part of Mexico’s economy. Tourism is a
major service industry. Millions of tourists
visit Mexico’s resorts and ancient
ruins each year.
Manufacturing and mining are also very
important. Factories produce cars,
machinery, food and beverages, metals,
chemicals, clothing, and other goods.
Mexico extracts oil, natural gas, and
minerals from the earth. The country is
also the world’s largest producer of silver.
Agriculture is a smaller part of the
economy, but many Mexicans still work
as farmers. The major crops include
sugarcane, corn, fruits, vegetables, and
beans. Cattle and pigs are the main livestock.
Logging and fishing also add to
the economy.
History
Humans have lived in what is now
Mexico for more than 10,000 years. The
region’s first people were American Indians.
They built settlements after they
learned to grow corn, beans, and squash.
Eventually the Olmec, Maya, Toltec,
and Aztec peoples built great civilizations.
Spanish Rule
The Aztec ruled much of Mexico when
the Spanish arrived in 1519. Two years
later the Spanish soldier Hernan Cortes
and his troops conquered the Aztec
Empire. Mexico then became part of the
Spanish territory known as New Spain.
The Spanish forced many Indians to
become Christians. They also made the
Indians work on plantations and in
mines.
The people of Mexico fought against
Spanish rule between 1810 and 1815. In
1821 Spain gave Mexico its independence.
Mexico was a monarchy until
1823, when it became a republic.
Members of a Mexican dance company
wear colorful costumes. The dance company,
called Ballet Folklorico de Mexico,
performs traditional Mexican dances.
Facts About
MEXICO
Population
(2008 estimate)
106,683,000
Area
758,449 sq mi
(1,964,375 sq
km)
Capital
Mexico City
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Mexico City,
Guadalajara,
Puebla, Ciudad
Netzahualcoyotl,
Juarez, Tijuana,
Monterrey, Leon
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Mexico 111
Texas and the MexicanWar
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
became president of Mexico in 1833.
He faced trouble in Texas, which then
belonged to Mexico. In 1836 the people
of Texas rebelled against Mexican rule.
Santa Anna tried to stop the rebellion,
but he failed.
The United States took over Texas in
1845. That led to the MexicanWar
between Mexico and the United States.
Mexico lost the war in 1848. It gave up
a large section of its land to the United
States.
French Invasion
Benito Juarez became president of
Mexico in 1861. Later that year European
powers invaded Mexico to collect
money that Mexico owed them. Mexico
defeated French forces in a battle that is
celebrated today on the holiday Cinco
de Mayo. However, France took control
in 1864 and ruled until 1867.
Mexican Revolution
The military leader Porfirio Diaz seized
control of Mexico in 1876. He ruled as a
dictator for 35 years. The Mexican
Revolution of 1911 forced Diaz from
power. Among the leaders of the revolution
were Emiliano Zapata and Pancho
Villa. The revolutionary leaders won
rights for poor farmers and workers.
Modern Mexico
In 1929 revolutionary leaders formed a
political party that became known as the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
The PRI controlledMexico for the rest
of the century.ManyMexicans disliked
the PRI’s control. In the 1990s rebels in
theMexican state of Chiapas fought
against the government for several years.
The election of President Vicente Fox in
2000 ended 71 straight years of PRI rule.
#More to explore
Aztec • Cinco de Mayo • MexicanWar
• Mexico City • Villa, Pancho • Zapata,
Emiliano
May 5,
1521 1821 1848 1862 1911 1929 2000
Spain conquers
the Aztec
Empire in
North America.
Mexico gains
independence
from Spain.
Mexico loses
land to the
United States
after the
Mexican War.
Mexico defeats
invading
French forces.
The Mexican
Revolution ends
rule of dictator
Porfirio Diaz.
The political
party called PRI
takes power.
Vicente Fox
becomes the
first non-PRI
president in 71
years.
T I M E L I N E
112 Mexico BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mexico, Gulf of
The Gulf of Mexico is a huge body of
water off the southeastern coast of
North America. It is almost surrounded
by the United States and Mexico. Cuba
is to the east.Waterways called straits
connect the gulf to the Atlantic Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea. The Mississippi
River and Rio Grande flow into the gulf.
The gulf greatly affects the climate of
the southeastern United States. The
winds that blow north across the gulf
pick up moisture from it. The moisture
falls as heavy rain along the coast. Hurricanes
often hit the coast.
The Gulf of Mexico contains valuable
supplies of oil and natural gas. Drilling
for oil and gas is a major industry off the
coasts of the U.S. states of Texas and
Louisiana. Fishing is also important in
the gulf. Fishers catch shrimps, flounder,
red snappers, mullet, oysters, and crabs.
Tourism is another leading industry
along the Gulf Coast, especially during
the winter.
..More to explore
Mississippi River • Rio Grande
Mexico City
Population
(2005 census),
city, 8,463,906;
(2007
estimate), urban
area,
19,028,000
Mexico City is the capital of the country
of Mexico. It is one of the oldest cities in
North America. It is also one of the
