Mexico. Geography. Overview:

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1 Mexico Geography Overview Location The Land History History Overview Modern History Government Federal Government Local Government Politics Courts Mexico Today People Industries Economy Geography This section discusses Geography with Subsections of Overview, Location, and the land. Enjoy your reading. Overview: Few other countries have so wide a variety of landscapes and climates within such short distances of one another. Towering mountains and high, rolling plateaus cover more than two-thirds of Mexico. The climate, land formation, and

2 plant life in these rugged highlands may vary greatly within a short distance. Mexico also has tropical forests, dry deserts, and fertile valleys. Location: Mexico is the northernmost country of Latin America. It lies just south of the United States. The Rio Grande forms about two-thirds of the boundary between Mexico and the United States. Among all the countries of the Western Hemisphere, only the United States and Brazil have more people than Mexico. Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico. It also is one of the world's largest metropolitan areas in population. The land Mexico has six main land regions: (1) the Pacific Northwest, (2) the Plateau of Mexico, (3) the Gulf Coastal Plain, (4) the Southern Uplands, (5) the Chiapas Highlands, and (6) the Yucatan Peninsula. Within these six land regions are many smaller ones that differ greatly in altitude, climate, and land formation. Many kinds of plants and animals also live in Mexico. The Pacific Northwest region of Mexico is generally dry. The Peninsula of Lower California, the region's westernmost section, consists largely of rolling or mountainous desert. During some years, the desert receives no rain at all. It has a few oases, where farmers in small settlements grow dates and grapes. The northwestern corner and southern end of the peninsula get enough rain for a little farming. The lowest point in Mexico is in the far northern area, near Mexicali. This area, 33 feet (10 meters) below sea level, is the southern end of the huge Imperial Valley of California. The most valuable land of Mexico's Pacific Northwest lies along the mainland coastal strip. There, in fertile river valleys, is some of Mexico's richest farmland. The valleys are irrigated with the waters of the Colorado, Fuerte, Yaqui, and other rivers. Steep, narrow mountain ranges extend in a north-south direction in the state of Sonora, east of the coastal plain. The ranges lie parallel to each other and separate the upper river valleys. In these basins are cattle ranches, irrigated farmland, and copper and silver mines.

3 The Plateau of Mexico is the largest of Mexico's land regions. It has most of the Mexican people and the largest cities. The plateau is the most varied land region, and consists of five sections. The Cordillera Neo-Volcanica (Neo-Volcanic Chain), a series of volcanoes, extends across Mexico at the plateau's southern edge. Many of the volcanoes are active. The volcanic soils are fertile and receive enough rain for agriculture. Corn, beans, and other crops have been grown on the slopes since the days of the ancient Indian civilizations. The highest point in Mexico is 18,410-foot (5,610-meter) Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltepetl). Southeast of Mexico City are the volcanoes Ixtacihuatl and Popocatepetl, both more than 17,000 feet (5,180 meters) high. To the west is Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake. It covers 417 square miles (1,080 square kilometers). See IXTACIHUATL; ORIZABA, PICO DE; POPOCATEPETL. History This section discusses History with Subsections of Overview, and Modern History. Enjoy your reading. History Overview To understand Mexico, it is necessary to view the nation's long early history. Hundreds of years ago, the Indians of Mexico built large cities, developed a calendar, invented a counting system, and used a form of writing. The last Indian empire in Mexico--that of the Aztec--fell to Spanish invaders in For the next 300 years, Mexico was a Spanish colony. The Spaniards took Mexico's riches, and the Indians remained poor and uneducated. But the Spaniards also introduced many changes in farming, government, industry, and religion. During the Spanish colonial period, a third group of people developed in Mexico. These people, who had both Indian and white ancestors, became known as mestizos. Today, the great majority of Mexicans are mestizos. Some of them think of the Spaniards as intruders and take great pride in their Indian ancestry. A number of government programs stress the Indian role in Mexican culture. In

4 1949, the government made an Indian the symbol of Mexican nationality. The Indian was Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec emperor. Cuauhtemoc's bravery under torture by the Spanish made him a Mexican hero. Modern History The Mexicans gained independence from Spain in A social revolution began in 1910, when the people of Mexico started a long struggle for social justice and economic progress. During this struggle, the government took over huge, privately owned farmlands and divided them among millions of landless farmers. The government established a national school system to promote education, and it has built many hospitals and housing projects. Since the 1940's, the government has especially encouraged the development of manufacturing and petroleum production. But all these changes have not kept up with Mexico's rapid population growth, and the country faces increasingly difficult economic and social problems. More than a third of the people still live in poverty, and the government keeps expanding its programs to help them. Government: This section discusses Government with Subsections of Federal, Local, Politics, and the Courts. Enjoy your reading. Federal Government: Mexico is a federal republic with an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch or court system. The executive branch, headed by a president, is the decision-making center of the government. It establishes government policies, proposes laws, and controls the distribution of federal tax revenues. Mexico has 31 states and 1 federal district. Each state has an elected governor and legislature. The president appoints the governor of the Federal District. All Mexicans who are at least 18 years old can vote.

