Central place theory and rural access to central place services

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Jul 092011
 

A previous post – The four basic types of rural locality in Mexico – indicates that access to sources of goods, services, markets and opportunities is very important to the economic and social well-being of rural and farm communities. Such sources are called central places and may be a village, a small town, a large […]

Severe hail storm hit central Mexico on 15 May 2011

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Jul 072011
 

The severe hailstorm which struck parts of central Mexico on 15 May 2010 lasted up to 30 minutes in some places. It was a particularly intense storm, with golf ball-sized hailstones up to 5 cm in diameter. The video below was uploaded to YouTube by iosergyout. (The commentary is in Spanish). The storm was caused […]

The four basic types of rural locality in Mexico

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Jul 062011
 

In a previous post, we looked at why Some rural areas are more rural than others.This post describes each of the four distinct categories of rural areas identified by Mexico’s National Population Council (CONAPO). Rural localities near cities This group is defined as localities within five kilometers (3 mi) of cities of at least 15,000 […]

Less water available each year in Mexico as population increases

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Jul 052011
 

Data from the National Statistics Institute (INEGI) show that Mexico’s available water has fallen to 4,263 cubic meters/person/year. Water availability depends on the amount of rainfall received each year and on total population. Mexico’s water availability has declined rapidly since 1950, when it was 18,053 cubic meters/person/year. Of 177 countries analyzed by the Food and […]

The availability of water in Mexico

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Jul 042011
 
The availability of water in Mexico

Though parts of northern Mexico are arid, the country as a whole receives an average of 760 mm of precipitation a year (slightly over 30 in). This is a considerable amount, more than that received by either Canada or the USA. However, 73% of Mexico’s rainfall either evaporates directly or or is lost from plants […]

Some rural areas are more rural then others

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Jul 022011
 
Some rural areas are more rural then others

We all recognize that some cities are more urban than others. For example, Mexico City is considered more urban that a town of 20,000. By the same token, some rural communities are more “rural” than others. For example, a small settlement located near a city or along a main road would be considered less rural […]

Are Mexico’s rural areas more diverse than its cities?

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Jun 302011
 

Which are more diverse: Mexico’s rural areas, or its cities? At first glance, Mexico’s rural areas are all quite similar in that they lack the characteristics of Mexico’s large cities such as tall buildings, traffic congestion, modern shopping malls, bustling streets, heavy industry and the like. While rural areas are all similar in that they […]

Drug gangs diversify their business activities

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Jun 282011
 
Drug gangs diversify their business activities

Wise investors know that diversification is a sound way to protect their resources, and Mexico’s drug cartels have apparently been well educated in this regard. Recent news reports have highlighted two new ways in which Mexico’s drug cartels preserve and grow their wealth: the marketing of pirated merchandise, and the theft and sale of natural […]

Mexico imposes seasonal ban on all shark fishing

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Jun 272011
 
Mexico imposes seasonal ban on all shark fishing

According to government statistics, about 21,000 metric tons of shark are landed in the nation’s ports each year. However, many studies have suggested that shark populations are in decline due to overfishing. A series of conservation strategies are being guided by on-going research into shark populations undertaken by scientists attached to the National Fisheries Institute […]

Are Mexico’s large cities growing faster than small cities?

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Jun 232011
 
Are Mexico's large cities growing faster than small cities?

Aside from intra-urban moves (ie. those made within a city or town), the major focus of migration in Mexico has shifted from the largest cities to the medium cities (those with a population under one million). Medium cities, such as Mérida, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Hermosillo, attracted over 1.6 million new migrants compared to […]

Mexico’s role in the birth control revolution

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Jun 212011
 

The oral contraceptive pill, often referred to simply as “the Pill” will be officially sixty years old on October 15, 2011. In the words of The Economist: it “was arguably the first lifestyle drug to control a normal bodily function—fertility—rather than a dread disorder. It transformed the lives of millions and helped reshape the role […]

Key geographic indicators from Mexico’s 2010 Census

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Jun 202011
 

This post summarizes some important characteristics of Mexico’s population and households, as revealed by the definitive results of the 2010 population census. Literacy 5.3 million Mexicans over the age of 15 are unable to read and write a simple message (i.e. they are functionally illiterate). The highest rates of illiteracy are in Chiapas (17.0%), Guerrero […]

The internet in Mexico: is there a digital divide?

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Jun 182011
 
The internet in Mexico: is there a digital divide?

ITESM, a university based in Monterrey, established Mexico’s first internet connection in 1989. Other universities soon followed. In the late 1990s Telmex started to provide internet service to businesses and the general public. Other providers entered the market but by 2005 Telmex still had about 80% of the market. Public access via internet cafes is […]

How ecological is ecotourism in Mexico?

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Jun 162011
 
How ecological is ecotourism in Mexico?

Ecotourism is often touted as one solution to many of the potential woes associated with conventional resort tourism. It should come as no surprise to find that Mexico has embraced ecotourism: Mexico’s biodiversity is phenomenal. It is one of the five most important countries in the world in terms of biodiversity: Mexico’s mega-biodiversity The diversity […]

Wildlife trafficking in Mexico: how many wild parrots are illegally captured each year?

