Chapter 7 - Mexico
Physical Geography of Mexico
A. Mexico and Central America join the continents of North America and South America
1. Land Bridge: a strip of land that connects two larger landmasses enabling migration of
plants and animals to new areas
2. The Ring of Fire is the area where the Pacific tectonic plate collides with other tectonic
plates, creating areas of seismic activity
3. Seismic: relating to or caused by an earthquake
4. Mesa Central is the ‘breadbasket’ (grain producing) region; heavily populated
5. Northern Mexico has a dry climate; few rivers
B. Vertical Climate Zones: climate zones that occur as elevation increases, each with its own
natural vegetation and crops
1. Gulf of Mexico supplies the fishing industry in both the United States and Mexico
2. Three factors influence Mexico’s climates are regional high-pressure systems, northeast
trade winds, and vertical climate zones
3. Lower altitudes along the coasts, the climate is hot and humid; rainforest biome
4. Mexico is the world’s leading producer of silver
5. Mexico is a leading petroleum-producing country
Human Geography of Mexico
A. Mexico’s human geography reflects influences from the Maya, Aztec, and Spanish cultures
1. Centered in the Yucatán Peninsula, the Maya civilization was one of the earliest and
largest civilizations in Mexico
2. The Aztec Empire arose in central Mexico
a. Capital city - Tenochtitlán is the site of present-day Mexico City
3. 1519 – Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec; claimed Mexico for Spain
a. Mestizo: refers to people of mixed indigenous and European descent
b. Indigenous: native to a place
c. Conquistador: Spanish for "conqueror"; Spanish soldier who participated in the
conquest of indigenous peoples of Latin America
4. Took gold and silver; land given to Spanish settlers
a. Cash Crop: farm products grown to be sold or traded rather than used by the farm
family
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B. 1821 – Mexico won independence from Spain
1. Often ruled by caudillos or military dictators
2. 1917 – Mexican Revolution established a federal republic
a. Drug cartels control regions of Mexico; internal warfare
b. Corruption remains a common reality in government
c. Small group of wealthy landowners control most wealth
3. Syncretism: a blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith
C. Rural-to-urban migration has greatly altered the population’s distribution
1. Megacity: a great city that is made up of several large and small cities
2. Primate City: a city that dominates a country's economy, culture, and government and
in which population is concentrated; usually the capital
3. Extended Family: household made up of several generations of family members
D. Newly industrialized country - higher standard of living than many countries in Latin
America
1. Gross Domestic Product: market value of all goods and services produced within a
country in a year
2. 1992 – North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): agreement that eliminated
most trade restrictions between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico
3. Outsourcing: subcontracting manufacturing work to outside companies, especially
foreign or nonunion companies
4. Maquiladora: in Mexico, a manufacturing plant set up by a foreign firm
5. Free Trade Zone: an area of a country in which trade restrictions do not apply
People and Their Environment
A. Obtaining and using natural resources often result in significant problems that threaten
Mexico’s environmental health
1. Deforestation: the loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming
2. Sustainable Development: technological and economic growth that does not deplete
the human and natural resources of a given area
3. Mexico City faces serious problems:
a. Land Subsidence: the sinking or settling of land to a lower level in response to various
natural and human-caused factors
b. Cars are a major contributing factor to air pollution
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