Mexico Today: Politics, Sports & International Role

• The title of the text is Mexico Today

Modern Mexico

• In the current century, Mexico has gone through many changes, and the Mexican Revolution began as Europe suffered through World War I.
• The revolutionaries brought in successful reforms completely changed the system of government
• A new constitution resulted in 1917.
• Mexico is a founding member of the UN (founded after WWII)
• Mexico is committed to disarmament.
• Mexico is committed to many international organizations such as the OAS and the OECD

UNICEF

• UNICEF is an international children's aid organization

The Olympic Games

• Mexico hosted the 1968 Olympic Games, using Mexico City's Olympic Stadium and many other facilities.
• Mexico hosted the Soccer World Cup twice, in 1970 and 1986.

Today's Mexico

• Mexico today is a mix of modernity and development.
• Mexican cities, especially large ones have the same technological standards that Europe has.
• The gap between the city and the countryside is still striking, especially in the southern indigenous regions such as Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Chiapas.
• The modernization process has not yet been completed, and proceeds slowly.

Mexican Baseball League

• The Mexican Baseball League is the most professional baseball league in Mexico.
• It is one of three divisions in North America with the International League and Pacific Coast League of the USA that are classified as Triple-A.
• It has the highest rating of Major League Baseball
• The LMB is a division of its own.
• No team is owned by the MLB.
• However, several teams have MLB work agreements.

Government Efforts

• The government is working hard to alleviate extreme poverty, improve the well-being of the people and preserve traditional customs.

Mexico City: The Capital

• Mexico City is enormous, with over 20 million residents, sitting at 2,240 m above sea level.
• The city is surrounded by mountains.
• Mexico City stands where the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was built on canals.

Mexico City: The second Venice of the time

• The canals were gradually drained and filled in to allow for houses, other buildings to enlarge the city
• Pockets of canals still exist like Xochimilco Park where you can traverse the canals in small gondolas much like the Aztecs did
• The Chinampa system created by the Aztecs can still be seen.
• Other canals and lagoons like Lake Texcoco are part of the nature preserved area and posses a great variety of flora and fauna.

The Three Cultures of Mexico

• Mexico City is the meeting point of three historical eras of the country: pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern cultures
• Aztec temple ruins, Spanish cathedrals, and modern buildings can be seen throughout the city.
• You can admire all three cultures in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas.

Monuments in Mexico

• Mexico City also provides many museums, like the Children´s Museum in Chapultepec Park.
• There are exhibitions with information on science, communication, the human body, art, and many other objects of all sorts.
• You should also visit the Palacio de Bellas Artes, main square Zócalo with the Palacio Nacional and the Cathedral.
• You can see the Torre Latinoamericana from there and have one the best views on the city, as well as Chapultepec Park with its fair, lakes, wells, gardens and a zoo.
• Many inhabitants see their tradition in the park with their families on Sundays.
• Because of the city's height and size, the city is often in manufacturing and automobiles emissions.
• This causes a blurry effect on the skyline.
• The government enacted regulations in 1989 seeking to minimize the impact of this problem.

Education of Children in Mexico

• The city has a modern metro system that transports people to work within the city.
• In the metro station, "Pino Suárez", you can visit an Aztec pyramid excavation.
• Some of the larger stations feature exhibitions, artwork, and book fairs.

What Children Learn

• Mexicans know about the big problems that affect the world.
• Children are taught in school how to protect nature and biodiversity.
• Students learn much about their country's diversity, cultural treasures, languages and history.
• Kids are taught about about drug abuse that affects Mexican society (e.g. health, violence) and crime.

July 1997 Event

• Millions of kids went to election offices with their parents to elect governors.
• Kids couldn't vote but were aksed to maker a list of important children rights.
• The right to eduction was named mostly.

The Economy

• The main sectors of the Mexican economy include Services, production, commerce including restaurant and hotels, mining (oil extraction), power generation, and finance.
• In recent years, Mexico has begun adopting modern technologies in both industry and agriculture.
• Traditional methods are still used in several rural areas.

Agriculture in Mexico

• Mexico produces various agricultural products like corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, tropical goods like sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, papaya, mangos, coffee, and cocoa.
• Farmers also cultivate rice, cotton, wheat, peanuts, avocados, and strawberries.
• Vanilla is one of the world's major producers.
• Mexico is a producer of plants exclusively growing in Mexico
• Henequén grows in the State of Yucatán and is being used for production in the textile industry.

Maguey Plant

• The maguey is used for the production of three drinks: pulque, tequila, and mezcal.
• The maguey along with the Henequén are endemic.
• Mexico is an important producer of meat.
• Especially beef from the north regions is for consumption and exports.

