MEXICOGeography

MEXICO-OUR SOUTHERN NEIGHBOR Mexico has a long and colorful history. Over 500 years ago, people from

Europe sailed to Mexico. Before that, Mexico had some of the

world’s greatest civilizations. Today, Mexico is highly industrialized. Mexico is an important resource of

workers, resources and food for the United States.

MEXICO-GEOGRAPHY STATISTICS Population: 99,734,000 Area: 754,120 miles Length of Coastline:

5,794 miles Length of Roads:

155,250 miles Longest River: Rio

Grande (1,900 miles) Highest Mountain: Pico

de Orizaba (18,700 ft.)

Major Cities: Mexico City (capital), Guadalajara, Monterrey

Major Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant Christian

Major languages: Spanish, native languages

Official Currency: Peso Workforce: 36.6 million

WHERE IS MEXICO LOCATED? Mexico is just south of the United States. It is shaped like a triangle. Mexico is the widest in the north where it

borders the United States. That border is 1,429 miles long. In the south Mexico is bordered by the

Central American countries of Belize and Guatemala.

The Pacific Ocean borders Mexico on the west and the Gulf of Mexico borders it on the east.

PHYSICAL REGIONS OF MEXICO CENTRAL PLATEAU-The largest region in

Mexico. COASTAL PLAINS REGION- form a rim

around the central region of plateau and mountains.

DESERT REGION-This is in the northwestern part of Mexico.

YUCATAN PENISULA REGION-This region is in the southeastern part of Mexico.

CENTRAL PLATEAU REGION A plateau is an area of level highland The plateau is divided into two parts. The northern half is dry and farmers must

use irrigation in order to raise crops. The southern half of the plateau is higher

than the northern half. This area gets more rain so more crops

are grown, especially corn. The southern half is Mexico’s heartland.

CENTRAL PLATEAU REGION Most of Mexico’s people live in the southern part

of this region. In this southern part is the Valley of Mexico. This valley is 50 miles long and 40 miles wide. Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is located in

this large valley. Mexico City is the 3rd largest city in the World. It is bigger than any city in the United States. There are over 20 million people in Mexico City.

Mexico City

CENTRAL PLATEAU REGION This area of Mexico has many active

volcanoes. Some of these volcanoes are active

enough to produce lava. The Central Plateau also has many

earthquakes. Earthquakes happen when the Earth’s

plates shift. Four important tectonic plates come

together in Mexico.

Mexico City Earthquake of

1985Popocatepetl-A

very active volcano

COASTAL PLAINS REGION This area is divided up into two coastal regions. The eastern coastal plain runs along the Gulf of

Mexico, from the Texas border to the Yucatan Peninsula.

This plain is warm and the southern half is a jungle.

The western coastal plain along the Pacific is more narrow and dry than the gulf coastal plain.

Farmers use irrigation to grow cotton, wheat, and other crops.

Hurricanes – A common

occurrence in the coastal

plain.

Hurricane damage in

Mexico

DESERT REGION The largest desert in this region is

called the Sonoran Desert. Another desert lies in the most western

part of Mexico. This desert is called Baja California. Baja California is a peninsula, which

means that it is a strip of land surrounded by water on three sides.

Few people live in this region.

Sonoran Desert

Baja California

YUCATAN PENINSULA REGION This area is near the coast and somewhat

flat. Limestone rock formed most of the

peninsula. This soft rock dissolves in water. Because of this there are huge underground

caves. These are some of the biggest caves in the

world. This area is not good for farming, so there is

a small population that lives here.

Yucatan Peninsula

Cave Diving in the

Yucatan Peninsula

MOUNTAINS IN MEXICO This is Mexico’s main physical feature. High mountain ranges rise on the east, west,

and south of the Central Plateau. The Sierra Madre Oriental (The Eastern

Sierras) is the southern part of the Rocky Mountains that are in the United States.

The Sierra Madre Occidental (The Western Sierras) continues in California as the Sierra Nevada range.

Deciduous forests cover the northern part of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

MOUNTAINS IN MEXICO The Madre del Sur (The Southern Sierras)

extend to the isthmus of Tehuantepec. An isthmus is narrow strip of land

connecting two larger land areas. A narrow plain separates these mountains

from the Pacific Ocean. Tropical rain forests cover the Southern

Sierras. This type of thick forest grows in warm

areas where a great deal of rain falls.

MEXICO’S TALLEST MOUNTAINS Mexico’s tallest mountain is Pico de

Orizaba, which is an old volcano. It is 18,700 feet high. The people of Mexico City can see two

snow-covered mountains from their homes.

One is Popocatepetl, which means “Smoking Mountain”.

The other is Ixtacihuatl, which means “White Mountain”.

