Overview Of:MEXICO

CENTRAL AMERICASOUTH AMERICA

Mrs. PriceNovember 2007

Read to Discover

• What were the cultures of Mexico like before the Spanish arrived?

• How did Spanish control change Mexico?

• What has Mexico’s history been like since independence?

History and Culture of Mexico

• Many cultures existed, each with its own language and customs.

• Farmers grew beans, corn, peppers, and squash.• Complex civilizations—Maya, Olmec, Toltec,

Zapotec—had large city centers.• The Aztecs created an empire and a great capital

city, Tenochtitlán, in south central Mexico.

Early Cultures of Mexico

Question

What changes occurred in Mexico during the colonial period?

Religion

Population

Government

Farming

Many indigenous people were killed by European diseases.

Small communal ejidos were replaced by large haciendas.

Aztec Empire was replaced by a Spanish colonial government.

Mestizos became the largest segment of the population.

Most people were converted to Roman Catholicism.

History and Culture

Disease

• After independence (1821), powerful families still in control• Northern territory lost in 1848 after war with United States• Late 1800s—Foreign investment fueled economic growth,

inequality• Mexican Revolution (1910–1920)—Some reform, but

power remained in few hands• Modern economy open to foreign business• Increasingly urban and industrial, with large tourist

industry• Society changing rapidly; more democratic politics

Mexico since Independence

Read to Discover

• What are the economic and cultural regions of Mexico?

• What challenges face Mexico?

Mexico Today

• Greater Mexico City—cultural, economic, political center

• Central Mexico—fertile farm area; Guadalajara second-largest city

• Gulf Lowlands—hot and humid; economy based on farming, ranching, trade, oil production

• Southern Mexico—Yucatán and Chiapas highlands; Mayan areas, subsistence farming

• Northern Mexico—more prosperous; industry centered in Monterrey; commercial agriculture, tourism

Mexico Today

Mexico’s Regions

Resolving Economic Inequality

• Poverty

• Wealth in the hands of a few people

• Few opportunities for Mexican Indians

• Loss of skilled laborers through migration

ReducingCrime

• Result of widespread poverty

• Main route for drug smuggling into the United States

• Government corruption

Improving Infrastructure

• Lack of clean water and modern sewers

• Many roads and railways out of date

• Difficult to move goods to market

Challenges for the Future

Mexico Today

Read to Discover

• How does Central America’s history continue to shape the region today?

• What economic, political, and social conditions exist in the region?

Central America

Central America’s Cultural Heritage

Central America

• Catholicism

• Unequal distribution of wealth

• Spanish colonists introduced Spanish-style architecture and town planning

• Mestizos a major ethnic group

• Spanish language

• Commercial export agriculture, with strong foreign influence

• Powerful families control society, government, military

• Widespread poverty and inequality causing emigration, unrest

• El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala—Violence, civil war

• Honduras—Poorest country; rough terrain, lack of development

• Panama—Variety of conditions, from wilderness jungle to modern industry

• Costa Rica—Greatest stability, highest standard of living

Central America

Economic, Political, and Social Conditions

Read to Discover• What are some important events in the

history of the Caribbean?• What cultural and population patterns

are found in the region?• What activities support the economies

of the Caribbean countries?

The Caribbean

I'm Sorry...

Akon I'm sorry that it took so long to see

They were dead wrong trying to put it on meI'm sorry that it took so long to speakBut I was on tour with Gwen Stefani

I'm sorry for the hand that she was dealtFor the embarrassment that she felt

Just a little young girl trying to have funHer daddy should never let her out that young

I'm sorry for Club Zen getting shut downI hope they manage better next time around

How was I to know she was underagein a 21 and older club they say

Why doesn't anybody wanna take blameverizon out back disgracing my name

I'm just a singer trying to entertainBecause I love my fans I'll take that blame

Even though the blame's on you [3x]I'll take that blame from you

And you can put that blame on me [2x]You can put that blame on me

And you can put that blame on me

• Columbus’s arrival in 1492 began Spanish colonization.

• British, Dutch, and French competed for control.

• Europeans created plantations based on slave labor.

• Haiti gained independence in 1804.

• U.S. took Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain in the Spanish-American War of 1898.

• Many Caribbean islands remained colonies until the mid-1900s.

The Caribbean

Important Events in Caribbean History

Question

What nations have influenced the culture of countries in the Caribbean?

The Caribbean

The Caribbean

• African—Most countries, notably Haiti and Jamaica

• American—Cuba, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

• Asian—Trinidad and Tobago, others

• British—Several countries

Cultural Influence in the Caribbean

The Caribbean

• Dutch—Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, others

• Caribbean Indian—Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, others

• French—Several countries, notably Haiti

• Spanish—Several countries, notably Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic

Cultural Influence in the Caribbean

• Mainly of European and African descent

• Asian immigrants influence some countries (Trinidad and Tobago)

• Small Caribbean Indian population

• Language—Based on colonial history (Spanish, English, French, Dutch, creole)

• Religion—Catholic, Protestant, African, Hindu, Islamic

The Caribbean

Cultural Patterns

• 70% of the population lives in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic

• Largest city is Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital

• Rapid population growth produces unemployment, emigration, urbanization

The Caribbean

Population Patterns

• Except for Cuba (command economy), market economies dominate the region.

• Caricom, the Caribbean Community and Common Market, was developed to promote industry and trade.

• Agricultural exports are the key activity: sugar, bananas, cacao, citrus, spices.

• Mining is important in some countries.• Puerto Rico has developed industry based on U.S.

policies.• Tourism is important throughout the region.

The Caribbean

Economic Activities

Read to Discover• What were some important events in

the early history of South America?• How did the colonial era and

independence affect South America?• What are some important features of

South America’s cultures?

History and Culture of South America

BrazilCristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) opens his arms wide as if to embrace all of Rio de

Janeiro.

Question

How did the colonial period and independence affect South America?

History and Culture

Colonization

Inca conqueredLands taken by EuropeansEuropean animals and agricultural products

introducedDeath of indigenous people from European diseases

and conquest

Dictatorships supported by wealthy familiesMilitary coups and political instabilityCountries still isolatedBorders still on colonial boundaries

Independence

Causes and Effects in South America’s History

History and Culture

Chile

• Torres del Paine's granite peaks, pristine lakes, and massive glaciers awe

visitors to this World Biosphere Reserve.

• Great Ethnic Variety—Mixed-race, European, American Indian, African, East Indian, Japanese

• Language—Reflects colonization; Indian languages still spoken

• Religion—Majority Roman Catholic; also Hinduism, Islam, traditional indigenous religions

• Traditional Culture, despite change

History and Culture

Cultural Features

Read to Discover

• What is the economy of South America like today?

• What are South American cities like?

• What issues and challenges face the people of South America?

South America Today

Economy

• Developing or middle-income countries

• Agriculture, subsistence and commercial farming

• Wide range of industrial products

• Mercosur important free trade group

Cities

• Large parts of each country’s population living in big cities

• Rural-urban migration

• Urban poor living in slums that surround the city

• Crime and lack of services in these areas

Issues

• Poverty

• Amazon rain forests being cleared for farming and ranching

• Soil exhaustion and overgrazing threatening the land

• Border disputes, terrorism, and political corruption

South America Today