Culture and Traditions in the United Mexican States - Term Paper Example

Mexico Introduction The official of Mexico is the United Mexican s. Its location lies in the north of Guatemala and Belize, and south of the U.S. in the North America continent. On the basis of land area, Mexico is the 13th largest country in the world. Its coastline lies along the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea. It is regarded as the counterpart of U.S. in Latin America, when it comes to economic abundance, and ranked as the 11th most populated nation in the world (Beezley, 2010). Although it is a socioculturally diverse country, it is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. The country has more than 50 different indigenous population groups and various descendants of these groups and immigrants who arrived in Mexico, following the Spanish conquest. Today Mexico is a federal republic composed of 31 states and one federal district. The country’s president acts both as the chief of state and the head of government under the executive branch (Randall, 2006). Its legislative branch is a bicameral National Congress composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate and its judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court of Justice. Only a small number of Mexicans live in economic abundance and the majority of the populations live in poverty (Parker, 2004). This is an odd condition for a nation rich in oil and natural resources. While, Mexico has a large industry of oils, metals, and tourism, it faces huge foreign debts, severe environmental pollutions, and serious social problems like inadequate healthcare and high crime rates. Brief History Aztec, Olmec, Toltec, and Mayan groups were the first human inhabitants of Mexico. They have culture, norms, social standards, and traditions that were unique to their groups and free from any European influence until when Hernan Cortes invaded and made their territories as the colony of Spain for about 300 years (Huck, 2008). Miguel Hidalgo led the country's declaration of independence on September 16, 1810, however, the real independence was only realized in 1821 when Mexican leaders signed a treaty with Spain officials to end the war. The treaty also paved for the creation of a constitutional monarchy, which later on failed and replaced by the independent Republic of Mexico in 1824 (Huck, 2008). Then, the country had several presidential elections, which all led Mexicans to economic and social problems. Thus, the revolution happened all over again from 1910 to 1920. A new constitution was created in 1917 and from 1929 to 2000 Mexico was under the political control of Institutional Revolutionary Party. Figure 1. The Official Flag of Mexico (Mexico, 2013). After World War II, the Mexican government began to formulate and implement programs and policies that would drive economic growth. About two decades later, Mexico became a key player in the production of petroleum. This has opened doors for Mexico toward becoming an important member of international organizations, such as World Trade Organization in 1996 and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 (Randall, 2006). At present, Mexico has a free market economy, which is a combination of agriculture and modern industry. Canada and the U.S. are the biggest trading partners of Mexico, particularly in exporting agricultural products, industrial products, petrochemicals, and animal products. The country is also well known for its mining, clothing, metals, and textile industries. Geography The Republic of Mexico is the third largest country in Latin America, covering a land area of about two million km2. It has a land area of 758,249 mi2, of which 39% is used for pasture, 24% is forested, and only 12% is arable (Parker, 2004). Figure 2. The Map of Mexico (Mexico, 2013). Topography Mexico's topography is characterized by a mountainous spine that runs through the western region and plateaus in the eastern parts of the country. The inner north of the metropolitan area largely consists of high plateaus with the average elevation range of approximately 900 m to 2,400 m (Aguilar-Moreno, 2007). The Baja Peninsula in the far northwest has a very narrow coastal plain and greatly dry and rugged weather. Similarly, the Yucatan Peninsula is a flat, low-lying plateau that lacks in major rivers. The southern highlands, on the other hand, have a number of dry plateaus, deep valleys, and mountain ranges. Climate Mexico's significant climate variations are the effect of the country's different elevations and north-south extension. The central and northern regions of the country generally experience moderate to low rainfall and high-temperature climatic conditions. The highlands of the country's central plateau have the moderate climate with some extremes of hot or cold. In Mexico City, for instance, the average temperature can reach 12° C during January and 17° C during July. At the central and northern regions of the plateau, including Baja California, semi-arid weather prevails and the drier areas only have an annual rainfall of about 300 mL (Mexico, 2013). The southern areas, as well as Mexico City area, receive about 600 mL of rainfall annually. The areas along the northern Gulf coast experience 250 to 600 mL annual rainfall and are prone to hurricanes, while those in the Pacific Coast receive only 130 