Mexico belongs to largest countries the world by several criteria at once. It ranks 11th in the world in terms of population and 14th in area. One fifth of the population of Latin America lives here.
Mexico boasts rich natural resources that are correctly extracted, processed and used for the benefit of all.
Water resources
One of the main problems of the country is the difficulty of providing water. Half of Mexico's population lives in towns and villages with terrible water supplies. Despite the imposing area of the country, most of its territory can be used for agriculture only with the help of constant irrigation. The main savior of the northern arid regions is considered to be the Rio Bravo del Norte, the largest river in Mexico.
Also, the country is rich in groundwater. Their number is twice that of land. Availability groundwater greatly facilitates the life of the Yucatan Peninsula and the northern part of the country, being the main sources of water supply.
Land resources
Mexico is considered an industrial-agrarian country, despite the fact that two-thirds of the country's territory is occupied by highlands. The plains are mostly found in the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico boasts over 106,000 hectares for agricultural purposes. Over the past 40 years, this figure has grown from 97,000 hectares. However, a large area of the central and southern part of the country is very difficult to cultivate due to problems with irrigation.
forest resources
Forests cover a large area of the country. One fifth of it is covered with forests. Basically, these forests are located in mountainous areas and on the plains of the tropical part of the country. More than 55% of the forests are mixed and coniferous forests, the rest is tropical. Mexico exports timber from oak, pine and red cedar. Also, these rocks are used in the wood chemical industry and pulp and paper. About 80% of chicle juice comes directly from Mexico.
Mineral resources
Mexico is rich mineral resources. About 15% of the mineral resource potential of Latin American countries comes from Mexico. This country produces oil and natural gas, whose reserves are large and account for about 50% and 30%, respectively, of the reserves of all Latin American countries.
There is mining of coal and iron ore. Their reserves are quite small, but these minerals are of excellent quality. Also, the country produces: manganese (ranks second in the region in terms of reserves), lead-zinc ores, copper ores, sulfur and mercury.
Mexico boasts 25% of the region's gold reserves and nearly 50% of its silver reserves. Sufficiently found throughout the country large deposits uranium.
Alternative energy sources
Their use is not very common in Mexico, despite the huge potential of some regions. However, the Green light for 37MW Mexico PV project has received government approval to build a solar power plant in San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato.
Mexico is located in the south North America and occupies most of Central America. In the north, Mexico borders on the United States (namely, the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas), the length of the border is 3141 km. East of the city of Ciudad Juarez to the Gulf of Mexico, the border runs along the meandering Rio Grande. Several natural and man-made markers define the border with the United States west of Ciudad Juarez to the Pacific Ocean.
From the west and south, Mexico is washed by the Pacific Ocean, and from the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. In the southeast, Mexico borders Guatemala (871 km) and Belize (251 km). Mexico is northern part Latin America and the most populous Spanish-speaking country.
Almost all of Mexico is on the North American Plate, only Baja California is on the Pacific Plate and the Cocos Plate. From point of view physical geography, the territory east of the isthmus of Tehuantepec, which makes up 12.1% of the country's territory and consists of the five Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan is located in Central America. In terms of geological structure, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt separates the northern region of the country. Geopolitically, Mexico is considered a North American country.
The total area of Mexico is 1,972,550 sq. km, including about 6 thousand square meters. km of islands in the Pacific Ocean (including the island of Guadalupe and the Revilla-Hihedo archipelago), the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. In terms of area, Mexico ranks 14th in the world.
The coastline of Mexico is 9330 km - 7338 km from the Pacific side and 2805 km from the Atlantic. The exclusive economic zone of Mexico, which extends for 370 km from both coasts, covers an area of 2.7 million square meters. km. The width of the Mexican landmass decreases as it moves south of the US border, and then curves northward into the 500-kilometer Yucatan Peninsula, so that the capital of the Yucatan state, Merida, is further north than either Mexico City or Guadalajara.
Relief of Mexico
Istaxiuatl volcano, located near Mexico City. Mexico is crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre East and the Sierra Madre West, which are a continuation of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Running from east to west in the center of the country is the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, also known as the Transverse Volcanic Sierra and the Sierra Nevada. It contains the most high mountains Mexico: Orizaba peak (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5462 m), Istaxihuatl (5286 m) and Nevado de Toluca (4577 m).
