Mexico Textbook Reading (Part 1)

Aztec heritage

Although mestizos now densely populate the region, there are groups that can trace their ancestry to the Aztec.

Outsourcing in Mexico

American and Japanese firms have built manufacturing plants in Mexico. They have sought lower production and labor costs by outsourcing.

US Concerns with Job Loss

As Mexicans lose their jobs many U.S. workers are concerned about the loss of their jobs to workers in Mexico.

Bicycles Help Reduce Polution

Encouraging the use of bicycles contributes to the reduction of air pollution in Mexico City by reducing the number of cars on the roads.

Examples of Environmental Changes

For example, semi-arid regions are seeing longer droughts and more desertification, or the development of desert like conditions. Forested areas throughout Mexico are experiencing new patterns in rainfall.

Destruction of Forests

Forest destruction and the loss of biodiversity,is occurring at an alarming rate. As Mexico's economy grows, so does the demand for timber resources, which are an important part of Mexico's export economy.

Art in Mexico

has been greatly influenced by its indigenous cultures and Spanish heritage. Since the 1930's, Mexican culture has been seeking a unified image through the promotion of traditional folk culture. Art forms that were once region-specific or limited to a particular cultural group are now universally recognized as Mexican.

Drug Cartels In Mexico

have come to control different regions of Mexico. New cartels have been forming or breaking away from older and larger cartels.

Maquiladoras

in Mexico, a manufacturing plant owned by a foreign company

Natural Resources In Mexico

include petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, and timber.

Mexico City Population

is a megacity that has absorbed surrounding towns and smaller cities into the urban sprawl of the dominant city. It has received millions of migrants as well. The poor seek work in urban areas, migrating to regional capitals or to Mexico City.

The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)

is a program designed to use market and financial incentives to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

The Border 2020 Program

is an environmental program that emphasizes regional and local approaches for decision making, priority setting, and project implementation.

Murals

were also popular in the European tradition, and the Spanish encouraged this art form. They continue to be an important art form in Mexico.

1929 Chaos in the Government

In 1929 one political party, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional, was elected and established a corrupt monopoly on the political system of Mexico. The PRI went on to control the political establishment for nearly 70 years.

Trade Ties in North America

In 1992 Mexico, the United States, and Canada signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Opposition to the Chaos, but Not For Long

In 2000 was the opposition party, Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), able to win the presidency. In 2012, however, the PRI was reelected.

The Mexican Airplane Industry

In the 1990's the Mexican government began to privatize the airline industry. Today, there are domestic and international airports across the country, making air travel common for upper- and middle-class Mexicans and tourists.

From Conquest to 1930

In the central arch detail of his fresco, Rivera used images of peasants and workers to show foreign influence and Mexico's struggle for independence.

Mexico Free From Spain

In the late 1700's, throughout Mexico and the rest of Latin America, people started to protest European rule. In 1821 Mexico became the first Spanish territory to win its independence.

Natural Resources Good and Bad

Industrial access to these resources enriches the economy and creates jobs and new investment opportunities. Obtaining and using these resources often results in significant problems that threaten Mexico's environmental health.

The Illegal Drug Trade

Is both an influential and dangerous part of the Mexican economy. Drug cartels often reinvest the money they make into their communities through private loans to small businesses and in the form of bribes to police and politicians. This makes them a powerful social and economic force.

What does the Border 2020 Program Address

It also addresses the environmental and public health problems in the U.S.-Mexico border region. The program empowers citizens by encouraging meaningful relationships and participation among settlements, communities, and local business owners.

Problems of Mexico City

It also has serious overcrowding, the most impoverished neighborhoods, and high levels of air pollution and water pollution.

The southern half of Mexico was geographically more diverse.

It could support large-scale agriculture and produce the variety and abundance of foods necessary to maintain empires and cities.

Increasing Spain's Economy

Landowners began growing cash crops such as cacao (chocolate) and maize (corn) in large quantities, which they exported to Spain.