mL of rainfall annually. In southern Mexico, tropical climate prevails in the region with distinct dry and rainy seasons. The region has an average temperature ranging from 21° C to 27° C and receives 1,500 to 2,000 mL of annual rainfall mostly during the rainy season, which falls from May to October (Aguilar-Moreno, 2007). Rivers Mexico has approximately 150 rivers, of which two-thirds flow to the Pacific Ocean and the rest run to the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico. Most of these rivers run through the mountain ranges and some are short; thus, they are often non-navigable. The Pánuco, Papaloapán, Usumacinta, Coatzacoalcos, and Grijalva rivers account for 52% of the average surface water volume for a year and such water volume is unequally distributed all over the country (Beezley, 2010). Majority of the large rivers empty into the Gulf of Mexico and are situated in the southeastern part of Mexico. The northern part of the country, on the other hand, only contains less than 10% of Mexico’s water resources. Natural Resources Mexico is rich in natural resources. Aside from its mineral and oil reserves, the country’s wildlife and biodiversity are rich and varied. In 2003, about 5% of the country’s land area is placed under extensive protection (Mexico, 2013). The protected sites include 12 biosphere reserves with a total area of 6.8 M hectares and six wetlands that encompass a total area of 1.1 M hectares. Land Use About half of Mexico's land area is classified as agricultural, but only 12% of this is cultivated. The irrigation projects rolled out in the 1940s and 1950s greatly helped in expanding the country's land cultivation and farming, particularly in the northern region where grazing land can be found. While one-third of Mexico’s land is classified as grazing land, 9% of its territory is either woodland or forest. The country’s woodlands and forests are located in different regions: 26% is situated in regions with temperate and cool climates, 59% can be found in the tropics, and 15% is in the subtropical areas (Aguilar-Moreno, 2007). One-third of the 49 M-hectare forests in the temperate regions is open to logging. Most logging sites can be found in Michoacán, Chihuahua, and Durango states. Environmental Factors Mexico confronts various environmental problems that affect almost every region of the nation. In the south, vast areas of tropical and subtropical forests have been denuded due to traditional agricultural practices and raising of cattle. Such deforestation has contributed to a number of severe soil erosions in Mexico, particularly in the north and northwest regions. In these regions, above 60% of the land is classified as in the state of accelerated or total erosion, resulting in serious problems of desertification (Eakin, 2006). Similarly, the extensive oil well drilling and petroleum extraction pose danger in the country’s coastline and marine ecosystem. Pollutions are also a serious problem in Mexico, especially in Mexico City. Air pollution has been linked to various respiratory diseases and water pollution has been blamed for high cases of gastrointestinal diseases and congenital birth defects. Population The reported population of Mexico in July 2012 was 114,975,406 (Mexico, 2013). Since the 1970s, the population growth rate has been declining. From the annual average growth rate of 3.4%, it decreased to 1.8% annually in the 1990s. This declension was primarily attributed to decreasing fertility and increasing rate of emigration. In the 1970s, Mexican immigration to U.S. has substantially increased and the number of Mexicans living in the U.S. surged from 760,000 in 1970 to 8.5 M in 2000. Based on the 2000 census, the country’s population density was 52 persons per km2, but this value varied largely among Mexico’s 31 states and Federal District. The population density changes from 5,975 persons per km2 in the Federal District to 12 persons per km2 in Baja California Sur. In the latter half of 20th century, urbanization heavily flourished in Mexico. In the 1950s, only 42.6% of the population lived in communities with 2,500 or more persons, but by 2005 more than 76.2% of the populace lived in such communities (Beezley, 2010). The country’s population is mostly concentrated in central Mexico along the northwest to southeast areas from Guadalajara to Veracruz. This includes the highly populated states of Veracruz–Llave, Jalisco, Puebla, Guanajuato, Morelos, Michoacán, Federal District, Hidalgo, and Mexico. The combined population of these states accounts for about half of Mexico’s total population. Major urban assemblages can be found in the northern cities of Monterrey, Ciudad Juárez, and Tijuana. Each of these cities has 1 M inhabitants. The Amerindian populations mainly live in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas in the south. They usually live in small-to-medium sized villages and towns. Religion The main religion of Mexican is Roman Catholicism. In 2000 census, 88% of the population, with ages of five years and older, is Roman Catholic. On the other hand, Evangelicals and Protestants only account for 5% of the total population. The membership of these religious sects suffered a declension since the 1990s. From the 1970s to 1980s, these sects registered a 5% average annual increase and from 1990 to 2000, this rate fell to 3.7% (Huck, 2008). Economy In the 