The Mexican Highlands lie between the Western and Eastern Sierra Madre ranges, stretching from the US border in the north to the Transverse Volcanic Sierra in the south. A low ridge divides the highlands into two parts - Northern and Central Mesa. The states of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi are located on the territory of Northern Mesa, the average height of this part of the highlands is 1100 m. The plateau of Northern Mesa is crossed by narrow individual ridges and depressions, the largest of which is Bolson Mapimi. The height of the Central Mesa is 2000 m, on its territory there are numerous valleys formed by ancient lakes. In the valleys of the Central Mesa are the largest cities in Mexico - Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Statistical indicators of Mexico
(as of 2012)
The ridges of the Baja California peninsula stretch along the coast of California to the southern end of the peninsula for a distance of 1430 km. The height of the mountains is from 2200 m in the north to 250 m in the south, near the city of La Paz.
Several large mountain ranges are located in the southern and southeastern parts of the country. The Sierra Madre South stretches for 1200 km along the southern coast of Mexico from the southwestern part of the Trans-volcanic belt to the almost flat isthmus of Tehuantepec. The average height of the mountains of this ridge is 2000 m. To the south of the isthmus, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas ridge begins, which stretches 280 km along the Pacific coast from the border of the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas to the border with Guatemala. The average height of the ridge is 1500 m, the maximum is 4000 m (Takuma volcano)
Geological structure and seismic activity of Mexico
Mexico lies almost entirely on the North American Plate. The territory of Mexico is located on three large lithospheric plates and is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet. Plate movements lead to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The North American Plate, on which most of Mexico is located, is moving westbound. The Pacific Ocean floor south of Mexico lies on the Cocos Plate and moves north. On impact, the heavy ocean floor sinks under the lighter granitic landmasses, creating the deep Central American Trench along the southern coast of Mexico. The N American Plate is slowing down and crumpling, forming the mountain ranges of southern Mexico. The subduction of the Cocos Plate causes frequent earthquakes in southern Mexico. As it sinks, ocean floor rock melts and is then pushed through plate faults, creating the volcanoes of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in central Mexico.
The coasts of the Gulf of California, including the Baja California peninsula, are moving in a northwesterly direction on the Pacific Plate. Moving along each other, the Pacific and North American plates form a transform fault, which is the southern continuation of the Californian San Andreas Fault. Continuous movement along this fault formed the Gulf of California, separating Baja California from the mainland, and is the source of earthquakes in western Mexico.
There have been many devastating earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the history of Mexico. In September 1985, an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale, whose epicenter was in the subduction zone near Acapulco, claimed the lives of more than 4 thousand people in the city of Mexico City, which is located at a distance of more than 300 km. Volcano Colima south of Guadalajara is the most active volcano in Mexico. last eruption in 2005 forced the evacuation of the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. The Paricutin volcano in the northwestern part of the country appeared in 1943, formed in a cornfield, and in 10 years rose to a height of 2700 m. throw out clouds of smoke, reminding residents of Mexico City about possible eruptions. Popocatepetl resumed activity in 1995 and 1996, forcing residents to evacuate and seismologists and the government to think about the possible consequences of a large-scale eruption.
Hydrography of Mexico
River basins in Mexico: blue indicates the Pacific basin, brown indicates the Gulf of Mexico, and yellow indicates caribbean. Inner (endorheic) basins are marked in gray.
About 150 rivers flow in Mexico, 2/3 of which flow into the Pacific Ocean, and the rest into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Despite the obvious wealth water resources distribution across the country is very uneven. Five rivers - Usumacinta, Grijalva, Papaloapan, Coatzacoalcos and Panuco - account for 52% of the average annual volume surface water, and four of them (with the exception of Panuco) flow into the Gulf of Mexico and are located in southeastern Mexico (15% of the territory and 12% of the population of the country). The northern and central parts of the country (47% of the territory and almost 60% of the population of Mexico) have access to less than 10% of water resources.
About 10% of the total population of Mexico lives in the Balsas River Basin, which is located in the south of the country. The largest freshwater lake in Mexico, Chapala, is located 45 km southeast of Guadalajara. Lake Texcoco used to have a large area, but was drained in 1967 due to constant flooding.
On the Yucatan Peninsula there are a large number of so-called cenotes - natural wells formed when the limestone crust is eroded by rainwater, which then merges with underground rivers.
Climate of Mexico
The Tropic of Cancer divides Mexico into tropical and temperate zones. Temperatures in areas north of the 24th parallel in winter period lower (average annual temperatures range from 20 °C to 24 °C), while in areas to the south the temperature is relatively constant and depends mainly on altitude - at an altitude of 1000 m (southern parts of both coastal plains and the Yucatan Peninsula) average temperature is between 24°C and 28°C.
