Mexico

•  Geographers place Mexico in North America but cultural geographers think it is part of Latin America.

•  The land bridge between North and South America is completed by Mexico.

Land

•  West of Mexico is the Pacific Ocean and the Ring of Fire.

•  The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea are both to the East but the Gulf and the Caribbean are separated by the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Mountains

•  Mountain ranges make Mexico a rugged land.

•  The Sierra Madre, or mother range, prevent many people from living there because they are so rocky.

•  Many parts of Mexico are dangerous due to volcanoes and earthquakes.

•  Mexico City is the capital city today just like it was once the Aztec Capital City of Tenochtitlan, a city of canals.

•  It is located above 6,500 feet in altitude, height above sea level.

•  In 1985 over 10,000 people were killed by an earthquake.

Economy

•  Farming and Ranching are important in Northern Mexico.

•  Cowhands raise herds of cattle they are called vaqueros.

•  Cities not far from U.S. border cities have built factories called maquiladoras that assemble parts made elsewhere.

Maquiladoras

•  Mexico City and Central Mexico have become more industrialized but has good farm and ranch production.

•  In Southern Mexico poor soil allows only subsistence farms where farmers grow only what they need.

•  Near the coasts however plantations, large farms that raise one crop, grow either bananas or sugarcane.

History

•  The Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayas are tribes of ancient people in Mexico.

Olmecs

•  Ancient people of central Mexico who first grew corn called maize.

The Mayas

•  Mayas were people who lived in the rain forests of eastern Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

•  Painted murals, pictures on walls.

•  Built pyramid temples like Kukulcan with 365 steps for the number of days in a year.

•  Great cities like Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Copan.

The Aztecs

•  The center of a violent warrior tribe was in the middle of Lake Texococo.

•  They built canals and floating islands called “chinampas” they traded gold, silver, and pottery and sacrificed enemies to their gods.

Tenochtitlan

Pok a tok game.

•  They called themselves the Mexica and the symbol of the current flag of Mexico honors their beginning.

Spanish Mexico

•  In 1519 a Spanish army led by Hernan Cortes, while searching for treasures of gold, marched into Tenochtitlan

•  By making treaties with enemies of the Aztecs the Spanish gained many warriors and supplies.

Cortez’s route

•  When Cortes rode his horse and wore his armor of steel, to meet with Aztecs they thought he and the horse were one creature or maybe Quetzalcoatl, their snake headed and most important god was about to punish them.

•  After defeating the Aztecs Spain made Mexico a colony, an overseas territory they were in control of.

•  Spanish settlers moved to Mexico and started large ranches called haciendas.

Chief Montezuma

•  Mythology says that Montezuma cursed the water so it would kill Cortez and the Spanish.

Religion

•  Spanish priests came to Mexico and brought with them the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, 90% of Mexico is still Catholic today.

Political changes-In 1821 Mexico rebelled and won its independence and in 1824 they set up a Republic-styled government.

•  In the 1900’s Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa tried to overthrow the rich families of power. They divided the land they seized among the poor.

Mexico Today

•  Most large cities in Mexico have public squares called plazas, near these plazas are built churches, government buildings, and offices.

•  Today Mexicans enjoy celebrations called fiestas with fireworks, piñatas, music, food, and dancing.

Holidays

•  Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo(May 5) are special national holidays.

•  Families gather to honor their dead on the Day of the Dead.

Cinco de Mayo

Soccer or football is one of Mexico’s favorite sports.

Bull Fighting

Challenges

•  Former Mexico’s President Vicente Fox faces difficult challenges not much different than American leaders face.

•  Population growth has rapidly increased and caused a need for more jobs.

•  Pollution, overcrowding, and health care are also factors that need to be addressed.

•  Debt to other countries and companies has made the peso, Mexican money, not worth very much.