2008 Index of Economic Freedom, the country's economy was classified as "moderately free." In the 1970s, democratic governments forgone fiscal discipline, adapted the state ownership of productive sectors and supported the extensive expansion of consumer subsidies (Eakin, 2006). The country's unwise public-sector spending, along with over-reliance on international credit and oil export revenues, heavily contributed to rapid fluctuations in economic performance and high inflation. These resulted in periods of rapid growth and sharp recessions, particularly in 1976 and 1982. From mid- the too late 1980s, the country experienced stagnant economic growth and high inflation rates. The gross domestic product (GDP) registered an average rate of only 0.1% annual growth between 1983 and 1988 (Randall, 2006). Nonetheless, Mexico was able to balance its national accounts through severe austerity measures, wherein public sector spending and monetary policy were restricted. Market-oriented structural reforms were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These included the across-the-board reduction in tariff and non-tariff barriers, privatization of state-owned enterprises, deregulation of the financial services sector, and liberalization of foreign investment laws. These economic reforms led to the ratification of NAFTA in 1994. In the next decade, such development brought in $148 billions of foreign direct investment. From 1988 to 1994, the country's GDP increased by 2.6 through the inflow of foreign capital and sustained exports (Randall, 2006). All these economic gains, however, perished due to the 1994 collapse of the Mexican peso and the resulting economic crisis. Hence, the government passed a legislation, which gave greater independence to the country's central bank. The economy had a rebound but was immediately tempered by the spillover effects of the 2001 U.S. economic recession. In 2002, the economic recovery of U.S., the global booming of commodity price, and the government’s macroeconomic policies all contributed to Mexico’s economic rebound and controlled inflation. The country's economy is often hindered by structural weaknesses that limit job creation and future growth. The country's workforce is composed of mostly low skilled individuals who received less formal schooling as compared to the workforce of industrialized countries. The impact of this weakness manifests as stagnant real wages, inefficient labor productivity, and the existence of groups of individuals who rarely receive the quality education and healthcare services, and our lack of social and financial security. Thus, the country still has an unequal distribution of income and about half of its population is living in poverty. Regardless of a number of economic reforms, some existing policies still halt the growth potential and competitiveness of Mexico’s economy. These include state ownership of energy sector, rigid labor and commercial code, and high dependence on oil industry-derived revenues (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). The state-owned energy sector is undercapitalized and highly inefficient, while rigid commercial and labor codes hinder and discourage informal workers from transitioning into the formal economy. In addition, the high dependence of the government on revenues derived from oil production and exports makes public budget susceptible to cyclical price fluctuations of hydrocarbons. Even though the economic reforms, in line with NAFTA, benefited the manufacturing centers in central and northern regions of the country, these only created a limited number of jobs in the south and southwest regions, which are mainly agricultural states. This unequal development failed to prevent large-scale migration to the U.S. When global competition for capital investment rise, specifically from low-cost manufacturing countries, the status of Mexico as the premier export hub in the North American market has eventually gone. Gross Domestic Product In 2007, the nominal GDP of Mexico reached $879.2 billion and the country stood at $1.23 trillion with respect to purchasing power parity. This performance was recorded as the highest among the Latin American nations. Beginning in 2002, Mexico experienced several consecutive years of economic expansion. However, its annual real GDP growth declined from 4.8% in 2006 to 3% in 2007, partly due to the poor performance of U.S. economy (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). The 2007 economic output was divided into three major sectors: agriculture (4%), services (70%), and industry (26%). Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing In 2007, while the agriculture sector only accounted for 4% of Mexico’s GDP, it generated jobs for 18% of the country’s workforce (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). Agricultural practices in Mexico include slash-and-burn cultivation of indigenous plants, capital-intensive export agriculture, and application of modern agricultural technology and large-scale marketing. Mexicans’ staple food crops are potatoes, maize, beans, wheat, rice, sorghum, and barley, while their chief cash crops are vegetables, coffee, fruits, cotton, and sugarcane. Wood products, livestock, and poultry and dairy products are also important food sources and source of income. In 2006, the country had a $7 billion worth of agricultural exports to the U.S. (Beezley, 2010) Mexico's forests are the source of the country's pulpwood, which is processed in domestic paper mills, and saw logs and fuelwood for the construction industry. The long coastal areas of Mexico are rich sources of various fishes and seafood. The Pacific coast is the country’s primary source of lobster, anchovies, shrimp, skipjack, croaker, and albacore. On the other hand, the Caribbean and Gulf waters produce mullet, shrimp, snook, jewfish, mackerel, croaker, and snapper. In 2005, the country had more than 1.4 M metric tons of catch. Mining and Minerals Mexico is rich in mineral resources. It is known as the world’s second-largest producer of silver. In 2007, the country had produced about 2.3 M metric tons of silver, 0.16 M metric tons of manganese, 7.3 M metric tons of iron, 0.32 M metric tons of copper, 1.0 M metric tons of sulfur, 0.42 M metric tons of zinc, and 0.92 M metric tons of fluorite (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). Mexico has also rich deposits of uranium, mercury, phosphates, bismuth, cadmium, and antimony. Export and Industry Mexico’s largest export industry is the manufacturing sector. In 2007, the manufacturing sector accounted for 81% of the total revenues derived from exports and around 25% of the country’s GDP. Around 25% of the country’s workforce is employed in the manufacturing sector (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). This sector was reformed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during which hundreds of state-owned enterprises were privatized and opportunities for foreign portfolio and direct investment were largely expanded. Manufacturing received 50% of the total foreign direct investment, of which more than 60% was concentrated in the maquiladora sector. This sector was composed of more than 2,000 enterprises with 1.13 M employees in 2004. Mexico’s overall manufacturing output is mainly composed of machinery and plastic equipment, chemicals and petrochemicals, and tobacco, beverages, and food. These three major manufacturing sectors comprise the three-quarters of the output manufactured in the principal industrial centers situated in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterey. Other products included in the output are leather goods, textiles and clothing, paper products, and metals. Energy Petróleos de Mexico (Pemex) is a state-owned oil corporation. Pemex has the sole control in the exploration, drilling, production, and transportation and marketing of the country’s oil and natural gas. In 2006, Mexico became the sixth largest global oil producer and the second major oil producer in the Western Hemisphere. Around 50% of the country’s oil production is allotted for domestic consumption and the other half is primarily exported to the U.S. In 2007, the average rate of daily oil production was 3.1 M barrels/day (Huck, 2008). Over the past several decades, the country’s revenues from oil export had declined due to the increasing domestic oil demand and the diversification of the economy. The crude oil exports decreased from 61% of the total export revenues in 1985 to 15.6% in 2006. The country’s oil reserves declined from 26.9 billion barrels in 2000 by 50% in 2007. Aside from crude oil, Mexico has 434 billion m3 of natural gas reserves in 2006. Since the late 1980s, Mexico’s domestic demand for natural gas exceeded its production. In 2005, the government imported 9.7 billion m3 of natural gas, which accounted for about 20% of domestic consumption (Huck, 2008). Mexico has 1.3 billion tons of coal reserves, which is being mined for steelmaking and electricity generation. In 2006, the country produced 13 M short tons of coal and consumed 21 M short tons. In the same year, Mexico generated 240 billion kWh of electricity from conventional thermal sources (79%), hydroelectric plants (13%), nuclear power (4%), and other renewable sources like solar, wind, and geothermal energy (3%) (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). The country has one nuclear power plant located in Veracruz, the Laguna Verde plant, which generates 1,400 MW of electricity. Tourism Mexico’s third most crucial economic sector is tourism. The tourism sector accounts for the country’s 9% GDP and employs about 2 M members of the labor force. Mexico receives more than 21 M tourist annually. In the past several years, however, the tourism-derived revenues declined due to social problems, such as drug trafficking, rebel insurgency, and crimes. In 2007, 21.4 M tourists have visited Mexico. Amid global financial crisis and minor domestic social turmoil, about 14 M tourists arrived in Mexico during the first seven months of 2008. This figure is a 5.2% increase year-on-year. As compared to the same period in 2007, spending by tourists was increased by 6.3% to $8.47 billion (Blanke and Chiesa, 2011). For 2018 forecast, the GDP’s contribution of travel and tourism is projected to increase by 15.2% to $236.9 billion. Based on the report by the InterAmerican Development Bank, Mexico derives about 30% of its total revenues from international tourism (Blanke and Chiesa, 2011). Around 95% of foreign tourists in Mexico come from North America. Thus, the tourism sector is another economic link of Mexico to the U.S. that poses drawbacks during U.S. economic recession. Figure 3. Teotihuacan Pyramids – a popular tourist