Transcript Mexico
Mexico Mexico: Basics • Capital: Mexico City • Language: Spanish • Religion: Catholic • Colonized: Spanish, 1510 • Independent: 1822 Mexico: Basics • Population: 120 Million (12th) • Size: 14th (2 million square miles) • Resources: • petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber • 1/3 revenue = oil • Biggest Customer = US Climate of Mexico • Tropical to Desert • Beaches • Tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanos • Natural freshwater scarce, made worse by pollution • Deforestation Economy • Highly dependent upon US • Gap between Rich and Poor • Rural, Urban areas • Shanty towns • Immigration – losing 1.5/1,000 each year (158th) • 2007 – 1 Million/year arrested attempting to cross US Border illegally. Government of Mexico • “United Mexican States” – 31 states • Federal Republic • Single-party state until 1997 • Recent governments have tackled corruption, past history of political oppression Crime in Mexico • Highest rate of kidnapping in the world • 35,000 drug-related deaths since 2006 • Cartel: an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition • $13B drug trafficking/year Native Issues • Mestizo: (AmerindianSpanish) 60% • Amerindian: 30% • White 9% Native Issues • Violent uprisings 1994/1997 in Chiapas, 145/45 dead • Recent governments have opened dialogues with Indian groups. Emigration •Immigrate IN •Emigrate OUT Why do people leave their home country?