MEXICO



Vicente Fox Quesada
President

Mexico

(pronounced "vi-SEN-tay FAHX keh-SAY-dah")

"I have…an obligation to…work passionately for those who made Mexico what it is, for those who built the Mexico we have today, and for those who dream of a different, successful, and triumphant Mexico"

The United States of Mexico is situated between the Gulf of Mexico to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, it neighbors the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the south and southeast. Mexico's total area is 1,980,000 sq km (764,478 sq mi), and the population was estimated at 103 million in 2002. The capital and largest city is Mexico City with more than 18 million inhabitants estimated to live in the metropolitan area in 2002.

The Mexican unit of currency is the peso . Spanish is the official language but large groups speak Native American languages. Agriculture is the main employer, with petroleum and petroleum products being the largest industry. Leading exports are vegetables, fruits, coffee, gold, zinc, and oil. Tourism is considered a major foreign currency earner, as is the finishing of manufactured products in border towns for re-export to the United States and elsewhere. Brewing and automobile exports are advancing rapidly. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada was implemented in 1994, and trade with the United States has tripled since. As part of a goal to become less dependent on trade with the United States, Mexico entered into free trade agreements with the European Union (EU), Israel, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in 2000, and was involved in trade agreement discussions with other countries in Latin America and Asia. The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US $9,000 in 2001.

ADDRESS

Office of the President
Palacio National
Mexico 1
Distrito Federal, Mexico

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