Pico de Orizaba Mexico’s Highest

Mountain

IxtacihuatlA very high mountain in

Mexico.

Topographic Map of Mexico

COAST RESORTS IN MEXICO Mexico has a long coastline with some of

the world’s most beautiful beaches. The government of Mexico has developed

some beaches into resorts. Cancun is a popular resort on the Yucatán

Peninsula in the east on the Gulf of Mexico. Acupulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan are

other resorts in the west on the Pacific Ocean.

Cancun

MazatlanPuerto Vallarta

Acupulco

MAJOR BODIES OF WATER IN MEXICO No major rivers cross Mexico. Most rivers are short and drop quickly from

the high mountains to the coast, or they drain into large lakes.

The largest lakes in Mexico are Lake Chaplan in the state of Jalisco and Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacan.

The Rio Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) is the largest river in Mexico and forms part of the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

Lake Chapala

Lake Patzcuar

o

CLIMATE IN MEXICO Much of Mexico has a steppe climate. This is a dry climate that is usually found near

deserts. Mexican deserts have a little more rain than

other deserts in the world. They are still very dry because of the high

mountains that surround them. The steppe can get very hot and cold with

temperatures as high as 90◦ F. and as cold as 32◦

CLIMATE IN MEXICO Some of Mexico’s coastal areas have a

tropical savanna climate. They are hot all year around. These areas receive a lot of rain, but

have a drier season during the winter. The savanna is a place where there is

lots of tall grass with a few trees.

MOUNTAINS AND CLIMATE Without mountains, Mexico would be hot most

of the time. Temperature usually gets hotter the closer a

place is to the equator. However, altitude affects climate as well. Altitude is the height a place is above sea level. A high altitude brings cooler temperatures. Rainfall also usually increases at a high

altitude. Because mountains cover Mexico, its climate

can be both hot and cold.

Climate Map of Mexico

MEXICO’S ALTITUDINAL ZONES Three names are given to the three different

zones of altitude that exist in Mexico Tierra Caliente-these are the hot areas at

lower altitudes. Tierra templada-between 3,000 to 6,000

feet above sea level. There areas are not to hot or cold. This is where most of Mexico’s people live.

Tierra fria-altitudes over 8,000 feet where it is colder and frost may form.

THE CULTURE OF MEXICO Before Europeans came to Mexico, many

native groups lived there. They lived in villages and farmed the land. Others developed large empires. An empire is a nation that rules a large

area of land. The Mayans built an empire in the Yucatan

and Guatemala. The Aztecs and Toltecs formed empires in

the Valley of Mexico.

THE CULTURE OF MEXICO At one time, millions of native people lived in

Mexico. Europeans brought diseases, such as measles

and smallpox. These killed many native people. As many as 90 percent of them died by the

end of the 1500’s. Descendants of these native people make up

10% of the population. These people have kept much of their culture

because they live in rural, isolated areas.

AztecEmpire

MayanRuins

MESTIZOS In 1519, a Spaniard named Hernando

Cortes sailed to Mexico. He met the Aztecs, who were the

native people of the area. He also met some smaller native

groups who did not like the Aztecs. These smaller groups helped Cortes

defeat the Aztecs.

MESTIZOS More and more Spaniards arrived in Mexico. Some of them married native women. These people of mixed European and native

ancestry are called mestizos. About 75% of the Mexican people are

mestizos. Their culture is a blend between the two

cultures they came from, but they tend to be more European than native.

Some are wealthy, while others are poor.

OTHER CULTURES IN MEXICO About 15% of the Mexican people are

neither native people nor mestizos. This 15% is made up of immigrants. Most of them come from countries in

Central America. Some came to escape political troubles, or

to find better jobs. People from Japan, Canada, Spain, and the

United States. Most of them are sent there by the

companies they work for.

LANGUAGES IN MEXICO Because Spain ruled Mexico for many years,

Spanish is its official language. The government, businesses, and schools use

Spanish. Many native people speak their native languages. There are as many as 50 native languages spoken

in Mexico. Over a million native people only speak their

native languages. Words like tortilla and tamale come from the

language of the Aztecs, not from Spanish.

RELIGION IN MEXICO The Spanish also brought their religion to

Mexico. More than 90% of the people in Mexico

are Roman Catholic. Some of the poor have gone away from

the Catholic church and joined Protestant churches.

Many people in rural areas belong to these protestant religions.

Catholic Cathedral- Mexico

City

LDS Temple-Mexico

City

POPULATION TRENDS IN MEXICO In the last 100 years Mexico’s population

has exploded. In 1900, Mexico had 13 million people,

today the population is close to 100 million. Nearly 1/3 of the population is under the

age of 15. This growth has caused problems like high

unemployment. The government struggles to provide basic

services for its people.

