republican Party [Ronna Romney MCDANIEL]
Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) or MC [Clemente CASTANEDA]
Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Claudia RUIZ Massieu]
It's For Mexico (Va Por Mexico) - alliance that includes PAN, PRI, PRD
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 [Damian ZEPEDA Vidales]
Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Manuel GRANADOS]
Together We Make History (Juntos Hacemos Historia) - alliance that includes MORENA, PT, PVEM
International organization participationADB (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, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZCAPEC, 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 description13 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; 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 green and red, and does not display anything in its white band
National anthemname: 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 participationwithdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
National symbol(s)bald eagle; national colors: red, white, bluegolden eagle; national colors: green, white, red
Citizenshipcitizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: 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 only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: not specified

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Economy

United StatesMexico
Economy - overview

The US has the most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $59,500. 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 more than 50% 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, 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 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 former 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 FY 2018, the direct costs of the wars will have totaled more than $1.9 trillion, according to US Government figures.

In March 2010, former President OBAMA signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), 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 former 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.

The Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced plans in December 2012 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%. The Fed ended its purchases during the summer of 2014, after the unemployment rate dropped to 6.2%, inflation stood at 1.7%, and public debt fell below 74% of GDP. In December 2015, the Fed raised its target for the benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25%, the first increase since the recession began. With continued low growth, the Fed opted to raise rates several times since then, and in December 2017, the target rate stood at 1.5%.

In December 2017, Congress passed and former President Donald TRUMP signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which, among its various provisions, reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; lowers the individual tax rate for those with the highest incomes from 39.6% to 37%, and by lesser percentages for those at lower income levels; changes many deductions and credits used to calculate taxable income; and eliminates in 2019 the penalty imposed on taxpayers who do not obtain the minimum amount of health insurance required under the ACA. The new taxes took effect on 1 January 2018; the tax cut for corporations are permanent, but those for individuals are scheduled to expire after 2025. The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) under the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the new law will reduce tax revenues and increase the federal deficit by about $1.45 trillion over the 2018-2027 period. This amount would decline if economic growth were to exceed the JCT's estimate.

Mexico's $2.4 trillion economy - 11th largest in the world - 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 2017, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $623 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of its 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. Since 2015, Mexico has held public auctions of oil and gas exploration and development rights and for long-term electric power generation contracts. Mexico has also issued permits for private sector import, distribution, and retail sales of refined petroleum products in an effort to attract private investment into the energy sector and boost production.

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. Mexico's economy remains vulnerable to uncertainty surrounding the future of NAFTA - because the United States is its top trading partner and the two countries share integrated supply chains - and to potential shifts in domestic policies following the inauguration of a new a president in December 2018.

GDP (purchasing power parity)$20,524,945,000,000 (2019 est.)

$20,090,748,000,000 (2018 est.)

$19,519,353,000,000 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$2,525,481,000,000 (2019 est.)

$2,526,859,000,000 (2018 est.)

$2,472,586,000,000 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP - real growth rate2.16% (2019 est.)

3% (2018 est.)

2.33% (2017 est.)
-0.3% (2019 est.)

2.19% (2018 est.)

2.34% (2017 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$62,530 (2019 est.)

$61,498 (2018 est.)

$60,062 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$19,796 (2019 est.)

$20,024 (2018 est.)

$19,816 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 0.9% (2017 est.)

industry: 19.1% (2017 est.)

services: 80% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 3.6% (2017 est.)

industry: 31.9% (2017 est.)

services: 64.5% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line15.1% (2010 est.)41.9% (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: 2%

highest 10%: 30% (2007 est.)
lowest 10%: 2%

highest 10%: 40% (2014)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)1.8% (2019 est.)

2.4% (2018 est.)

2.1% (2017 est.)
3.6% (2019 est.)

4.9% (2018 est.)