attraction (Mexico, 2013). Culture and Traditions Food and Ceremonial Occasions Mexico has a wide range of traditional dishes, which usually consist of beans, corn, and hot peppers. Corns are consumed as a roasted corn cob, porridge, wrapped and steamed dough, or tortilla (Mavor, 2008). Tortillas are like pancakes made from corn dough. Along with meat and other ingredients, tortillas can be prepared as quesadillas or tacos. For breakfast, Mexicans commonly drink coffee or eat fruits, while at midday they eat a bread roll or tortilla-based snack. Between 2 and 4 P.M., a meal consisting of three or four courses is served while dinner is served between 8 and 10 P.M. Mexicans usually eat outdoors and consume large volumes of beer, soft drinks, or tequila. They also prepare food for special occasions like religious feast and celebration. For instance, every February 2nd, Mexicans celebrate Dia de la Candelaria (Mavor, 2008). They prepare tamales, which are like pancakes made from wrapped and steam corn dough. Every 2nd day of November, they prepare pan de muerto, a kind of sweet bread that literally means "bread of the dead." During Christmas, Mexicans eat stuffed turkey and dishes with dried codfish or emeritus as the main ingredient. Etiquette Mexican etiquette is learned through cultural transmission and social hierarchies. As a sign of a respectful greeting, Mexicans either shake hands or kiss one another on the cheek once (Mavor, 2008). During New Year's Eve, close friends and relatives gently pat each other on the back or embrace one another and then shake hands. These gestures imply the value of trust and confidentiality. Strangers are typically treated with suspicion and cannot go within different circles of confidentiality and intimacy. When two persons of different socially ascribed status meet, the one with superior status will define the terms of the encounter. Mexicans recognize one's academic credentials or profession by addressing the person using the term Licenciado or the appropriate professional title. Further, people with superior social standing address a person with inferior status using the term "tu" (you), while the latter will address the former using "usted" (you) (Mavor, 2008). These social norms signify natural social hierarchies. Conclusion The Republic of Mexico is the third largest country in Latin America, covering a land area of about two million km2. Since 1920, the country went through various changes and reforms in social, agriculture, and political sectors that molded it into what it is now today. The country’s climate varies considerably from one region to another. While the southern region is mostly a tropical jungle, the northern region of the country is an arid desert. The central plateau is a colder region, particularly during winter. Its highest point is at 18,700 feet and -32 feet is its lowest point. The prevailing climate is tropical or desert. The highest average temperature registered in the capital city is 80˚F during April and every January, the temperature can reach as low as 42.4˚F (Eakin, 2006). In the early 16th century, the country’s regions of advanced Amerindian civilizations became colonies of Spain until the beginning of the 19th century. The current socioeconomic problems of Mexico involve issues similar to those being experienced by underdeveloped nations. These include underemployment, unequal distribution of income, and the huge economic gap between the rich and the poor. Further, powerful drug-trafficking organizations in Mexico are the country’s major cause of peace and order problems and crimes since 2007. In 2011, Mexico’s economy grew by 3.9%, but it is still susceptible to U.S. business cycle and euro zone crisis (Country Report: Mexico, 2012). That is when the U.S. suffers another economic downturn or the euro zone crisis spills over, Mexico’s economy will surely be dragged down. On the other hand, if the eurozone crisis is contained and the U.S. economy improves, Mexico will gain benefits from the dynamics of its export-based manufacturing sector. The current social problems in Mexico, along with the U.S. and euro zone economic crisis, continue to cause its economy to be sluggish and sometimes, unstable. References Aguilar-Moreno, M. (2007). Handbook to life in the Aztec world. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Beezley, W. H. (2010). A companion to Mexican history and culture. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Blanke, J. and Chiesa, T. (Eds.). (2011). The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011: Beyond the Downturn. Switzerland: World Economic Forum. Country Report: Mexico (2012). Economist Intelligence Unit. London, U.K.: Economist Intelligence Unit. Eakin, H. C. (2006). Weathering risk in rural Mexico: Climatic, institutional, and economic change. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Huck, J. D. (2008). Mexico: A global studies handbook. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. Mavor, G. (2008). Mexico: The essential guide to customs & culture. London: Kuperard. Mexico (2013). Central Intelligence Agency: The World Factbook. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html Parker, E. (2004). Mexico. London: Evans. Randall, L. (2006). Changing Structure of Mexico: Political, social, and economic prospects. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Read More