1. Do Now-Label and Color the Following: 1.Mexico 2.Gulf of California 3.Gulf of Mexico 4.Guatemala 5.Belize 6.Honduras 7.El Salvador 8.Nicaragua 9.Costa Rica 10.Panama 11.Cuba 12. Bahamas 13. Jamaica 14. Haiti 15. Dominican Republic 16. Puerto Rico (color) 17. Brazil 18. French Guiana 19. Suriname 20. Guyana 21. Venezuela 22. Colombia 23. Ecuador 24. Peru 25. Bolivia 26. Paraguay 27. Chile 28. Argentina 29. Uruguay

2. Mexico

3. Landforms Mexico is three times the size of Texas Rugged central plateau (Mexican Plateau) Mountains border the plateau Valley of Mexico- southern border of Mexican Plateau – Mexico City is located here Southern Mexico- more complex; made up of small mountain ranges, narrow valleys and volcanoes Mexico narrows in the south to form an isthmus (narrow strip of land) Yucatan Peninsula is the flattest region

4. Climate and Natural Resources Climate varies by region Northwestern Mexico is dominated by a dry weather system which results in semiarid climates and scrub vegetation Southeastern Mexico has a tropical humid climate suitable for hurricanes Climates vary with elevation – Leads to a dry rain-shadow climate on the western side of the mountains Many people live in the mild climates of the mountain valleys

5. Mexico has many mineral resources – Silver was the country’s most valuable mineral product – Remains the worlds leading silver producer Today petroleum is Mexico’s most valuable natural resource – Oil fields lie along the Gulf of Mexico – Most is exported to the United States

6. History and Culture Early peoples belonged to many cultures and had its own languages The American Indian peoples created highly complex and accomplished civilizations – Included the Maya, Olmec, Toltec, and Zapotec – Had splendid avenues, plazas, and pyramids – The last of the civilizations was the Aztec who built an empire Built a huge, marvelous city called Tenochtitlan (was once one of the largest cities in the world)

7. Colonial Times 1519 Spanish conquistadores (explorers) landed on the eastern coast of Mexico Brought with them muskets and horses which were unknown in the Americas Also brought with them diseases like smallpox High death rate weakened the Aztec empire and the Spanish destroyed them Colonists built Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan

8. Gold and Silver drove the Spanish to keep colonizing the Americas The Spanish organized the lands into haciendas (large estates) who where owned by the wealthy and worked by peasants Roman Catholic missionaries tried to convert the American Indians to Christianity Today most Mexicans are Roman Catholic Early on, most colonists were men so the marriage with American Indian women was popular – Majority of Mexicans today are mestizos, people of mixed blood

9. After Independence 1810- Mexicans began to revolt against Spanish rule Finally won independence in 1821 Lost its northern territory from Texas to California following a war with the US in 1848 Few Mexicans became rich, most remained poor Economic inequality led to the Mexican Revolution: 1910-1920 Mexico would now be led by a president who ruled like a dictator – Many foreign-owned businesses were forced out of Mexico – One result of revolution was land reform- haciendas were broken up and distributed.. Not very successful

10. Modern Mexico Since 1990, Mexico has again opened its economy to foreign businesses Its becoming increasingly urban 1992- Mexico joined NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) which lowered trade barriers Tourism has become important to its economy Daily life can be very similar to that of the United States

11. Mexico’s regions 31 states broken into 4 regions Greater Mexico City- cultural, economic, and political center of Mexico ¼ of the population Tourism plays a role in economy – See the Aztec ruins On the down side, many people live in Mexico City without electricity, sewers, or a water supply Great wealth, however, exists as well Mexico City suffers terribly from air pollution, trapped bin the mountain valleys

12. Central Mexico Began as colonial mining or ranching centers Guadalajara is Mexico’s 2 nd largest city Fertile valleys cover this area Grow a number of cash crops- crops grown for sale in a market

13. Gulf Lowlands and Southern Mexico Lightly settled Climate called once for grazing or growing sugarcane Now used for commercial farming and ranching Deposits of oil and natural gas is the key to the region’s economy Includes the Yucatan Peninsula- poorest region Southern Mexico is the most traditional region

14. Northern Mexico Most prosperous part of the country Much of the infrastructure is new and modern Challenges for Mexico: Migration to the United States both illegal and legal Mexico is a main route for smuggling drugs into the US