6% (2017 est.)
Labor force146.128 million (2020 est.)

note: includes unemployed
50.914 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupationagriculture: 0.7% (2009)

industry: 20.3% (2009)

services: 37.3% (2009)

industry and services: 24.2% (2009)

manufacturing: 17.6% (2009)

farming, forestry, and fishing: 0.7% (2009)

manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts: 20.3% (2009)

managerial, professional, and technical: 37.3% (2009)

sales and office: 24.2% (2009)

other services: 17.6% (2009)

note: figures exclude the unemployed
agriculture: 13.4%

industry: 24.1%

services: 61.9% (2011)
Unemployment rate3.89% (2018 est.)

4.4% (2017 est.)
3.49% (2019 est.)

3.33% (2018 est.)

note: underemployment may be as high as 25%
Distribution of family income - Gini index41.1 (2016 est.)

40.8 (1997)
36.8 (2018 est.)

48.3 (2008)
Budgetrevenues: 3.315 trillion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 3.981 trillion (2017 est.)

note: revenues exclude social contributions of approximately $1.0 trillion; expenditures exclude social benefits of approximately $2.3 trillion
revenues: 261.4 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 273.8 billion (2017 est.)
Industrieshighly 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, miningfood and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Industrial production growth rate2.3% (2017 est.)-0.6% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productsmaize, milk, soybeans, wheat, sugar cane, sugar beet, poultry, potatoes, cotton, porksugar cane, maize, milk, oranges, sorghum, tomatoes, poultry, wheat, green chillies/peppers, eggs
Exports$2,377,156,000,000 (2019 est.)

$2,379,936,000,000 (2018 est.)

$2,310,851,000,000 (2017 est.)
$491.593 billion (2019 est.)

$484.595 billion (2018 est.)

$457.693 billion (2017 est.)
Exports - commoditiesrefined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, integrated circuits, aircraft (2019)cars and vehicle parts, computers, delivery trucks, crude petroleum, insulated wiring (2019)
Exports - partnersCanada 17%, Mexico 16%, China 7%, Japan 5% (2019)United States 75% (2019)
Imports$3,214,184,000,000 (2019 est.)

$3,179,875,000,000 (2018 est.)

$3,054,759,000,000 (2017 est.)
$480.886 billion (2019 est.)

$485.211 billion (2018 est.)

$458.381 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - commoditiescars, crude petroleum, computers, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines (2019)integrated circuits, refined petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, office machinery/parts, telephones (2019)
Imports - partnersChina 18%, Mexico 15%, Canada 13%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (2019)United States 54%, China 14% (2019)
Debt - external$20,275,951,000,000 (2019 est.)

$19,452,478,000,000 (2018 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
$456.713 billion (2019 est.)

$448.268 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange ratesBritish pounds per US dollar: 0.7836 (2017 est.), 0.738 (2016 est.), 0.738 (2015 est.), 0.607 (2014 est), 0.6391 (2013 est.)
Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1, 1.308 (2017 est.), 1.3256 (2016 est.), 1.3256 (2015 est.), 1.2788 (2014 est.), 1.0298 (2013 est.)
Chinese yuan per US dollar: 1, 6.7588 (2017 est.), 6.6445 (2016 est.), 6.2275 (2015 est.), 6.1434 (2014 est.), 6.1958 (2013 est.)
euros per US dollar: 0.885 (2017 est.), 0.903 (2016 est.), 0.9214(2015 est.), 0.885 (2014 est.), 0.7634 (2013 est.)
Japanese yen per US dollar: 111.10 (2017 est.), 108.76 (2016 est.), 108.76 (2015 est.), 121.02 (2014 est.), 97.44 (2013 est.)

note 1: the following countries and territories use the US dollar officially as their legal tender: British Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Timor Leste, Turks and Caicos, and islands of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba)

note 2: the following countries and territories use the US dollar as official legal tender alongside local currency: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama

note 3: the following countries and territories widely accept the US dollar as a dominant currency but have yet to declare it as legal tender: Bermuda, Burma, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Somalia
Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar -

19.8 (2020 est.)

19.22824 (2019 est.)

20.21674 (2018 est.)

15.848 (2014 est.)

