How many indigenous people are there? According to INEGI figures, about six million Mexicans over the age of five speak at least one indigenous language. Another three million Mexicans consider themselves indigenous but no longer speak any indigenous language. How many indigenous towns or villages exist? INEGI figures show that, in over 13,000 localities, more […]
This table shows the cost of doing business in 10 countries, according to the latest (2010) KPMG guide “Competitive Alternatives” which compares business costs for more than 100 cities. The study uses a compound index of business costs, which includes 26 significant cost components, as well as a variety of non-cost factors such as labor […]
Where is the geographic center of Mexico? Well, believe it or not, Mexico has more than one geographic center. This is why, whenever I’ve been asked this question in the past, I’ve always deliberately fudged my reply. Several locations lay claim to being the center, but it’s all a question of definition. Does center mean […]
Mexico City’s Benito Juárez international Airport handled 26.2 million passenger movements last year, making it the world’s 43rd busiest terminal, according to the Airports Council International. In terms of flights, Mexico City airport was the world’s 30th busiest, with 366,000 take-offs and landings. For freight, it was the 48th largest in the world, with 376,000 […]
Many common garden flowers were developed from samples collected in Mexico by a German botanist financed by Britain’s Horticultural Society. Karl Theodor Hartweg (1812-1871) came from a long line of gardeners and had gardening in his genes. Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, he worked in Paris, at the Jardin des Plantes, before moving to England to […]
Cartograms are maps in which the sizes of areas (such as states or countries) have been distorted to reflect some numerical value applying to that area. They are a form of topological transformation. To help make the end-product recognizable, the positions of major places are kept as close to their conventional spatial arrangement as possible. […]
These are the ten states in Mexico with the lowest annual precipitation totals. Mexico’s six wettest states receive more than twice the precipitation of any of these dry states. Teaching ideas: Plot these states on a map of Mexico and see if there is any clear pattern to their location. Does their location help to […]
In recent years, considerable attention has focused on the US government’s efforts to stem the flow of Mexicans migrating north of the border in search of jobs. But there was a time in history when the boot was, so to speak, very much on the other foot. In the early 19th century, shortly after gaining […]
The British soccer (fútbol) giants Manchester United have signed their first ever player from Mexico. Javier Hernández—”El Chicharito” (the Little Pea)—is a 21-year-old striker who has already scored four goals for Mexico in just four games, and is expected to play an important part in Mexico’s World Cup bid in South Africa in the summer. […]
Mexico has passed rapidly through a “nutrition transition”. The traditional Mexican diet was based on corn and beans, supplemented by fruits and vegetables with relatively little meat and dairy products. Over a 15-year period the average Mexican ate 29% less fruits and vegetables and 6% more carbohydrates while consuming 37% more soft drinks. In fact […]
This table shows the ten states in Mexico which have the largest populations. The total population was 112,322,757 in 2010, according to the preliminary results of the 2010 census. These figures may change slightly when the final results of the census are made available. Q. Find these ten states on a map of Mexico [printable […]
The soft drinks industry in Mexico is big business. Nationwide, there are about 250 bottling plants. Between them they produce some 300 million cases of soft drinks a year, worth about 15.5 billion dollars. The soft drinks industry may bring economic benefits to industrialists, but is is also related to public health issues. Public health […]
Initial reports of the earthquake, which struck at at 15:40 Pacific time, are that the epicenter was about 160 kilometers south-east of Tijuana and that the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers. The shaking was felt in downtown Los Angeles. Press reports confirm two fatalities and 100 people injured, as well as […]
The recent (2010) Elton John concert at Chichen Itza provides an ideal case-study for discussion in geography classes. Events such as this concert are a great starting point for a debate about the benefits and drawbacks of using world-famous archaeological or cultural sites as the setting for concerts by major modern international music stars. Benefits: […]
Despite the popularity of geography in Mexico’s high schools, students are rarely involved in any geographic fieldwork until they reach university. The major exceptions are those students lucky enough to attend one of the international schools offering courses such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. The IB geography syllabus requires all students to have […]
