Basic Overview

• Mexico has a free market economy.

• Its 2002 Purchasing Power was $924.4 billion.

• Mexico's increasingly important business partners are US and Canada. Its trading with these two countries has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994.

• 40% of Population is below poverty line

WorkForce

• 39.8 million people consititute Mexico's Labor Force

• Labor Force Employment Distribution

20% Agriculture

24% Industry

56% Services

• 3% plus of populatin is Unemployed

Land Use

Only 13.2% (65,000 sq km) of Mexico's land is arable (irrigated) land!
Of this only 1.1% sustain permanent crops such as:

• Corn
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Cotton,
• Coffee
• Fruit
• Tomatoes

Most of the land (85.7%) is used for other purposes like housing, cattle raising/grazing, and harvesting wood products.

Mexico's Natural Resources

• Petroleum

• Minerals: silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc

• Natural Gas

• Timber

Industries

A few of Mexico's Industries are in the food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel markets. But none top its two most successful markets, petroleum and tourism.