13.292 (2013 est.)
Fiscal year1 October - 30 Septembercalendar year
Public debt78.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

81.2% of GDP (2016 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 intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of Treasury borrowings from surpluses in the trusts for Federal Social Security, Federal Employees, Hospital and Supplemental Medical Insurance (Medicare), Disability and Unemployment, and several other smaller trusts; if data for intragovernment debt were added, "gross debt" would increase by about one-third of GDP
54.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

56.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$123.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$117.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$175.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$178.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

note: Mexico also maintains access to an $88 million Flexible Credit Line with the IMF
Current Account Balance-$480.225 billion (2019 est.)

-$449.694 billion (2018 est.)
-$4.351 billion (2019 est.)

-$25.415 billion (2018 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$21,433,228,000,000 (2019 est.)$1,269,956,000,000 (2019 est.)
Credit ratingsFitch rating: AAA (1994)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1949)

Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2011)
Fitch rating: BBB- (2020)

Moody's rating: Baa1 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB (2020)
Ease of Doing Business Index scoresOverall score: 84 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 91.6 (2020)

Trading score: 92 (2020)

Enforcement score: 73.4 (2020)
Overall score: 72.4 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 86.1 (2020)

Trading score: 82.1 (2020)

Enforcement score: 67 (2020)
Taxes and other revenues17% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

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
22.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24total: 14.9%

male: 15%

female: 14.8% (2020 est.)
total: 7.2%

male: 6.7%

female: 8% (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 68.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 17.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 12.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -15% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 67% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 11.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 22.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.8% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 37.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -39.7% (2017 est.)
Gross national saving18.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

18.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

18.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
23.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

23.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

23.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Energy

United StatesMexico
Electricity - production4.095 trillion kWh (2016 est.)302.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption3.902 trillion kWh (2016 est.)258.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports9.695 billion kWh (2016 est.)7.308 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports72.72 billion kWh (2016 est.)3.532 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Oil - production10.962 million bbl/day (2018 est.)1.852 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
Oil - imports7.969 million bbl/day (2017 est.)0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Oil - exports1.158 million bbl/day (2017 est.)1.214 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Oil - proved reservesNA bbl (1 January 2018 est.)6.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves0 cu m (1 January 2017 est.)279.8 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - production772.8 billion cu m (2017 est.)31.57 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption767.6 billion cu m (2017 est.)81.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports89.7 billion cu m (2017 est.)36.81 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports86.15 billion cu m (2017 est.)50.12 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity1.087 billion kW (2016 est.)72.56 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels70% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)71% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production20.3 million bbl/day (2017 est.)844,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption19.96 million bbl/day (2017 est.)1.984 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports5.218 million bbl/day (2017 est.)155,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports2.175 million bbl/day (2017 est.)867,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Electricity accesselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Telecommunications

United StatesMexico
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 107.568 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32.77 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 22,717,180

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17.82 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 442.457 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134.8 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 122,040,789

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95.75 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.us.mx
Internet userstotal: 285,519,020

percent of population: 87.27% (July 2018 est.)
total: 82,843,369

percent of population: 65.77% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system; reliable Internet available for most of the population though challenges remain in rural areas and tribal lands; concentration among industry operators; saturated mobile subscriber penetration rate; national LTE-M services with reassignment of 2G spectrum for 5G, centered in urban areas; operators signed alliance to develop 6G in line with technology standards, and government policies; almost all citizens have access to both fixed-line and mobile-broadband services; government fund to connect 5.3 million residences and businesses in rural areas; in pandemic, emergency funding for Internet and devices related to education; cooperative approach to e-commerce, health, education, and energy with smart city technology in several areas; federal subsidies to private satellite Internet constellation with aims for fast, world-wide connections; government policy designated Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE as national security threats and restricted partnership; importer of broadcasting equipment from China with export of same to Hong Kong (2021) (2020)

