MEXICO Part 1MEXICO Part 1

By: Josh KessnerBy: Josh Kessner

History 141History 141

Professor ArguelloProfessor Arguello

GeographyGeography Mexico is located under Mexico is located under

the United States and the United States and borders Guatemala and borders Guatemala and BelizeBelize

Located at the bottom of Located at the bottom of North America, Mexico North America, Mexico leads into Central leads into Central America at it’s most America at it’s most southern pointsouthern point

On the west side of On the west side of Mexico is the Pacific Mexico is the Pacific Ocean and on the right is Ocean and on the right is the gulf of Mexico and the gulf of Mexico and Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea

GeographyGeography Mexico covers almost Mexico covers almost

760,000 square miles, 760,000 square miles, making it the fifth largest making it the fifth largest country in the Americas.country in the Americas.

Mexico is also the Mexico is also the thirteenth largest thirteenth largest independent nation in the independent nation in the worldworld

The population is of over The population is of over 112 million making it the 112 million making it the eleventh most populous eleventh most populous countrycountry

GeographyGeography Mexico is comprised of thirty Mexico is comprised of thirty

one states and a Federal one states and a Federal DistrictDistrict

It is the most populous It is the most populous Spanish-speaking countrySpanish-speaking country

Mexico is crossed from north Mexico is crossed from north to south by two mountain to south by two mountain ranges called the Sierra Madre ranges called the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre OccidentalOccidental

They are an extension of the They are an extension of the Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains

Temperatures throughout Temperatures throughout Mexico remain warm and only Mexico remain warm and only have about a 9 degree change have about a 9 degree change between winter and summer in between winter and summer in most placesmost places

PeoplePeople The national Mexican The national Mexican

identity is a blend of identity is a blend of various indigenous various indigenous peoples with European peoples with European immigrantsimmigrants

Jose Vasconcelos and Jose Vasconcelos and Manuel Gamio helped Manuel Gamio helped start and create the start and create the national identity of national identity of Mexicans under the Mexicans under the concept of mestizajeconcept of mestizaje

Mestizaje is the Mestizaje is the combinationof European combinationof European culture with the culture with the indigenous culturesindigenous cultures

PeoplePeople The term mestizo that The term mestizo that

describes the national describes the national identity of the Mexicans identity of the Mexicans carries different meanings carries different meanings such as racial and such as racial and biological components, biological components, socio-cultural, and socio-cultural, and economic.economic.

Mexico has the largest Mexico has the largest amount of immigrants amount of immigrants that go into the United that go into the United StatesStates

Also Mexico is home to Also Mexico is home to the largest number of the largest number of U.S. CitizensU.S. Citizens

PeoplePeople The Mexican The Mexican

governmentlaunged the governmentlaunged the Mexican Genome Mexican Genome Diversity ProjectDiversity Project

The results returned that The results returned that the proportions of the the proportions of the European and European and indegenous ancestry are indegenous ancestry are eveneven

The statistics of the The statistics of the Mexican proportions are Mexican proportions are 59% European, 5% 59% European, 5% African, and 36% AsianAfrican, and 36% Asian

HistoryHistory The earliest findings of The earliest findings of

humanity in Mexico are humanity in Mexico are chips of stone tools that chips of stone tools that were found in the Valley of were found in the Valley of MexicoMexico

They are dated all the way They are dated all the way back to 21,000 BCEback to 21,000 BCE

Around 9000 years ago, Around 9000 years ago, corn was domesticated corn was domesticated and was the catalyst to and was the catalyst to the agricultural revolutionthe agricultural revolution

The indigenous people The indigenous people with their complex with their complex civilizations were triggered civilizations were triggered by the agricultural by the agricultural revolutionrevolution

HistoryHistory

Between 1800 and 300 BCE Between 1800 and 300 BCE the civilizations advanced to the civilizations advanced to pre-Columbian pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations.Mesoamerican civilizations.

This was before there was This was before there was any interaction with the any interaction with the EuropeansEuropeans

Some of these civilizations Some of these civilizations were the Olmec, Izapa, were the Olmec, Izapa, Teotihuacan, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Huastec, Aztec etc.Mixtec, Huastec, Aztec etc.

HistoryHistory These civilizations are These civilizations are

credited with very credited with very intelligent creations in the intelligent creations in the fields of architecture, fields of architecture, mathematics, astronomy, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and theologymedicine, and theology

The landing of Hernan The landing of Hernan Cortes led to the invasion Cortes led to the invasion and conquering by the and conquering by the Spaniards over the Aztec Spaniards over the Aztec civilization.civilization.

After the fall of After the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the Tenochtitlan in 1521, the territory became part of territory became part of the Spanish Empire and the Spanish Empire and Mexico City was rebuilt Mexico City was rebuilt by Cortesby Cortes

SourcesSources

Wikipedia (Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.comwww.wikipedia.com))University of Texas Library University of Texas Library

(www.lib.utexas.edu)(www.lib.utexas.edu)