Mexico Land Usage

Large tracts of land in Mexico were given to the Spanish settlers of Mexico. Mexico remained a part of the Spanish Empire for nearly three centuries. It was governed by Spain under a highly structured political system ruled by officials called viceroys who were appointed by the Spanish monarch.

Muévete en Bici

Launched in 2007 by Mexico City mayor Marcelo Ebrard, the program closes major thruways to auto traffic on Sundays and gives the right of way to tens of thousands of cyclists in a 14-mile loop.

Locatio of Outsourced Plants

Many of these plants, known as maquiladoras, are located close to the U.S.-Mexico border in free trade zones. Such areas offer the host country employment opportunities and investment income.

Growing Drugs for Survival

Many rural mountain communities have relied for generations on the poppy and marijuana fields, controlled by cartels, that support their families. The government has not been able to discourage the growing of these crops because no legal crop can match their cash value for these isolated farmers.

Mexico City Culture and Public

Mexico City is important because it is the primate city. It is more than just the political capital and largest city. It is also the cultural and economic center of Mexico. Mexico City has the best schools, hospitals, and housing in the country.

Mexico City Transportation

Mexico City remains the major hub for all rail travel.

In 2000

Mexico developed the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Mexican Globalization

Mexico has globalized its economy and invested in high-tech industries. Industries in Mexico face competition from countries in other regions, especially Asia and Central America.

Mexican Concerns of NAFTA

Mexico is more dependent on the economy of the United States than the US is on the Mexican economy. Mexico has protested the harmful effects of subsidized agricultural exports from the United States that may be forcing Mexican small landholders off their farms and into service-based or industrial jobs.

Results of the Mexican Revoltution

Mexico overthrew the caudillos in 1917, and brought reforms and established the current Mexican government as a federal republic.

Transportation in Mexico

Mexico's diverse landscape has always presented a challenge to building a national transportation system. Buses and trucks also carry passengers and freight in Mexico via the highway systems, including trucks that carry manufactured goods to the United States.

Mexico's GDP

Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP) is the twelfth highest globally. The per capita GDP, or average income, is above $15,000 per year.

Sustainable Development In Mexico

Sustainable development projects that utilize natural resources responsibly are the only solution to the demands of a growing population.

One group of people that still live in their traditional homelands in north Mexico are

The Tarahumara people in the Sierra Madre Occidental are one example of an indigenous group who still live in northern Mexico.

Causes of Deforestation

The corporate logging industry is one source of the problem, but not the only cause of deforestation. The growing population demands more food resources. In response, ranchers and farmers are clearing the forests and creating new areas for growing food and grazing cattle.

Desertification in Northern Mexico

The demand for water resources in the northern part of the country is so high that desertification is a growing problem. Climate changes in recent years have seen an increase in drought throughout northern Mexico. Both ranchers and farmers have suffered from the water shortages.

Government Efforts to Stop Air Pollution

The government has been making emission regulations a priority to try to reduce the level of pollution in the air.

Ecobici program

The mayor followed the Sunday rides with the city's in 2010. This gives subscribers unlimited access to bicycles at stations for $25 a year. In 2012 the program had 4,000 bicycles at 275 stations for 73,000 bicyclists.

Diego Rivera

The most famous Mexican muralist became known for his elaborate and often culturally and politically themed wall paintings and frescoes (paintings done in wet plaster). His art is displayed in museums and government and civic buildings in Mexico City and in the United States

Natural Underground Reserves In Mexico

The natural underground reserves of water have been pumped dry. Once water is removed, the clay soil compacts in the empty space and the water cannot be replaced.

Goals of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The plan has four major objectives: to conserve and protect the biodiversity components, to value the different components of biodiversity, to promote knowledge of biodiversity, and to encourage sustainable and diversified use of biodiversity components.

Greatest Victims of the Water Crisis

The poor are the greatest victims of the urban water crisis. Municipal water supplies often do not reach their settlements on the outskirts of the city.

