Chapter 66 of 110 · 3992 words · ~20 min read

Part 66

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 24 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total : 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 518,212 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males : 253,047 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $33 million (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________

MAURITIUS

@Mauritius:Geography

Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references: World

Area: total: 1,860 sq km land: 1,850 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

Area - comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point : Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire 828 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: arable land: 49% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 22% other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 170 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Environment - current issues: water pollution

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

@Mauritius:People

Population: 1,154,272 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27% (male 155,779; female 151,964) 15-64 years : 67% (male 387,406; female 391,167) 65 years and over: 6% (male 27,719; female 40,237) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.21% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 18.81 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.68 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.71 years male: 66.88 years female : 74.53 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun : Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%

Religions: Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%

Languages: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male : 87.1% female: 78.8% (1995 est.)

@Mauritius:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form : Mauritius

Data code: MP

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Port Louis

Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution: 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice President Rabindranath GHURBURRUN (since 1 July 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 27 December 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held NA June 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly election results : Cassam UTEEM elected president and Rabindranath GHURBURRUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (66 seats - 62 popularly elected, 4 appointed; members serve five-year terms); note - the election commission appoints four members from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities elections: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/RMM 20%, other 15%; seats by party - MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1, Hizbullah 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: government coalition : MLP/MMM alliance, consisting of Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navin RAMGOOLAM] and Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] opposition: MSM/MSR alliance consisting of the Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] and the Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Organization of the People of Rodrigues or OPR [Louis Serge CLAIR]; Mauritius Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Hizbullah [Imam Mustapha BEEHARRY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: various labor unions

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Harold Walter GEISEL (8 July 1996) embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: International Mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US Mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone : [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767 FAX: [230] 208-9534

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Economy

Economy - overview: Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial services, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization (with a view to modernization and to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1991-96 continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,300 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.3% industry : 31.6% services: 59.1% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 6% (1995)

Labor force: total : 479,500 (1993 est.) by occupation: construction and industry 37%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 15%, trade, restaurants, hotels 14%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3%

Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1991 est.)

Budget: revenues: $732 million expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $123 million (FY94/95 est.)

Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1992)

Electricity - capacity: 235,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - production: 425 million kWh (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 393 kWh (1991 est.)

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish

Exports: total value: $1.57 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: clothing and textiles 67%, sugar 25% partners: UK 34%, France 21%, US 15%, Germany 6%, Italy 4%

Imports: total value: $1.98 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities : manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7% partners: France 20%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 6%, Germany 5%

Debt - external: $996.8 million (1993 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 18.528 (January 1997), 17.948 (1996), 17.386 (1995), 17.960 (1994), 17.648 (1993), 15.563 (1992)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@Mauritius:Communications

Telephones: 65,000 (1985 est.)

Telephone system: small system with good service domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 395,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (1987 est.) note: two new subscription channels began operation in 1995

Televisions: 151,096 (1991 est.)

@Mauritius:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 1,877 km paved: 1,746 km (including 29 km of expressways) unpaved : 131 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors: Port Louis

Merchant marine: total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 221,147 GRT/309,513 DWT ships by type : bulk 1, cargo 9, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (1996 est.)

Airports: 4 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF, Special Support Units or SSU, and National Coast Guard)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 333,029 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males : 169,129 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $11.2 million (FY92/93)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.4% (FY92/93)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claims the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems ______________________________________________________________________

MAYOTTE

(territorial collectivity of France)

@Mayotte:Geography

Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates: 12 50 S, 45 10 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total : 375 sq km land: 375 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 185.2 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)

Terrain: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Benara 660 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other : NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: part of Comoro Archipelago

@Mayotte:People

Population: 104,715 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 50% (male 26,101; female 25,877) 15-64 years: 48% (male 25,684; female 24,661) 65 years and over: 2% (male 1,171; female 1,221) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.76% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 47.42 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.78 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population : 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 73.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population : 59.14 years male: 56.82 years female: 61.53 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Mahorais (singular and plural) adjective: Mahoran

Ethnic groups: NA

Religions: Muslim 99%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)

Languages: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French

Literacy: NA

@Mayotte:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte conventional short form: Mayotte

Data code: MF

Dependency status: territorial collectivity of France

Government type: NA

National capital: Mamoutzou

Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)

Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state : President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Philippe BOISADAM (since NA) head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) cabinet: NA elections: prefect appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 1997) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPM 12, RPR 4, independents 3 note: Mayotte elects 1 member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPM 1; Mayotte also elects 1 member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held as a special election on 25 May - 1 June 1997); results - percent of vote by party - UDF-CDS 54.3%, RPR 44.3%; seats by party - DF-CDS 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)

Political parties and leaders: Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Mahoran Rally for the Republic or RPR [Soibahadine Ibrahim RAMADAM]; Democratic Front or Front Democrate [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Association for French Mayotte or Association Pour Mayotte Francaise [Didier BEOUTIS]

International organization participation: FZ

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territorial collectivity of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy

Economy - overview: Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $54 million (1993 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (1993 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues : $NA expenditures: $37.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)

Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: NA kW

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: vanilla, ylang-ylang, coffee, copra

Exports: total value: $3.64 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra partners : France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion

Imports: total value: $131.5 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: building materials, machinery and transportation equipment, metals, chemicals, rice, clothing, flour partners : France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 20%

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA note : exhaustive French financial assistance

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Mayotte:Communications

Telephones: 450

Telephone system: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications domestic : NA international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 30,000 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: 3,500 (1994 est.)

@Mayotte:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total : 93 km paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km

Ports and harbors: Dzaoudzi

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claimed by Comoros ______________________________________________________________________

MEXICO

@Mexico:Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US

Geographic coordinates: 23 00 N, 102 00 W

Map references: North America

Area: total: 1,972,550 sq km land: 1,923,040 sq km water : 49,510 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: total: 4,538 km border countries : Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km

Coastline: 9,330 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: varies from tropical to desert

Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m

Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 39% forests and woodland: 26% other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 61,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts

Environment - current issues: natural fresh water 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; serious air pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategic location on southern border of US

@Mexico:People

Population: 97,563,374 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years : 36% (male 17,849,251; female 17,236,639) 15-64 years: 60% (male 28,241,361; female 29,883,766) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,982,329; female 2,370,028) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.84% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 25.8 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 4.52 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population : 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 23.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74 years male: 70.39 years female: 77.78 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Mexican(s) adjective: Mexican

Ethnic groups: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%

Languages: Spanish, various Mayan dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male : 91.8% female: 87.4% (1995 est.)

@Mexico:Government

Country name: conventional long form : United Mexican States conventional short form: Mexico local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos local short form: Mexico

Data code: MX

Government type: federal republic operating under a centralized government

National capital: Mexico

Administrative divisions: 31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas

Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810)

Constitution: 5 February 1917

Legal system: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)

Executive branch: chief of state: President Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (since 1 December 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government : President Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (since 1 December 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 August 1994 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon elected president; percent of vote - Ernesto ZEDILLO Ponce de Leon (PRI) 50.18%, Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano (PRD) 17.08%, Diego FERNANDEZ DE CEVALLOS (PAN) 26.69%, other 6.049%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats, expanded from 64 seats at the last election; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 21 August 1994 (next to be held 6 July 1997 for one-quarter of the seats); Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 August 1994 (next to be held 6 July 1997) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party in expanded Senate - PRI 93, PRD 25, PAN 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 300, PAN 119, PRD 71, PT 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), judges are appointed by the president with consent of the Senate

Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Humberto ROQUE Villanueva; National Action Party (PAN), Felipe CALDERON Hinojosa; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Indalecio SAYAGO Herrera; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Andres Manuel LOPEZ Obrador; Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael AGUILAR Talamantes; Democratic Forum Party (PFD), Pablo Emilio MADERO; Mexican Green Ecologist Party (PVEM), Jorge GONZALEZ Torres; Workers Party (PT), Alberto ANYA Gutierrez

Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM); Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN); Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO); National Peasant Confederation (CNC); Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT); Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC); Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM); Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX); National Chamber of Transformation Industries (CANACINTRA); Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations (COECE); Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services (FESEBES)

International organization participation: AG (observer), APEC, BCIE, BIS (pending member), Caricom (observer), CCC, CDB, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G- 6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECD, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jesus SILVA Herzog Flores chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Albuquerque, Austin, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Midland (Texas), Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, Santa Ana, Seattle