Vocabulary
More Vocabulary
Some Mexican History
Migration from Rural to Urban
Haves and Have Nots
100
What term is used in Chapter 9 to mean how economic conditions continue to worsen in Mexico's countryside, forcing people there to migrate to cities or to the US?
rural decline
100
What do we call the large open public gathering spaces common to almost every Latin American city? These are often in the center of town and they are also often near a large cathedral.
plazas
100

As Mexico City has grown, it has seen increases in what three areas?

1) crime rates

2) air pollution

2) poor slum neighborhoods

100
List three reasons (push factors) behind the migration of rural subsistence farmers to Mexico City.
1) Only about 15% of Mexico's land is suitable for farming (arable). 2) The best farming land is held by a few wealthy landowners. 3) Small farms cannot compete with large commercial farms. 4) Small farmers find it hard to afford seeds, fertilizer, farming machinery. 5) Some small farmers end up working for large commercial farms, but those jobs are relatively few. 6) Jobs are few, poverty is high in the countryside. The Mexican government does not spend much to support rural areas.
100
True or False: Many members of Mexico City's middle class (shop owners, office workers, teachers, tradespeople) live near the center of Mexico City, often in cramped apartments.
True. The poorest people live in slums on the far outskirts of the city. The working poor with no special skills who work as laborers or service staff live in tenements closer to the center, while the middle classes who own small businesses or who have adequate jobs and wages (office workers, teachers, engineers, etc.) live and work even closer toward the center of town.
200
What is "urbanization"?
Urbanization is the term for the migration of people from rural areas to cities (urban areas) hoping to find work and to escape rural poverty.
200

The condition of the air based on the amount of pollution in it

air quality

200
Where did the Aztecs settle and what modern day city is where the center of their empire was?
central Mexico, Mexico City
200

What are two pull factors drawing poor migrant farmers from the countryside to Mexico City?

1) They hope to find a job. 2) They hope to put their children in school. 3) They hope to acquire a higher standard of living.

200
Describe some of the living conditions of the elite "haves" of Mexico City. Who are the "haves"?
1) large well-built homes with gates or in gated communities 2) private schools for the children 3) lots of private and public security (police, body guards, drivers) 4) neighborhoods have good infrastructure (parks, water, electricity, paved roads, wi-fi and cell towers) 5) places to spend money (shops, restaurants) 6) business executives and government officials
300
What term in used in Chapter 9 to mean the unequal distribution of wealth and resources in a geographic area? This unequal distribution makes some areas richer than others.
spatial inequality
300
What are large run-down housing projects in Mexico City called where many of the working poor live?
tenements
300

Which of these is a major cause of rural decline in Mexico?.

poverty and unemployment

300
List three ways in which Mexico City is experiencing problems from rapid urbanization over their last few decades.
1) increased crime 2) roads are in poor shape 3) huge traffic congestion, crowded buses and subways 4) terrible smog, respiratory diseases such as asthma 5) poor public schools and many kids do not attend school 6) crowding, too many people and not enough land 7) shortage of clean water in many neighborhoods 8) poorest neighborhoods have little or no electricity
300

Which group in Mexico City enjoys the highest standard of living?

the "haves"

400
What is used to move water over a long distance, usually from mountains to an urban area?
aqueduct
400

found in or living in areas that are not close to cities

rural

400

The Aztecs living in their capital enjoyed a high ________________ of _______________ before being conquered by the Spanish.

standard of living

400
True or False: Families in Mexico City are generally larger than farming families in rural areas.
False. Urban families tend to be smaller than rural families.
400
About how many people are estimated to live in Mexico City's entire metropolitan area including all classes (low, middle and upper)?
estimated to be close to 18-19 million.
500
What is a word for the poorest part of most every city around the world? It is an area where the poorest people live.
slum
500

a major population center made up of a large city and the smaller suburbs and towns that surround it

metropolitan area

500

Which of these is a major effect of rural decline in Mexico?

increased urbanization
500
True or False: Spatial inequality is found in many Mexican towns and cities of all sizes, not just in Mexico City.
True.
500

Name a country cited at the very end of Chapter 9 whose policies have hurt its economy and its people. Its HDI has fallen sharply over the last 20 years along with its standard of living. Its "haves" have kept its "have nots" in poverty and has denied the "have nots" of many basic rights. (Hint: It's in Africa and its leader is facing a lot of pressure to resign in recent news reports).

Zimbabwe (their dictator is Robert Mugabe)

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