Saturday, September 30, 2017

Transcription

1 Saturday, September 30, 2017 Human Geography of Mexico Content Objective: WG.15A Identify and give examples of different points of view that influence the development of public policies and decision-making processes on local, state, national, and international levels. Language Objective: Identify the main political parties of Mexico. Discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement; list pros/cons. Do Now: What is the Ring of Fire? Define an Isthmus. What is the main river of Mexico? Criollos- a person from Spanish South or Central America, especially one of pure Spanish descent. PAN- (Partido Acción Nacional) founded in 1939, is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. Since the 1980s has been an important political party winning local, state, and national elections.

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3 History of Mexico Civilizations of Mexico: Maya- Super Nerds Centered in the Yucatán Peninsula, the Maya civilization was one of the earliest and largest civilizations in Mexico. Built big cities in Mexico and Central America between AD 250 and 900 Developed a calendar; good at math and astronomy The Maya built huge stone cities, which were abandoned a few hundred years before the arrival of the first Spanish explorers. Their descendants still live in and around the areas of their former empire. Kept written records that do not reveal the reason for their collapse

4 History of Mexico Independence Mexico remained a part of the Spanish Empire for nearly three centuries. It was governed by Spain under a highly structured political system ruled by officials called viceroys who were appointed by the Spanish monarch. In 1821 Mexico became the first Spanish territory to win its independence. Mexico was free from Spain, but the political system was ruled by a small group of wealthy landowners, army officers, and Catholic clergy who remained in power. During this time a new type of leader emerged, the caudillo, or military dictator.

5 History of Mexico Revolución The long and bloody Mexican Revolution overthrew the caudillos and established a new constitution in This brought reforms and established the current Mexican government as a federal republic. Power was divided into three branches of government legislative, executive, and judicial and a president could only be elected for one six-year term.

6 History of Mexico PRI/ PAN In 1929 one political party, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), was elected and established a corrupt monopoly on the political system of Mexico that lasted for 70 years. Not until 2000 was the opposition party, Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), able to win the presidency. In 2012, however, the PRI was reelected. Over the past few decades, drug cartels have come to control different regions of Mexico, leading to internal warfare.

7 History of Mexico Cartels Over the past few decades, drug cartels have come to control different regions of Mexico, leading to internal warfare. New cartels have been forming or breaking away from older and larger cartels. These new cartels compete with old cartels for power and control of drugproducing territories. The result is internal warfare in Mexico. The cartels have increasingly incited street gun battles, massacres in the mountains, and other acts of violence and terror.

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9 Human Geography of Mexico Population Patterns The Spanish used Catholic missions to spread Christian ideas and to expand communities in Mexico. Spanish landowners took advantage of indigenous communities, paying them little to work on their estates, known as haciendas. Rural-to-urban migration over time has greatly altered Mexico s population distribution; today 78 percent of Mexican citizens live in urban areas. Mexico City is the political capital of Mexico, as well as the cultural and economic center of Mexico.

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11 Human Geography of Mexico Society and Culture Today Mexican culture values family with many Mexican homes holding three to four generations. In Mexico, men dominate while women's primary obligation is the family. Mexico's arts are influenced by both the indigenous cultures of their ancient history and the new Spanish cultures. Murals are an important art form in Mexico with Diego Rivera being one of Mexico's most famous muralists.

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13 Human Geography of Mexico Economic Activities Mexico has a higher standard of living than many Latin American countries, yet industry, transportation, and communication remain challenges. Mexico, the United States, and Canada signed NAFTA in 1992, improving Mexico's economy, yet keeping it reliant on foreign countries. The illegal drug trade remains an influential part of the Mexican economy.

14 About NAFTA Free Trade That was the goal of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In the 1990s, the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed NAFTA to eliminate trade barriers among the three countrie NAFTA has caused other effects. One is outsourcing, which is contracting work to an outside company. Outsourcing provides cheaper goods for home markets, while offering jobs to foreign workers. Opponents of outsourcing say that the practice takes jobs away from American workers. More American companies have set up plants in Mexico and Canada, as well as in other countries, where labor costs are less expensive.

15 About NAFTA