1. Mexico
Chapter 10

2. Geography of Mexico The Sierra Madre Occidental(western Sierra Madre)
Mexico’s largest mtn. range
The Sierra Madre Oriental
Runs parallel to the east coast

3. Geography of Mexico The Plateau of Mexico Mexico’s largest region
Lies between two mtn. ranges
4/5 of Mexico’s population
Large cities, rich farmland, plenty of rain, Mexico City
Volcanoes & earthquakes southern edge of central plateau

4. Geography of Mexico Coastal Regions Northern Pacific Coast
Dry, hot, thinly populated
Tijuana, one of Mexico’s fastest growing cities
irrigation-the artificial watering of farmland by storing and distributing water drawn from reservoirs and dams
Baja California
Mountainous desert

5. Geography of Mexico Coastal Regions cont…
Sierra Madre Del Sur (Pacific Coast)
Tropical climate, but little farmland
Tourism-Acapulco, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta
Gulf of Mexico (Gulf Coastal Plain)
Petroleum and natural gas
Yucatan Peninsula
Flat land
Bedrock, limestone, rain, underground caverns (sinkholes are created when the caverns collapse)
Tourism, Caribbean coastline-Cancun, ancient Mayan ruins

6. A Place of Three Cultures
Mexico has its roots in three different cultures: Indian, Spanish, and modern Mexico
Indian
Aztec capital Tenochitilan (modern Mexico City)
Cortes with 600 soldiers marched on Tenochitilan 1519
Cortes made allies w/ Aztec enemies
Conquistadors destroyed Aztec empire w/in two years
Colony of New Spain

7. A Place of Three Cultures
Spanish
Four social classes (in Spanish colony of Mexico)
Peninsulares-born in Spain, held high office positions
Criollos-Spanish ancestry born in the Americas
Mestizos-people of mixed ancestry (Indian and Spanish)
Indians-natives to the Americas
Provided labor for the haciendas
Criollos (priest Miguel Hidalgo) felt resentment toward peninsulares sparked war for Mexican independence (1821)
Late 1800’s modern develop of Mexico began (rich got richer and the poor got poorer)

8. A Place of Three Cultures
Modern Mexico
1910 Mexican Rev. peasants & middle class rebelled
Mexico is a federal republic (president and congress)
Preservation of Native American, mestizo and Spanish heritages (freedom of language and religion)
Minority holds all of the wealth
Rural life-most people work on agricultural land consisting of haciendas, collective farms and large commercial farms.
¾ of Mexico’s population live in urban area
NAFTA doubled trade for Mexico
Petroleum extraction & tourism, most important to economy
Tourism activity important because of climate and history
Tourism “smokeless industry”