Chapter 14 Section 1 Mexico Moving to the City

Farm work done by Mexican campesinos is usually done by hand. This includes plowing the land and harvesting the crops.

A Plaza is a public square located in the center of town, village or city of Mexico.

Life in small Mexican villages is different than in large cities since people are more likely to know one another in a small village.

Mexico City is Mexico’s largest city.

The poorest people in Mexico City usually live on the outskirts of the city.

Many Mexicans leave the countryside for the city, hoping to find work opportunities.

Many people stopped working on farms in Mexico, because there was not enough farm work to do

Mexico’s economy is based largely on industry.

People in Mexico City face the problem of Pollution…

People in Mexico City also face the problem of traffic…

People in Mexico City also face the problem of inadequate housing …

Lastly, along with pollution, traffic and inadequate housing, people in Mexico City face the problem of work shortage.

Recently Mexico’s economic outlook changed for the better. This was due to the signing of the North America Free Trade Agreement.

A migrant worker is a worker or laborer who travels from one area to another area, to pick crops while they are in season.

A Plaza is a public square located in the center of town, village or city of Mexico.

A squatter is someone who settles on another person’s land without permission.

And now let’s visit a Cave in Mexico

But Be Careful! Don’t slip!

The cave is called Cueva de los Cristales, which means Cave of Crystals. It contains some of the world’s largest known crystals. They measure as long as 36 feet. Cueva de los Cristales is relatively small and has a very rare, but stable environment. Inside the cave, it is about 136 degrees Fahrenheit and is full of natural mineral-rich water, which helped the crystals form. They were found recently while mining at the Naica Mountains in Mexico.

It is called the “the Sistine Chapel of crystals.” It is said that “Superman could call it home.”

This is the Cave of Crystals’ antechamber, and the brothers who found it gave it a nickname. They called it “Queen’s Eye, because it resembled an eye.”

The crystals are found in a cave, about 950 feet below the ground. The mines which contain gold, zinc, lead, and copper are one half mile below the ground.

The Naica Mountains are said to have formed 26 million years ago from volcanic activity. The mountains were filled with lava, which formed into sedimentary rock full of high mineral content, known as anhydrite gypsum.

As temperatures cooled, it began to dissolve, dripping the minerals (sulfate and calcium) in the water. This dripping of minerals lasted millions of years.

These “mega-crystals” need a great amount of humidity and over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, to keep their form. A door was built to separate the Cave from the rest of the mines.

This is the Cave of Swords and is closer to the surface, at about 400 feet below the ground. The cave’s dagger-like crystals are about a yard in length. Their smaller sizes are due to the quicker cooling of temperatures than the higher temperatures in the caves with the larger crystals below.

Since the mining company pumps out an average of 13,200 gallons of water every minute, the land by the Naica Mountains can be used for farming. This is new to the Chihuahuan Desert.