#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France
_%_
_@_Mexico
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 1,972,550 km2; land area: 1,923,040 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Texas

_#_Land boundaries: 4,538 km total; Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km,
US 3,326 km

_#_Coastline: 9,330 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone: 24 nm;

Continental shelf: natural prolongation of continental margin or
200 nm;

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Disputes: claims Clipperton Island (French possession)

_#_Climate: varies from tropical to desert

_#_Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus,
and desert

_#_Natural resources: crude oil, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc,
natural gas, timber

_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
39%; forest and woodland 24%; other 24%; includes irrigated 3%

_#_Environment: subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and
destructive earthquakes in the center and south; natural water resources
scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and
extreme southeast; deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification;
serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico
border

_#_Note: strategic location on southern border of US

_*_People
_#_Population: 90,007,304 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Mexican(s); adjective--Mexican

_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or
predominantly Amerindian 30%, white or predominantly white 9%, other 1%

_#_Religion: nominally Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

_#_Language: Spanish

_#_Literacy: 87% (male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1985 est.)

_#_Labor force: 26,100,000 (1988); services 31.4%, agriculture,
forestry, hunting, and fishing 26%, commerce 13.9%, manufacturing 12.8%,
construction 9.5%, transportation 4.8%, mining and quarrying 1.3%,
electricity 0.3% (1986)

_#_Organized labor: 35% of labor force

_*_Gover