At altitudes from 1000 to 2000 m, the average temperature ranges from 16 °C to 20 °C. Above 2 thousand meters, the temperature drops to the range of 8 °C - 12 °C. In Mexico City, which is located at an altitude of 2300 m, the average temperature is 15 °C. Precipitation in Mexico is highly dependent on the time of year and area. Dry areas: Baja California, northwestern Sonora, northern and part of the southern highlands. The precipitation level in these regions is 300-600 mm/year and less. In most populated areas of the southern highlands, including Mexico City and Guadalajara, the average annual rainfall is 600-1000 mm / year.
The low coastal regions on the Gulf of Mexico receive more than 1000 mm of precipitation per year. In the most humid region - the southeastern part of the state of Tabasco - about 2000 mm of precipitation falls annually. In the north of the plateau and in the mountains of the Eastern and Western Sierra Madre, heavy snow sometimes falls.
Mexico is located in the hurricane belt, and all coastal areas are affected from June to November. On the Pacific side, hurricanes are rare and not very strong. Several hurricanes a year hit the east coast of Mexico, bringing with them strong winds, rain and destruction. Hurricane Gilbert in September 1988 passed directly over the city of Cancun, destroying many hotels, after which it reached the northeast coast and caused flooding in the city of Monterrey, which caused loss of life.
Soils, flora and fauna of Mexico
In the north and northwest of Mexico there are deserts (Chihuahua, Sonora) with primitive gray soils. Wetter places have grey-brown soils suitable for irrigated agriculture. Grow: creosote bush, various acacias and mimosa, several hundred species of cacti, 140 species of agave, as well as yucca, sedum, dasilirion and other succulents. The characteristic form of vegetation is chaparral.
The wetter southern regions of Central Mesa have fertile red-brown, brown-red, and reddish-black soils on which traditional consumer crops are grown: legumes, corn, tomatoes, as well as sesame, peanuts and others. Previously, this area was dominated by coniferous-hard-leaved forests. Currently, the soil of Central Mesa is subject to intense erosion, which threatens up to 90% of the country's agricultural land as a whole.
On the mountain ranges mixed and coniferous forests of the subtropical type grow around the plateau. Up to a height of 1200-1400 m, low-growing oak forests grow mainly from evergreen species, above 1700 m various types of pines dominate. In coniferous forests at altitudes up to 4,000 m, fir, cypress, and the well-known Montezuma long-coniferous pine grow. In the mountain forests there are black bear, lynx and other animals. Alpine meadows bloom above the forests on the cones of volcanoes.
The best preserved forests in Mexico are in the mountain ranges and on the plains of the Yucatan east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, despite the cutting down of the most valuable species, slash-and-burn agriculture and the increase in plantation areas. These forests make up 15% of the territory of all forests in the country (before the arrival of the Spaniards, they were about 70%).
In the southern forests and light forests live mainly neotropical animals. There are monkeys, jaguars, tapir, anteater, marsupial opossum, raccoons and porcupines come from the north. The world of birds is especially rich: hummingbirds, colorful parrots, toucans, umbrella birds, vultures and many others. There are also many reptiles - iguanas, turtles and snakes.
Source - http://ru.wikipedia.org/
Mexico is the 13th country in the world in terms of area. The variety of resources that nature has awarded Mexico are due not only to the unique geographical location between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and at the same time being in the tropics and subtropics, as well as a very peculiar, predominantly mountainous terrain.
All of these factors lead to very diverse agro-climatic resources of Mexico.
Relief
Mexico spread out on an area of 1972550 square kilometers. It is located in the south of North America. The east coast is washed by the Atlantic (with the help of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea), the west - Pacific Ocean(not without the participation of the Gulf of California).
Mexico includes and a number of islands located on both sides of the land.
The highland covers the lion's share of the state and consists of 2 parts: Northern and Central mesa. large area has a plateau, which is located at an altitude of one to two thousand meters above sea level. Highlands from the side of the oceans are limited by mountainous the Sierra Madre ranges: respectively Western (about 3 km high) and Eastern (about 4 km high).
In the south of the country, the Transverse Volcanic Sierra stretches, consisting of extinct, dormant and active volcanoes. There are over 300 of them in total. This is one of the largest volcanic belts. Its length is 880 km, and its width varies from 50 to 100 km.
