Dramatic fall in grain production means higher imports

 Mexico's geography in the Press  Comments Off on Dramatic fall in grain production means higher imports
Dec 082011
 

Mexico’s production of basic grains has fallen 8.5% this year (compared to 2010) to 28.5 million metric tons, according to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) estimates. This is a very serious fall, exceeded (on a percentage basis) only by South Africa (15.8%) and Ethiopia (11.3%). As a result of the fall in production (largely due […]

Mexico plans a big expansion in its network of natural gas pipelines

 Mexico's geography in the Press  2 Responses »
Dec 072011
 
Mexico plans a big expansion in its network of natural gas pipelines

The federal government has announced a six-year overhaul of Mexico’s domestic natural gas market, coupled with building some major extensions to the existing natural gas pipeline network. Recent discoveries of massive reserves of shale gas have prompted the government to abandon plans to build more nuclear power stations and focus more attention on natural gas. […]

Mexico’s 2011 drought is raising the price of basic foodstuffs

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Dec 052011
 
Mexico's 2011 drought is raising the price of basic foodstuffs

This year’s drought – see Many states in Mexico badly affected by drought – is now widely viewed as the worst to occur since modern record-keeping for precipitation began about 80 years ago. Short-term droughts are not unusual in Mexico. As the graph shows, there is a clear cyclical pattern to the timing of short-term […]

The important but often overlooked state of Puebla

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Dec 022011
 
The important but often overlooked state of Puebla

The interesting and important state of Puebla is often overlooked because it is overshadowed by nearby Mexico City. In fact the western state border of Puebla is within 35 kilometers of the eastern edge of the Federal District. The state of Puebla also may be overlooked because it is rather small in area, ranking only […]

International financial flows: how do Mexican migrants send remittances back home?

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Nov 302011
 
International financial flows: how do Mexican migrants send remittances back home?

Remittance payments are one of the world’s major international financial flows. Mexican migrants in the USA send more than 20 billion dollars a year in total back to their families and friends. But how exactly are remittance payments made? A 2005 World Bank study led by Raúl Hernández-Coss entitled “The U.S.–Mexico Remittance Corridor: Lessons on […]

The rapid expansion of literacy and education in Mexico

 Updates to Geo-Mexico  Comments Off on The rapid expansion of literacy and education in Mexico
Nov 282011
 
The rapid expansion of literacy and education in Mexico

Data from Mexico’s 2010 census indicate that considerable progress has been made in the recent past. Literacy of those over age 15 has increased from 87.6% in 1990 to 90.5% in 2000 and 93.1% in 2010. This is to be expected since literacy varies with age. As the older people, many of whom are illiterate, […]

Unusual hazard: gasoline pours out of storm drains in Poza Rica, Veracruz

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Nov 262011
 
Unusual hazard: gasoline pours out of storm drains in Poza Rica, Veracruz

Recent floods in parts of the city of Poza Rica (Veracruz) resulted in an unusually dangerous situation. As groundwater rose following exceptionally heavy rains, a mixture of water and oil flowed out of some street drains. The precise cause is unknown. The city is blaming the state oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Pemex claims that […]

Many states in Mexico badly affected by drought

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Nov 232011
 
Many states in Mexico badly affected by drought

Much of Mexico is currently affected by some degree of drought (see map below). The National Meteorological Service (SMN) reports that September was one of the driest months in some 70 years. All the signs suggest this is the worst year for drought since 1941. The worst affected states are Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo […]

Mexico reduces emissions with innovative carbon credit project

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Nov 212011
 

Mexico is rapidly becoming a key market for environmental investments, and now accounts for one in every five projects involving Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) in Latin America. A recent Reuters news item gives the basic details of one CDP project: Mexico to earn royalty on light bulb carbon credits CDMs, established after the Kyoto Protocol, […]

Mexico, USA and Canada cooperate to produce monthly drought maps

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Nov 192011
 
Mexico, USA and Canada cooperate to produce monthly drought maps

The North America Drought Monitor (NADM) is a “cooperative effort between drought experts in Canada, Mexico and the United States to monitor drought across the continent on an ongoing basis”. The program began  in 2002 . The NADM is an extension of an earlier version that was limited to the USA. The NADM combines multiple […]

Why does Mexico, an oil producer, need to import refined petroleum products?