WHERE DO MOST MEXICANS LIVE? Most Mexicans used to live in small farming

villages. Today, over two-thirds of Mexico’s people live

in urban areas. This is a trend throughout the world. One out of every five Mexicans live in Mexico

City. Between 22 and 23 million people live in

Mexico City and its surrounding areas. This gigantic city was built on the top of the

Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.

MEXICO CITY This is a city of many differences. It has beautiful tree-lines streets and tall

buildings. It also has some of the worst slums in

the world. Slums are poor, overcrowded areas. Mexico City has many busy, noisy city

markets There are many horrible traffic jams that

are much worse than U.S. Cities

The Many

Parts of Mexico

City

OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN MEXICO Guadalajara is Mexico’s second largest city.

It is also located on the Central Plateau. It is an important and growing industrial center.

Monterrey is the largest city in Northern Mexico. It produces much of Mexico’s steel and iron.

Tampico and Vera Cruz are Mexico’s biggest ports. Both sit on the Gulf of Mexico. Vera Cruz is a major rail center.

Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, is also an important port.

Major Cities in Mexico

Guadalajara

Guadalajara

Vera Cruz

Monterrey

OIL IN MEXICO The most important natural resource

Mexico has is oil. Most of the oil that has been discovered is

along the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the oil and natural gas fields are

located offshore. Offshore means that they are in water not

land. Mexico’s economy depends a lot on oil. A lot of gas and oil is exported to the U.S.A.

Offshore Oil Rig

Examples of Offshore Drilling

at DifferentWater Depths

OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES Mexico has many mineral resources. Minerals are materials that are valuable,

solid, and found in the earth. Workers in Mexico mine uranium, mercury,

iron ore, coal, zinc, copper, lead, and silver. Mexico is the worlds leading producer of

silver. The biggest mining regions are in the Central

Plateau and the Sierra Madre Occidental. Mexico also has large forest resources.

LAND REFORM IN MEXICO Only about 12 percent of Mexico’s land can be

used for farming. About 25% of Mexico’s people are farmers. At one time rich landowners controlled almost

all the land. In 1910, there was a revolution. A revolution is the overthrowing of a

government. Because of this revolution, land reform

occurred that took land from the wealthy and gave it to the poor.

MANUFACTURING IN MEXICO The largest manufacturing industry in

Mexico is producing metal products. Other important manufacturing products

are cars, textiles, chemicals, food products, electrical goods, glass, and paper.

There are many foreign-owned assembly plants near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Companies from the U.S. produce goods in Mexico and then sell the finished goods in the United States.

SERVICE INDUSTRIES IN MEXICO A Service industry is a job or business that

provides a service directly to a customer. The biggest service industries are

tourism, banking, and insurance. Tourism is the biggest service industry

because tourists come to Mexico for the sunshine, beautiful beaches, and scenery.

They also visit the remains of Mexico’s ancient ruins.

NAFTA Mexico, the United States, and Canada

signed the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994.

These means that these three countries got rid of trade barriers.

A barrier divides one thing from another.

Trade barriers divide countries because they limit imports or put special taxes on them.

NAFTA Products from all three NAFTA countries

cross international borders easily. Mexico does more than two-thirds of its

trade with the U.S. Mexico hopes that the U.S. will trade

more with them. They also hope U.S. companies will

continue to invest money in Mexico. This would lead to more jobs for people

in Mexico.

U.S. President Bill Clinton

signing NAFTA in 1994.

A negative view of NAFTA

POVERTY IN MEXICO There is a great gap between the rich

and poor in Mexico. At least 40 percent of Mexico’s

population today lives in poverty. Rural areas experience a lot of poverty. Millions of peasants, Mexico’s small

farmers and farm workers remain poor. The poorest people in Mexico are its

native people.

OTHER PROBLEMS IN MEXICO In 1994, a group called the Zapatistas

raised and army and tried to overthrow the government.

They were upset over NAFTA and the government’s treatment of the poor.

A lot of poor people have turned to the drug trade to make money.

The sale and distribution of illegal drugs has not been stopped by the U.S. and Mexican governments. It is not easy to do this.

Drug money seized by the

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

The beginnings of a new border wall being built

between the U.S. and Mexico.

FOREIGN DEBT This is the money a country owes to other

governments. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Mexico

borrowed huge sums of money to pay for industrial development.

Mexico owes a large amount of money. Because of this the government cut back

on imports, medical care, education, and care for the elderly.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN MEXICO Air pollution is a serious problem in Mexico

City. It may cause up to 100,000 deaths a year. Millions of tons of untreated waste flow into

rivers each year. Mexico City produces 11,000 tons of garbage

everyday, but only 75 percent of it is actually collected.

Deforestation and soil erosion are also problems.

The Smog of Mexico City

Lack of Garbage

Collection in Mexico City is a

big problem