The highest peaks of volcanoes are covered with snow caps. The most high point country - Orizaba Peak Volcano(Pico de Orizaba, 5611 m.). The California Peninsula is formed by a mountain range about a kilometer high. Plains in the country are present mainly in Yucatan.
Climate
As we wrote above, Mexico located in two climatic zones. If in the north and west of the country, as a rule, the weather is dry and cool ( annual rate rainfall 90-250 mm, temperature fluctuations from + 10-15 ° С from November to April, up to + 20-25 ° С from May to October), then in the south and east of the country it is humid and warm (annual rainfall is 2000-3000 mm , temperature fluctuations from + 20-25 ° C from November to April, up to + 30-35 ° C from May to October). In the central regions on the territory of the highlands, precipitation is unlikely, and the temperature is + 10-20 ° С.
Due to the pronounced relief, there is also a significant temperature difference depending on the height above sea level. Air humidity, in turn, depends on tropical cyclones and is of greatest importance in the territory Gulf of Mexico.
Water resources
Marine water resources Mexico has it in abundance. But due to climatic conditions and due to the peculiarities of the relief, the distribution of fresh water resources is extremely uneven. While in the north and west of the country there are only fleeting mountain rivers, on the east coast and in southern Mexico flow longest rivers.
The most significant are the following water arteries (the data are indicated without tributaries and only the part that flows through the territory of Mexico).
Gulf of Mexico Basin:
Aktopan (length 112 km, basin area 2001 sq. km);
Antigua (length 139 km, basin area 2827 sq. km);
Grijalva (length 608 km, basin area 83213 sq. km);
Candelaria (length 150 km, basin area 9628 sq. km).
Kasones (length 910 km, basin area 62881 sq. km);
Coatzacoalcos (length 325 km, basin area 17,369 square kilometers);
Nautla (length 124 km, basin area 2785 sq. km);
Nekasha (length 375 km, basin area 7903 sq. km);
Panuko (length 510 km, basin area 84956 sq. km);
Papaloapan (length 354 km, basin area 46517 sq. km);
Rio Bravo del Norte (length 2018 km, basin area 226280 sq. km);
San Fernando (length 400 km, basin area 17744 sq. km);
Soto la Marina (length 416 km, basin area 21183 sq. km);
Tonala (length 300 km, basin area 5679 sq. km);
Hamapa (length 368 km, basin area 4061 sq. km);
Pacific Basin:
Acaponeta (length 233 km, basin area 5092 sq. km);
Aquillilla (length 50 km, basin area 194 sq. km);
Ameka (length 205 km, basin area 12214 sq. km);
Atoyak (length 200 km, basin area 17109 sq. km);
Baluarte (length 142 km, basin area 5094 sq. km);
Balsas (length 771 km, basin area 112,320 sq. km);
Cañas (length 203 km, basin area 7114 sq. km);
Colorado (length 179 km, basin area 5180 sq. km);
Culiacan (length 875 km, basin area 15731 sq. km);
Magdalena (length 335 km, basin area 25808 sq. km);
Mayo (length 386 km, basin area 15113 sq. km);
Matape (length 205 km, basin area 6606 sq. km);
Ometepek (length 115 km, basin area 6922 sq. km);
Papagayo (length 140 km, basin area 7410 sq. km);
Piashtla (length 220 km, basin area 473 sq. km);
Presidio (length 200 km, basin area 6479 sq. km);
Rio Grande de Santiago (length 562 km, basin area 76416 sq. km);
Rio Fuerte (length 540 km, basin area 590 sq. km);
San Lorenzo (length 315 km, basin area 8919 sq. km);
San Nicolás (length 201 km, basin area 2330 sq. km);
San Pedro Mezquital (length 255 km, basin area 26,480 sq. km);
Sinaloa (length 400 km, basin area 260 sq. km);
Sonoyta (length 311 km, basin area 7653 sq. km);
Sonora (length 421 km, basin area 27,740 sq. km);
Suchyate (length 75 km, basin area 203 sq. km);
Tehuantepec (length 240 km, basin area 10,090 sq. km);
Tijuana (length 181 km, basin area 3231 sq. km);
Tomatlán (length 203 km, basin area 2118 sq. km);
Tushpan (length 150 km, basin area 5899 sq. km);
Yaki (length 410 km, basin area 72540 sq. km);
Caribbean Sea Basin:
Rio Hondo (length 150 km, basin area 2688 sq. km).
