mexico
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Mexico. Location: Bridging Two Continents . Mexico forms part of a land bridge that connects North and South America Land bridge = a narrow strip of land that joins two larger landmasses The widest part of Mexico borders the United States - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mexico
Location: Bridging Two Continents Mexico forms part of a
land bridge that connects North and South America Land bridge = a narrow
strip of land that joins two larger landmasses
The widest part of Mexico borders the United States
The narrowest point is at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Location: Bridging Two Continents The Pacific Ocean borders
Mexico on the west On the west coast is Baja
California – it is a long peninsula
The Gulf of Mexico and a portion of the Caribbean Sea border Mexico on the East
Jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico another peninsula – the Yucatan Peninsula
Place: The Land Characteristics Mexico has a very
rugged landscape. It sits where some plates
of the earth’s crust have collided, and are continuing to collide.
This causes volcanoes and earthquakes A famous volcano is
Popocatepetl The Aztecs, a group of
Native Latin Americans, called Mexico, the “land of the shaking earth”.
Place: Mountains/Plateaus Three major mountain ranges
tower over Mexico – the Sierra Madre Occidentals (runs north-south), Sierra Madre Oriental (runs on the eastern side) and the Sierra Madre del Sur (southwestern Mexico)
The Sierra Madres surround the large, flat center of the country, also known as the Plateau of Mexico – it covers 40% of the country!
Place: Coastal Lowlands Mexico’s coastal plains
stretch along the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico
Many of the rivers flow through these plains
The Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico and forms about 1,300 miles of Mexico’s border with the United States
Region: Climate
Mexico has different climates – latitude affects the temperatures
Mexico’s mountains also affect its temperatures
The tierra caliente is hot and humid all year and average 77 – 82 degrees Fahrenheit. It includes dense rain forests or tall grasses Bananas, rice, sugarcane and oranges
grow here
Region: Climate
As you climb the mountains, the temperatures become cooler – the trees are larger and have more leaves. This is also known as the tierra templada (temperate land)
When you reach the top of the mountains, it becomes very cold. This is also known as the tierra fria
Region: Economic Regions Manufacturing and mining are
vital to the Mexican economy. Almost 1/5th of the world’s silver
is mined in Mexico. Service industries also
strengthen the country’s economy Service industry – provides services
to people instead of making goods Services in Mexico include banking
and tourism
Region: Economic Regions Mexico is rich in minerals,
but the soil isn’t very fertile Mountains, deserts and
rain forests limit the land that can be farmed to only 11% of the total area
Farmers can plant coffee, corn, cotton, oranges and sugarcane on the land that can be farmed
Region: Economic Regions Central Mexico
The economic heart of the country
Home to ½ the population and allows for agriculture to flourish
Mexico City and Guadalajara are located here
About 24 million people live in Mexico City and its suburbs – it is also the capital
Region: Economic Regions
Northern Mexico Includes Baja California and
the northern part of the Plateau of Mexico
Much of the land is too dry to farm, but irrigation helps cotton, fruits, cereals and vegetables to grow
In hilly areas, ranchers raise cattle, sheep, goats and pigs
The idea of the “cowboy” originated in Mexico
Region: Economic Regions
The North (continued) The largest city in the region is
Monterrey, which leads the country in steel production
They mine copper, silver, lead and zinc
Others are employed in maquiladoras (factories) that assemble parts shipped to other countries including automobiles, stereo systems, computers and other electronic products
Region: Economic Regions The South
Stretches from Mexico City to the Yucatan Peninsula People have lived here since at least 2000 BC Traditionally, these are the poorest people in Mexico They rely on subsistence farming – small plots
where they only grow enough food to feed their families
Wealthy farmers grow coffee or sugarcane on plantations
Tourism is also very important in the south
HEI: Economic Challenges Mexico has started to industrialize in
the last 50 years This means that it has become less
dependent on farming and more dependent on factories and work in the cities
Issues have begun to arise with industrialization: conserving land, controlling pollution, creating new jobs and increasing trade with other nations
HEI: Economic Challenges
Pollution Mountains surrounding Mexico City
block the flow of air This causes many factories and
cars to pollute the air and leave a thick haze of smog to settle over the city▪ Smog = fog mixed with smoke and
chemicals Many schoolchildren wear masks at
recess to filter out the pollution and, at times, the pollution keeps people indoors
Farmers in the countryside burn wild vegetation to clear land
HEI: Economic Challenges Population Changes
Mexico’s population is growing twice as fast as the population of the United States
Health care and diet have improved – allowing Mexicans to live longer
However, with the increase, there are not enough jobs for all the people that want to work.