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; fixed-line 33 per 100 and mobile-cellular 124 per 100 (2019)

international: country code - 1; landing points for the Quintillion Subsea Cable Network, TERRA SW, AU-Aleutian, KKFL, AKORN, Alaska United -West, & -East & -Southeast, North Star, Lynn Canal Fiber, KetchCar 1, PC-1, SCCN, Tat TGN-Pacific & -Atlantic, Jupiter, Hawaiki, NCP, FASTER, HKA, JUS, AAG, BtoBE, Currie, Southern Cross NEXT, SxS, PLCN, Utility EAC-Pacific, SEA-US, Paniolo Cable Network, HICS, HIFN, ASH, Telstra Endeavor, Honotua, AURORA, ARCOS, AMX-1, Americas -I & -II, Columbus IIb & -III, Maya-1, MAC, GTMO-1, BICS, CFX-1, GlobeNet, Monet, SAm-1, Bahamas 2, PCCS, BRUSA, Dunant, MAREA, SAE x1, TAT 14, Apollo, Gemini Bermuda, Havfrue/AEC-2, Seabras-1, WALL-LI, NYNJ-1, FLAG Atalantic-1, Yellow, Atlantic Crossing-1, AE Connect -1, sea2shore, Challenger Bermuda-1, and GTT Atlantic submarine cable systems providing international connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, & Atlantic, and Indian Ocean Islands, Central and South America, Caribbean, Canada and US; 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) (2020)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
general assessment:

with a large population and relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, Mexico's telecom sector has potential for growth; adequate telephone service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line subscribers; relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, potential for growth and international investment; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable; 5G development slow given the existing capabilities of LTE; IXP in Mexico City; exporter of computers and broadcasting equipment to USA, and importer of same from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: competition has spurred the mobile-cellular market; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 18 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 95 per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations (2019)

international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the 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 (2016)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 114.259 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34.81 (2019 est.)
total: 19,354,980

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15.19 (2019 est.)
Broadcast media4 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 900 member stations; satellite radio available; in total, over 15,000 radio stations operating (2018)telecom reform in 2013 enabled the creation of new broadcast television channels after decades of a quasi-monopoly; Mexico has 821 TV stations and 1,745 radio stations and most are 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; in 2016, Mexico became the first country in Latin America to complete the transition from analog to digital transmissions, allowing for better image and audio quality and a wider selection of programming from networks

Transportation

United StatesMexico
Railwaystotal: 293,564 km (2014)

standard gauge: 293,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
total: 20,825 km (2017)

standard gauge: 20,825 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2017)
Roadwaystotal: 6,586,610 km (2012)

paved: 4,304,715 km (includes 76,334 km of expressways) (2012)

unpaved: 2,281,895 km (2012)
total: 398,148 km (2017)

paved: 174,911 km (includes 10,362 km of expressways) (2017)

unpaved: 223,237 km (2017)
Waterways41,009 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)
Pipelines1,984,321 km natural gas, 240,711 km petroleum products (2013)15,986 km natural gas (2019), 10,365 km oil (2017), 8,946 km refined products (2016)
Ports and terminalsoil terminal(s): LOOP terminal, Haymark terminal

container port(s) (TEUs): Charleston (2,436,185), Hampton Roads (2,937,962), Houston (2,987,291), Long Beach (7,632,032), Los Angeles (9,337,632), New York/New Jersey (7,471,131), Oakland (2,500,431), Savannah (4,599,177), Seattle/Tacoma (3,775,303) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (export): Cameron (LA), Corpus Christi (TX), Cove Point (MD), Elba Island (GA), Freeport (TX), Sabine Pass (LA)
note - two additional export facilities are under construction and expected to begin commercial operations in 2023-2024

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)

cargo ports: Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Plaquemines (LA), Tampa, Texas City

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)
major seaport(s): Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz

oil terminal(s): Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal

cruise port(s): Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada

container port(s) (TEUs): Lazaro Cardenas (1,318,732), Manzanillo (3,069,189), Veracruz (1,144,156) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Altamira, Ensenada
Merchant marinetotal: 3,652

by type: bulk carrier 5, container ship 63, general cargo 104, oil tanker 68, other 3,412 (2020)
total: 668

by type: bulk carrier 6, general cargo 10, oil tanker 34, other 618 (2020)
Airportstotal: 13,513 (2013)total: 1,714 (2013)
Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 5,054 (2013)

over 3,047 m: 189 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 235 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,478 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 2,249 (2013)

under 914 m: 903 (2013)
total: 243 (2017)

over 3,047 m: 12 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 32 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m: 86 (2017)

under 914 m: 33 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runwaystotal: 8,459 (2013)

over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 140 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 1,552 (2013)

under 914 m: 6,760 (2013)
total: 1,471 (2013)

over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 281 (2013)

under 914 m: 1,146 (2013)
Heliports5,287 (2013)1 (2013)
National air transport systemnumber of registered air carriers: 99 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7,249