 Mexico's geography in the Press  2 Responses »
Nov 162011
 
Why does Mexico, an oil producer, need to import refined petroleum products?

Mexico may have major reserves of petroleum but it lacks the necessary refining capacity to supply the domestic market with all the refined products such as vehicle fuels that its industrial, commercial and residential sectors demand. As a result, Mexico has to import refined petroleum products, mainly from the USA. The high costs of these […]

Conflict at Cabo Pulmo: mass tourism meets ecotourism

 Mexico's geography in the Press  1 Response »
Nov 142011
 
Conflict at Cabo Pulmo: mass tourism meets ecotourism

A few months back, we wrote of the conflicts surrounding the proposed tourist mega-development near Cabo Pulmo. The controversial plans for Cabo Cortés involve building on the virgin sand dunes, and will undoubtedly have adverse impacts on the small village of Cabo Pulmo and the ecologically-sensitive Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park and its coral reef. […]

The diffusion of violence in Mexico since the early 1980s

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Nov 122011
 
The diffusion of violence in Mexico since the early 1980s

Today, we take a quick look at Mexico, the Un-Failed State: A Geography Lesson, published on the InSight Crime website. InSight Crime’s stated objective is “to increase the level of research, analysis and investigation on organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Gary Moore, the author of Mexico, the Un-Failed State: A Geography Lesson, […]

Where are the wealthiest households in Mexico?

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Nov 102011
 
Where are the wealthiest households in Mexico?

A recent publication from the public opinion research consultancy Mitofsky offers some insights into the distribution of different socio-economic groups within Mexico. The Mitofsky study relies on the AMAI 10×6 system to tabulate the percentage of households in each state that fall into six distinct categories: A/B, C+, C, D+, D and E. Across Mexico […]

Mexican migrants and remittances: an introduction

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Nov 072011
 

Remittances (the funds sent by migrant workers back to their families) are a major international financial flow into Mexico. Remittances bring more than 20 billion dollars a year into the economy, an amount equivalent to 2.5% of Mexico’s GDP. On a per person basis, Mexico receives more worker remittances than any other major country in […]

Mexico’s freshwater aquifers: undervalued and overexploited

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Nov 052011
 
Mexico's freshwater aquifers: undervalued and overexploited

Mexico’s groundwater aquifers are a very important resource. About 64% of public water supplies come from wells sunk into aquifers. Mexico City, Monterrey and several other metropolitan areas rely heavily on aquifers. Aquifers also provide about one-third of all the water for agriculture and livestock. The largest aquifer resource in terms of renewable water availability […]

Mexico Pan-American Highway, route of one of the toughest road races in the world

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Nov 022011
 
Mexico Pan-American Highway, route of one of the toughest road races in the world

The completion of the Mexican stretch of the Pan-American Highway, from the US border to Guatemala, in the late 1940s was a significant turning-point in the development of Mexico’s road network. The highway made previously remote areas more accessible, but, far more than that, it served as a symbol of unity and Mexico’s progress into […]

Uxpanapa, an example of forced migration

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Oct 312011
 

Almost all internal migration in Mexico in recent history has been voluntary. Tens of thousands of rural Mexicans have decided that life might be better somewhere else and have left their farms for the bright lights of the nearest large city. Their motivation is usually economic, but sometimes may be based on educational opportunities or […]

Food speculation fuels a tortilla crisis in Mexico

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Oct 292011
 

The Ecologist Film Unit has produced an excellent 8-minute video on how financial speculation on corn (maize) has led to a dramatic rise in the price of corn tortillas, with potentially disastrous effects for the health and well-being of the many of Mexico’s poorest. Reporter Tom Levitt’s video, accompanied by text, presents a compelling case, […]

Mexico adds three more Magic Towns to its list

 Mexico's geography in the Press  Comments Off on Mexico adds three more Magic Towns to its list
Oct 272011
 

Mexico’s Magic Town (Pueblo Mágico) program seeks to promote inland destinations that offer a complementary tourism based on historic and cultural attributes. The federal Tourism Secretariat has announced there will be 52 Magic Towns by 2012, when the promotional program is currently due to end. As many as 70 towns are reported to be seeking […]