Despite the apparent abundance of rivers, and there are more than 150 of them, they are unevenly distributed, and about half of the country's population suffers from a lack of drinking water. Agriculture also mainly depends on irrigation by river waters.
Navigation is possible only on a few rivers. But nevertheless, the rivers, especially in the east of the country, have sufficient water resources, and the energy potential is approaching fifteen million kilowatts. In total, more than 50 hydroelectric power plants have been built on the rivers of Mexico. The most ambitious project is a series of four dams on the river Grijalva.
Mexico has many small lakes. The largest - Chapala - has a mirror area of 1100 square kilometers, with a maximum depth of 10 meters. Montebello National Park- This is a group of almost six dozen small lakes with completely unimaginable colors from sky blue and dark blue to rich turquoise. In general, Mexico has a wide variety of lakes - from volcanic to underground.
Where surface water resources are scarce, underground sources are used. For example, on the peninsula Yucatan is the only source of drinking water. The preliminary estimate of groundwater reserves is positive, and suggests twice the amount of available surface water.
Soil resources
Land Resources of Mexico largely dependent on soil cover. And he, in turn, solo depends on the climate and relief. Much of Mexico and virtually all agricultural land is heavily eroded.
20-25% of the soil cover is gray soil. They predominate in the north and northwest in the desert regions and are suitable for cultivation only if there is constant irrigation.
Chestnut soils are inherent in the more arid regions of the steppe, while at the same time, where the climate is more humid, the steppes are covered with brown soils. Red-brown and red-brown soils of mountain volcanic origin are especially fertile. The humid climate of the tropics has formed a red-yellow soil cover in the southern region of the country. The southeast of Mexico is covered with swampy soils.
Agricultural enterprises skillfully enough use natural conditions and resources of Mexico by growing consumer crops specific to each region.
Vegetation
Forest resources of Mexico occupy about 20% of the entire territory. At the moment, the largest forest areas remained only in the tropics and on mountain ranges. The most common forests are coniferous and mixed, their volume reaches 60%, while tropical forests occupy only 40% of the forested area.
mexican vegetation, the main stereotype, occupies only the desert northern part of the country and consists of all kinds of acacias and mimosas, rubber plants, three-toothed larrea (with a depth of penetration of roots up to 100 meters), about five hundred varieties of cacti and Mexican pride - agave. By the way, the agave is represented by almost 150 species, for example, sisal is made from the Fourcree-shaped agave for the production of paper, ropes and packaging fabric.
Humid central regions of Mexico covered with mixed forests, in which hornbeams, plane trees, lindens, hickories, magnolias, etc., and conifers grow. The latter are represented by firs, cypresses, cedars, Monte Summa pine. In the temperate region, oaks and liquidambr adjoin the evergreens. And if deciduous species dominate at an altitude of up to 1500 meters, then pine already predominates higher. Alpine meadows stretch around the snow caps of the volcanoes.
Southern tropical regions of Mexico still contain mixed forests, but only in the highlands. Basically, there are dense evergreen forests with an abundance of palm trees, bamboos, as well as valuable tree species - mahogany, logwood, cedrela, guayacán.
The eastern slopes with high humidity are dressed in broad-leaved forests with some species of lianas and tree ferns.
Industry breeds with industrial value, is pine, red cedar and oak. Most of the cut wood is exported. A part goes for the needs of the pulp and paper and wood-chemical industries (production of tanning and dyeing reagents). Mexico produces over 80% of chicle juice, being the world leader.
Fauna
Natural resources of Mexico include rich wildlife. The location of the state provides for being in two belts at once: neoarctic and neotropical wildlife.
In northern forest areas frequent representatives are the bear, the forest lynx, the raccoon, steppe coyote, wolf and other forest animals.
In deserts and steppes there are wild felines, prairie dogs, kangaroo rats, hares and others. A frequent visitor is the cougar, as well as wild boars, pronghorns and other animals of the neotropical zone.
Fauna of the south of the country There are also many representatives of nature: howler monkeys and spider monkeys, jaguars, Central American tapirs, Mexican tamandua (anteater), opossums, raccoons and Mexican porcupines.
Variety of birds represented by a variety of hummingbirds, parrots (red macaw and others), as well as toucans, bare-necked umbrella birds, American and royal vultures and others.
world of reptiles represented by common iguanas, olive marine and land turtles and numerous reptiles.
