Chapter 7 Geography Test, 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.

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.

Population density in Mexico is greater near parts that:

have the most agriculture

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 Gulf Coastal Plain

is a wide stretch of land east of the Sierra Madre Oriental

Northern Mexico

is defined as a chaparral biome with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Mexico is a...

landbridge

Gulf of Mexico

large body of water that forms Mexico's east coast

Tierra Caliente

lowest altitude vertical climate

The variety of landforms in Mexico...

made it possible to support large communities of people

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.

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.

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.

The Lerma River feeds into

Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest natural lake

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.

Between the mountain ranges is the...

Mexican Plateau

Silver Belt is located on the

Mexican Plateau

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.

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.

Mexico is the world's leading producer of

Silver

Tierra Templada

Spanish term for "temperate land"; the middle altitude zone of Latin American highlands climates

Most of the food grown in Mexico comes from...

The Central Plateau

What is the Western side of Mexico apart of?

The Ring of Fire

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.

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

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.

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.

Southern Mexico

has a variety of biomes

terra fría

2nd most vertical climate zone

Farmers in the valleys of the ___________ depend on their climate to help them get enough water for their crops

Central Plateau

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Syncretism

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

vertical climate zone

a climate zone that occurs as elevation increases, with its own natural vegetation and crops

People who graze cattle on the Northern Plateau...

anxiously await rain each year

Southern Highlands:

are a series of mountain ranges and highlands that reach from South of Mexico City to Guatemala

Lakes and rivers in Mexico

are found in the central part of the country and are generally small

The northeast trade winds:

are responsible for the pattern of tropical storms

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.

Mexican Plateau is

broken into 2 parts

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.

Sierra Madre Occidental

considered the southern extension of the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US

What makes the Mexican Plateau a good place to live?

consistent temperatures

Mexico ranks 13th for

crude oil exports

The Gulf Of Mexico supports:

diverse sea life, including the mantatee

the Gulf of California...

divides the Baja Peninsula from the Northern Coast of Mexico

The Northern Plateau is...

dry and home to several large cities

Northern Mexico is characterized by a:

dry climate

Río Bravo del Norte

forms part of the border between Mexico and the US

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.

terra helada

most vertical climate zone

land bridge

narrow strip of land that joins two larger landmasses

The soil in Northern Mexico is

not good for crops because it is thin and rocky

Regional high-pressure systems in northern Mexico occasionally cause

occasional droughts

Lerma River

one of Mexico's most important rivers and begins in the Toluca Basin

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

Mexico is a leading...

petroleum producing country

3 Factors that influence Mexico's climate:

regional high pressure systems, northeast trade winds, and vertical climate zones

seismic

relating to or caused by an earthquake

1/10 of Mexico's power is created by

renewable sources

What helps to shape the landforms of Mexico?

seismic activity (plate tectonics)

The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are...

sheltered from ocean currents, making the waters warmer and the beaches calm

The Gulf of Mexico is famous for:

shrimp, it supplies the fishing industries in Mexico and the US

vertical climate zones create:

temperate/mild climates throughout the southern part of mexico

Centered in the Yucatán Peninsula in south Mexico

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

Mountains that stretch along the Northwestern edge of Mexico are called:

the Sierra Madre Occidental

The Gulf Coastal Plain mountains extend from...

the Texas-Mexico border along the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatán Peninsula

The Central Plateau is considered...

the breadbasket (major grain producing region of Mexico)

The Mexican Plateau is...

the largest and most densely populated region of 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.

3/4s of Mexico's electricity is generated by...

thermal power plants

feature

to have as a characteristic or as a prominent attribute

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.