The Changing Economy of Mexico

1
The Changing Economy of Mexico
2
The Old Economy

• Until the mid-1900s, most Mexicans worked in one
  industry _______
• Under the Ejido system, land was given to a
  community of poor villagers for them to
  cooperatively farm
• Why was this not the best idea for productivity?
• In 1991, president Carlos Salinas de Gortari
  changed the old system by allowing Mexicans to
  divide up the Ejido into individual farms
• _______ replacing community ownership with
  individual (private) ownership

3
Business and Industry

• During the mid-1900s, the Mexican government also
  began to support industry
• Loans and tax breaks given to businesses
• Factories Sprang Up Steel, chemicals, paper,
  soft drinks, textiles
• Highways, railroads, airports made for ________
  (process of moving products to their markets)
• NAFTA - lowers taxes on items traded between
  Mexico, U.S., and Canada

4
Industry 1

• In 1938, the Mexican government decided to
  ________ the oil industry
• Though many other industries have been
  privatized, the oil industry is still government
  owned
• An agency called PEMEX (Mexican Petroleum) runs
  the industry
• Oil is Mexicos biggest export and _______ is its
  largest buyer

5
Industry 2 Tourism

• How many of you have been to Cancún?

• Cancún was once a small Mayan village
• In 1970, the Mexican government decided the white
  sand beaches and palm trees made for an ideal
  holiday resort - they funded an airport, new
  roads, and skyscraper hotels
• Today, the population is well over 500,000

6
Group ProjectMexican Ecotourism Poster

• What is Ecotourism?
• A form of tourism that is sensitive to the
  ecosystem (plants, animals, and environment)
• It is usually environmentally educational in
  someway
• It promotes local culture and gives local
  communities economic opportunities