Transcript Mexico and Central America

Mexico and Central
America stretch for 2,500
miles, from the U.S. border
to South America
Mountains dominate most of
Mexico.
Sierra Madres run along both
coasts of Mexico.
Between the Sierra
Madres runs a plateau =
an area of high, flat land
Baja California is a
peninsula, which is a strip
of land that is surrounded
on three sides by water.
Baja California =
“Lower California”
and is part of
Mexico.
Most people live in Mexico’s
central plateau.
4/5 of Mexico’s population
live in the Central Plateau
Because of the surrounding mountains it is hard for
people to travel to and from the Central Plateau.
The Central Plateau is
unstable because four
tectonic plates meet there.
Because of moving tectonic plates,
active volcanoes are located on the
edge of the plateau.
Hospital
In 1985, a strong earthquake hit Mexico
City, killing about 10,000 people and
causing about $4.1 billion in damage
Sierra Madres block rainfall
coming from the ocean,
some areas in the central
plateau only receive 4 inches
of precipitation/year.
Climate draws people to
Mexico City.
Because the central
plateau is at a high
elevation, about 7,000
feet, the climate is
pleasant year-round.
Mid 70’s
Northern Pacific Coast –
Dry, hot, and thinly
populated.
- Despite its arid climate this
region has some of the best
farmland in Mexico
Southern Pacific Coast –
Smaller mountain range edges
the narrow southern Pacific coast
-Not much farm land, but tourism
is big in this region
-Tropical climate
Gulf Coastal Plain –
Very important to Mexico’s
economy – vast deposits of
petroleum and natural gases
- One of the world’s major oilproducing regions
Yucatan Peninsula –Generally
flat
-Tourism greatly contributes to
economic development in this area,
Ancient Mayan ruins attract many
visitors and archaeologists
Aztecs:
In 1400’s Aztecs built a
powerful empire around their
capital city, Tenochtitlan.
In 1519, Spanish
conquistador Hernan Cortes
and 600 Spaniards marched
into Tenochtitlan.
Within 2 years the Spanish took over Tenochtitlan and the
Aztecs, and re-named the city “New Spain”
Tensions were raised
between different social
classes . Lead to resentment
between the criollos and the
peninsulares.
In 1810, a criollo, Miguel Hidalgo
declared a rebellion against Spanish
rule. Resulting in a war of
independence.
In 1910, peasants and middle-class
Mexican rebelled causing the
Mexican Revolution.
In 1821, Mexico became an
independent nation, with military
dictators
The Mexican Revolution stood up to
the military dictator and ended in
1920 with a new democratic
president and constitution
Rural Life = Most people in
the countryside work in
agriculture, on haciendas.
Haciendas are large, Spanish
owned estates of land.
3-4 million rural Mexican
families have no land or
opportunity for work. These
people are called migrant
workers. Migrant workers =
landless, jobless peasants,
traveling from place to place
for work.
Urban Life = ¾ of Mexican
people live in urban areas.
Mexico City is one of the largest
urban areas in the world.
City life means better job
opportunities, chances for
education and excitement
NAFTA = North American Free Trade
Agreement. A free trade network
between the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico. With NAFTA Mexico’s trade
with the U.S. and Canada doubled,
and manufacturing increased and
unemployment declined in Mexico.
Major Industries = Petroleum and Tourism
Along the U.S. and Mexico border, more than 2,000
factories assemble products almost exclusively for the U.S.