5 National government. Mexico's president has tremendous influence over the government. All prominent political figures in the executive branch depend indirectly on the president for their jobs. The president introduces many pieces of legislation. Many presidents also have used constitutional amendments to support government policies. The president appoints a cabinet that directs government operations. Important cabinet members include the secretary of government and the secretary of planning and federal budget. The president is elected by the people to a six-year term and may serve only one term of office. If the president does not finish the term, the legislature chooses a temporary president to serve until a special or regular presidential election is held. Mexico's legislature is called the General Congress. It consists of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. The Senate has 64 members who are elected to six-year terms. The Chamber of Deputies has 500 members. Three hundred of the deputies are elected from the country's electoral districts. The remaining 200 seats are filled by deputies who do not represent a particular electoral district. Members of the Chamber of Deputies serve three-year terms. Members of the General Congress can serve more than one term, but they may not serve consecutive terms. Local government. State governors are elected by the people to six-year terms and state legislators to three-year terms. The president can remove governors from office with the approval of the Senate. Each of Mexico's states is divided into municipios (townships). Each municipio has a president and a council elected to three-year terms. Less than 10 percent of all tax revenues go directly to state and local agencies. State agencies depend on the national government, and local authorities on state agencies, for funds to carry out public works projects.

6 Politics: Mexico's dominant political party is the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party), also known as the PRI. The PRI considers itself to be the official promoter of the economic and social goals of the Mexican Revolution. The party was established in 1929 as the Partido Nacional Revolucionario (National Revolutionary Party). Until 1988, the PRI enjoyed nearly absolute domination of Mexican elections. But in 1988 elections, the PRI suffered a setback when opposition candidates won almost half the seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and nearly won the presidency. In 1991 elections, however, the PRI regained a large majority in the Chamber of Deputies. The strongest opposition parties are the Partido de Accion Nacional (National Action Party), and the Partido de la Revolucion Democratica (Democratic Revolutionary Party). Courts: The highest court in Mexico is the Supreme Court of Justice. It has 21 members and several alternates, all of whom are appointed by the president. The Supreme Court selects members of a circuit and district court system. The highest court in each state is a Superior Court of Justice. The courts rarely declare a law unconstitutional and generally support the president's policies. But Mexicans may use the courts to protect their individual rights through an amparo (protection) procedure. In amparo cases, the courts may decide that a law has resulted in unfair treatment and that an exception should be made, but the law in question is not changed. However, most Mexicans cannot afford to use the legal process. Mexico Today This section discusses Mexico with subsections on People, Armed Forces, Industry and

7 Economy. Enjoy your reading. People Population. Mexico's population is increasing rapidly, as a result of a traditionally high birth rate and a sharply reduced death rate. More than half of Mexico's population is under 25 years of age. Since the early 1950's, improved living conditions and expanded health services have greatly reduced the death rate in the country. The relatively young population and its high rate of growth have placed tremendous pressure on such services as education, health care, and social security. Armed forces: About 175,000 men and women serve in Mexico's army, navy, and air force. The army is the largest branch of the armed forces. It has about 130,000 members. Mexican men are required to serve part-time for a year in the army after reaching the age of 18. Industries: Manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and tourism are all important to Mexico's economy. Leading manufactured products include automobiles, cement, chemicals, clothing, processed foods, and steel. Crops are grown on only a bout an eighth of Mexico's land. The rest of the land is too dry, mountainous, or otherwise unsuitable for crops. However, Mexico is one of the world's leading producers of cacao beans, coffee, corn, oranges, and sugar cane. Mexico is rich in minerals. It is the leading producer of silver in the world. The country also has large deposits of copper, gold, lead, salt, and sulfur. Petroleum production has long been important in Mexico. During the 1970's, vast, newly discovered deposits of petroleum greatly increased the importance of the

8 country's petroleum industry. More than 6 million tourists visit Mexico each year. The money they spend contributes to the nation's economy. Economy: Until the mid-1900's, the Mexican economy was based on agriculture and mining. Since the 1940's, the government has promoted the development of industry, and Mexico now produces many of the manufactured products its people use. In the 1970's, Mexico became a major exporter of oil to the United States. Income from oil production, which is controlled by the government, spurred the development of manufacturing and service industries. During the mid- and late 1970's, the price of oil was high. Mexico used its expected income from oil production as collateral to borrow money for many construction projects. But in the early 1980's, the price of oil fell. Mexico found it difficult to repay its loans, and spending had to be severely cut. The economy declined, and many Mexicans lost their jobs. But economic reforms begun in the late 1980's helped the economy revive, and inflation fell sharply. In the 1990's, Mexico faced more economic difficulties as the peso's value declined.