Download 14 MexAmerica - GEO

CHAPTER
14
MexAmerica
Lecture Outline
Innisfree McKinnon
University of Oregon
© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Learning Objectives
• Environmental Setting
– Boundaries of the region
– Physiographic subregions
– Endemic species
• Historical Settlement
– Conflicts between indigenous people and
Spanish explorers
– 19th century entry of the region into the U.S.
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Learning Objectives
• Political Economy
– Maquiladoras & NAFTA
• Culture, People, Places
– Hispanic cultural landscapes
– Political, social, economic challenges
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Regional Boundaries & Border Regions
• Physical boundaries:
ex. the Rio Grande
• Geometric
boundaries: ex. West
of El Paso
• Cultural boundaries:
not clear in S.W.
• Spatial interaction
• Symmetry
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Landforms
• Southern extensions of mountain ranges
to the north
• To the west: Basin & Range
• Central: Rocky Mountains
• Eastern: southern extension of Great
Plains
• Far eastern: Gulf Coastal Plain
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© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Climate
•
•
•
•
Vary widely
Generally hot, dry
Death Valley – driest place in N. America
Mojave Desert, Sonoran
Desert,Chihuahuan Desert
• Eastern portion not as dry
• Flash flooding, water shortages
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Endemic Species
• Desert tortoise – native to Mojave Desert
– Threatened by habitat destruction
•
•
•
•
Saguaro cactus
Organ pipe cactus
Elf Owl
Gila Monster
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Native Americans
• 40,000 indigenous
people lived in Rio
Grande area
• +6000-7000 in
outlying areas
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Spanish Exploration
• 1528 Cabeza de Vaca –
shipwrecked
• Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado – searching
for cities of gold
• 3 centuries of Spanish
settlement
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19th Century Territorial Struggles
•
•
•
•
Mexican independence 1821
1845 U.S. annexes Texas
U.S. – Mexico War
1848 – the Treat of Guadalupe Hidalgo
– Ceded New Mexico & Arizona as well
• 1853 – southern towns added through
Gadsden Purchase
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© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
Mexican Migration
• After 1853 migrants from Mexico continued
• 2010 Latino Pop.
– 37.6% in New Mexico and 29% in Arizona
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Border Political Economy
• Historically a poor backwater in U.S. &
Mexico
• Currently growing in pop. & income
• "Gateway" area
• Agriculture limited to "Winter Garden" &
Colorado River
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NAFTA & the Secondary Sector
• 1960s – Mexican zona libre (free trade
zone)
• Maquiladoras
• 1994 (NAFTA) North American Free Trade
Agreement
• Increasing investment in manufacturing
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MexAmerican Cultural Landscapes
•
•
•
•
Tex-Mex & Mexican Food
Spanish language music
Spanish language signs
Roman Catholic churches
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Places in South & Central Texas
• Gulf Coast
– Corpus Christi
– Brownsville
• Rio Grande west
& north
– Traditionally
agricultural
– Growing industry
– Laredo & Nuevo
Laredo
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San Antonio & El Paso
San Antonio
• Redeveloped central
plaza
• Active music scene
• Shopping districts
El Paso
• Large pop. Center >2
million
• Twin city: Juarez is
even larger
• Many maquiladoras
• To the north little pop.
– Big Bend National
Park
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Places in New Mexico
• Pop. centered around Rio Grande Valley
• Albuquerque = largest city
– Center for energy/space research (Los
Alamos)
• Santa Fe = state capital
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Places in Arizona
• Phoenix = largest city
– Located in a river valley
– Water for irrigation & pop. Growth
• Sun City = retirement community
• Tucson = university community & bluecollar
• Yuma = hottest, driest city in N. America?
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The Future of Mexamerica
• Challenges:
– NAFTA and rapid growth
– Colonias
– Pollution
– Increasing drug trade
– Border security
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Border Communities & Border Fences
• Many communities
cross the border
– i.e. twin cities
• Many cross daily for
work, shopping,
recreation
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The Future of Mexamerica
• Growing prominence
w/in N. America
• Political influence of
Latino community
• Increasing cultural
influence
– Movies, music, TV
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End Chapter 14
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