Transcript Mexico

Latin America:
Mexico
Mexico’s Climate & Features
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Sierra Madre Moutains
☼ Occidental – West Coast
☼ Oriental - East Coast
Much of Mexico is a Plateau
Desert in Northern Mexico
Volcanoes created much fertile farmland in
Central Mexico
Tropical Climate in Southern Mexico
El Niño currents affect weather throughout
North America
History of Mexico
Teotihuacan: 200BC – 550AD
Major trade/religious center
dominated central Mexico
About 250,000 citizens at its peak
The Maya: 1800BC – 900AD
Over 60 city-states in Southern
Mexico & Central America
Advanced in science, math,
astronomy, & architecture
The Aztec: 1325AD – 1521AD
Empire dominated the Valley of Mexico.
Spanish Colony: 1521 – 1810
Mexico’s Population
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Largest, most populated, and
economically most developed of the
Middle American nations
Population - more than 100 million
Most populated Spanish speaking
country in the world.
Land & Wealth controlled by a small
percentage of the population
MAQUILADORAS
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Initiated in the 1960s as coupon houses
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Assembly plants that pioneered the migration of industries
in the 1970s
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Today: 4,000 maquiladoras & 1.2 million employees
Modern industrial plants
Assemble imported, duty-free components/raw materials
Export the finished products
Mostly foreign-owned (U.S., Japan)
80% of goods reexported to U.S.
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MAQUILADORAS
Tijuana
Nogales
Ciudad
Juarez
Chihuahua
Monterrey
Reynosa
Matamoros
MAQUILADORAS
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ADVANTAGES
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Mexico gains jobs.
Foreign owners benefit from cheaper labor costs.
EFFECTS
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Regional development
Development of an international growth corridor
between Monterrey and Dallas - Fort Worth
U.S. TRADE WITH
CANADA & MEXICO
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Canada remains as the United States’ largest
export market.
Since 1977, Mexico has moved into second
place (displacing Japan).
85% of all Mexican exports now go to the
United States.
75% of Mexico’s imports originate in the
United States.
North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) includes U.S.A., Canada, & Mexico