Mexico's Natural Resources

• Mexico is one of the biggest producers of oil, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, gas, and wood.
• Oil is key to Mexico's economy.
• English invested in the development of the oil industry in Mexico before the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
• The oil industry got nationalized in the 1930s, resulting in PEMEX's founding (Mexican Petroleums).
• There are several oilfields in the Gulf of Mexico including oil wells in the coastal States of Campeche, Tabasco, and Veracruz.
• Where oil was extracted, refined and used "oil towns" emerged. New reserves of oil are currently being expanded.
• There are also other minerals such as mercury, cadmium, antimony, manganese, iron, and carbon.
• Mexico is close to the pacific and Gulf of Mexico .
• Mexico has a diversity of marine resources such as tuna, sardines, and lobster.
• The economy depended solely on oil in the 80's, today the industry presents 80% exports and oil represents only 10%.

Commerce in Mexico

• Mexico trades machinery, textiles, leather, chemicals, and metal with many countries, especially the USA, Spain, Germany, England, France, and Japan.
• The automotive industry has grown in recent years for Mexico
• Until 2003, Volkswagen produced the famous Beetle in Puebla
• The Mexican economy has undergone reform with a more open economy for investments

International Commerce

• Mexico signed free trade agreements with international countries.
• Agreements guarantee free commerce with Canada, USA, or North America Free Trade Agreement.
• Business agreement exists with the European Union.
• Free commerce agreements exist with AELC (European Free Commerce Association) with the countries of Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland.
• Countries don't enforce taxation when exporting which helps recover commerce
• These arrangements turn Mexico into one of the world´s most open countries for world commerce and provides entry to global markets.

Tourisim

• The area of tourism increases because people want to visit the country
• People search for archeological sites, landscapes, beaches, and handmade souvenirs.

Mexican Currency

• The official currency in Mexico is Peso. One euro equals 17 mexican pesos.

Education Under Spanish Control

• Spanish missionaries taught the indigenous people following the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519, and during the colonization of Mexico.
• The missionaries learned the native language to translate religious text and lecture on religion
• They teached the indigenous people how to read, wrtie , sing and speak spanish.
• The missionaries often educated the natives who would then teach their kids.
• A university was established 1551, after the defeat of the Aztec Empire, one of the first in the New World.

The Influence of the Church

• In Mexico, the church had always impacted/influenced in the educational system
• Today, education is secular(not associated with church)

Modern Day Education

• Today Children firstly go to kindergarten(jardín de niños), then go yo elementary(primaria) when reaches five or six years of age
• Then with twelve years of age start secondary(secundaria).
• After fifteen years old, students start going classes in preparatoria for three years of time.
• Afterwards they go to technical school (escuela técnica) or a university
• The students are required to used school uniforms in mexican schools The Ministery of Education provides books to youf of elementary or first year of secondary. In some regions where bilinguism is often found, the clases are taught also in native languages such as Náhuatl ,maya or zapoteca.
• There are shifts in the numbers of students classes: 8:00 to 12:30 and 2 pm to 6:30 pm

New World

• The New World is a historical european name for America, rediscovered by spanish under Cristopher Columbus in 1491. The Old World is different from it with including Asia, Europe and Africa.

Seperation of Powers

• The distribution of powers with governmental is for the goal in the limitation of power and ensure equality and freedom. According to instances there are three powers: legislative, executive and judicial.

Government Distribution of power in state.

• After the Revolution and bloody events , Mexico´s constitution entered into the 1917´s. Mexico is a federal Republic seperation of powers executive(president), legislative and judicial which goes unto the Supreme Court.

The President

• The president leads the mexican states
• Currently president is Nieto who started working in 2012.
• President is choosen by election and takes in charge for 6 years
• Cannot be elected for second election.
• The president proclaims 17 people, inspector and secretary states for working.
• Works on health, trafic, finance, agriculture and enviroment

The Congress

• Has sections such a chamber
• Senate and deputies discuss new and modify the laws.
• Mexico consists of 31 states States which are chosen every six years with senate.
• The population is represented. The members Congress chosen every third years/

Supreme Court of Justice

• High levels for justice exists : Regional court and supreme court
• The court has the law and judge
• Fere court the most important has with 11 judges

Regional and Communial Level

• Mexico has 3 states and Mexico City is where government places and election own rulers
• States smaller with goverment, rulers
• Party affiliations for mexican government.

Political groups in Mexico

• Mexico became an official member in political associations
• Different group compete

Current registred groups Parties