Heavy populations strain resources Many move to the United States to work –
some legally, others illegally
HEI: Free Trade In 1993, Mexico, the United
States and Canada approved the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
The agreement allowed goods and money to move freely among the countries
Many hope that this will continue to increase trade and help Mexico’s economy grow
Place: Influences of the Past There are
generally three different periods when considering Mexican history The Native
Americans The Spanish rule Modern Mexico
Place: Native Americans
The first people to live in Mexico came from Asia.
They traveled through North America from Asia and entered Mexico thousands of years ago.
Place: Native Americas
The Maya flourished in the Yucatan area between 250 and 900 A.D.
They built cities around towering stone temples in thick rain forests They honored Maya
gods and rulers
Place: Native Americans Around 1200 the Mexica, or
the Aztec, built a city named Tenochtitlan in central Mexico Current location of Mexico City The Aztec were fierce warriors
as well as builders and traders.
Merchants in Tenochtitlan set up marketplaces, which were filled with pottery, woven baskets, cloth, gold and silver
Place: The Spanish Heritage In 1519, a Spanish
army led by Hérnan Cortes arrived on Mexican soil and in 1521, conquered the Aztec
Mexico remained a Spanish colony for about 300 years
Place: The Spanish Heritage During that time, many Spaniards
controlled the lives of Native Americans, forcing them to work on farms and in mines Because of this, the cultures mixed A mesitzo refers to a person of mixed
Native American and European heritage Approximately 60% of Mexico’s people
are mesitzos
Place: The Spanish Heritage The Spanish also
brought Roman Catholicism to Mexico.
Most Mexicans today, about 90%, are Roman Catholic
Festivals honor the country’s patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalope
Place: Modern Mexico Mexico gained its freedom
from Spain in 1821 During much of the 1800s, a
few wealthy families, the army and church leaders controlled the government
In 1910, after years of discontent, a revolution broke out
The revolution lasted until the 1920s and influenced the country’s government
Place: Modern Mexico Like the United States,
Mexico is a federal republic
A national government with 31 state governments share powers
Until recently, one political party ruled Mexico
However, because of continued discontent, the people demanded reforms (changes).
Now, other political parties are beginning to win elections
Place: City Life Almost 75% of the Mexican
population live in the cities The cities are both modern
and old Areas of beautifully preserved
homes are found in many Mexican cities Most of these homes are made
out of adobe – or, sun-dried clay brick
They are often built around courtyards with fountains and pots of blooming plants
Place: Country Life Most Mexican villages are
poor Some village homes are built
out of cement blocks with a flat, red tiled roof
Others are made out of sheet metal, straw or clay
Most villages have a central plaza, a few shops and the local government building
Almost every village has a marketplace
Place: The Arts Mexican art explores and
represents the pride of the people in their achievements and their heritage
Influences come from their history
Painters – Mexicans are known for their murals. Famous artists include Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera
Place: The Arts Music and Dance –
Mexicans listen to all kinds of music
Traditional music is played by a mariachi band They consist of a singer,
two violinists, two guitarists, two horn players and a bass player
Place: Celebrations Throughout the year,
Mexicans enjoy special celebrations called fiestas
Fiestas include parades, fireworks, music and dancing
Both Independence Day (September 15-16) and Cinco de Mayo are patriotic days
Place: Foods
Traditional Mexican food combines Spanish and Native American cooking.
Corn has always been the most important food in Mexico
Mexicans make tortilla and use those tortillas to make things such as tacos
Place: Sports
The national sport of Mexico is soccer
Most soccer games are played in Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium
Baseball is also popular Bullfighting is a popular
spectator sport with tourists – but the population has mixed feelings about it.