Gulf of Mexico energy reserves: updates in Mexico’s oil and gas sector

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Oct 252011
 
Gulf of Mexico energy reserves: updates in Mexico's oil and gas sector

PEMEX awards first-ever contracts for the operation of oil fields. In a move welcomed by international oil analysts, Pemex has awarded British company Petrofac Facilities Management Ltd. a contract to operate the Santuario oil fields in Tabasco. Prior to this contract, all oil field operations in Mexico since 1938 had been directly managed by Pemex. […]

Veracruz: one of Mexico’s most diverse states

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Oct 242011
 
Veracruz: one of Mexico’s most diverse states

Veracruz, one of Mexico’s most important and interesting states, is a narrow strip of land stretching for 650 kilometers (over 400 miles) along the Gulf of Mexico. The topography ranges from a narrow coastal plain to very high mountains on its western border including Mt. Orizaba, Mexico’s highest peak at 5,610 meters (18,406 ft.). Mexico’s […]

Cultural diffusion: Thousands of students in Mexico receive classes by TV

 Excerpts from Geo-Mexico, Updates to Geo-Mexico  2 Responses »
Oct 222011
 
Cultural diffusion: Thousands of students in Mexico receive classes by TV

Mexico’s pioneering “telesecundaria” or “television secondary school” system began back in 1968. It now provides junior high school classes in remote areas, serving about one million students in grades 7 to 9, 17% of the total nationwide enrollment in these grades. Many of the telesecundaria lessons are now available on the Internet, and before long, […]

The geography of road transport in Mexico

 Excerpts from Geo-Mexico, Updates to Geo-Mexico  Comments Off on The geography of road transport in Mexico
Oct 202011
 
The geography of road transport in Mexico

Mexico’s road network is heavily used, accounting for over 95% of all domestic travel.  On a per person basis, Mexicans travel an average of 4500 km (2800 mi) by road each year. In this post, we try to answer several general questions relating to the geography of road transport in Mexico. How many cars are […]

Mexico receives $280m in international funding to fight urban poverty

 Mexico's geography in the Press  Comments Off on Mexico receives $280m in international funding to fight urban poverty
Oct 172011
 

Today (17 October 2011) is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. A few weeks ago, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $280 million loan to help fight urban poverty in Mexico through a comprehensive approach that combines efforts targeting both physical needs — increased access to urban services and infrastructure — as well […]

Hurricane Jova smashes into Barra de Navidad and Melaque on Mexico’s Pacific Coast

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Oct 142011
 

The twin coastal towns of Melaque and Barra de Navidad in the state of Jalisco felt the full force of Hurricane Jova earlier this week. Barra de Navidad has great historical importance as one of the shipbuilding ports where the Spanish built the ships which traversed the Pacific Ocean to the islands of the Philippines. […]

The maquiladora export landscape

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Oct 102011
 
The maquiladora export landscape

InfraNet Lab is “a research collective probing the spatial byproducts of contemporary resource logistics.” Given its emphasis on spatial aspects, it includes many topics of interest to geographers. InfraNet Lab was included on Planetizen’s 2009 list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites. Planetizen describes InfraNet Lab as: “An intense and directed blog […]

The diffusion of the Africanized honey bee in North America: a bio-geographical case study

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Oct 082011
 
The diffusion of the Africanized honey bee in North America: a bio-geographical case study

Africanized honey bees, sometimes popularly called “killer” bees, resulted from the crossing (hybridization) of European honey bees and African honey bees. They combine the best and the worst of both sets of relatives. Africanized honey bees are slightly smaller than European honey bees, but more aggressive and less inclined to remain in one place. They […]

Mexico’s geomorphosites: the volcanic spine of Tequila Volcano, Jalisco

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Oct 062011
 
Mexico’s geomorphosites: the volcanic spine of Tequila Volcano, Jalisco

The small town of Tequila, the center of production of Mexico’s national drink, lies in the shadow of an imposing 2700-meter (8860-ft) volcano. Most visitors to the town visit the National Tequila Museum, take a distillery tour, and then sample one or two of the many world-famous brands of tequila made in the area. Tequila […]

The re-opening of the giant El Boleo copper mine in Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur

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Oct 042011
 
The re-opening of the giant El Boleo copper mine in Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur

Santa Rosalía in Baja California Sur is one of my favorite places on the Baja California Peninsula. Geography and economics have conspired to change its fortunes more than most towns in the course of history. Originally founded in 1705, the town failed to prosper as its populace faced repeated epidemics, and its farmland was subject […]

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