1. Chapter 10
Mexico

2. Section 1 Objectives ●Describe the main landforms of Mexico.
●Identify Mexico’s climates, biomes, and natural resources.

3. What is the major landform in mexico?
Mexican Plateau

4. What mountain ranges surround the mexican plateau?
Sierra Madre Oriental East
Sierra Mardre Occidental West
Sierra Madre del Sur Southern Pacific Coast

5. Give 2 fats about Mexico city?
-Sits in Mexican Valley
-At an elevation of 7,500 ft above sea

6. Narrow strip of land connecting 2 larger land areas
Define isthmus.
Narrow strip of land connecting 2 larger land areas

7. What is special about the Yucatan Penninsula?
Flattest region in Mexico
Large areas of limestonecausing few rivers
Has many caves & sink holes
Steep sided depression that forms when the roof of a cave collapses .

8. What 3 things help to explain mexico’s climates?
Pacific Subttropical High Pressure Cell Arid & Semiarid climates & Scrub vegitation in the North and West.
Also limits rainfall, making Northern Mexico’s plains a grassland.

9. What 3 things help to explain mexico’s climates?
Elevation can effect rain fall and temperature, can allow for freezing temperatures to reach as far south as Mexico City.

10. What 3 things help to explain mexico’s climates?
Northeast Tradewinds causes rains from the south & southeast in the summer, creates a tropical humid climate in the Southeast.

11. Give 1 fact about each of the following:
Major Rivers
Mineral Resources
Petroleum
Drain areas in Central Mexico, to provide hydroelectric power & irragation.
Silver is most valuable mineral but does not produce gold, iron, lead & mercury.
Has lots of oil & exports mainly to U. S.

12. Section 2 Objectives
●Describe the cultures of Mexico before the Spanish arrived.
●Examine how Spanish control changed Mexico.
●Trace Mexico’s history since independence.

13. Give 3 facts about the early mexican people.
1. Started Milpa growing all crops in one plot, it is still used today.
2. Build civilization with large cities
3. The Aztecs at one time had the largest city in the world.

14. Give 3 facts about the early mexican people.

15. early mexican people and the influence of the Spanish.
How did the Spanish force and spread their culture to the native of Mexico?
Who were the natives in this area?
Was it accepted or rejected?
Has this been done in other parts of the world?

16. Define the following: Conquestadores Spanish conquerors
Ejidos lands that different Indians worked together
Haciendas large estates usually owned by wealthy families but worked by peasants or Indians
Plaza center for community market in front of the church
Mestizos people of mixed European & Indian ancestory

17. Outline the Independence of Mexico from
 revolt against Spanish & won independence
1848 Mexico lost northern territory from Texas to California after war with the United States
Mexican Revolution against dictator government masked as democracy.
Pancho Villa on horse back.

18. What were the results of the revolution?
Land Reform Haciendas were broken up & and given to peasant villages and turned into smaller farms called ejidos.
This plan did not work due to poor land & small plots
1992 Farmers got right to sell land. Most became commercial farmland or suburbs. This allowed people to move to cities away from the farm.

19. Describe some ways mexico has become more modern.
Becoming increasingly urbanized
Expanded economy by joining NAFTA
Has stable tourism industry (Acapulco, Cancun, Mazatlan)
Increasing urban problems
Government becoming more democratic

20. Section 3 Objectives
●Describe the economic and cultural regions of Mexico.
●Identify the challenges that face Mexico.

21. Fill in the blanks
Mexico is divided into ________ states & the ________ district. This is due to great _________. It is useful to divide the country into ____________ for study. 31
CAPITAL
SIZE
4 REGIONS

22. WHAT MAKES MEXICO CITY SO SPECIAL?
IS THE CULTURAL, ECONOMIC & POLITICAL CENTER OF MEXICO
HOLDS APPROXIMATELY ¼ OF THE COUNTRIES TOTAL POPULATION
GENERATES MUCH OF MEXICO’S GDP

23. What seperates central mexico into its own region?
Location Northwest of Mexico City
Mostly small villages from Spanish colonial times
Economy based on Agriculture and Cash Crops

24. What are some distinct characteristics of the Gulf lowlands and southern mexico?
Forest cut down for commerical farming
Large oil & natural gas deposits
Veracruz is an important sea port & communication center
Very poor region subsustence agriculture and hand crafts make up much of the cash income.
In adequate schooling & transportation

25. How is northern mexico similar to the U.s.?
Good infrastructure, roads, & telephones
Monterrey is an industrial city with others industrializing & growing rapidly
They also have maquiladoras. What is a maquiladora?

26. What are the challenges that geographers see for mexico?
Economic Inequality Most are poor, while few are rich

27. What are the challenges that geographers see for mexico?
High crime due to poverty leading to increased drug smuggling.

28. What are the challenges that geographers see for mexico?
Improving the countries poor infrastructure Water and Sewage system & Roads and Railways.