Unfair Pay For Jobs

Workers on large landowners' estates, known as haciendas, harvested cash crops but were paid very little for their labor. It was very difficult for poor workers to earn enough to become independent of their landlord. After independence from Spain, these workers sought independence from the landowners.

The Forests In Mexico

About one-third of Mexico is covered in large forests ranging from deciduous and coniferous forests to tropical rain forests.

Educating Of New Citizens

As a result of government investment in health and education, a better educated and more literate population has begun to demand more from their government and from society. These citizens want better living conditions and have also shown a concern for protecting the environment, including renewable and nonrenewable resources.

Pollution Problems With Growing Urban Areas

As portions of the economy grow, access to consumer goods and the number of consumers increase. As a result, waste accumulation is a growing challenge. Without infrastructure to support proper waste disposal, pollution is an enormous problem in urban areas.

Concerns to be able to Provide for the People

Both rural and urban areas struggle to provide basic resources like clean water, electricity, and garbage removal. Human needs are putting heavy demands on land, water, and timber resources. Pollution of water, air, and land is a growing concern for Mexico.

Cause of Air pollution In Mexico City

Cars are a major contributing factor to air pollution problems. Mexico City is located in a valley. Carbon emissions from cars are often trapped in the valley.

Citizens Try to Help Water Crisis

Citizen groups have been working to improve the water supply through advocacy and education, and by encouraging the government to privatize water management.

Critics of Outsourced Plants

Critics of maquiladoras charge that the system often ignores labor laws, thus encouraging low-paying or dangerous jobs and damaging the environment.

Caudillos in the New Government

During this time a new type of leader emerged, the caudillo, or military dictator. For brief periods in the 1800's, the government moved toward democratic principles. However, the caudillos found ways to return to power

Destructing Ecosystems Cause Change

Mexico's many ecosystems are experiencing the effects of global climate change and environmental destruction. Many changes in the environment are a result of increasing migration to urban centers. This puts pressure on the surrounding environment. As cities grow, the surrounding land is cleared and developed.

The Upper Class and the Control the Economy

Mexico's many natural resources are controlled by the rich and by the government. They control the land that provides access to resources and enterprise holdings.

Poverty in Mexico

More than 50 percent of Mexico's population lives below the poverty line, many in substandard conditions in large urban centers.

Border Crossing US to Mexico

More than one million people cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day in both directions. Goods are imported and exported between the countries, and tourists travel in both directions. Cross-border shopping in the border towns is a major part of the lives of many citizens in both Mexico and the United States.

NAFTA and it's Accomplishments

NAFTA is a comprehensive agreement that eliminated most trade restrictions. As a result, trade among the three countries grew by 10 to 15 percent annually. Mexico's economy has been transformed by these increases in trade and the flow of investment.

Limited Sources for Life

Only 12.7 percent of Mexico's land is arable, or suitable for farming. Producing enough agricultural products is difficult in Mexico. With only a few major rivers and lakes, water resources are precious.

Informing the Public

Reducing public ignorance of the consequences of environmental mismanagement should reduce the loss of Mexican forest resources.

Communication in the Mexican Economy

The use of cell phones has increased rapidly since the mid-1990s. The infrastructure and availability of high-speed Internet exists, although not in all areas. People in Mexico City, in some areas along the border with Texas, and in business centers like Monterrey and Guadalajara have the most access.

No availability To Communication

The vast majority of Mexicans, however, are left out of the digital age. According to the Mexican Internet Association, about 82 million people—70 percent of Mexicans—had no access to a computer or the Internet in 2012.

Sinkholes in Mexico

These empty water reservoirs in and around Mexico City have been collapsing. Creating sinkholes and re-levels the surface. Buildings in Mexico City are tilting because the land underneath them has been emptied of water.

Cartel Disputes

These new cartels compete with old cartels for power and control of drug-producing territories. The result is internal warfare in Mexico. The cartels have increasingly incited street gun battles, massacres in the mountains, and other acts of violence and terror.

