Transcript Mexico and Central America

Mexico and Central America
Mexico
• Official Name: United Mexican States
• Federal Government-31 states plus
Mexico City
• Capital: Mexico City
• Population: 112 Million
• Language: Spanish with some Native
Language
Mexican People
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Mestizo (Mixed European/Indian) 60%
American Indian 30%
Caucasian 9%; Other 1%
Largest number of Spanish speakers of
any country (about 97% of population
speaks Spanish)
• Independent from Spain since 1821
Government
• President: Felipe Calderon
• Elected to 1 six year term; cannot be reelected
• Legislature: National Congress (Senate &
Chamber of Deputies)
• Meets only 1 month per year. Deputies
cannot serve consecutive terms.
• Judicial: Supreme Court of Justice
Mexico Geographic
Mountain Ranges
• Major Ranges: Sierra Madre Occidental
(Western); Sierra Madre Oriental (Eastern)
• Minor Range: Sierra Madre del Sur
(Southern)
• In between mountains: Mexican Plain
(high desert)
• Only about 13% of Mexico’s land is arable
(suitable for farming)
Major Cities
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Mexico City: Capital. Pop. 21 million
Guadalajara: 3.8 million
Ecatepec: 1.6 million
Tijuana: 1.5 million (border crossing-San
Diego)
• Puebla: 1.5 million
• Monterrey: 1.3 million
• Juarez: 1.3 million (border crossing-El Paso)
Economy
• GDP: $1.56 Trillion (12th largest in the
world)
• Natural Resources: Oil/Gas; Precious
Metals
• Tourism: Mexico City, Cancun, Acapulco,
Cabo san Lucas
• NAFTA: Free trade with US and Canada;
low tariffs btw these 3 countries
Central America
Central America
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7 Countries:
Guatemala
Belize
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Capital Cities
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Guatemala, Guatemala
Belmopan, Belize
San Salvador, El Salvador
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Managua, Nicaragua
San Jose, Costa Rica
Panama, Panama
Geography
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Is an isthmus
Varies every few miles
Central-mountains
Caribbean coast-lowlands. Hot and wet
year round. Rain forests. “Mosquito
Coast”
• Pacific Coast-plain. Wet and dry seasons.
Savannah-grasslands.
• Volcanically active
Physical Features
• Mts. Dominate middle of area creating two
climate zones
• Lower zone good for farming
• Caribbean lowlands have massive rainfall
& dense rainforest
• Pacific coast better climate, weather, and
soil good for planting
People
• Spanish-majority language everywhere but
Belize (English)
• Mix of Indian, European, Mestizo, and
Africans.
• Much of the population is poor.
• Farm economy-tropical fruits (banana,
coffee plantations)
• Poverty causes political unrest;
dictatorships are not uncommon.
People
• Indians – lived longest in Central America;
largest # live in Guatemala
• Europeans – arrived in 1500s when
Spaniards conquered; largest settlement
today is in Costa Rica (90% are European
– mostly Spaniards)
• Mestizo – mixed European and Indian
background; largest populations in El
Salvador and Nicaragua
• African – along Caribbean coast; came to
work banana plantations and Panama C
People
• 2/3 of Central Americans are poor, with
little political power
• Poor include – millions of farmers with little
to no land, and laborers
• Middle Class – include farmers who own
small, non-commercial land and some are
employees of urban industries.
– Middle class is steadily growing, but remains
small
Political Unrest
• Causes:
1. Shortage of available farmland to meet
needs of growing population
2. Unequal distribution of usable land
3. Governments only serving the needs of the
wealthy
• Opponents of those governments are guerrillas –
armed forces outside the regular army, who often
fight in small bands