Opening Activity

1. Opening Activity • What would you think Mexico’s climate is like?

2. Mexico Natural Environments

3. Regions of Mexico • East Coast: coastal plain east of the Sierra Madre Oriental; much rainfall near the mountains in the southeast; occasional hurricanes; oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico.

5. Regions of Mexico • Central Mexico: Mexican Plateau; valley of Mexico; tectonic activity; Mexico’s only large rivers; dry rain shadow; cool highlands climate.

7. Regions of Mexico • West Coast: coastal plain west of the Sierra Madre Occidental; arid and semiarid climates; desert shrub and vegetation.

9. Regions of Mexico • Southern Mexico: small mountain ranges; narrow valleys; volcanoes; pleasant subtropical climates in coastal valleys.

11. Isthmus of Tehuantepec • Isthmus:a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas. • The Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico lie about 150 miles apart across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

13. Yucatan Peninsula • The Yucatan is Mexico’s flattest region. • Erosion has created many caves and sinkholes in this region. • Sinkhole:steep-sided depression that forms when the roof of a cave collapses.

15. Natural Resources • Mexico is the world’s leading producer of silver. • Other minerals include gold, iron, lead, and mercury. • Oil is Mexico’s most valuable natural resource. • Most of Mexico’s oil is exported to the United States.

16. Opening Activity • Who is the current President of Mexico?

17. Mexico History and Culture

18. Early Mexico • There were several early civilizations that made their home in Mexico and Central America. • Among these tribes were the Maya, Olmec, Toltec and Aztec.

19. Early Mexico • The Mayans were very skilled in mathematics, creating a calendar that was just over 365 days.

20. Mayan Calendar

21. End of the World? • The Maya date civilization back to August 13, 3114 b.c. This is the beginning of the Mayan calendar. The date is also the beginning of the 5th Great Cycle. The Mayans believed that there are 5 Great Cycles of the Earth and that the beginning of civilization was the beginning of the 5th one. 2012 is the year the the 5th Great Cycle is supposed to end. This is where the belief that the End of Days is December 21-23, 2012 comes from. All 5 Great Cycles are supposed to end in destruction.There are several important events happening in 2012- particularly on the end of days. The Earth, the Sun, and the black hole at the center of the Milky way Galaxy will align, this happens once every 26,000 years, also the Earth will complete one wobble around it's axis, another event that happens about once every 26 thousand year.

22. Early Mexico • The Aztecs built their major city of Tenochtitlan on a large island.

23. Tenochtitlan

24. Early Mexico • The Aztecs worshipped many gods. • Their leader was an emperor. (Montezuma)

25. Montezuma

26. European Exploration • In the late 1400s, European explorers were looking for a quicker route to Asia, but they found America instead. • Spain and Portugal began competing for new American lands.

27. European Exploration • Line of Demarcation: drawn by the Pope to avoid conflicts, everything to the east went to Portugal, everything to the west went to Spain.

28. Spain • Conquistadors: Spanish conquerors. They took over the Aztec empire. • Spain began mining gold and silver from these lands, and established cities on current Native American settlements.

29. Spain • Hacienda:large estates usually owned by wealthy families but worked by many peasants, usually Indians.

30. Spain • The Spanish brought slaves in only once the Native Americans began dying off from the harsh conditions.

31. Spain • Viceroys: Spanish governors who ruled the lands and enforced Spanish laws.

32. Spain • There are a very distinct class system in place in the Spanish colonies, with Europeans at the top, and Africans and Natives at the bottom.

33. Spain • Because most of the early Spanish settlers were men, they often married Indian women. • Mestizo:people of mixed Indian and European ancestry.

34. Independence • Revolutions in France and the United States encouraged Mexico to seek their freedom as well.

35. Independence • Mexico became the first Spanish speaking country to gain its independence in 1821.

36. 20th Century Mexico • While a few people became rich, most in Mexico remained very poor. • This economic inequality led to the Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1920.

37. 20th Century Mexico • The new government took the form of a democracy. However, the President was more of a dictator. • Dictator:leader who rules with absolute authority.

38. Opening Activity • What is the biggest problem facing Mexico today? Be sure to defend your answer.

39. Mexico Mexico Today

40. Mexico’s Regions • Mexico is divided into 31 states and the capital district. • For our purposes, we will divide Mexico into 4 regions for study.

41. Greater Mexico City • This is the cultural, economic, and political center of Mexico. • This area contains 25% of Mexico’s population.

42. Greater Mexico City • Because there are so many people, jobs are scarce. • Many people live in shacks of wood and sheetmetal. • Many live without electricity, sewers, or safe drinking water.

43. Greater Mexico City • There is also great wealth in Mexico City. • There are world class restaurants and tourist attractions that bring people in from all over the world.

44. Greater Mexico City • The city’s biggest problem is air pollution. • The city is in a large valley ringed by mountains that trap the pollution over the city.

45. Mexico City

46. Central Mexico • Stretches north of Mexico City along the Mexican Plateau. • Many of these cities began as mining or ranching towns. • Guadalajara is Mexico’s 2nd largest city.

47. Central Mexico • This area is Mexico’s agricultural region. • Many of these farms grow cash crops. • Cash Crop:crops grown for sale in a market.

48. Gulf Lowlands and Southern Mexico • This area is important for commercial farming and ranching. • There are also rich deposits of oil and natural gas.

49. Gulf Lowlands and Southern Mexico • This is also Mexico’s poorest region. • Many people of Mayan decent still live here and their culture has changed little over the years.

50. Northern Mexico • This is the most prosperous region of Mexico. • Northern Mexico’s economy relies on industry, cattle ranching, mining, and tourism.