Result of Air Pollution In Mexico City

This creates a toxic haze over the city. As a result, the sky around Mexico City is often a dull gray or brown. Until these regulations take effect, citizens will continue to suffer from health problems related to air pollution, such as an increased risk of asthma and chronic lung infections.

Factors important in deciding the best location for a manufacturing or production facility.

Wages, transportation costs, government supports, and political considerations.

Risks of Redd+

Yet some groups worry that for indigenous peoples and other forest communities, REDD+ poses significant risks. That is because it enables companies to buy carbon credits rather than reduce pollution at home. This could lead to indigenous lands being taken in exchange for permits that allow industries to continue to pollute.

Syncretism

a blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith

Free Trade Zones

an area of a country in which trade restrictions do not apply

The Aztec Empire

arose in central Mexico. They ruled from their capital, Tenochtitlán, the site of present-day Mexico City. They conquered other people in the area when the Spanish arrived in 1519.

Early Spanish Arrival

brought changes to Mexico. It resulted in war and disease outbreaks. The Spanish also established the Catholic Church in Mexico. A unique melding of traditional indigenous beliefs and the newly introduced Catholic culture occurred in a process called syncretism.

New Mexican Government

brought reforms and established the current Mexican government as a federal republic.

The Mayans

built huge stone cities, which were abandoned a few hundred years before the arrival of the first Spanish explorers. The Maya ruled a vast territory and engaged in long-distance trade with other Mayan cultures, including Teotihuacán and the Zapotec. Their descendants still live in and around the areas of their former empire. Many of these people maintain their culture, speak their ancestral languages, and practice the same cultural traditions.

Hernan Cortes

conquest of the Aztec by the Spanish conquistador and his men, the Spanish took the wealth of Mexico's gold and silver resources. They also found value in the variety of food available to the local people, quickly taking corn, tomatoes, chocolate, and other native crops on the return trips to Spain.

Destruction Increases Urbanization

environmental degradation itself is increasing urbanization. The destruction of rural resources forces migration to urban areas. People move to the cities to seek employment away from the hardship of living in regions destroyed by poor environmental management.

Mexico Economy

has a higher standard of living than many countries in Latin America. However, this does not account for the huge gap between the rich and the poor. One reason for Mexico's economic prosperity is its high level of economic diversity.

Mexican Family Life

many upper-class families are moving into more nuclear living arrangements, with only two generations in one house. The majority of Mexican homes still hold three or four generations. The extended family, acts as a social support network with older generations raising younger ones. This is especially common in rural areas and in poorer communities.

Population Distribution in Mexico

more than 78 percent of Mexican citizens live in urban areas.

The northern half of Mexico, on the inland plateau and in the mountains

originally had a small population of mostly independent groups of nomadic people. Agriculture was used to supplement hunting, herding, and gathering of food. Some of these seminomadic groups still live in their traditional homelands, separated from most outside influences.

Mestizos

people of mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage

Sustainable development

technological and economic growth that does not deplete the human and natural resources of a given area.

Centered in the Yucatán Peninsula in south Mexico

the Maya civilization was one of the earliest and largest civilizations in Mexico.

Corrupt Government in Mexico

the political system was ruled by a small group of wealthy landowners, army officers, and Catholic clergy who remained in power. Power struggles, public dissatisfaction, and civic revolts made the new republic fragile and chaotic.

Land subsidence

the sinking or settling of land to a lower level in response to various natural and human-caused factors

Spanish Settlement

using Catholic missions as religious outposts to help spread Christian ideas.They centralized power around presidios, or military outposts, to protect Spanish towns and missions. Communities expanded near the missions, and Spanish estate farming and ranching were introduced.

Women Stride to be Equal

women in Mexico have traditionally been limited to culture-specific roles in society. Their first obligation is to the family. Women have made huge strides toward equality in the last few decades. More women are entering the workforce and are involved in traditionally male professions, as well as in the political arena.