Mexico

How large is Mexico?

• Second largest country by size and population in Latin America.

What country is the largest?• Brazil – largest country in South America by both land

size and population.

Can Mexico trade well?

NAFTA – North America Free Trade Agreement

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!!!Mexico has good trade because of the water around it and its

location right next to the United States!

YES!!!!!

Is this all Mexico?

Mountains - Ex. – Sierra Madre MountainsPlateau – Ex. – Mexican Plateau Beaches – Ex. - Cancun

YES!

Climate

• Climate varies according to location!

• Climate in Mexico is cold high up in the Sierra Madre Mountains and hot on the sandy beaches.

Where do most people live?• The Central Plateau of Mexico which is home

to Mexico City, the country’s capital!

Why do so many people live on the Central Plateau of Mexico?

1. The land is arable (farmable)

2. The region has many manufacturing centers

3. The land has the largest city – Mexico City Over 75% of Mexican’s live in urban areas (cities)

Economy

• Oil, oil, oil!!!! Oil is

one of Mexico’s most

important natural

resources.

• Silver!!!! Mexico is one of the world’s largest producers of silver!

• Tourism – most of Mexico’s tourists are Americans!

Pollution?

• Mexico City is known as one of the world’s most polluted cities.

• Children are likely to have breathing problems

Why?• People – emissions from cars and factories• Geography – the city is built in a bowl shaped

crater of an old volcano. The exhaust from cars and factories gets trapped.

Pollution – Mexico City• Geography plays an important role in Mexico

City’s pollution problem.

What kind of government does Mexico have?

• Federal !!!!!!!!!!!• This is when the power is shared between the

central government and the state governments.

• Presidential Democracy – the citizens of Mexico vote to elect the president and the legislature.

• Unitary? • Federal? • Confederation?

Mexico also has a……..

Culture• Because Mexico was once owned by Spain,

most people speak…………….

• Spanish!• Most practiced religion………………

• Roman Catholic• Many people in Mexico are mestizos (ancestors were both European and Native American).

HOLA

MexicoWorld Geography and You

1. Read pages 47-51

2. Define the vocabulary from pages 47-51. Add this to the next page blank page in your IN