Geography of Mexico. Coursework: Mexico, geographical and social position of the country

July 10, 2017

The geographical position of Mexico can safely be called advantageous. The fact is that this country occupies almost a third of the territory of North America. It borders the United States in the north, and the eastern part of Mexico is bordered by Caribbean Sea, and the western one - the Pacific Ocean. A huge number of islands of different sizes, which are located near the coast of the country in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, are also part of Mexico. Despite the fact that most of the country's territory is occupied by mountains and plateaus, local residents have learned to use them to their advantage.

Economic geographical location Mexico is unlikely to be briefly described, since it is considered a developed state that plays an important role in Latin America. Naturally, this was not always the case. In the old days, Mexico was considered a “third world” country, that is, it belonged to developing countries. But today the situation has changed dramatically, because there is already absolutely everything for a comfortable life, and technology is developing at tremendous speed.

Administrative structure

In order to conveniently manage the economic development of the country, it was administratively divided into 31 states and one federal district. Each state has its own governor and its own laws. It is worth mentioning the federal district separately, since it is organized a little differently than the states.

Its capital, Mexico City, is located in the central part of Mexico. It is also the only district in the country, that is, a special political education, which includes the central part of the metropolitan metropolis. Its residents themselves elect representatives of the executive and legislative branches. But the interesting thing is that the head of the district has less powers than state governors.

Climatic conditions and economic development

The physical and geographical location of Mexico contributes to the development of many industries. First of all, you should carefully study the climate. The country is dominated by four climatic zones. The Mexicans themselves define them as follows:

1. Sultry. It includes all areas of the country located along the coast and directly at the foot of the mountains. It is always hot here, regardless of the time of year, so local residents actively use these areas to develop resorts. Also in the autumn there is a lot of precipitation, so there is also enough moisture for tropical forests.
2. The warm zone is located at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level. A huge number of rare trees grow here, which are actively used in the woodworking industry.
3. Next comes the cool belt, which is located at an altitude of more than 1600 m and occupies the largest area of ​​the country. Oak and pine forests, and where precipitation is rare, desert plateaus form.
4. The last belt is considered frosty. It directly includes the mountains themselves, so it is located at an altitude of 2700 m. There are suitable conditions for agriculture, because this is what the population of the country who lives in this belt does.

The favorable location makes Mexico an excellent place for a resort holiday, which brings additional and quite significant income to the state treasury. All beaches are either on the Pacific or Atlantic coast. Regarding holiday seasons, then here they last all year round, since the air temperature on the coast does not fall below 20 degrees.

In Mexico, any traveler can find something to their liking. For example, you can go scuba diving, explore caves and admire the national parks, of which there are many. All this and much more attracts tourists to the country all year round.

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Natural resources and their use

If we briefly describe the geographical position of Mexico, we can safely say that it is more than favorable. Its territory is rich in various minerals. Mexico is rightfully considered one of the leaders among Latin American countries in ore mining. And this is true, because an ore belt passes through its territory. Copper and iron ore deposits are constantly being developed here, and there are also small deposits of uranium.

The peculiarities of Mexico's geographic location make it possible to mine and export silver, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, etc. to other countries. The southern part of the country is considered to be the richest region, since there is oil and gas here on the shelves of the Gulf of Mexico. There are many mineral reserves in Mexico, so their extraction will continue for hundreds of years.

Of course, not everything is as smooth as it seems at first glance. There are many rivers in Mexico, but almost all of them are located near the coast, so in the center of the country the population experiences a great shortage of water, which naturally affects the development of agriculture. However, the local population has long learned to cope with this problem.

General overview of the country's economy

Mexico ranks one of the first places in economic development among Latin American countries. Naturally, Mexico’s favorable geographic location plays an important role in this, because it borders the United States, which invests a lot of money in its industry. The country is considered the largest exporter of silver, because the so-called silver belt passes through its territory.

Today, deposits of gold, zinc, lead and mercury are also being developed, so Mexico has a huge number of metal processing plants. The country is home to one of the largest oil refining companies, and a system of pipelines runs throughout the territory, which supplies black gold and gas to the United States. Naturally, if there is oil, then there are factories for its processing, which provides local residents with permanent work, and the government has fewer problems with employing citizens.

The economic and geographical position of Mexico gives it the opportunity to occupy a leading role in the industry of Latin America. Developed infrastructure and a large labor market determine the presence of a huge number of different factories in the country, for example, those producing agricultural machinery and electrical goods. There are also metallurgical plants and automobile assembly plants.

Main industrial and agricultural areas

The entire territory of the country can be divided into three industrial regions:

Northern Mexico is famous for its developed livestock farming. Livestock are often fattened here so that they can later be transported to the USA.

Industry of the country

Mexico's favorable economic and geographical position allows it to actively develop and constantly achieve high levels of performance. There is an automobile industry here that operates according to global standards. Factories assemble cars, buses and trucks. In addition, many well-known automobile companies order unique spare parts that are produced only here.

Mexico is home to the largest cement plant in the world. There are also many enterprises that produce alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, for example, beer and the well-known Coca-Cola. Mexicans have also achieved great success in the food industry. The country already has trademarks which have received worldwide recognition.

The aircraft parts industry is constantly developing and is purchased by many well-known airlines.

Features of agriculture

Half of the population is involved in agriculture, which is facilitated by the geographical location of Mexico, because there is a lot of fertile soil. The Mexicans even developed their own system of cultivating the land. Where the climate allows, they grow wheat, barley and even rice. Fruits and vegetables are exported. The most in demand are tomatoes, oranges and coffee, as well as some exotic fruits.

Thanks to access to the sea and ocean, fishing for commercial purposes is developing. Today, the products of the fishing industry are also exported to other countries, only half of them are consumed by the Mexicans themselves.

Forestry development

The economic and geographical position of Mexico allows it to supply timber to neighboring countries. Previously, it was mainly used for fuel, but today the situation has changed somewhat. In addition to pine, the country has a huge number of trees of other valuable species, such as oak and red cedar. Mexico is also famous for its bitumen and charcoal.

Transport

The geographical position of the country of Mexico initially did not have a very favorable effect on the creation of transport links, and all due to the fact that its territory has certain terrain features. But with the advent of new technologies in the transport sector, this problem was solved.

First of all, highways connected the most economically significant regions of the country. In addition, roads were built to the border with the United States. Of course, today the main transport hub of the country is Mexico City. It connects all districts with the capital of the state.

For closer development of economic ties, it was necessary to build 26,623 km of railway. And this task was successfully solved, despite the fact that the geographical location of Mexico complicated it.

Today, the capital of the country, Mexico City, even has its own metro, and the public transport system is at a high level compared to other countries, including even Canada. If you add up the length of all roads, they will result in a larger number, which will be approximately 247,450 km.

The geographical location of Mexico and Canada allows their residents to travel to neighboring countries not only by bus or car. You can also take a plane or train. Mexico has two large airlines that provide flights not only to the USA, but also to Europe. You can also travel to another country by using sea transport departing from Mexican ports.

Comparative characteristics

The economic and geographical position of Mexico and Canada differs from each other. Below are not only the main differences, but also the similarities between the two countries:

IN lately There is noticeable rivalry between these two states. Since Mexico and Canada border the United States, both countries are trying to take the most advantageous positions in trade with their promising neighbor.

To become economically developed country, Mexico had to work hard. Today, the country's population has the opportunity to find their own business in various sectors: industrial production, agriculture, construction, services and tourism.

Mexico's ultimate goal is to become a country where there is no clear line between rich and poor. Thanks to the resources available in the country and their proper use, we can say that the Mexicans are close to achieving their goal.

Many experts say that soon the level of development of the country will reach unprecedented heights, since the mineral deposits on its territory are truly enormous. The Mexicans themselves know how to use them correctly to their benefit. In addition, agriculture has also been actively developing recently.

Kharkovskaya secondary school I-III degrees No. 164

Kharkov City Council, Kharkov region

Coursework

"Mexico"

Completed by: 10-B grade student

Vitaliy's oatmeal

Kharkov – 2009

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………..3

1.1. Geographical location…………………..3

1.2. Historical statements (briefly)…………...3

2. Natural conditions and resources………………………..4

2.1. Main natural resources………………4

2.2. Climate……………………………………………………4

2.3. Relief………………………………………………………5

2.4. Natural vegetation………………..7

3. Population…………………………………………………………….8

3.1. Demographics…………………………………8

3.2. Ethnic origin and language………….9

3.3. Population distribution………………………..9

3.4. Religion…………………………………………..10

4. Characteristics of the farm…………………………….11

4.1. Industry…………………………….11

4.2. Agriculture……………………………..12

5. Transport…………………………………………………………….13

5.1. Transport network…………………………………14

6. External economic relations………………………...15

7. Conclusions................................................... ...............................18

8. Additions……………………………………………………………...20

List of used literature………………………..24

1. Introduction

Mexico- a state in the south of North America. The capital is Mexico City. Large cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, Leon, Tijuana. Total area Mexico is 1,972,550 km², including about 6 thousand km² of islands in the Pacific Ocean (including Guadalupe Island and the Revilla Gijedo Archipelago), the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of California. In terms of area, Mexico ranks 14th in the world.

1.1. Geographical location

Being located in North America, (at approximately 23° northern latitude and 102°E) Mexico makes up most of Central America. From the point of view physical geography, the area east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, including the Yucatan Peninsula, (which makes up about 12% of the country's territory) is located in Central America; Geologically, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt separates the northern region of the country. However, geopolitically Mexico is considered a North American country. In the north, Mexico borders on the United States (the length of the border is 3141 km). East of the city of Ciudad Juarez to the Gulf of Mexico, the border follows the winding Rio Grande River. Several natural and man-made markers define the border with the United States west of Ciudad Juarez to the Pacific Ocean. In the south, Mexico borders Guatemala (871 km) and Belize (251 km). The most important feature of the economic and geographical position is the immediate proximity to the United States, which captured in 1846-1848. over half of Mexico's territory. This has a great impact on the life of the country. Its economy is closely and in many ways connected with the US economy and is highly dependent on its conditions. The main land roads lead to the border with the United States, through which 2/3 of foreign trade passes.
Mexico is the only developing country with a broad front to two oceans. The interoceanic position contributes to expanding the volume and geography of foreign economic relations, including with other Latin American countries. Ties with Japan enhance the importance of Mexico's Pacific position. The proximity to Central America favors the strengthening of the position of Mexican capital in this subregion.

1.2. Brief historical statements

· Before the discovery of America by Europeans, the states of the Mayans and Aztecs existed in Mexico.

· 1518 - the first landing of the Spaniards in Mexico (the expedition of conquistador Juan Grijalva).

· 1519 - the Spanish detachment of the conquistador Cortez lands on the territory of Mexico, lays the city of Veracruz and without a fight enters the capital of the Aztec empire, the city of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), where he captures the leader Montezuma.

· 1520 - anti-Spanish uprising of the Aztecs.

· 1521 - Cortes, at the head of a 10,000-strong anti-Aztec Indian militia, conquers the Aztec state.

· 1522 - Cortés becomes the first governor and captain general of New Spain.

· 1524 - Guatemala and Honduras are annexed to New Spain.

· 1535 - the Viceroyalty of New Spain was founded with its center in Mexico City. Antonio de Mendoza became the first viceroy of New Spain. The Viceroyalty is divided into provinces headed by governors. The provincial territories were divided between the Spanish landowners, to whom the surrounding Indians were attached. To curb the arbitrariness of local governors, audiences were created - panels of judges, headed by presidents.

· 1810-1824 - war for Mexican independence from Spain.

· 1821 - declaration of independence.

· 1824 - first constitution of independent Mexico.

· 1845 - Texas secession.

· 1846-1848 - Mexican-American War, which ended with the separation from Mexico of half of the territory that is now part of the United States.

· 1862-1867 - French invasion, in honor of one of the victories in which the Mexicans established a national holiday.

· 1910-1920 - Mexican Revolution.

· 1994 - Zapatista uprising.

· 2006 - Cactus Revolution.

2. Natural conditions and resources

2.1. Main natural resources: oil, silver, copper, gold, zinc, lead, timber, natural gas.

2.2. Climate. Almost half of Mexico's entire territory has an arid or semiarid climate. Dry conditions are common throughout northern zone along the US border, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, and extends in the central highlands south to approximately 22°N. Further south, precipitation gradually increases, reaching 580 mm per year in Mexico City and 890 mm per year in the Puebla Depression. Only the Gulf Coast states of Veracruz and Tabasco and the Pacific coast of Chiapas receive sufficient rain throughout the year. Most of the precipitation falls in summer; winters are relatively dry. Temperatures and vegetation vary with altitude. In Mexico there is a hot zone - the so-called. tierra caliente – located from sea level to approximately 600 m or slightly higher; the temperate zone - tierra templada - extends above it, to a height of approx. 1850 m, and even higher, up to the snow line (3950–4550 m) there are the so-called. "cold lands" (tierra fr

a). Most of the central highlands are at an altitude of 1200 to 2400 m above sea level, which corresponds to the upper part of the temperate zone and the lower part of the cold zone. Although seasonal temperature amplitudes are small and, with the exception of the far north, average approx. 8° C, daily variations are significant, and in the mountainous region the nights are usually cold. In the coastal lowlands, summer temperatures exceed 27° C. Particularly long and hot summers are typical for the lowlands adjacent to the Gulf of California.

2.3. Relief. Most of Mexico is occupied by the Mexican Highlands, passing in the north into the high plains and plateaus of Texas and New Mexico; from the east, west and south it is surrounded by deeply dissected mountain ranges. The central part of this highland consists of vast depressions - bolsons - with gentle slopes; the block ridges separating them are often topped with volcanoes. The surface of the plateau gradually rises to the south and forms a wedge at approximately 19–20° S. in the volcanic zone, where the Transverse Volcanic Sierra ridge extends in the latitudinal direction. The northern part of the plateau, the Northern Mesa, is formed by merged bolsons, depressions with salt marshes or salt lakes in the center; the largest of them are Bolson de Mapimi, the bottom of which is located at an altitude of 900 m above sea level, and Bolson de Mairan (1100 m). Above the general level of the plateau, block mountains rise sharply to a height of up to 900 m. Much of this desert region is drainless; only in the north flows the largest river in Mexico, the Rio Bravo del Norte (called the Rio Grande in the USA) and its only tributary, the Conchos. Further to the south the surface of the highlands rises; Numerous intermountain depressions are located here at elevations of 1800–2400 m above sea level. and are separated by elevated, arid plateaus, above which blocky ridges rise several hundred meters. In the extreme south of the highlands there is the so-called Central region, which is the center of the political and economic life of the country, where the capital is located and most of the population is concentrated. The relief of this area clearly shows basins, the bottoms of which are at a level of 1500–2600 m; all of them, with the exception of the Valley of Mexico, where the capital is located, are drained by rivers belonging to the basins of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The basins are separated by hilly ridges of soft outlines, cut by deep and narrow river valleys. The Transverse Volcanic Sierra, formed by almost merged volcanic cones, rises sharply above the surface of the plateau, limiting it from the south. Here are the highest peaks: Orizaba (Citlaltepetl), 5610 m; Popocatepetl, 5452 m; Iztaccihuatl, 5286 m; Nevado de Toluca, 4392 m; Malinche, 4461 m, and Nevado de Colima, 4265 m. In the Valley of Mexico, 80 km long and approx. wide. 50 km there were once five shallow lakes with marshy shores; the largest of them was Lake Texcoco, in the center of which, on the island, was the capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan. Over time, the lake was drained and in its place is the modern capital, Mexico City. The most large river Central district - r. Lerma - flows through the Toluca, Guanajuato and Jalisco depressions and flows into Lake Chapala, which drains into the Pacific Ocean through the river. Rio Grande de Santiago. Other depressions - Aguascalientes and Puebla - are also drained by rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin.

The western border of the highlands is formed by the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain system, reaching 160 km in width and in some places rising above 3000 m. This is one of the most powerful and difficult mountain barriers in the Western Hemisphere. The railroad connecting Central Mesa with the Pacific Coast, like the highway, skirts these mountains from the south and rises to the city of Guadalajara. It was not until 1961 that a railway line was built from Chihuahua to the coast - the first railway to cross the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains; that same year, a paved road connecting Durango and the port of Mazatlán was completed. The mountain system in the east of the highlands, the Sierra Madre Oriental, is relatively easier to navigate. The most convenient routes through it are through Monterrey in the north and through Veracruz in the southeast. The Pan-American Highway, starting from the city of Nuevo Laredo on the US-Mexico border, follows the eastern foothills of the mountains to approximately the latitude of Tampico and then rises sharply into the mountains and crosses the central mountain range. In the south, a zone of deeply dissected mountainous terrain much wider than in the west and east of the highlands. The Transverse Volcanic Sierra breaks off with a steep ledge towards the tectonic depression of the river. Balsas, which extends deep into the mountainous region; even at a great distance from the ocean, on the Mexico City meridian, the valley bottom is only approx. 500 m above sea level South of the Balsas Valley is the region of the dissected plateaus of Guerrero and Oaxaca, known as common name Southern Sierra Madre; The erosive activity of watercourses has created a complex network of deep valleys and steep ridges here, leaving almost no flat areas. This southern mountainous region, which is generally accepted to form the southern terminus of the geological structures of North America, ends in steep escarpments facing the Pacific Ocean and the low-lying Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Economic and geographical position of Mexico

The southern, narrowest part of North America is occupied by Mexico.

Its northern border for 2.6 thousand km is with the United States, and its southeastern border goes with Belize and Guatemala and has a length of 200 km.

The shores of Mexico are washed by two oceans. To the west is the Pacific Ocean and its Gulf of California, to the east are the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, which belong to the Atlantic Ocean.

The territory includes the islands Angel de la Guarda, Cedros, Tiburon, located off the northwestern coast of the country.

The neighborly position with the USA is important feature economic and geographical position of the country.

Note 1

It must be said that at first, the geographical position of Mexico had a far unfavorable effect on the formation of transport links. The reason was the features of the relief. With the advent of new technologies this problem was decided. The highways connected the most significant areas of Mexico. Further, railways and highways were built from the interior of the country to the north to the US border.

The main transport hub - Mexico City connects all regions of the country.

Open access to the oceans brings Mexico closer to other continents and provides the opportunity to develop trade relations.

In Latin America, Mexico plays a fairly prominent role and is considered a developed state, but there was a time when it was classified as a “third world” country. This situation has changed dramatically today.

During its existence, the country changed its borders and occupied area.

In the fight against the Americans, who threatened military action, Mexico had to cede Texas, California and a huge area between them to the United States - today these are the modern American states of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and part of Wyoming.

As a result, the country lost more than half of its territory.

Note 2

Thus, as a result of the war with Mexico, the Americans established undivided hegemony on the mainland.

The favorable geographical location played a big role in the fact that the country is one of the first places in Latin America in terms of its economic development.

Among Latin American countries, trade relations are actively developing with Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. Although experts believe that trade and economic relations with these countries do not correspond to its potential level.

The structure of imports is represented by machinery, raw materials for industry, and sometimes food consumer goods.

For a long time, the country's foreign trade balance remains passive, which means that imports prevail over exports.

In addition to the United States, Mexican products are imported by Spain, Japan, and Germany.

Among Asian countries, Japan is a major partner, with trade turnover amounting to more than $7.4 billion. Japan is interested in Mexican oil.

Asian partners also include China, South Korea, and Singapore.

According to the UN classification, this industrial-agrarian state belongs to the newly industrialized countries.

Its foreign policy is quite active. It is part of many international and regional organizations– in UNESCO, in the UN Economic and Social Council, FAO, ILO, etc.

Natural conditions of Mexico

The natural and climatic conditions of Mexico are very diverse.

The country's topography and mineral resources depend on geological structures. The terrain of this territory is quite complex; there are mountains, plateaus and plains.

The main part of the country is occupied by the Mexican Highlands with ridges along the outskirts - the Sierra Madre Oriental (4054 m), the Sierra Madre Occidental (3150 m), the Transverse Volcanic Sierra with active volcanoes - Orizaba (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5452 m).

In the northwest is the mountainous peninsula of California, and the south is occupied by the mountainous region of Chiapas and the Sierra Madre Sur.

To the southeast is the flat Yucatan Peninsula.

The country has four altitude zones:

1. hot zone throughout the year and the summer-autumn rainy season - “Tierra Caliente”, these are areas of the coasts and foothills of the mountains;
2. a warm zone with a moderately hot climate - “Tierra Templada”, lies at an altitude of 1000-1500 m;
3. The vast expanses of the Mexican Highlands are occupied by a cool zone - “Tierra Fria”, it rises to an altitude of 2700 m and is characterized by moderate warm summer and cool winters with frosts;
4. above the 2700 m mark, the frost belt begins - “Tierra Helada” with frequent frosts, and above it alpine meadows and eternal snow begin.

More harsh conditions With arid climate observed in northern Mexico. This is an area of ​​desert and semi-desert landscapes.

The climate of northern Mexico is dry continental, the smallest amount of precipitation during the year falls in the extreme northwest, ranging from 100-400 mm. The reason is that Atlantic air cannot penetrate because of the mountain ranges, and Pacific sea air is carried by trade winds towards land.

To the south of the tropics, the area of ​​influence of cyclones on the tropical front and trade winds carrying moisture from the Atlantic begins.

The south of the Mexican Lowland and the Sierra Madre Oriental already receive up to 3000 mm of precipitation per year.

The southern part of Mexico receives summer moisture thanks to the penetration of the equatorial monsoons, which bring from 1500-2500 mm per year, and winters are very dry.

The country's hot tropical zone has both desert and humid climates.

The country's climatic diversity largely depends on the uneven distribution of precipitation over the territory. Their annual number will increase from northwest to south and southeast.

Natural resources of Mexico

The subsoil of Mexico is rich in a variety of minerals.

An ore belt passes through the country and among Latin American countries Mexico is considered the leader in ore mining, the deposits of which are constantly being developed.

Mexico mines and exports silver, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, etc. to other countries. The country ranks first in the world in silver mining. But its production is gradually fading into the background, because deposits of gold and mercury have been discovered.

Iron ore deposits have been discovered.

Oil and gas discovered offshore in the Gulf of Mexico are controlled by the state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). An important resource for the country is natural gas, the demand for which is growing, especially in the energy sector. Gas reserves amount to 13.2 trillion. cube ft.

The amount produced is not enough to cover domestic needs, so the country is forced to import this resource. The main importer of gas is the USA.

Coal reserves are small and are estimated at 5 billion tons. The main coal deposits are located in the Sabinas Basin in the north of the country.

Several large uranium deposits have been explored.

Soil diversity is related to precipitation and varies from east to west.

A quarter of the country is occupied by gray soils, the development of which is possible only with irrigation.

Within the moderately humid climate, brown soils have formed, while chestnut soils are associated with the arid climate.

Red-brown and brown-red soils occur in the central regions.

Red-yellow and red lateritic soils formed on the plains of the southern part.

Low-fertility soils in high mountain regions are not used in agriculture.

About 20% of the territory is occupied by forest resources. Conifers and mixed forests, the volume of which reaches 60%, tropical forests occupy 40% of the forested area.

Water resources are one of the most important problems for Mexico. Only in the south of the country did a dense river network form. The largest river is the Rio Bravo del Norte.

The rivers mainly originate in the mountains, therefore they have a large hydroelectric potential, which is estimated at 15 million kW.

Groundwater exceeds annual surface flow and is the source of water supply for the northern part of the country and the Yucatan Peninsula. There are many small lakes, the largest of which is Lake Chapala.

Kharkov secondary school of I-III degrees No. 164

Kharkov City Council, Kharkov region

Coursework

"Mexico"

Completed by: 10-B grade student

Vitaliy's oatmeal

Kharkov – 2009

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………..3

1.1. Geographical location…………………..3

1.2. Historical statements (briefly)…………...3

2. Natural conditions and resources………………………..4

2.1. Main natural resources………………4

2.2. Climate……………………………………………………4

2.3. Relief………………………………………………………5

2.4. Natural vegetation………………..7

3. Population…………………………………………………………….8

3.1. Demographics…………………………………8

3.2. Ethnic origin and language………….9

3.3. Population distribution………………………..9

3.4. Religion…………………………………………..10

4. Characteristics of the farm…………………………….11

4.1. Industry…………………………….11

4.2. Agriculture……………………………..12

5. Transport…………………………………………………………….13

5.1. Transport network…………………………………14

6. External economic relations………………………...15

7. Conclusions................................................... ...............................18

8. Additions……………………………………………………………...20

List of used literature………………………..24

1. Introduction

Mexico- a state in the south of North America. The capital is Mexico City. Large cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, Leon, Tijuana. The total area of ​​Mexico is 1,972,550 km², including about 6 thousand km² of islands in the Pacific Ocean (including Guadalupe Island and the Revilla Gijedo Archipelago), the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of California. In terms of area, Mexico ranks 14th in the world.

1.1. Geographical location

Located in North America, (at approximately 23° north latitude and 102° east longitude) Mexico makes up the majority of Central America. In terms of physical geography, the area east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, including the Yucatan Peninsula, (which makes up about 12% of the country's territory) is located in Central America; Geologically, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt separates the northern region of the country. However, geopolitically Mexico is considered a North American country. In the north, Mexico borders on the United States (the length of the border is 3141 km). East of the city of Ciudad Juarez to the Gulf of Mexico, the border follows the winding Rio Grande River. Several natural and man-made markers define the border with the United States west of Ciudad Juarez to the Pacific Ocean. In the south, Mexico borders Guatemala (871 km) and Belize (251 km). The most important feature of the economic and geographical position is the immediate proximity to the United States, which captured in 1846-1848. over half of Mexico's territory. This has a great impact on the life of the country. Its economy is closely and in many ways connected with the US economy and is highly dependent on its conditions. The main land roads lead to the border with the United States, through which 2/3 of foreign trade passes.
Mexico is the only developing country with a broad front to two oceans. The interoceanic position contributes to expanding the volume and geography of foreign economic relations, including with other Latin American countries. Ties with Japan enhance the importance of Mexico's Pacific position. The proximity to Central America favors the strengthening of the position of Mexican capital in this subregion.

1.2. Brief historical statements

· Before the discovery of America by Europeans, the states of the Mayans and Aztecs existed in Mexico.

· 1518 - the first landing of the Spaniards in Mexico (the expedition of conquistador Juan Grijalva).

· 1519 - the Spanish detachment of the conquistador Cortez lands on the territory of Mexico, lays the city of Veracruz and without a fight enters the capital of the Aztec empire, the city of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), where he captures the leader Montezuma.

· 1520 - anti-Spanish uprising of the Aztecs.

· 1521 - Cortes, at the head of a 10,000-strong anti-Aztec Indian militia, conquers the Aztec state.

· 1522 - Cortés becomes the first governor and captain general of New Spain.

· 1524 - Guatemala and Honduras are annexed to New Spain.

· 1535 - the Viceroyalty of New Spain was founded with its center in Mexico City. Antonio de Mendoza became the first viceroy of New Spain. The Viceroyalty is divided into provinces headed by governors. The provincial territories were divided between the Spanish landowners, to whom the surrounding Indians were attached. To curb the arbitrariness of local governors, audiences were created - panels of judges, headed by presidents.

· 1810-1824 - war for Mexican independence from Spain.

· 1821 - declaration of independence.

· 1824 - first constitution of independent Mexico.

· 1845 - Texas secession.

· 1846-1848 - Mexican-American War, which ended with the separation from Mexico of half of the territory that is now part of the United States.

· 1862-1867 - French invasion, in honor of one of the victories in which the Mexicans established a national holiday.

· 1910-1920 - Mexican Revolution.

· 1994 - Zapatista uprising.

· 2006 - Cactus Revolution.

2. Natural conditions and resources

2.1. Main natural resources: oil, silver, copper, gold, zinc, lead, timber, natural gas.

2.2. Climate. Almost half of Mexico's entire territory has an arid or semiarid climate. Dry conditions occur throughout the northern region along the US border, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, and extend into the central highlands south to approximately 22°N. Further south, precipitation gradually increases, reaching 580 mm per year in Mexico City and 890 mm per year in the Puebla Depression. Only the Gulf Coast states of Veracruz and Tabasco and the Pacific coast of Chiapas receive sufficient rain throughout the year. Most of the precipitation falls in summer; winters are relatively dry. Temperatures and vegetation vary with altitude. In Mexico there is a hot zone - the so-called. tierra caliente – located from sea level to approximately 600 m or slightly higher; the temperate zone - tierra templada - extends above it, to a height of approx. 1850 m, and even higher, up to the snow line (3950–4550 m) there are the so-called. “cold lands” (tierra fra). Most of the central highlands are at an altitude of 1200 to 2400 m above sea level, which corresponds to the upper part of the temperate zone and the lower part of the cold zone. Although seasonal temperature amplitudes are small and, with the exception of the far north, average approx. 8° C, daily variations are significant, and in the mountainous region the nights are usually cold. In the coastal lowlands, summer temperatures exceed 27° C. Particularly long and hot summers are typical for the lowlands adjacent to the Gulf of California.

2.3. Relief. Most of Mexico is occupied by the Mexican Highlands, passing in the north into the high plains and plateaus of Texas and New Mexico; from the east, west and south it is surrounded by deeply dissected mountain ranges. The central part of this highland consists of vast depressions - bolsons - with gentle slopes; the block ridges separating them are often topped with volcanoes. The surface of the plateau gradually rises to the south and forms a wedge at approximately 19–20° S. in the volcanic zone, where the Transverse Volcanic Sierra ridge extends in the latitudinal direction. The northern part of the plateau, the Northern Mesa, is formed by merged bolsons, depressions with salt marshes or salt lakes in the center; the largest of them are Bolson de Mapimi, the bottom of which is located at an altitude of 900 m above sea level, and Bolson de Mairan (1100 m). Above the general level of the plateau, block mountains rise sharply to a height of up to 900 m. Much of this desert region is drainless; only in the north flows the largest river in Mexico, the Rio Bravo del Norte (called the Rio Grande in the USA) and its only tributary, the Conchos. Further to the south the surface of the highlands rises; Numerous intermountain depressions are located here at elevations of 1800–2400 m above sea level. and are separated by elevated, arid plateaus, above which blocky ridges rise several hundred meters. In the extreme south of the highlands there is the so-called Central region, which is the center of the political and economic life of the country, where the capital is located and most of the population is concentrated. The relief of this area clearly shows basins, the bottoms of which are at a level of 1500–2600 m; all of them, with the exception of the Valley of Mexico, where the capital is located, are drained by rivers belonging to the basins of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The basins are separated by hilly ridges of soft outlines, cut by deep and narrow river valleys. The Transverse Volcanic Sierra, formed by almost merged volcanic cones, rises sharply above the surface of the plateau, limiting it from the south. Here are the highest peaks: Orizaba (Citlaltepetl), 5610 m; Popocatepetl, 5452 m; Iztaccihuatl, 5286 m; Nevado de Toluca, 4392 m; Malinche, 4461 m, and Nevado de Colima, 4265 m. In the Valley of Mexico, 80 km long and approx. wide. 50 km there were once five shallow lakes with marshy shores; the largest of them was Lake Texcoco, in the center of which, on the island, was the capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan. Over time, the lake was drained and in its place is the modern capital, Mexico City. The largest river in the Central region is the river. Lerma - flows through the Toluca, Guanajuato and Jalisco depressions and flows into Lake Chapala, which drains into the Pacific Ocean through the river. Rio Grande de Santiago. Other depressions - Aguascalientes and Puebla - are also drained by rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin.

The western border of the highlands is formed by the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain system, reaching 160 km in width and in some places rising above 3000 m. This is one of the most powerful and difficult mountain barriers in the Western Hemisphere. The railroad connecting Central Mesa with the Pacific Coast, like the highway, skirts these mountains from the south and rises to the city of Guadalajara. It was not until 1961 that a railway line was built from Chihuahua to the coast - the first railway to cross the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains; that same year, a paved road connecting Durango and the port of Mazatlán was completed. The mountain system in the east of the highlands, the Sierra Madre Oriental, is relatively easier to navigate. The most convenient routes through it are through Monterrey in the north and through Veracruz in the southeast. The Pan-American Highway, starting from the city of Nuevo Laredo on the US-Mexico border, follows the eastern foothills of the mountains to approximately the latitude of Tampico and then rises sharply into the mountains and crosses the central mountain range. In the south, the zone of deeply dissected mountainous relief is much wider than in the west and east of the highlands. The Transverse Volcanic Sierra breaks off with a steep ledge towards the tectonic depression of the river. Balsas, which extends deep into the mountainous region; even at a great distance from the ocean, on the Mexico City meridian, the valley bottom is only approx. 500 m above sea level South of the Balsas Valley is the region of the dissected Guerrero and Oaxaca plateaus, collectively known as the Sierra Madre South; The erosive activity of watercourses has created a complex network of deep valleys and steep ridges here, leaving almost no flat areas. This southern mountainous region, which is generally accepted to form the southern terminus of the geological structures of North America, ends in steep escarpments facing the Pacific Ocean and the low-lying Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The three main physiographic regions outside the mountainous region described above are the northern Pacific Coast, which includes the California Peninsula, or Baja California; Mexican lowland and Yucatan Peninsula; And mountain system Chiapas, located between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the border of Guatemala. Most of the territory, located in the northern part of the Pacific coast and separated from the rest of the country by the inaccessible Sierra Madre Oriental mountains, is desert. The main elements of the surface - the Sonoran Desert, a depression located on the northern extension of the Gulf of California and in some places lowered below sea level, and the block mountains of the California Peninsula - continue north into the United States. The vast arid terrace-like surfaces of the California Peninsula for the most part do not have watercourses, but in the southern part of the mainland coast of the Gulf of California, spurs of mountains and drainage depressions alternate with flat-bottomed valleys of rivers flowing from the mountains. The Mexican Gulf Lowland is widest in the north, where it meets the coastal plains of Texas. Further south, from Tampico to the northern edge of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it is a narrow swampy coastal strip, and further expands and merges with the low-lying limestone plain of the Yucatan Peninsula. On the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean is only 210 km, and the highest altitude is 240 m. The mountainous region of Chiapas structurally belongs to Central America. In this area, all the main landforms extend parallel to the Pacific coast: a narrow coastal lowland; the Sierra Madre de Chiapas ridge rising steeply above it, up to 2400 m high; the Chiapas rift valley, the bottom of which is located at 450–900 m above sea level, drained by tributaries of the Grijalva River; finally, a series of blocky, deeply dissected mountain ranges with a height in some places of more than 3000 m.

2.4. Natural vegetation. Due to little rainfall, the northern half of Mexico is covered with mesquite trees, cacti, yucca and the spiny Sarcobathus vermifolia. On the lower slopes of the Sierra Madre, turf grasses alternate with low-growing poplars and willows, and higher up among the grasses grow sparse oaks. The mountain range stretching along the California Peninsula is covered with pine woodlands, and the arid western coast is occupied by isolated cacti in the desert, mesquite trees and bizarre columnar fuquieria, which with a thick conical trunk (up to 6 m high) with several root-like branches resemble an inverted carrot. To the south along both coasts of Mexico, the lowland vegetation gradually changes from scrub and open grass grasslands to savanna woodlands, beginning at about the latitude of Tampico. To the south of Veracruz there is heavy rainfall, the coast is marshy with dense tropical jungle, interspersed in places with areas of damp savannah. Tropical rain forest covers the state of Tabasco, southern Yucatan and the open northern slopes of the Chiapas mountains. The north of Yucatan is occupied by semi-deciduous tropical forest, grasslands and shrub thickets. There are especially many species of agave here, one of which is Agave Furcreiformes ( Agave fourcroides) – produces “enequen” fiber, or “Yucatan sisal”, used for the manufacture of paper, rope and container fabric.

In the southern half of Mexico, climate and vegetation vary with altitude. The hot zone is covered with dense semi-deciduous forest. In the temperate zone, many subtropical evergreen species grow, to which oaks and other broad-leaved deciduous trees are mixed higher on the slopes. The lower zone of the cold belt is occupied by pine-oak forest, which at approx. 3050 m above sea level turns into pine-fir. Near the snow line, the highlands are covered with alpine meadows.

3. Population

3.1. Demography. According to an estimate for 1998, the population of Mexico was 97 million people (in 1980 - 69,979 thousand people). Population growth over the past decades has been one of the highest in the world, averaging 3% annually. Population growth began to decline markedly in the early 1970s and stood at 1.8% per year in the late 1990s. This decline was due in large part to the government's efforts to implement the General Population Law passed in 1973. This law established a national population council to carry out a government family planning campaign, the goal of which was to reduce population growth by 2000 to 1% annually. In the early 1990s, one in five pregnancies in Mexico was terminated through illegal abortion. In 1995, the birth rate was less than 24.6 newborns per 1,000 population, and the mortality rate was 5.1 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. Emigration to the United States also contributed to decreased population growth in Mexico.

Extremely rapid growth population from 1920 to 1998 was a new phenomenon in the recent history of Mexico. The population of the country when it was conquered by the Spaniards was at least 4.5 million people, and perhaps reached 25 million people, but the conquest and subsequent colonial exploitation so destroyed Mexican society that by 1605 there was hardly one left in Mexico million people. It took at least two centuries to restore the population. In 1821 the population of Mexico was about 6–7 million people. The number of Mexicans more than doubled over the next 90 years to 15 million in 1910, but a decade of civil war reduced it to almost 14 million in 1921. Mexico's population boom began after World War II. According to the 2007 census, Mexico's population is approximately 107 million.

3.2. Ethnic origin and language. Pre-Columbian Mexico was characterized by great ethnic diversity. One of the scientists identified more than 700 tribal groups at the beginning of the conquest. These peoples spoke nearly 100 different languages ​​and dialects from twelve linguistic families.

In 1990, almost one million Indians spoke only 52 indigenous languages ​​and dialects. In addition, more than two million Indians spoke both their native language and Spanish. The main Indian languages ​​still spoken in Mexico are Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs, the various dialects of which represent the largest linguistic body), Mixtec, Maya, Zapotec, Otomi, Totonac, Mazatec, Tzotzil, Tzendil, Mazahua, Mije, Huastec , Chinantec and Tarasco.

It is estimated that 300,000 Spaniards migrated to Mexico during three centuries of colonial rule. They intermarried with the Indians, and today mestizos predominate in Mexico's population. Most of the estimated fewer than 200,000 blacks brought in during the colonial period to work in the mines and plantations were assimilated by the local population.

There has been no large-scale immigration to Mexico since independence. However, there were two main periods of influx - during the reign of Díaz, when approx. 11 thousand Italian immigrants, and immediately after the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), when approx. came here in search of political asylum. 25 thousand loyalist refugees. Not large number Chinese, Japanese, Germans, English, French and other Europeans also immigrated to Mexico. From the middle of the 20th century. the largest movements of people occurred between Mexico and the United States.

3.3. Population distribution. In 1990, as has been the case since pre-Columbian times, more than half the population (56%) was concentrated in the central region, which occupies less than 1/7 of the entire territory. This region has always been the political, economic and cultural core of Mexico. The rest of the population was distributed in 1990 among four regions in the following proportions: 1) North - 20%; 2) Baja California -2%; 3) southern part Pacific Coast - 10%; and 4) Gulf of Mexico region - 12%.

In 1990 approx. 1/4 of the population lived in communities of less than 2,500 people and were considered rural, and ca. 75% lived in larger communities and were considered urban. Although the metropolitan areas of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterey occupy only 2% of the country's territory, they are home to 25% of its population. There are more than 100 thousand villages and hamlets, most of which have less than 400 inhabitants.

Although Mexico is primarily a country of small communities, there are strong trends towards urbanization and industrialization, which are expressed in the form of population growth and industrial development. Urban growth was particularly rapid in the Mexico City area, along the northern border, and in the oil boom areas of the Gulf Coast.

The highest concentration of population and industry is observed in the capital, Mexico City, whose population in 1997 was 8,489 thousand people. The Mexico City metropolitan area had 18.8 million inhabitants. The main regional urban and industrial centers are Guadalajara in the west, with a population of 1,650 thousand in 1990 and 3 million people in the urban agglomeration; Monterrey in the north, with a population of 1,068 thousand and an urban agglomeration of 2.7 million people; and Puebla, southeast of the capital, with a population of 1,017 thousand in the city and 1,054 thousand in the urban agglomeration.

The remaining major cities of Mexico with a population of more than 400 thousand people in 1990 include state capitals, ports and border communities: Ciudad Juarez (789 thousand people), Tijuana (698 thousand), Chihuahua (516 thousand), Acapulco (515 thousand), San Luis Potosi (489 thousand), Veracruz (438 thousand), Mexicali (438 thousand), Culiacan (415 thousand) and Hermosillo (406 thousand people).

3.4. Religion. Since the time of forced conversion to Christianity Spanish conquistadors the vast majority of Mexicans - in 1990 almost 90% - were, at least formally, Roman Catholics. Nevertheless, Mexico is characterized by an extremely active anticlerical tradition. Mexican revolutionaries waged a very long and often bitter struggle against the church hierarchy, which until the 1850s owned almost half of Mexico's land, controlled almost all schools and hospitals, and functioned effectively as a state within a state. According to the provisions of the Mexican Constitution, religious organizations prohibited from owning land or operating schools; monastic orders are prohibited; religious services can only be held inside church buildings owned by the state; and clergy are prohibited from voting or commenting publicly on political issues. However, since the 1940s, the Catholic hierarchy abandoned harsh forms of opposition to the Mexican Revolution, and the government suspended the implementation of anti-clerical laws. More than 3% of Mexicans adhere to some form of Protestantism, and there are small but thriving Jewish and Baha'i communities.

4. Farm characteristics

4.1. Industry. In industrial production, especially in the light and food industries, small, often semi-handicraft enterprises predominate; in heavy industry - mainly large enterprises. The most important industries: oil refining, petrochemical, non-ferrous metallurgy; are closely connected with the local raw material base. The extractive industry, except for oil and gas, is developing more slowly than the manufacturing industry. The main areas and centers of the oil, gas and petroleum refining industries are located on the Gulf Coast, and other mining and metallurgical areas are in the northern part of the Mexican Highlands. Manufacturing enterprises are concentrated in large cities. The Federal District, the states of Jalisco and Nuevo Leon account for 1/2 of the manufacturing industry, 65% of the capital investments in its industry, and 70% of the value of its products.

Extractive industry.

The oil and gas industry occupies the most important place in the economy. The main centers of the oil and gas industry are located near Tampico and Poza Rica de Hidalgo, and the importance of oil and gas regions in the Southeast, where offshore oil production is developing, is increasing. The coal industry is of secondary importance. Coal It is mined mainly in Sabinas for the needs of coke production. Mining of heavy non-ferrous metal ores is concentrated in the Mexican Highlands, where many deposits are distinguished by the richness and high quality of the ore. The main iron ore base is the Cerro de Mercado deposit in the Durango region. High-quality native sulfur in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec became an important export commodity. Fluorspar, antimony, and graphite are of export importance. Mining of non-ferrous metal ores (silver, gold, mercury, copper, zinc, lead) is carried out mainly in the northern and central parts of Mexico.

Manufacturing industry.

Major oil refineries and petrochemical plants are located in the oil and gas industry areas, as well as in the cities of Mexico City and Salamanca. Complex production has been created in the petrochemical industry: the production of synthetic fibers and mineral fertilizers. Non-ferrous metallurgy plants are located in polymetallic mining areas, in the cities of Mexico City (electrolytic copper) and Veracruz (aluminium). The main iron and steel enterprises are located in the cities of Monterrey and Monclova, as well as in the Mexico City region. The main automobile assembly plants are located in the cities of Mexico City, Toluca, and Puebola; In addition to passenger cars, trucks and buses are also produced. A specialized state mechanical engineering center in Irolo (Ciudad Sahagún) has been created with diesel, carriage and textile equipment factories. The radio-electronic industry is developing. The largest cement plants are located near Mexico City.

Textile industry enterprises.

Textile industry enterprises are concentrated in the Puebla - Orizaba - Cordoba zone, as well as in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Mexico City is an important center for the garment industry. Large food processing enterprises are located in the capital, Guadalajara (using raw materials from the Pacific states), as well as in irrigation areas. The sugar industry gravitates to the sugarcane plantation areas in the foothills of the states of Morelos, Sinaloa, Veracruz and Tamaulipas.
Handicrafts are ubiquitous, mainly in the central and southern states (weaving, arts and crafts).

4.2. Agriculture. Agriculture mainly meets the population's needs for food and agricultural raw materials, providing about 2/5 of the value of exports. Characterized by the concentration of land in large farms (especially in cattle breeding farms in the northern states) and severe fragmentation, mainly in peasant communities and Indian settlements, where land hunger manifests itself. In communities, land is inherited, but the rental and seizure of community land and the use of hired labor in communities are becoming more and more widely practiced.
Due to frequent droughts, the spread of erosion, and low agrotechnical level, the harvested area does not exceed 2/3 of the cultivated area, especially in areas of small-scale and slash-and-burn agriculture.
The largest irrigation districts are: the lower reaches of the Colorado, Rio Bravo, Fuerte rivers, areas of the cities of Culiacan and Torreon (La Laguna). For irrigation, they are used on an increasingly large scale. groundwater.
Since 1947, the development of river basins in the tropics (Papaloapan, Grijalva - Usumanita, Balsas) has been underway, where plantations of perennial tropical fruit crops and rice are created in place of swamps and forests.
The structure of agricultural production is dominated by crop production, but the importance of livestock farming is gradually growing. There is a characteristic territorial gap between areas of crop production and livestock production, especially extensive cattle breeding in desert and semi-desert zones. In crop production, there are 2 main groups of crops: food (mainly for the domestic market) and commercial, mainly industrial crops (cotton, coffee, sugar cane, henequin). Corn is the main food crop of Mexico, the basis of nutrition for a large part of the population; its crops are concentrated mainly on rain-fed lands up to an altitude of 3000 m. Wheat crops are concentrated on irrigated lands, mainly in the North Pacific states and in the large agricultural region of Bajio in Central Mexico (center of Leon). Rice is a traditional crop in the state of Morelos, as well as in newly developed coastal areas, where sorghum is also becoming important. New zoned seeds are being introduced in grain farming, which has greatly increased the yield of wheat and, to a lesser extent, corn. Cotton production is concentrated in the irrigation districts of the Northwest, the lower Rio Bravo, and the old cotton-growing region of La Laguna. The importance of sugarcane, which has grown in coastal areas, has increased since the US market closed to Cuban sugar. The main coffee plantations are located in the mountainous regions of the southern part of the country and in the Soconusco region on fertile volcanic soils. Tomatoes, peanuts, early vegetables, citrus fruits, pineapples and a number of other tropical and subtropical crops are of export importance. Enterprises for the primary processing of plantation products are often controlled by foreign companies and owners of capitalist farms. In terms of livestock production, cattle farming in Mexico is concentrated in the north-central region, which exports large numbers of cattle to the United States. Beef and dairy products for Mexico's urban areas largely came from the coastal region of the Gulf of Mexico, where zebu cattle are raised. Great value The country's livestock production also includes horses, mules, donkeys, sheep, goats and pigs. The volume of livestock production meets the country's domestic needs for beef, pork, fresh milk, poultry and eggs, but milk powder is imported.

5. Transport.

The lack of convenient transport communications, which was hampered by the country's terrain, hampered its economic development for a long time. New types of transportation systems and communications first connected Mexico City with several of the most important economic centers, such as the US border and the port of Veracruz. Mexico City is still the hub of all transport networks and communication systems that reach the most remote areas of the country. The length of Mexico's railway network in 1996 was 26,623 km. The only national company that operates railways is Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (National Railways of Mexico). In 1992, the company transported 15 million passengers and almost 50 million tons of cargo. The first stage of the Mexico City metro was opened in 1969. In 1991, the length of its tracks was 158 km, and further expansion of the network of its lines was planned. The company Sistema de transporte colectivo (Public Transport System) is a state-owned company. The length of Mexico's highways is 247,440 km, of which 48.5 thousand km are paved and are considered main highways. The highway, running from the city of Ciudad Juarez (on the US border) to the city of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc (on the Guatemala border), is the main highway of the country. Other major highways run from Mexico City to Tijuana, Acapulco, Veracruz and Merida. Mexico has two main airlines, Aeromexico and Mexicona, which have an extensive network within the country. They fly to the USA, the rest of Latin America and some European airports. 32 international and 30 domestic airports are also served by numerous other international and local airlines. Sea transport is traditionally concentrated in the ports of Veracruz and Acapulco. In addition, the country has large ports in Tampico, Coatzacoalcos, Progreso, Salina Cruz, Mazatlan, Manzanillo, Guaymas, Ensenada, La Paz and Santa Rosalia. In 1992, Mexico's merchant fleet consisted of 649 ships with a total carrying capacity of 1.2 million tons. Almost all remote villages have telephones, telegraphs, radio and television. During Salinas's tenure, Telefonos de Mexico, which provides almost 98% of the national telephone service, was privatized. In 1996, a country with a population of 96.2 million people was served by only 8,826 thousand telephones.

5.1. Transport network. The length of the railway is 24 thousand km. Exported - 19.3 thousand km. The importance of motor transport is rapidly increasing. The length of highways is 82 thousand km. The most important are pipelines connecting areas of the oil and gas industry. The development of air communications has eliminated the isolation of many areas. Airlines (102 thousand km) connected states and major cities. Maritime transport provides 54% of export and 31% of import traffic. Mexico's transportation network is particularly developed along the coast and along the border with the United States. This is explained by the economic importance and economic development of these areas. With US participation, Mexico's main roads were reconstructed. There are 5 major railway lines in Mexico.

1. National Mexican - 13650 km.
2. Mexican - 836 km.
3. Interoceanic - 1838 km.
4. South Pacific - 2403 km.
5. United Yucatan - 898 km.
6. Others - 4337 km.
The total length is 23962 km.

6. External economic relations

The dynamic development of foreign trade is a decisive factor in the country's economic growth.

Mexico actively continues to pursue policies aimed at strengthening the country's authority in the international arena and creating favorable conditions for the development of foreign economic relations. The campaign to liberalize the economy and trade, which began in the country at the end of the 1980s, continued to be implemented by the government in the 2000s. The main direction of development of foreign economic relations remained the practice of concluding free trade agreements with various countries and regions. In 2000, negotiations were completed and agreements were signed with the EU (March), Israel (March), and the Northern countries. triangle" (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) (June), as well as the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) (November). Thus, Mexico now has similar agreements with 28 countries around the world. However, recently there have been increasing complaints against the government regarding the excessive number of free trade agreements being concluded. Mexican industrialists have asked the government not to enter into any more such agreements, as they are not ready to withstand the competition of new markets, especially those of Asian countries. Indeed, one cannot deny the positive results that free trade agreements have brought. Thus, 2002 was characterized by a stable growth in foreign trade turnover. Over the year, the country's exports increased by 20.4% and amounted to $166.4 billion. The dynamics of exports were significantly influenced by an increase in world oil prices, the value of exports of which increased by 65% ​​during this period. Imports increased by 22.9% and reached $174.4 billion. However, despite the significant increase in trade turnover, the government expressed concern about the increase in the trade deficit in 2002. So in 2002 it amounted to $8.022 billion, an increase of 43.7% compared to 1999. This figure is the highest in the last 6 years and exceeds the planned level by 2 billion dollars. In previous years, the deficit varied from 5 to 7 billion dollars. In subsequent years, experts predict a further increase in the trade deficit to the level of 10.7 - 11 .9 billion dollars, which will be caused, first of all, by a significant decrease in exports to the United States. In 2002, the export growth rate did not exceed 10%. As for their volume, they amounted to 183.4 billion dollars. Imports also increased by an average of 10% and amounted to 192.7 billion dollars. The total volume of trade turnover was 376 billion. dollars. The export structure in 2002 remained traditional for the Mexican economy: 88.8% came from manufacturing products, 8.2% from oil and petroleum products, 2.7% from agricultural products and 0.3% from the mining industry. . Exports carried out by maquiladoras enterprises increased, with an increase of 15%. The dynamics of import development was slightly higher than that of exports. If exports increased by 22.4% in 2002, then the growth rate of imports was 22.9%. The rapid growth of imports in 2000, which was observed in the country for the first time in recent years, causes some concern for the government. In this regard, one of the main directions of the new cabinet’s policy is further development and stimulating Mexican exports, mainly industrial ones. Since 2000, the government has adopted a number of programs to support exporting enterprises, primarily small and medium-sized ones. Despite the increase in the number of exporting firms by almost 1.5 thousand, more than 60% of export operations are still concentrated in the hands of the 300 largest companies. It is necessary to give primary importance and provide comprehensive support to small and medium-sized businesses in the country. In 2002, Mexico's main trading partners remained the USA and Canada, Latin American countries and European Union. Mexican exports were distributed as follows: 87.5% went to the USA, 1.8% to Canada, 5% to EU countries, 3.7% to Latvia. Am., 1.5% - Asia and 0.5% - the rest of the world community. Of the European countries, the most active trade relations were maintained with Germany, Spain, Great Britain and Italy. The main trade flow was concentrated in the direction of the United States - 88% of exports and 75% of imports. Mexico traditionally has a positive balance with this country. According to data for 2000, the positive trade balance for Mexico reached $20.1 billion. Compared to the previous year, it increased by $4.9 billion. Exports in trade with the United States also increased, their volume had the highest level over the last 8 years: $147.6 billion, imports – $127.6 billion.

So, in 2002, Mexico managed to become the second largest trading partner of the United States in terms of trade turnover, ahead of Japan, which previously occupied this position. Only Canada is ahead of Mexico in the volume of trade transactions carried out with the United States. According to experts, Mexico has every opportunity to soon become the largest trading partner in the world, primarily due to its participation in NAFTA. Before Mexico joined this union in 1993, trade turnover with America did not exceed $81 billion. During the validity of this agreement, its volume increased 3.5 times, and there was a stable trend of annual growth in trade turnover. Mexico's trade with another NAFTA partner, Canada, is small, but there has also been a steady increase in trade volumes. In 2000, trade turnover amounted to 7.4 billion dollars (in 1994 it did not exceed 2.8 billion dollars). Exports increased in 2000 to 3.4 billion dollars, imports - 4 billion dollars . Trade balance with Canada over the past few years there has been a deficit for Mexico; in 2000, there was an increase in the negative balance to $662.9 million. The volume of bilateral trade with EU countries is $17.4 billion, with other countries in the region - 1, 1 billion. In recent years, trade relations with European countries have been characterized by an increase in Mexico's deficit (a positive balance remains only with Holland and Portugal). This trend was reversed in 1999 due to a sharp increase in Mexican exports to the EU (by 36.3%), which was largely facilitated by the efforts of local entrepreneurs to develop the European market in anticipation of the conclusion of the FTA. Since imports from Western European countries grew by only 9% in the same year, the deficit fell by 4.7% to $6.4 billion. Although trade continues to grow in absolute terms, the share of European countries in Mexican foreign trade as a whole decreased from 11.4% in 1994 to 6.5% in 2000. This was a direct consequence of the agreement establishing the CAFTA and the significant increase in Mexican-American trade thereafter. At the same time, Mexico remains Europe's second most important trading partner in Latvia. America, although its share is only 1% of all EU foreign trade. In terms of trade, Mexico's most important ties are with Germany, which accounts for 35% of the country's total trade with the EU. Spain (12.5%), France (11.5%), Italy (11.4%) and the UK (11%) lag significantly behind. Switzerland stands out from other Western European countries (80% of turnover among non-EU countries). The basis of Mexican exports are petroleum products (15.8%), engines (8.2%), cars (7.7%). There is a noticeable trend towards an increase in the share of industrial products in the structure of Mexican exports to Europe (from 53% from 1990 to 77% in 2001) with a decrease in the share of petroleum products (40.9% in 1993). The level of agricultural exports remains low (3% in 2001), which continues to gradually decline. In imports, 54.3% consisting of mechanical engineering products and transport equipment, there is a significant share of capital goods, which clearly indicates the focus of Mexican enterprises on further increasing their own production capacities. Thus, trade turnover with EU countries was reduced for Mexico to a deficit, and it was higher than the level of 2001. In 2002, the negative balance amounted to $9.1 billion, 1.6 billion more than in 2001. , however, the level of trade turnover with European countries increased and reached $20.4 billion. The main items of Mexican exports to these countries were cars and spare parts for them, food products, textile and clothing products.

Trade turnover with Asian countries in 2002 had approximately the same level as in 2001 – $15 billion. The largest partners from Asian countries were Japan (trade turnover of $7.4 billion), China (3. $1 billion), South Korea ($3.9 billion) and Singapore ($0.8 billion). Among the countries of Latin America, trade relations with Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru developed most actively. However, according to experts, trade and economic relations between Mexico and the countries of this region do not correspond to their potential level. Great hopes for the revival of trade with Latin American countries are pinned on the free trade agreement signed in 2000 with the Northern Triangle, as well as the expansion and intensification of existing ones with Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Costa Rica and other countries. . It is also necessary to consider Mexico's foreign trade with Russia. Foreign trade with the Russian Federation in 2000 was characterized by a significant increase in trade turnover. For the year it amounted to 288 million dollars, which is more than 2 times more than the level of 1999. Ros. exports also doubled the volumes of 1999 and reached $284.4 million. Imports were slightly less than a year ago and amounted to $3.8 million. As in previous years, trade was positive. for Russia the balance. There have been changes in the structure of Russian exports to Mexico. The share of chemical products, fertilizers and rubber increased (they accounted for 55.3%; $157 million), which allowed goods in this group to become the main export item. In the group of fertilizers the largest specific gravity had urea (34% - $98.4 million) and min. fertilizers (9.5% – $27.1 million). The volume of urea supplies to Mexico from Russia increased by 3.7 times compared to 1999. The share of raw materials and semi-finished products from ferrous and non-ferrous metals decreased slightly, but remained high - 39.3% - $116 million. There was a decrease in the supply of machinery and equipment from $17.9 million in 1999 to 11. 8 million dollars. Their share in total exports did not exceed 4.1%. The main share in this group was held by aircraft and metalworking machines. Moreover, in 2000 there was an increase in export supplies of the latter, which amounted to more than 3 times compared to previous years. The main item of Russian imports traditionally remained zinc ores and concentrates (27.3% - $1.1 million), ethyl alcohol (19.1% - $0.7 million) and medicines (14.9% - 0.6 million dollars).

So, Mexico's foreign trade has been characterized by high intensity in recent years. There has been a significant increase in trade turnover with various countries and regions; agreements on free trade, encouragement and mutual protection of investments have been concluded.

7. Conclusions

Mexico is a developed industrial-agrarian country. Thanks to its favorable economic and geographical position, Mexico cooperates with many countries, which brings undeniable benefits to its economy. The country has developed tourism, which also brings profit. It is also beneficial that Mexico has rich reserves of natural resources - oil, silver, copper, gold, zinc, lead, timber, natural gas. Oil exports also bring significant revenues to the state. Industry and agriculture in Mexico are quite well developed. The transportation system is also extensive, especially along the coast and along the US border because these areas are economically significant. Mexico's economic ties are rapidly developing; Mexico is an important trading partner of many countries; various treaties and agreements have been signed with many of them, favorably influencing cooperation between countries. Mexico could soon become the world's largest trading partner, primarily due to its participation in NAFTA. However, the excessive number of free trade agreements being concluded is somewhat frightening for Mexican industrialists due to the fact that they are not ready to compete with the markets of Asian countries. But so far free trade has not brought any negative consequences for the country’s economy. In general, Mexico's position in the world market and in international relations is advantageous and very promising.

8. Additions

List of used literature:

1) Parks G. History of Mexico. M., 2006

2) Essays on the modern and contemporary history of Mexico. 1810–1945. M., 1999

3) Mashbits Ya.G. Mexico. M., 2000

4) Mexico. Policy. Economy. Culture. M., 2003

5) Bassols Batalha A. Economic geography of Mexico. M., 2000

6) Mexico: trends in economic and socio-political

Mexico occupies an advantageous geographical position, located between two oceans. In the north it has a long (more than 3 thousand 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 - largest exporter silver, lead, zinc. The resources of gold and uranium are significant. The most valuable mineral raw materials countries are oil and natural gas (southern states and the Gulf of Mexico shelf).

Most of Mexico has an arid climate. (In which climatic zones is Mexico located?) The interior of the country, where the bulk of the population lives and economic activity is concentrated, experiences constant water shortages.

An important feature of Mexico's nature is the exceptional richness of its flora. (In what natural areas is Mexico located?) There are about 500 species of cacti alone, and over 100 of agaves. Lush tropical forests remain on the Gulf Coast.

Population of Mexico

The majority of the country's population is mestizo, speaking Spanish and practicing Catholicism.

The bulk of the indigenous population - Indians - is concentrated in the southern states. The largest nationalities are the Aztecs, Mayans, Zapotecs, and Tarrasques. Local languages ​​are widely spoken among the Indian population.

Mexico is characterized by high rates of natural population growth. The birth rate is 20‰ and the mortality rate is at 5‰. This allows Mexico to remain one of the “young” countries in the world. About 30% of the country's residents 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. The region of Mexico City, where the metropolitan agglomeration was formed, stands out especially. The Mexico City metropolitan area, with 21 million people, is one of the largest in the world. The country's largest cities are Guadalajara, Puebla, and Monterrey.

77% of its population lives in cities. Rural settlements form large clusters, separated from each other by vast uninhabited spaces. Cities located along the US border are closely linked to the economy of the neighboring state.

Industry of Mexico

In terms of GDP value, Mexico is slightly inferior, and in terms of GDP per capita it is on the same level as Poland, South Africa, and Estonia. The basis of energy is oil and natural gas. Most of the electricity is produced at thermal power plants. Geothermal and solar power stations operate on an industrial basis. 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 petrochemicals, mechanical engineering and metallurgy. Large oil refining centers formed along the Gulf Coast.

Mechanical engineering is the second most important branch of heavy industry after petrochemicals. The automotive industry, dominated by foreign companies, stands out. The company produces railway rolling stock and agricultural machinery. Mexico is one of the world's leading manufacturers of machine tools and equipment.

A specific phenomenon in Mexican industry is the “maquiladoras” located in the north of the country - enterprises for the export processing of semi-finished products from the USA (assembly of automobile components, electrical appliances, electronics, furniture; sewing shoes and clothing). Agriculture. In most of Mexico, natural conditions are unfavorable for agriculture. About 40% of the territory is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts, and the same amount by 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), and coffee. Livestock farming is mainly represented by cattle breeding meat direction. Fishing has developed in coastal areas.

Transport Mexico

The main role in the transportation of goods and passengers is played by road transport (northern and central parts of the country). The main railway lines cross the country from north to south and connect 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 is characterized by a high birth rate and low mortality rate. Thanks 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 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.