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Jun 142011
 
Wildlife trafficking in Mexico: how many wild parrots are illegally captured each year?

In this post we return to The thorny issues of plant and animal trafficking and biopiracy in Mexico. We highlight several recent news items related to wildlife trafficking, as well as an important survey of the illegal parrot trade in Mexico. Mexican police launched dozens of raids on stores and markets in March 2010, looking […]

Why Las Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve is well worth a visit

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Jun 132011
 
Why Las Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve is well worth a visit

In a recent post, we looked at an Enchanted Lake in southern Mexico, in the Sierra de las Tuxtlas, near Catemaco in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz. In this post we take a look at the surrounding Las Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve. Scenically, the entire Tuxtlas region is one of the most fabulously beautiful in […]

How did Mexico get to be the world’s 11th most populous country?

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Jun 112011
 

Mexico is currently the world’s 11th most populous country. While it has not always held this position, Mexico has been among the world’s population leaders for the last two thousand years. Worldmapper.org provides data on the estimated population occupying the areas of current countries for various years starting in the year one, when India (62 […]

How were the Piedras Encimadas (Stacked Rocks) in Puebla, Mexico, formed?

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Jun 072011
 
How were the Piedras Encimadas (Stacked Rocks) in Puebla, Mexico, formed?

The Valle de las Piedras Encimadas (Valley of the Stacked Rocks) is 150 km from the city of Puebla in the northern part of the eponymous state. The Piedras Encimadas are rock outcrops occupying an area of about 4 square km (990 acres) centered on a small valley at an altitude of 2400 meters above […]

The city of Querétaro is becoming Mexico’s aeronautical manufacturing center

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Jun 062011
 

Mexico’s aerospace sector attracted $1.25 billion in investments in 2010, 25% more than in 2009. The city of Querétaro has become the hub of Mexico’s fledgling aerospace sector, with several companies choosing it as an ideal manufacturing location. Opening a new section of the Bombardier plant in the city of Quéretaro, President Felipe Calderón highlighted […]

Are Mexicans the world’s hardest-working people or the least productive?

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Jun 042011
 
Are Mexicans the world’s hardest-working people or the least productive?

The headline — “Mexicans work longer hours than anyone else” — said it all, or did it? A recent report from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) found that Mexicans worked longer hours than people in any other OECD country, devoting 10 hours a day to paid and unpaid work (the latter includes […]

Review of Jeffrey M. Pilcher’s “¡Que vivan los tamales! Food and the making of Mexican Identity”

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Jun 022011
 
Review of Jeffrey M. Pilcher's “¡Que vivan los tamales! Food and the making of Mexican Identity”

Are you interested in the geography of Mexico’s regional cuisines or the historical relationships between food preparation methods and gender roles in Mexican society? If so, add ¡Que vivan los tamales! Food and the making of Mexican Identity by Jeffrey Pilcher to your “Books Wanted” list. Pilcher’s lively and entertaining account analyzes how the history […]

Marriage declining among Mexican couples

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May 312011
 

Mexican couples still prefer marriage over the alternatives, but not as strongly as in the past. According to the 2010 census, 40.5% Mexicans age 12 and over were married, down from 44.5% in 2000 and 45.8% in 2009. The 11% decline since 1990 does not sound like much, but is significant when the data are […]

Children of Mexico’s indigenous groups are disadvantaged from birth

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May 302011
 
Children of Mexico’s indigenous groups are disadvantaged from birth

About 12% of Mexico’s population belongs to one or other of the numerous indigenous groups in the country. According to Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Indian children under 5 years old are the group with the most needs in Mexico. They have a mortality rate that is 60% higher than that of non-Indian children. […]

Religious diversity is increasing in Mexico

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May 282011
 

Mexico is still considered to be a Catholic country, but it is slowly becoming less Catholic. In the 2010 census 82.7% said they were Catholics compared to 88.0% in 2000 and 89.7% in 1990. In a recent report, Sociologist Roberto Blancarte, who specializes in research into religions, claims that for each day of the last […]

Two examples of trans-border air pollution on the Mexico-USA border

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May 262011
 
Two examples of trans-border air pollution on the Mexico-USA border

Poor air quality is known to have significant economic and social impacts, including adverse health risks and a lower quality of life. In this post, we examine two examples of trans-border air pollution. We analyze the causes of poor air quality, and describe the strategies being adopted on either side of the Mexico-USA border to […]

Make your own “Better Life Index”

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May 252011
 
Make your own "Better Life Index"

An interactive graph from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) now allows you to compile your own “Better Life Index” and compare “well-being” across the 34 member countries of the OECD. From an educational perspective, the graph offers hours of fun and fact-filled learning opportunities. OECD Interactive graph for Better Life Index The […]

Relying on geography for orientation: some indigenous languages do not have words for “left” or “right”

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May 242011
 
Relying on geography for orientation: some indigenous languages do not have words for “left” or “right”

Mexico’s indigenous groups have long been a rich resource for investigations of all manner of research concerning culture, linguistics and sociology. In this post, we consider Spatial Reasoning Skills in Tenejapan Mayans, a study relating to geographic reasoning, which relied on the participation of indigenous Tseltal-speaking Maya in Tenejapa (Chiapas), southern Mexico. According to the […]

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