The map shows the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The state capital is the city of Chihuahua (2009 population: 839,000) . Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico in area: 247,087 square kilometers (95,401 square miles). The state’s population is 3,422,047 (CONAPO 2010 estimate). Cd. Juárez is the state’s largest city and Mexico’s 8th […]
Another interesting example of an unusual place name (following on from an earlier post about unusual place names) is the name “La Curva de la Gringa”, the American woman’s curve. La Curva de la Gringa is the name of a 90-degree bend near Jungapeo, west of Zitácuaro in the state of Michoacán. Literally translated as […]
To whom do we owe the birth of modern geography in Mexico? To Alexander von Humboldt, the brilliant early-19th century explorer. His visit to the country in 1803-4 helped him amass sufficient data and ideas to publish works which would prove to be a secure foundation for the development, in particular, of physical geography and […]
Inaccuracies involving Mexico occur all too frequently in the press. This is the first of an occasional series recording such Mexico-related imprecisions. Canwest News Service claims to be “the best source in Canada for editorial content because we have more journalists than any other organization.” Maybe its journalists are better than its headline writers. The […]
The “Niagara of Mexico” is a natural waterfall on the River Santiago as it winds its way from Lake Chapala to the Oblatos Canyon, the deep ravine which prevents the city of Guadalajara from expanding further northwards. Between the small villages of El Salto (The Waterfall) and Juanacatlan, 17 kilometers east of the Guadalajara-Chapala highway, […]
Update: New Durango-Mazatlán highway officially open (Oct 2013) Update [October 2012]: Despite earlier claims that the Durango-Mazatlán highway would be completed before the end of 2012, government officials have now confirmed that the highway will not be finished, and will not open, until sometime in 2013. The Durango-Mazatlán highway in Mexico should open in 2013 […]
In the 19th century, most of the proposed schemes to change the course or nature of the Lake Chapala area were never carried out. Of those that were implemented, the most significant was the construction in 1883 of the Presa Corona. This dam facilitated the construction of a hydro-power plant at the Juanacatlán Falls. Associated […]
The rapid rates of economic growth in recent decades in the north of Mexico has led to a pronounced economic north-south divide, mapped and analyzed in some detail in chapter 14 of Geo-Mexico: the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico. In 2009, this divide weakened slightly. However, this was not so much a case of […]
The traditional way of turning corn (maize) into tortillas pollutes large volumes of water and uses copious amounts of energy. Researchers at the biotechnology department of the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico (UAM) are developing a greatly improved “greener” way of making tortillas. Tortillas cost less than a dollar a kilo in Mexico, but price […]
The earliest landscapes to be depicted on Mexican postage stamps were in 1899. The set included these magnificent images of The Juanacatlán Falls, popularly known as the “Niagara of Mexico”, on the 50 cent stamp, and of Popocatapetl volcano on the 1 peso stamp. The Juanacatlán Falls are on the River Santiago, shortly after it […]
Geo-Mexico looks in some detail at air quality issues in several Mexican cities, focusing on trends in carbon monoxide, ozone and microparticulates (PM10) from 1995-2008. Among other things, it concludes that, “As a result of aggressive government efforts, the quality of air in Mexico City has improved significantly. Since 1990 the number of hours that […]
During the Irish potato famine more than one million people died of starvation when their staple crop failed, and many of those who survived were forced to emigrate. This tide of emigration carried many Irish people to North America, particularly to the north-east of the USA. How did the potato famine come about? The census […]
In earlier posts, we’ve taken a quick look at typical Spanish-language place names (toponyms) and also some common indigenous place name elements. But what about those place names that do not match any of the expected categories? My personal favorites in this category include the railway stations of Honey in the state of Puebla (named […]
It was not until 1915, in the middle of the Mexican Revolution, that a map of the Republic appeared for the first time as the central design on a Mexican postage stamp. Most states were named, though abbreviations were necessary given the size of the stamp. In 1915, though, the state of Nayarit on the […]
The Forbes magazine list of the world’s richest individuals in 2010 consists of 1011 individuals, each with a wealth of one billion dollars or more. Nine Mexicans (all men this year) made the list. The nine richest Mexicans are: World rank / Name / Estimated wealth according to Forbes / Main business interests #1 Carlos […]