billion;
IMF, $13 billion (1995-96)

Currency: 1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1 - 7.8270
(January 1997), 7.6009 (1996), 6.4194 (1995), 3.3751 (1994), 3.1156
(1993), 3,094.9 (1992)
note: the new peso replaced the old peso on 1 January 1993; 1 new peso
= 1,000 old pesos

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Mexico:Communications

Telephones: 11,890,868 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: highly developed system with extensive microwave
radio relay links; privatized in December 1990
domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government, but
the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with 120
earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network
international : satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); launched Solidaridad I satellite in
November 1993 and Solidaridad II in October 1994, giving Mexico
improved access to South America, Central America and much of the US
as well as enhancing domestic communications; linked to Central
American Microwave System of trunk connections

Radio broadcast stations: AM 679, FM 0, shortwave 22

Radios: 22.5 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 238

Televisions: 13.1 million (1992 est.)

@Mexico:Transportation

Railways:
total: 20,567 km
standard gauge: 20,477 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified)
narrow gauge : 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1994)

Highways:
total : 249,520 km
paved: 93,071 km (including 5,920 km of expressways)
unpaved: 156,449 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals

Pipelines: crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural
gas 13,254 km; petrochemical 1,400 km

Ports and harbors: Acapulco, Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada,
Guaymas, La Paz, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso,
Salina Cruz, Tampico, Topolobampo, Tuxpan, Veracruz

Merchant marine:
total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 899,032 GRT/1,297,346 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1,
container 4, liquefied gas tanker 7, oil tanker 29, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 2, short-sea passenger 3 (1996 est.)

Airports: 1,415 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1,003
over 3,047 m : 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 92
914 to 1,523 m: 71
under 914 m : 805 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 412
1,524 to 2,437 m: 50
914 to 1,523 m: 362