Maritime representatives, especially shrimp, lobster, orange crabs, oysters, bluefin tuna, sardines, marlin and others are of great industrial catch value.
Recreational resources
Recreational Resources of Mexico include worldwide resort areas in Acapulco and Cancun, as well as the Riviera. More than fifty corners of wildlife have the status of national parks. They have an area of about one million hectares.
These are the White Sands of the Tularosa desert, and the mountain forests of Bosanchev and Cumbres de Monterey, the volcanic reserves of Pico de Orizaba and La Molinche, national park all kinds of birds. Water pearls of Garrafon, and. And the famous Crocotown Reserve, where they breed the Yucatan species of crocodiles.
is a natural aquarium located in a mountain cave and filled with sea and fresh artesian water. Incredible clear water and a variety of colorful tropical fish, as well as many different algae have unusual color combinations.
Crococoon Park famous not only for breeding local reptiles, but also for a rich collection of flamingos, tiger pythons, rare parrots, spider monkeys and white-tailed deer.
natural parks Bosenchev and Cumbres de Monterey amaze with the beauty of pine thickets.
The water world of the Garrafon park is full of colors of coral reefs and the ruins of the Mayan civilization.
Rich in mangroves, lagoons of incredible beauty and wild jungle. Here you can easily meet not only turtles, but also exotic birds.
This is just a small part tourism resources Mexico. This country is so multifaceted that every visit will be filled with new experiences.
Mineral resources
Mineral resources of Mexico contain many different kinds of minerals. Natural resources graphite in Mexico ranked first in the world. And the total reserves of various minerals have a fifteen percent share in the region. Among the industrially produced are antimony, sulfur, mercury, gold, cadmium, bismuth, tin, tungsten. The mined ores are of high quality composition. Hydrocarbon resources in Mexico are rich in oil, natural gas and anthracite. The country also has significant reserves silver, iron and uranium. In terms of manganese ore reserves, Mexico is also among the leaders in the region.
A wide variety of fossils is caused by a special geological structure. Natural resources for development industry in Mexico also include deposits of lead-zinc ores. In general, the country occupies one of the leading places in terms of reserves and development of various deposits.
Mexico also has a leading position (second in Latin America after Venezuela) in the production of oil and gas. Offshore deposits are especially rich.
The country has more than two hundred deposits mercury. This allows Mexico to confidently occupy the 3rd position in the world.
More than half of the stock silver on the American continent is also located in Mexico. A quarter of the gold reserves are located right there.
Mexico is also one of the leading developers of sulfur deposits. Almost half all reserves of the American continent are located in this country.
Mexico occupies an advantageous geographical position located between two oceans. In the north, it has a long (more than 3,000 km) land border with the United States.
Natural conditions and resources of Mexico
Mineral resources are confined to the Pacific ore belt (deposits of polymetallic and copper ores, mercury). Mexico is the largest exporter of silver, lead and zinc. Significant resources of gold and uranium. The country's most valuable mineral resources are oil and natural gas (the southern states and the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico).
Much of Mexico has an arid climate. (In what climatic zones is Mexico located?) The interior of the country, where the bulk of the population lives and is concentrated economic activity are experiencing a constant shortage of water.
An important feature of the nature of Mexico is the exceptional richness of the flora. (In which natural areas Mexico is located?) There are about 500 species of cacti alone, and over 100 agaves. Lush tropical forests have been preserved on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Population of Mexico
Most of the country's population are mestizos who speak Spanish and profess Catholicism.
The main part of the representatives of the indigenous population - the Indians - is concentrated in the southern states. The largest nationalities are the Aztecs, Mayans, Zapotecs, Tarrasques. Local languages are common among the Indian population.
Mexico is characterized by high rates of natural population growth. The birth rate is 20 ‰, and the death rate is at the level of 5 ‰. This allows Mexico to remain one of the "young" countries in the world. About 30% of the country's inhabitants are children under 15 years of age.
Most of the population lives in the central states. Almost 70% of the inhabitants are concentrated in the Mexican Highlands and live at an altitude of more than 1000 m above sea level. Particularly stands out the area of Mexico City, where the metropolitan agglomeration was formed. The Mexico City agglomeration, with 21 million people, is one of the largest in the world. Big cities countries - Guadalajara, Puebla, Monterrey.
77% of its population lives in cities. Rural settlements form large clusters, separated from each other by vast deserted spaces. Cities located along the US border are closely connected with the economy of a neighboring state.
