Mexico - MC Grecof

Introduction

Flag:

Card:

Background:

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states.

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:

Map references:

North America

Area:

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

Coastline:

9,330 km

Climate:

varies from tropical to desert

Terrain:

high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

Elevation extremes:

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

Geography - note:

strategic location on southern border of US

People

Population:

101,879,171 (July 2001 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%, other 5%

Languages:

Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages

Government

Country name:

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

Government type:

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)

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band

Economy

Economy - overview:

Mexico has a free market economy with a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. The number of state-owned enterprises in Mexico has fallen from more than 1,000 in 1982 to fewer than 200 in 2000. The ZEDILLO administration privatized and expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas distribution, and airports. A strong export sector helped to cushion the economy's decline in 1995 and led the recovery in 1996-2000. Private consumption became the leading driver of growth in 2000, accompanied by increased employment and higher real wages. Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it strives to modernize its economy and raise living standards. Income distribution is very unequal, with the top 20% of income earners accounting for 55% of income. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since NAFTA was implemented in 1994. Mexico completed free trade agreements with the EU, Israel, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in 2000, and is pursuing additional trade agreements with countries in Latin America and Asia to lessen its dependence on the US.

Industries:

food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism

Agriculture - products:

corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Currency:

Mexican peso

Currency code:

MXN

Transportation

Railways:

total: 31,048 km
standard gauge: 30,958 km 1.435-m gauge (246 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 90 km 0.914-m gauge (1998 est.)

Coffee

International Organizations:

Cultivated Area:

744,500 hectares divided among 4,300 communities in 381 communes in 12 states.
Farms : About 120,500.
Area of Farms : From 1 to 5 hectares : 98,000.
From 6 to 10 hectares : 15,000.
From 11 to 20 hectares : 4,000.
From 21 to 50 hectares : 2,300.
Over 50 hectares : 700.

Number of Productive Trees:

Yield:

594 kg per hectare.
Producers with farms under 5 hectares (92 %) average yields of 10 quintals (57,5 kg) per hectare. While 0.4 % of producers have yields of 30 to 60 quintals.

Population Dependent Upon Coffee for Survival :

Importance of Coffee:

First agricultural commodity for export.
32.6 % of agricultural exports.
Second export product after petroleum.
30 % of total exports.
4.5 % of G. N. P.

Altitude:

From 400 to 1,700 meters.

Flowering:

Low altitudes : from the end of January.
High altitudes : until the end of May.

Harvest:

Low altitudes : August/November.
High altitudes : November/January.

First Shipment:

November.

Regions of Production:

Period of Exportation:

Preperation:

Wet method : 90 % - 1,200 processing plants.
Dry method : 10 % - 334 factories for making instant coffee for local consumption and exportation.

Drying:

In the sun as well as in dryers.

Sorting:

Machine-cleaning - Hand-picking - Electronic sorting.

Classification:

Maragogype.

Strictly High Grown (estrictamento altura) 1,700 meters.

High Grown (altura) 100/1,600 meters.

Prime Washed (prima lavado) 700/1,000 meters.

Good Washed (buena lavado)

Description:

Prime Washed
Color : green/blue.
Shape : long and wide.
Size : average.
Cup : good acidity, medium-bodied, soft.
U.S. Quality : Standard : pleasing "bouquet".
European preparation : heavier bean, polished better, stricter sorting (price difference of about 2 $150 kg).

Caffeine Content:

flat beans 1.17%.
Maragogype : 1.22 %.

Weight of Bags:

69 kg net.

Packing:

Sisal - Mexico is the country which uses the best packing materials in terms of strength and design.

Production:

4,577,000 bags - 60 kg base.

Local Consumption:

1,700,000 bags - 1.2 kg per capita.

Exportation:

Green coffee : 3.2 million bags, of which 88 % go to the U.S.A.
1991/1992 estimates: about 4 million bags.
Roasted coffee : 10,000 bags.
Instant coffee : 30,000 bags.

Organic Coffee:

It is possible to obtain coffee grown in biologically pure conditions, but there is a high premium.

Exporters:

400 privates firms of which a dozen are active.

Borders Posts:

Northwest:

Mexicali 0.8 % Exported by land
Tecate : 0.1 % to the U.S.A.,

Northeast:

Nuevo Laredo : 64.8 % roasted, instant.

Ports of Exportation:

Atlantic:
Veracruz: 15,5 %
Coatzacoalcos: 16,4 %
Tampico: 0,1 %

Pazific:
Salina Cruz: 0,4 %
Acapulco: 2,2 %
Manzanillo: 0,2 %

1. - Chiapas
Hektars: 228.254

2. - Oaxaca
Hektars: 173.765

3. - Veracruz
Hektars: 152.457

4. - Puebla
Hectares:62,649

5. - Guerrero
Hektars: 50.773

6. - Hidalgo
Hektars: 42.40

7. - San Luis Potosí
Hektars: 23.702

8. - Nayarit
Hektars: 18.731

9. - Jalisco
Hektars: 3.060

10. - Colima
Hektars: 2.776

11. - Tabasco
Hektars: 2.236

12. - Querétaro
Hektars: 355

EXPORTS
(Beutel 60-Kilo)

GREEN COFFEE

Prime Washed
High Ground
Desmanches (second quality)
Good Washed
Extra prime Washed
Natural
Washed
Maragogype
Robusta

2,741,461
875,624
81,177
70,788
53,521
20,502
6,807
4,781
3,034

INDUSTRY

Soluble
Toasted
Extract

217,115
14,577
2,072

OTHERS

DECAFFEINATED (Included all the Types and Qualities)
ORGANIC (Included all the Types and Qualities)

310,544
126,223