Exploring Mexico and Central America

Mexico One Family’s Move To The City

Move to the City 75% of Mexico’s population is Urban –25% is Rural When they come to the city’s these people are poor and usually have nothing –They become squatters - a person who settles on someone else’s land without permission. Most huts are constructed of scrap metal

Rural Areas Plaza - small villages had a public square –Could buy and sell things at the market Rural people grew all of their own food, everything else they bought at the market Many people work as migrant farm workers –They travel around picking crops that are in season The lack of jobs in Mexico has sent many people to the city to find work.

Mexico City Over 20 million people –One of the largest cities in the world Most residents are poor. Overcrowded Spread out over 20 miles

Pollution Over 4 million cars jam Mexico City’s narrow streets The city is spread across a bowl shaped valley Mountains surrounding the valley stop winds from carrying away smoke, fumes, and pollution

Mexico City Resort Low income housing What houses?? Wall built to keep off hill

Section 2 Guatemala Descendents of an Ancient People

Struggle for Land Many Maya decedents live in Guatemala. Many live in the mountains because it’s the only land available to Native Americans Ladinos - mestizos that are rich landowners  Taking the land away from the Maya’s

Losing their homes Civil war has been going on between the Maya and the ladinos Many Maya can’t read and write, so they have never filed papers with the government claiming their land.  Wealthy landowners are pushing them off Mayan people often end up leaving to other country's to start over.

500 year struggle Started with Spanish  Killed, died from disease, hunger, slavery  Very few indigenousness people left In Guatemala, Native Americans are majority More than 23 ethnic groups  Share the same language, ancestors, culture, or religion

Peace Process In recent years there has been great steps taken to ensure peace between the Maya and Ladinos Political movements, strikes, and protests have helped bring about change in Guatemala God’s Child Project - Bismarck  Helps children in Guatemala

Section 3 Panama Where Two Oceans Meet

Going through the canal  Shortcut of 7800 miles  Wait up to 20 hours to go through  Eight hour trip through (40 miles)  Tolls (Average $34,000)  Open 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year  Highest toll - $141, Crown Princess Crown Princess  Lowest Toll - $0.36 Richard Halliburton Swam it Richard Halliburton Swam it

Going through the canal  Must go through locks section of the waterway in which ships are raised and lowered by adjusting the water level section of the waterway in which ships are raised and lowered by adjusting the water level  Miraflores Lock - Pacific side  Time lapse of Miraflores Lock  Galliard Cut - 8 mile zigzag through mountains, blasted out the rock  Limon Bay, city of Colon, Atlantic Ocean

Idea of a canal  Ideas about the canal came up in the 1500’s  Engineers didn’t have the technology to build it until the 1900’s  Right to build 1881 panama was part of Colombia 1881 panama was part of Colombia Gave a French company the right to build a canalGave a French company the right to build a canal Problems: mud slides, mountains, disease, bankrupt Problems: mud slides, mountains, disease, bankrupt

The U.S. steps in  The U.S. government bought the French Company, started talks with Columbia to have the right to build They refused They refused  People of Panama wanted to be free of Columbia’s rule U.S. helped Panama revolt against Columbia U.S. helped Panama revolt against Columbia  2 weeks after Panama’s independence, U.S. was given right to build

Building  Had to build a dam to form a lake  Soft earth, would slide into holes  Disease Killed 25,000 French Killed 25,000 French Malaria and yellow fever - carried by mosquitoes. Malaria and yellow fever - carried by mosquitoes. Doctors didn’t realize this until the 1900’s Doctors didn’t realize this until the 1900’s  U.S. brought in 4500 workers to deal with mosquitoes. Fill in swamps, burned sulfur, covered drinking water.

Building  Took 8 years and 45,000 workers to complete the canal  Most workers were Caribbean Islanders  How the canal works orks/index.html orks/index.html orks/index.html orks/index.html

Ownership  The treaty the U.S. signed with Panama gave the U.S. sole control over the canal  Military bases to control and police it.  Panamanians rioted in the 1960’s-70’s  1978 Pres. Jimmy Carter signed two treaties to give Panama more control over the canal  1999, Panama gained full control over the canal