Industry of Mexico
Mexico is slightly inferior in terms of GDP value, and in terms of GDP per capita is on the same level with Poland, South Africa, and Estonia. Energy is based on oil and natural gas. Most of the electricity is produced at thermal power plants. On the industrial basis geothermal and solar stations operate. The country has a diversified industry based on a rich raw material base and large reserves of cheap labor. The main industries are oil refining and petrochemical, mechanical engineering and metallurgy. Large oil refining centers have formed on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Mechanical engineering is the second most important branch of heavy industry after the petrochemical industry. The automotive industry, which is dominated by foreign companies, stands out. Railway rolling stock and agricultural machinery are produced. Mexico is one of the world's leading manufacturers of machine tools and equipment.
A specific phenomenon in the Mexican industry is the "maquiladoras" located in the north of the country - enterprises for the export processing of semi-finished products from the United States (assembly of car components, electrical appliances, electronics, furniture; sewing shoes and clothes). Agriculture. In most parts of Mexico, natural conditions are unfavorable for agriculture. About 40% of the territory is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts, the same amount is mountains and forests. The leading branch of agriculture is crop production. Corn and beans are the main food crops. They grow wheat, sugar cane, tropical fruits (citrus fruits, mangoes, pineapples, papaya), coffee. Animal husbandry is represented mainly by the breeding of beef cattle. Fishing has developed in coastal areas.
Mexico transport
The main role in the transportation of goods and passengers is played by road transport (the northern and central parts of the country). Major railroads criss-cross the country from north to south and link cities in Mexico with the United States. Mexico is at the crossroads of air routes from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere. A dense network of oil and gas pipelines connects production sites with processing and consumption centers.
Mexico has a high birth rate and a low death rate. Due to its high population growth rate, Mexico is one of the "youngest" countries in the world. The country's industry is characterized by a diversified structure and a significant scale of production of various types of products. The leading branch of agriculture is crop production. International tourism plays an important role in the country's foreign economic relations.
Mexico is the second most populous country in Latin America; occupies an exceptional geostrategic position, located between two oceans and two continents: the North and South America. In the north it borders on the United States, in the south - on Belize and Guatemala.
Natural conditions and resources. The nature of Mexico is diverse. This is largely due to the complex geological history country and landforms.
Relief. Mexico is a mountainous country; more than half of its territory lies at an altitude of over 1000 m above sea level; about 2/3 is occupied by the Mexican Highlands, bordered on the west, south and east by mountain ranges. The coastal lowlands are located along the Gulf of Mexico; the largest in area is the karst lowland of the Yucatan Peninsula. The country has many volcanoes.
The complexity of geological structures and volcanic activity determine the richness and diversity mineral. Mexico has numerous reserves of ore minerals confined to the world's largest Pacific ore belt. She firmly holds the first place in the world in the extraction of silver, the abundance of which at one time so struck and attracted the Spanish conquistadors; the main deposits are Las Torres (Guanajuato state) and Lampasos (Sonora state). Mexico is one of the world's leading producers of polymetallic, copper ores, and mercury. The richest deposits of lead-zinc and copper ores are located in the north of the country; Mexico is one of the world's leading exporters of zinc and lead. Reliable and probable reserves of iron ore with an iron content above 60% are 350 million tons. The main developed deposits are Las Truchas (Michoacan), Cerro de Mercado (Durango) and La Perla (Chihuahua). There are gold resources in the country. From non-metallic ores, it has large reserves of sulfur (Tehuantepek Isthmus), fluorspar ores (Musquis deposit, Coahuila state); graphite, bismuth, antimony. The presence of balneological and hydrothermal resources is associated with volcanic activity. But Mexico's largest natural wealth is oil and natural gas. With the opening in the 70s of the XX century. the largest oil fields in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, offshore in the Gulf of Campeche, Mexico has taken one of the leading places in the world in terms of oil reserves and production. Its reliable and probable reserves are estimated at 14 billion tons; Mexico concedes in Latin America only to Venezuela (17 billion tons). Coal reserves are estimated at 3 billion tons. Coal deposits are covered by sediments formed as a result of marine transgressions and regressions, which makes it difficult to exploit deposits. The main coal deposit - Sabinas - is located in the northern part of the country. Sabinas coal contains a lot of ash and other impurities, but it is suitable for burning coke.
Several significant uranium deposits have been explored (the states of Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Durango). In terms of antimony reserves, Mexico in the Western Hemisphere is second only to Bolivia.
In terms of mercury reserves, estimated at 250 thousand tons, Mexico in the capitalist world is second only to Spain and Italy. There are over 200 mercury deposits, most of which are located in the northern part of the country.
Political system. Mexico - federal Republic. The head of state is the president, who is directly elected for a term of 6 years. The constitution prohibits the re-election of the president. Legislature carried out by the National Congress, consisting of two chambers - the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
Administratively, Mexico is divided into 31 states and a federal capital district.
General characteristics of the economy. Mexico is one of the most economically developed countries not only in Latin America, but also in the entire "Third World", having a diversified economy and a rich mineral resource base.
It ranks second in Latin America (after Brazil) in terms of GDP, although in terms of its size per capita it is inferior to a number of countries on the continent (Argentina, Venezuela, Chile). The GDP is distributed as follows: 6% falls on agriculture and forestry, 33% on industry and construction, and 61% on services.
Some Features economic development distinguish Mexico from other Latin American countries. Mexico is the only country in Latin America in which, as a result of the bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1910-1917. a fairly radical agrarian reform was carried out. It did not abolish large landownership, but cleared the way for the development of capitalism in agriculture. Mexico is one of the first Latin American countries to embark on the path of nationalizing natural resources and creating a public sector. According to the constitution of 1917, the state's ownership of the land, its subsoil and water was proclaimed. Until the reforms of the 80-90s of this century, Mexico stood out in Latin America for the strong positions of the public sector and its active participation v economic life countries, especially in the oil industry. Mexico was the first in the capitalist world to nationalize the oil industry (in 1938); the PEMEX oil company has become the backbone of the public sector. This is especially important because high role oil factor in economic history country.
Mexico ranks second in Latin America (after Brazil) in terms of industrial potential, and together with Brazil and India is one of the "troika" developing countries with the largest and most diversified industry. Its share in the industrial production of Latin America is about 1/4 and continues to grow. Mexico has a fairly diverse industry based on a rich raw material base and has a large reserve of cheap labor. In the 1980s and 1990s, its scientific and technical component increased significantly.
The structure of Mexican industry is characterized by a relatively high proportion of extractive industries. Over 70% of the cost of industrial production falls on heavy industry; its main industries are oil refining and petrochemical, as well as metallurgy and mechanical engineering. These sectors are dominated by large enterprises equipped with modern technical equipment. Most of them belong to foreign capital (mainly the USA, Japan, Germany).
But in Mexico there are many small and medium-sized enterprises owned mainly by national capital, and this is one of the features of the Mexican industry, due to the demographic factor: they provide a significant number of jobs and help solve the problem of employment, therefore they have always enjoyed the support of the state. In addition, the problem of small industry is closely related to the need to decentralize production.
In the Mexican industry, the position of the public sector has always been strong, but in connection with the new reforms, many enterprises have been transferred to private hands.
A specific phenomenon in the Mexican industry has become the so-called "maquiladoras" - enterprises for the export processing of semi-finished products from the United States in the north of the country. They are based on American capital and cheap Mexican labor: in the US, capital-intensive complex operations are carried out, in Mexico, labor-intensive ones. These are mainly enterprises producing components for automobiles, electrical household appliances, electronics, as well as footwear, clothing, and furniture industries. Nearly 90% of their products go to the US market. Mexico is the United States' largest partner in assembly operations, primarily due to its geographic location.
Agriculture. Natural and climatic conditions in most of Mexico are unfavorable for agriculture. About 40% is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts, 40% - by mountains and forests, on the rest of the land, agriculture is possible almost exclusively with artificial irrigation. In terms of the area of irrigated land - more than 6 million hectares - Mexico occupies one of the leading places in the world (over 1/4 of the sown area, constituting 23 million hectares, in 1994).
A characteristic feature of the agrarian system in Mexico is the combination of large landownership with communal. In this respect, it differs from other Latin American countries. Communal land ownership was inherited from the Indians. In communities - echidos - land, water and forests are in common use; cultivated land can only be inherited, while pastures and forests are shared. Mexican agriculture developed under the influence of agrarian reform 1910-1917, as a result of which the positions of large landownership were undermined, part of the land was transferred to the echidal sector. But at the present stage, echidal farms cannot compete with capitalist farms, whose importance is growing in the agricultural production of the country. They became the basis for the creation of the agro-industrial complex. The capitalist structure occupies a dominant position in modern Mexican agriculture.