Human Geography of Mexico

1. Human Geography of Mexico Ch. 7.2

2. Warm-up- Mexico City • How did Mexico City look in its earliest days? • What are some examples of Mexico City’s historic and modern characteristics? • What motivates people to move from the countryside to the city?

3. Answers to Warm-up • Lesson 2 Human Geography of Mexico • 1. Hundreds of years ago, the city was centered on an island in a huge lake. Then, the city was called Tenochtitlan and was the center of the Aztec world. The city was dominated by huge pyramid temples. • 2. Mexico City’s historic center contains old buildings and cobblestone streets. The city also includes a financial district, modern architecture, and skyscrapers covered in glass. • 3. The search for work and income is the main reason people move from the countryside to the city.

4. Regional distinctions from Maya, Aztec, and nomadic people developed Mexican cultures seen today.

5. Mayans ruins

6. Mayan Civilization

7. MAYAN ADVANCEMENTS • Skilled in math • Developed an accurate calendar • Used astronomy to predict solar eclipses

8. Eventually the Maya abandoned their cities . The reason is still a mystery • The descendants of the Maya live in villages of Mexico and Central America where they practice subsistence farming

9. THE AZTEC • Civilization arose in Central Mexico • Capital was Tenochtitlan • Today the site of Mexico City

10. Chinampas: Floating islands made from large rafts covered with mud from the lake bottom • Used to grow beans and maize

11. Trade • Aztec products that have become world favorites include: • Corn, Tomato • Cacao- chocolate-Xocoatl: food of the gods

14. Empires to Nations • European Conquests Spanish conquistadors defeated the Aztec (Cortez) and Incan (Pizarro) empires.

15. The Spanish used Catholic missions to spread Christian ideas and to expand communities in Mexico.

16. Spanish landowners took advantage of indigenous communities, paying them little to work on their estates, known as haciendas.

17. In 1821 Mexico won its freedom from Spain.

18. Era of Dictatorships • Latin America’s wars for independence led to the emergence of a new kind of leader–a caudillo, or dictator, who ruled with the backing of the military and wealthy landowners.

19. The current Mexican government is a federal republic with power divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial Enrique Peña Nieto is current president.

20. Over the past few decades, drug cartels have come to control different regions of Mexico, leading to internal warfare. Over the past few decades, drug cartels have come to control different regions of Mexico, leading to internal warfare.

21. Mexico has an industrialized, globalized economy.

22. Maquiladoras- factories built by US and Japan in Mexico b/c cheaper labor and less government laws.

23. History and Government

24. Rural-to-urban migration over time has greatly altered Mexico’s population distribution; today 78 percent of Mexican citizens live in urban areas.

26. Pollution Urban sprawl Center of government and culture

28. There is a big gap between the rich and the poor in Mexico.

29. History and Government

31. Mexican culture values family with many Mexican homes holding three to four generations. Machismo

32. Mexico's arts are influenced by both the indigenous cultures of their ancient history and the new Spanish cultures.

33. Murals are an important art form in Mexico with Diego Rivera being one of Mexico's most famous muralists.

34. Mexico has a higher standard of living than many Latin American countries, yet industry, transportation, and communication remain challenges.

35. Mexico, the United States, and Canada signed NAFTA in 1992, improving Mexico's economy, yet keeping it reliant on foreign countries.

36. The illegal drug trade remains an influential part of the Mexican economy.