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 889.022 million (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 42,985,300,000 mt-km (2018)
number of registered air carriers: 16 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 370

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 64,569,640 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,090,380,000 mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefixNXA

Military

United StatesMexico
Military branchesUnited States Armed Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Space Force; US Coast Guard (administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2021)

note: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority
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)); Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection: Federal Police (includes Gendarmerie), National Guard (2021)

note: the National Guard was formed in 2019 and consists of personnel from the Federal Police and military police units of the Army and Navy; while the Guard is part of the civilian-led Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, the Defense Ministry has day-to-day operational control; in addition, the armed forces provide the commanders and the training
Military service age and obligation18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 39 (Air Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard); all military occupations and positions open to women (2020)18 years of age for compulsory military service for males (selection for service determined by lottery); conscript service obligation is 12 months; conscripts remain in reserve status until the age of 40; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP3.73% of GDP (2020 est.)

3.51% of GDP (2019)

3.27% of GDP (2018)

3.3% of GDP (2017)

3.51% of GDP (2016)
0.5% of GDP (2019)

0.5% of GDP (2018)

0.5% of GDP (2017)

0.6% of GDP (2016)

0.7% of GDP (2015)
Military - notethe US is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949the Mexican military under President LOPEZ OBRADOR has expanded its role in public security duties and other tasks; as of 2021, Mexican military operations were focused primarily on internal security duties, particularly in countering drug cartels and organized crime groups, as well as border control and immigration enforcement; in addition, the military has been placed in charge of some infrastructure projects, such as building a new airport for Mexico City and sections of a train line in the country's southeast; in mid-2020, the armed forces were directed to administer the country's land and sea ports and customs services in order to fight crime and corruption; the military also runs some 2,700 branches of a state-owned bank
Military and security service personnel strengthsthe US Armed Forces have approximately 1.39 million active duty personnel (482,000 Army; 347,000 Navy; 336,000 Air Force; 181,000 Marine Corps; 41,000 Coast Guard; 16,000 Space Force); 336,000 Army National Guard; 106,000 Air National Guard (April 2021)information varies; approximately 250,000 active personnel (180,000 Army; 60,000 Navy, including 20-25,000 marines; 8,000 Air Force); approximately 90-100,000 National Guard (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically-produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of Western countries; since 2010, Germany and the UK are the leading suppliers of military hardware; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2020)the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically-produced and imported equipment from a variety of mostly Western suppliers; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of military hardware to Mexico; Mexico's defense industry produces naval vessels and light armored vehicles (2020)

Transnational Issues

United StatesMexico
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 drugsworld'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 centermajor drug-producing and transit nation; Mexico is estimated to be the world's third largest producer of opium with poppy cultivation in 2015 estimated to be 28,000 hectares yielding a potential production of 475 metric tons of raw opium; 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
Refugees and internally displaced personsrefugees (country of origin): the US admitted 11,814 refugees during FY2020 including: 2,868 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 2,115 (Burma), 1,927 (Ukraine), 604 (Afghanistan), 537 (Iraq)

note: 72,722 Venezuelans have claimed asylum since 2014 because of the economic and political crisis (2018)
refugees (country of origin): 9,257 (Honduras) (2019); 102,223 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2020)

IDPs: 357,000 (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) (2020)

stateless persons: 13 (2020)

Environment

United StatesMexico
Air pollutantsparticulate matter emissions: 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 5,006.3 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 685.74 megatons (2020 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 20.08 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 486.41 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 135.77 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawalmunicipal: 58.39 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 209.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 176.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
municipal: 14.23 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 6.814 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 66.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Revenue from forest resourcesforest revenues: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)forest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coalcoal revenues: 0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)coal revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recyclingmunicipal solid waste generated annually: 258 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 89.268 million tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 34.6% (2014 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 53.1 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2.655 million tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5% (2013 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook