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Mexico is one of the largest Latin American countries. In terms of area (about 2 million sq. km), it ranks third among countries Latin America, second only to Brazil and Argentina, and in terms of population (107 million people according to the 2007 census) - second only to Brazil.

Mexico ranks southern part North American continent. In the north it borders on the United States, in the southeast on the Republic of Guatemala and Belize, on the south and west it is washed by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea). Mexico's closest maritime neighbor is the Republic of Cuba, located on the island of the same name and separated from the mainland by the shallow Yucatan Strait.

The greatest length of Mexico from northwest to southeast, from California to Guatemala, is 3,200 km. Extreme geographical points of the country: 32°42" and 14°30" N. w. and 86°46" and 117°7" W. d. The Northern Tropic divides Mexico into two almost equal parts.

In terms of territory size (1,969,367 sq. km), Mexico is almost equal to France, Spain, Germany, Italy and England combined.

In the Pacific Ocean, Mexico owns the islands of Revilla Gijedo, Guadalupe, Cedros, in the Gulf of California - the islands of Tiburon and Angel, in the Caribbean Sea - the islands of Cozumel, Mujeres, etc.

Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. At the same time, the influence of the Indian past is felt here at every step. It manifests itself in modern ethnic composition population, its labor skills, way of life, art, geographical names. Even the name of the country comes from the name of the supreme god of the Aztecs - Mexitli. Mexico is characterized by emphasizing distinctive Indian elements in any area public life countries. Mexican patriotism is largely brought up on this.

Administratively, Mexico is divided into 31 states and the Federal Capital District. In accordance with the current constitution of 1917, the head of state is the president, who is directly elected for a term of 6 years without the right to ever again occupy this post. Legislative power is exercised by the National Congress, consisting of a Senate elected for a term of 6 years and a Chamber of Deputies elected for a term of 3 years. The capital of the country is Mexico City.

The nature of Mexico is incredibly diverse. It combines vast high plateaus with thickets of cacti and swampy lowlands covered with tropical rainforests, snow-capped cones of grandiose volcanoes and deep depressions with dry woodlands, steep slopes of ridges covered with oak trees. pine forests, and sultry desert coasts. To a large extent, these contrasts are determined complex structure relief. About 2/3 of the country's territory is occupied by the Mexican Highlands with an internal plateau divided into two parts: the Northern and Central Mesa (in Spanish, “mesa” means table). Northern Mesa is a semi-desert plateau composed of sedimentary rocks with separate mountain ranges and basins - bolsons. His average height increases from 660 m in the north to 2000 m in the south, where it joins the Central Mesa. The Central Mesa rises further south to 2600 m and is covered mainly by volcanic products. It also has many intermountain basins - mainly basins of ancient dry lakes. The Mexican highlands are open to the north, and are limited on the east, west and south by mountain systems that drop steeply to the adjacent plains.

The Mexican Highlands is a plain dissected by mountains, composed mainly of granites and gneisses (in the west) and limestones, shales and sandstones (in the east), covered in a number of places by eruptions through cracks. volcanic lava. The soils of the highlands are poor: chestnut and gray soils are common in the north, and only in the extreme south are there black soils. Appearance the highlands are unsightly. The sun-scorched desert plain stretches for many hundreds of kilometers. Countless cacti, like huge candelabra, give the area a bizarre appearance. The houses here have no gardens or vegetable gardens; the courtyards are surrounded by cactus fences. Along the western and eastern edges of the highlands stretch the mountain ranges - Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental.

Mexico - independent country in the southern part North America, located in the widest part of the isthmus south of the US border, connecting two continents: North and South America. Area - 1.97 million km2 (13th place in the world), population - 121 million people, density - 62 people/km2. The capital is Mexico City, major cities are Guadalajara, Puebla, Ecatepec de Morelos.

Geographical characteristics

Mexico is located in the territory east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it includes part of the Yucatan Peninsula (12% of the country), the country occupies most of Central America. The country's area is 1.97 million km2, including 6 thousand km2 of island territories of the Pacific Ocean (Guadeloupe and Revilla-Gijedo), islands in the Gulf of Mexico and California, and the Caribbean Sea. Northern borders with the USA they have a length of 3141 km, Mexico's southern neighbors are Guatemala and Belize (the length of the border is 871 km and 251 km, respectively).

Nature

The northern and central parts of the country lie within the Mexican Highlands, which in the north turns into the Great Plains plateau in the United States. In the east, the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range stretches from north to south, in the west in the same direction - the Sierra Madre Occidental, this is a continuation of the Rocky Mountains, mostly located in the United States. In the center, the ridges of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt stretch from east to west under common name Sierra Nevada. Here are located such mountain peaks as the stratovolcanoes Orizaba (5.7 thousand m, the highest point in the country) and Nevado de Toluca (4.6 thousand m), the active volcano Popocatepetl (5.4 thousand m). The flat surfaces account for only a third of the country, the largest on the Yucatan Peninsula and the flat lowlands are located mainly in strips along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico...

Rivers and lakes

More than 150 river streams flow through Mexico, most of them belong to the Pacific Ocean, 1/3 flows into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The most large river Mexico - Rio Bravo del Note (3034 km) originates in the USA and is called Rio Grande there. It moistens the driest Mexican lands; the border with the United States runs along its bed in the north of the country. Most of the rivers originating in the Sierra Madre Occidental are lost in the arid zone and disappear. Main river center of Mexico - Lerma, flows into the freshwater Lake Chapala (area 1.1 thousand km 2, location - 45 km from the city of Guadalajara in the southwest of the country), carrying its waters from it to the Pacific Ocean under the name Rio Grande de Santiago. Other large rivers are the Balsas, Grijalva, Usumacinta, Conchos (the only tributary of the Rio Bravo del Note).

Ocean, bay and sea surrounding Mexico

The western part of Mexico is washed by the Gulf of California of the Pacific Ocean, the eastern part by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean...

Plants and animals of Mexico

Diversity climatic conditions on the territory of the country determine the diversity of flora and fauna. In northern Mexico, in arid areas, a large number of cacti, agave, yucca, mesquite trees grow, wolves, coyotes, a large number of rattlesnakes and lizards live here. In hot weather tropical zones growing thick tropical vegetation, represented by palm trees, rubber trees, and olive trees. On the slopes of the mountains oaks, pines and spruces grow, bears, pumas, ocelots, and jaguars are found. On the coasts of the oceans live seals, turtles, many birds...

Climate of Mexico

Mexico's territory lies in two climatic zones, its northern part is in the subtropical climate zone, the rest of the country is in the tropical climate.

Most of northern territories on the border with the USA, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf Coast, and the central regions of the country are in arid conditions (precipitation amount is about 250-300 mm per year), in the south there is more precipitation, its amount reaches up to 600 mm in Mexico City, a sufficient amount precipitation (up to 2000 mm) is received by the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the land of Yucatan. The rainy season lasts from May to October, and powerful tropical cyclones often occur here.

The country's climatic conditions largely depend on the altitude above sea level and vary depending on this factor. The coastal plains, 900 meters above sea level, are humid and hot climate(temperature from +19 0 C to +49 0 C), this is the so-called hot zone. At an altitude of 900 to 1800 m there is temperate zone with temperatures of +17 0 C, +21 0 C, the cold region is located higher up, it is quite cool here - about +16 0 C...

Resources

Natural resources of Mexico

Mexico has significant reserves of fuel and energy resources such as oil (the fourth largest producer of crude oil in the world), natural gas, and coking coal. There are also large reserves of iron ore, non-ferrous ores and noble metals, Mexico has 1st place in the world in the extraction and export of silver, fluorspar, the country is the world's main exporter of mercury, antimony, cadmium, zinc, manganese...

Mexico is one of the developed industrial-agrarian countries with the most developed economy among the countries of Latin America. The leading sectors of its industry are mining, energy, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemistry and oil refining, food and light industries.

Crop production is the leading branch of Mexican agriculture. The main crops grown are wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, beans, coffee, fruits, tomatoes, cotton...

Culture

Peoples of Mexico

The culture of the Mexican people is a mixture of Spanish culture and the pre-Columbian culture of ancient Indian tribes (Aztecs, Mayans). Customs, traditions and beliefs Catholic Europe coexist peacefully with the culture of the ancient Indian civilization. In the artistic art of Mexico, the most popular and famous have become frescoes, unique wall paintings, the development of which was greatly influenced by the architecture and art of the Aztecs and Mayans. Such famous Mexican artists as Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros worked in the fresco technique. The famous surrealist artist Frida Kahlo comes from Mexico.

As in any Catholic country, Mexico celebrates a very large number of religious holidays, the largest of which are Christmas and Easter; almost every village has its own patron saints, in whose honor local holidays are held with songs, dances, and carnival processions. One of the most amazing Mexican holidays, in which the beliefs and traditions of the ancient peoples of Mexico and their descendants are closely intertwined, is the Day of the Dead (November 1-2). This unique purely Mexican holiday is dedicated to the memory of deceased people, it shows that death should be treated lightly and without fear. He does without tears and lamentations; on the contrary, he is one of the most have fun days in the year when, after the traditional visit to the graves of their ancestors, people forget about their sorrows, wear bright carnival costumes, eat sweet skulls made from sugar icing and entertain themselves and others with entertaining figures of toy skeletons, which are the main characters of this holiday.

MEXICO (Mexico, Mejico), United Mexican States (Estado Unido Mexicanos),state in southern North America. It also owns islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. Area 1958.2 thousand km2. The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. Big cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, Leon, Tijuana.

Mexican government system.
Administrative divisions of Mexico.

Mexico is a Federal Republic. The head of state and government is the president, elected by universal suffrage for a term of 6 years. The legislative body is the bicameral National Congress (Senate and Chamber of Deputies).

Mexico has 31 states and the Metropolitan Federal District.

Population of Mexico.

Mexico's population is 104.91 million people (2003). The bulk of Mexicans are mestizos of Spanish-Indian origin (60%), Indians - 30%, descendants of Europeans - 9%. Official language- Spanish. The majority of believers are Catholics (89%). Mayan tribes make up the majority of the population in rural areas of Yucatan and the Chiapa mountains. The Oaxaca Valley and Sierra Madre del Sur are dominated by Zapotecs. Some Indian tribes form a majority in isolated mountain areas.

Mexico is one of the most urbanized countries in Latin America. St. lives in the capital and its suburbs. 18% of the population. Urban population in Mexico it is 75%. The population density in Mexico is 53.2 people/km2. Mexicans are actively migrating to the United States and in the state of California they already make up approx. half the population.

Climate of Mexico. Relief of Mexico.
Vegetable and animal world Mexico.

Most of Mexico is occupied by the Mexican Highlands with the marginal ridges of the Sierra Madre Oriental (4054 m), Sierra Madre Occidental (3150 m) and the Transverse Volcanic Sierra (active volcanoes - Orizaba, 5700 m, Popocatepetl, 5452 m, etc.). In the northwest is the mountainous peninsula of California, in the south is the mountainous region. Chiapas and Sierra Madre Sur, in the southeast - the low-lying Yucatan Peninsula.

According to natural and climatic conditions, the Mexicans themselves distinguish four high altitude zones. "Tierra caliente" - hot belt, includes all coastal areas and the foothills of the mountains. It is hot here both in winter and summer, but the summer-autumn rainy season stands out; precipitation is sufficient for the development of tropical rainforests. “Tierra Templada” is a warm zone - lands lying at altitudes of 1000–1500 m. The climate here is moderately hot, the vegetation is dominated by light tropical forests with sparse stands and the absence of lianas. "Tierra Fria" is a cool zone, lies at an altitude of 1500–2700 m and occupies vast expanses of the Mexican Highlands, including the Northern and Central Mesa, the slopes and foothills of the Transverse Volcanic Sierra and the Sierra Madre Southern. Summers here are moderately warm, and winters are cool with frosts; vegetation on slopes southern mountains- oak and pine forests, on the northern arid plateaus - desert and semi-desert with typical cacti.

“Tierra Helada” is a frost belt that covers mountain slopes and plateau peaks above 2700 m. Frosts often occur here; at an altitude of 2900–3500 m forests disappear, giving way to alpine meadows and eternal snows crowning many peaks of the Volcanic Sierra, reaching 5000–5500 m.

The southern regions of Mexico, attributed to the “Tierra Templada” and “Tierra Fria” belts (Central Mesa, basins and valleys adjacent to the Volcanic Sierra and Sierra Madre South), turned out to be the most suitable for life and economic activity. They have been developed for a long time, and the bulk of the population lives here.

The northern part of Mexico - the Northern Mesa Plateau - has the most severe natural conditions. This is an extremely dry area where winter months There are usually frosts. It is sparsely populated. Vast areas here are covered with desert and semi-desert landscapes with an abundance of xerophytic plants: fancy shrubs, cacti, yuccas, agaves. There are about 500 species of cacti.

The fauna of Northern Mesa is represented mainly by reptiles (venomous tooth, etc.), there are cougars and coyotes. Anteaters, tapirs, jaguars, etc. live in tropical forests.

Mexico has more than 50 national parks with a total area of ​​about 800 thousand hectares. The largest national parks are Bosenchev and Cumbres de Monterrey with mountain pine forests, La Molinche and Pico de Orizaba with famous volcanoes.

Economy and industry of Mexico.
Minerals of Mexico.

Mexico is one of the three most developed Latin American countries, along with Brazil and Argentina, far ahead of the rest. GNP is 4400 per capita (1999). The determining factors for the development of Mexico are the proximity of the United States, where the main influx of investment comes from, and the abundance natural resources. Mexico, along with Canada and the United States, forms the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA).

Silver mines were founded by the conquistadors and today Mexico ranks first in the world in silver mining. The mines are located in the so-called “Silver Belt” - an area stretching from Zacatecos and Guanajuato to Chihuahua with major center San Luis Potosi. With the discovery of deposits of gold, zinc, lead, cadmium, mercury, magnesium, silver mining is already fading into the background. At the beginning of the 20th century. Iron ore deposits were discovered near Durango. The raw materials mined here provide work for metallurgical plants in Monterrey. Mexico is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of fluorite.

Rich oil fields are controlled by the state-owned company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). It is the largest oil producing company in Latin America. A pipeline system has been created to transport oil and gas to the United States. Refineries are located in Ciudad Madera, Minatitlan, Reynosa, Salamanca, Tula and Salina Cruz. State-owned petrochemical plants operate in Veracruz. Oil brings Mexico 70% of foreign exchange earnings.

Mexico occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of hyperconcentration of production: most of the enterprises (2/3) of the manufacturing industry are located in the capital region. This is explained by a well-developed infrastructure and the presence of an extensive labor market. Agricultural engineering factories, car assembly plants, electronics and metallurgy enterprises are collected here.

Within the narrow border free trade zone (maquillador) with the United States, factories and factories are located that produce export products, the export of which is not subject to duty. Most of these enterprises are foreign, they are attracted by a favorable tax climate and cheap prices. work force. These are mainly enterprises in the electronics industry.

Agriculture employs more than a fifth of the economically active population. Agricultural production constantly lags behind population growth. Modern farmers own plots of 4 to 8 hectares of land, but their share accounts for 0.8% of all land. 1% of farms own plots of more than 1 thousand hectares. 50 million hectares of land belong to agricultural cooperatives - ejidos.

The territory of Mexico is conventionally divided into three agro-industrial regions: the Gulf Coast and the mountainous region of Chiapas, the northern and northeastern states and the Guanojuato region. Coffee and sugar cane are grown on the coast. Bananas, pineapples, papayas, mangoes and cocoa are grown for the domestic market. Mexico is one of the leading producers of vanilla. Cotton is grown along the Pacific coast and the Guatemalan border. Since the 1940s became available for cultivating the land of the North-West. The salt marsh lands along the Fuerto and Yaqui rivers were reclaimed, and ejidos were created to grow wheat. Since then, the state of Sinaloa has become a center for grain production. Winter vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes) are also grown here for export to the USA. Before the development of the Northwest, the Central region of Guanojuato was the “breadbasket” of Mexico. Wheat, peanuts, vegetables, strawberries, and beans are grown here. Beef farming is more developed on the coast, in the Chiapas region and the Northeast. Extensive livestock farming is typical of Northern Mexico (feeding livestock for transportation to the USA).

Tourism ranks second in terms of foreign exchange earnings after oil and gas trade. The government has invested heavily in the development of tourism infrastructure.

The currency is the peso.

History of Mexico.

On the territory of modern Mexico there are monuments of many great Indian civilizations: the Toltecs, Olmecs, Zapotecs, unknown builders of the great pyramids in the Teotihuacan Valley, the Mayans. At the beginning of the 14th century. The Aztecs founded the city of Tenochtitlan (in its place now Mexico City) and extended their power to other Indian tribes, to almost the entire territory of modern Mexico. The Aztec Empire was destroyed Spanish conquistadors led by E. Cortes in 1519-21.

Mexico became the core of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1821, during the struggle of the Spanish colonies for independence, Mexico declared itself an independent empire. In 1823, a republic was established in the country. In 1833, dictator A. Santa Ana came to power. In 1845, the United States annexed Texas, and by 1854 it had captured half of the Mexican lands. Failures in the war led to a social explosion, which in 1857 turned into civil war. By 1867 fighting stopped. In Mexico, even after gaining independence, the latifundist system of land ownership remained with the complete lack of rights of peon farm laborers. In 1910–1917 the revolution weakened the position of the latifundists. The revolutionaries (Pancho Villa and E. Zapata) repelled the American invasion. In 1917, a constitution was adopted, which laid the foundations of the modern political system. Land reform eliminated the largest latifundia, landless peasants received land. From 1929 to 2000, power in the country belonged to the Institutional Revolutionary Party. In 2000, a president from the National Action Party came to power for the first time. Since the late 1950s. a course was taken to industrialize the country. By the early 1980s. Mexico has achieved this great success, but the 1982 crisis led to a drop in production. In 1988-94, the government carried out macroeconomic reforms based on the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund. Inflation fell sharply, state-owned enterprises were privatized (except for the oil industry), external debt as a percentage of GDP decreased from 44 to 10% (although it increased in absolute numbers). But many medium and small enterprises went bankrupt, approx. 50% of Mexicans are below the poverty line. This led to mass protests. The situation of the Indians, already difficult, especially worsened; the uprising of the Mayan Indians began, the so-called. "Zapatistas" (mainly in the state of Chiapas). The government devalued the peso, the flight began foreign capital from the country. To stop it the US and International Monetary Fund allocated huge loans ($50 billion at a time and then annual support). The acute stage of the crisis passed, but its consequences led to the fall of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. External debt Mexico exceeded $160 billion. Acute confrontation in society resulted in a conflict in the 2006 presidential elections. Left-wing candidate Manuel Obrador did not admit defeat (the number of votes cast for him and the winning candidate from ruling Party Felipe Calderon's national action varied only slightly). His supporters held noisy protests.

In the southeast - with Belize and Guatemala, in the west it is washed by the waters of the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, in the east - by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Oil industry
The oil industry is a leading sector of the Mexican economy and the most important factor internal political struggle. Mexico ranks third in oil production in the Western Hemisphere and seventh in the world. The Mexican company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is state owned and is one of the largest oil producing companies in the world. On average, Mexico produced 3 million barrels per day in 2009, down from 3.18 million barrels per day in 2008.
In the near future there will be a decrease in oil production. According to the IEA, production will fall by 400 thousand barrels of oil per day already in 2011, primarily due to the depletion of the Cantarel field. And by 2015, Mexico could become an oil importer; by 2035, the production level will be 1.7 million barrels per day, and the import level will be 1.3 million barrels per day. This will have a significant impact on the domestic economic situation in Mexico and will require the search for new sources of income.

Production natural gas
Natural gas is an important resource for Mexico as demand for it is growing, especially in the electricity sector (gas-fired power plants). Mexico has gas reserves of 13.2 trillion cubic meters. ft., 1.84 trillion cubic meters were produced in 2008. ft. The volume of production is not enough to cover the internal needs of the state, so Mexico is an importer of gas. Most gas is imported from the United States via gas pipelines and in the form of LNG from other countries.
Pemex has a monopoly on gas production and the development of new fields. The company is also the largest consumer of gas, accounting for about 40% of total oil consumption. Natural gas is produced in almost the same regions as oil. Fields in the north and south of the country together produce about 60% of the gas, the rest is produced in the Bay of Campeche. And while oil production from the Gulf's Cantarel field has been declining, natural gas production there has more than doubled between 2006 and 2008. There are two LNG terminals operating in Mexico. On the west coast, the Costa Azul terminal has been operating since 2008, capable of processing 1 billion cubic meters. feet of gas per day. On east coast The Altamira terminal is located, which is a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Mitsui. throughput 500 million cubic meters feet per day, it is planned to increase it to 1.3 billion.

Coal mining
Coal reserves in Mexico were estimated at 1.335 billion short tons in 2005, and production has been increasing, reaching 12.7 million short tons in 2008. The country's largest coal producers are two domestic steel companies, Minera Carbonifera Rio Escondido (Micare) and Minera Monclova (Mimosa). Micare mines coal in the Sabinas and Fuentes-Rio Escondido basins in the state of Coahuila with two open pits and three mines with total reserves of 208.6 million tons. Mimosa produces coking coal in four mines in the Sabinas region.

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Kharkovskaya comprehensive school I-III degrees No. 164

Kharkov City Council, Kharkov region

Course work

"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 position

Being located in North America, (at approximately 23° northern latitude and 102°E) Mexico makes up most of Central America. From 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 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 US border west from 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 located at an altitude of 1200 to 2400 m above sea level, which corresponds to the upper part temperate zone and the lower part of the cold one. Although seasonal temperature ranges 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 general level The plateau rises sharply to a height of up to 900 m and block mountains. 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 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 Central region- 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; was completed the same year highway paved road connecting Durango and the port of Mazatlan. Mountain system in the east the highlands, the Sierra Madre Oriental, are relatively easier to navigate. The most convenient routes through it are through Monterrey in the north and 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 end of the geological structures of North America, ends in steep ledges facing Pacific Ocean and to the low-lying isthmus of Tehuantepec.